Patent ID: 6353659
Filing Date: 2002-03-05
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
An apparatus adapted to be coupled to a telephone line having a telephone number associated therewith and having a number of telephones coupled thereto each having on and off states and located within a building for receiving and/or recording messages, said apparatus comprising:a processor coupled to a counter for generating a counter signal indicating that a message has been received and/or recorded; a circuit for receiving said counter signal and an off-hook signal indicative of an off-hook state of a telephone when the respective telephone has been placed in the off-hook state and for generating a trigger signal therefrom; an audio mixer receiving a message received signal and a telephone signal for combining said message received signal and said telephone signal in response to said trigger signal and for supplying the combined signal to said telephone line so as to provide an indication to an operator that the message has been received and/or recorded when the operator places the respective telephone in the off-hook state, wherein said apparatus is adapted to be located in the same building as the number of telephones and to be connected with only a single telephone line which is the same as said telephone line coupled to the number of telephones.