Abstract:
Disclosed is a telephone alert system that comprises a telephone and a device for indicating that the telephone requires attending. The indicating device includes a call holding alert mechanism for alerting a party on hold that the hold initiating party is ready to resume conversation, and a further mechanism for alerting someone that the telephone handset is inadvertently disengaged from the switchhook. Both alert mechanisms make use of the alert tone of the telephone chassis ringer for notification purposes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to telephones. In particular, the present invention is a system for alerting a someone that the telephone handset is off the switchhook and for alerting a telephone user that a hold initiating party is ready to resume conversation. 
     One of the more annoying features of using the telephone is to be placed on telephone “hold”. Typically, the party put on hold is left to listen to music or a commercial advertisement for a long period of time. This circumstance is tremendously irritating and time wasting, particularly for a business person who is unable to pursue other work activities while listening to the telephone handset for the return of the hold initiating party. One option for the party on hold is to simply place the handset down next to the telephone chassis and hope that he/she will hear the hold initiating party&#39;s voice upon return. However, since the sound of the hold initiating party&#39;s voice is transmitted at the ear piece of the handset, it is difficult to hear and may lead to the party on hold missing the return of the hold initiating party. This typically leads to the telephone line disconnection (i.e., handset “hang-up”) by the hold initiating party. This circumstance leads to a further telephone problem, in that the party on hold has been disconnected and he/she is unaware of this occurrence. 
     In a typical business telephone line system there is nothing to alert the telephone user that the telephone line is not active and the handset is inadvertently off of the switchhook. With the handset off of the switchhook, the telephone of the telephone user is incapable of receiving in-coming calls. This situation results in the telephone user missing these, possibly important, telephone calls. 
     Typical residential telephone line systems do have a system to alert someone that the handset is off of the switchhook. This situation may be occasioned by a telephone user simply not placing the handset back on the telephone base unit properly or by small child who may have accidentally dislodged the handset from the switchhook. This alert system typically takes the form a of tone or repeating message that is transmitted through the earpiece of the handset to alert someone to replace the handset on the switchhook. However, since this alert tone or repeating message is delivered through the handset earpiece, it is inadequate because it is difficult to hear, and therefore could result in the handset being off of the switchhook (and the inability of the telephone to receive in-coming calls) for hours. This situation may be critical, particularly with respect to elderly individuals who may rely on an incoming call as a safety link to relatives or friends. 
     There is a need for telephone handset off switchhook and call holding alert systems. In particular, there is a need for a system that will provide someone with adequate alert that their telephone handset is off of the switchhook. In addition, there is a need for a system that will alert a party on hold that the hold initiating party is ready to resume conversation. This would allow the party on hold to pursue other activities during the telephone hold time period. Lastly, the telephone handset off switchhook and call holding alert system should make as much use of the standard components incorporated into the telephone so as to be relatively easy and inexpensive to implement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a telephone alert system comprising a telephone and a device for indicating that the telephone requires attending. The telephone includes a telephone handset and a telephone chassis. The telephone chassis is defined by a switchhook, a ringer for producing an alert tone and a signal transmission line for coupling the handset to the switchhook. The switchhook is further coupled to a telephone line network which is capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the telephone. These signals are delivered to the handset when the handset is disengaged from the switchhook. The ringer is coupled to the switchhook and produces the alert tone when the handset is engaged with the switchhook and the signals are transmitted to the telephone from the telephone line network. The alert tone ceases upon disengagement of the handset from the switchhook. The indicating device includes a call holding alert mechanism for alerting a party on hold that the hold initiating party is ready to resume transmitting and receiving signals. The indicating device includes a further mechanism for alerting someone that the telephone handset is inadvertently disengaged from the switchhook. Both alert mechanisms are linked to the telephone chassis ringer. 
     This telephone handset off switchhook and call holding alert system provides adequate alert that the telephone handset is off of the switchhook. Adequate alert is provided since this telephone alert system makes use of the easy to hear ringer of the telephone chassis, instead of the hard to hear handset earpiece as used in residential telephone line systems or the non-existent alert of the business telephone line systems. In addition, this telephone alert system makes further use of the telephone chassis ringer to alert a party on hold that the hold initiating party is ready to resume conversation. This allows the party on hold to pursue other activities during the telephone hold time period. Lastly, this telephone alert system uses many of the standard components incorporated into the telephone to provide these features and as such, this alert system is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the telephone handset off switchhook and call holding alert system in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A telephone handset off switchhook and call holding alert system  10  in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG.  1 . The alert system  10  includes a telephone  12  defined by a telephone handset  14  and a telephone chassis  16 . The handset  14  includes the standard telephone handset components, such as a transmitter, receiver, etc. (not shown). The telephone chassis  16  is defined by a switchhook  18 , a signal transmission line  20 , a ringer  22  for producing an alert tone and other standard telephone chassis components, such as a dial, an anti-sidetone network, etc. (not shown). The switchhook  18  is coupled to the handset  14  by way of the signal transmission line  20 . The switchhook  18  is further linked to a telephone line network  24  via a phone line  26 . The telephone  12  transmits and receives signals to and from the telephone line network  24  through the phone line  26 . These signals are sent and received to and from the handset  14 , when the handset  14  is disengaged from the switchhook  18 . The ringer  22  is linked to the switchhook  18  via a signal line  28 . The ringer  22  produces the alert tone when the handset  14  is engaged with the switchhook  18  and the signals (i.e., an in-coming call) are transmitted to the telephone  12 , through the phone line  26 , from the telephone line network  24 . The alert tone of the ringer  22  ceases upon disengagement of the handset  14  from the switchhook  18 . In other words, the alert tone of the ringer  22  ceases when the in-coming call is answered. 
     The alert system  10  further includes an indicating device  30  for notifying a local telephone party that the telephone  12  needs attending. The indicating device  30  is coupled to the ringer  22 , and activates the ringer  22  to produce the alert tone under circumstances other than when the handset  14  is engaged with the switchhook  18  and there is an in-coming call from the telephone line network  24 . The indicating device  30  is defined by a call holding alert mechanism  32  and a handset off switchhook alert mechanism  34 . 
     The call holding alert mechanism  32  alerts a local party on hold that a remote hold initiating party is ready to resume the conversation (i.e., resume transmitting and receiving signals over the telephone line network  24 . The call holding alert mechanism  32  includes signal detector  36  which is coupled to the signal transmission line  20  via a signal line  38 . The signal detector  36  is further coupled to the ringer  22  via signal lines  40  and  42  and a switchhook detector  44  of the switchhook alert mechanism  34 . The signal detector  36  detects a predetermined signal transmitted on the signal transmission line  20  by the remote hold initiating party. The signal indicates that the remote hold initiating party is ready to resume the conversation. The call holding alert mechanism  32  further includes a message generating device  46 . The message generating device  46  generates a message to inform the remote hold initiating party as to how to generate the predetermined signal. The message generating device  46  is linked to an activation device  48  of the call holding alert mechanism  32  via a signal line  50 . The activation device  48  is further linked to the signal transmission line  20  and the switchhook  18  via signal lines  52  and  54 , respectively. The activation device  48  is defined by a proximity detector  56  mounted in the telephone chassis  16  and a proximity activation element  58  mounted in the handset  14 . The proximity detector  56  includes an internal delay timer  59 . 
     In operation of the call holding alert mechanism  32  of the alert system  10 , the activation device  48  is activated by the local party after being put on hold by the remote party. The activation device  48  is activated upon placement of the proximity activation element  58  of the handset  14  within a predetermined distance of the proximity detector  56  of the telephone chassis  16 . This is illustrated by the position of the dashed line handset  14  of FIG.  1 . In one preferred embodiment, the proximity activation element  58  and proximity detector  56  are magnetically based and the predetermined distance is substantially eight inches. The internal delay timer  59  of the proximity detector  56  provides a five second time delay so that the proximity activation element  58  does not activate the proximity detector  56  when the handset  14  is initially disengaged from the switchhook  18  to answer an in-coming call. The five second time delay is sufficient to allow the proximity activation element  58  to be moved outside of the eight inch predetermined distance upon answering of the telephone  12 . Handset  14  disengagement from the switchhook  18  is detected by the proximity detector  56  via signal line  54 . 
     The proximity activation element  58  (of the activation device  48 ) activates the proximity detector  56  (of the activation device  48 ) which in turn activates the message generating device  46  to produce the message (which contains the instructions for generating the predetermined signal) on the signal transmission line  20  for the remote hold initiating party. In one preferred embodiment, the message generating device  46  is solid state, speech synthesis integrated circuit, delivering a repeating verbal message, such as “To resume conversation press 1.”. When the remote hold initiating party is ready to resume the conversation, the remote party generates the predetermined signal as detailed by the message of the message generating device  46 . In the one preferred embodiment the remote hold initiating party presses “ 1 ”. This predetermined signal is detected by the signal detector  36  which activates the ringer  22  (through signal lines  40 ,  42  and  28  and the switchhook detector  44 ) to produce the alert tone indicating to the local party on hold that the remote hold initiating party is ready to resume the conversation. In one preferred embodiment, the signal detector  36  is a tone detector for detecting a dual-tone multifrequency (DTMF) signal, such as the predetermined signal “ 1 ”. The local party on hold then picks up the handset  14 , which moves the proximity activation element  58  of the handset  14  form within the predetermined activation distance to outside of the predetermined activation distance, thereby deactivating the proximity detector  56  which in turn deactivates the message generating device  46  and the ringer  22 . This is illustrated by the position of the solid line handset  14  of FIG.  1 . 
     The handset off switchhook alert mechanism  34  alerts a local telephone party that the handset  14  is disengaged from the switchhook  18  without signals being transmitted and received from the telephone line network  24 . In other words, the handset off switchhook alert mechanism  34  alerts someone to the fact that the handset  14  is unintentionally off of the switchhook  18 , and therefore the telephone  12  is incapable of receiving in-coming calls. The handset off switchhook alert mechanism  34  includes the switchhook detector  44  which is linked to the switchhook  18  via signal line  60  and to the signal detector  36  and ringer  22  via the signal lines  40  and  42 , respectively. The switchhook detector  44  includes an internal delay timer  62 . 
     In operation of the handset off switchhook alert mechanism  34  of the alert system  10 , the switchhook detector  44  through signal line  60  detects disengagement of the handset  14  from the switchhook  18 . This activates the internal delay timer  62  thereby initiating a predetermined time limit. In one preferred embodiment, the internal delay timer  62  is set at a predetermined time limit of ten minutes. Upon expiration of the predetermined time limit of the timer  62  and the non-transmission and receipt of signals on the signal transmission line  20  (monitored through signal lines  38  and  40  and the signal detector  36 ), the switchhook detector  44  activates the ringer  22  which produces the alert tone indicating to the local party that the telephone  12  requires attending. In other words, that the handset  14  is disengaged from the switchhook  18 . Replacing the handset  14  on the switchhook  18  deactivates the switchhook detector  44  and the ringer  22 . The transmission or receipt of signals through the signal transmission line  20  restarts the predetermined time limit of the internal delay timer  62 . 
     The telephone handset off switchhook and call holding alert system  10  provides adequate alert that the telephone handset  14  is off of the switchhook  18 . Adequate alert is provided since this telephone alert system  10  makes use of the easy to hear ringer  22  of the telephone chassis  16 , instead of the hard to hear handset earpiece as used in residential telephone line systems or the nonexistent alert of the business telephone line systems. In addition, this telephone alert system  10  makes further use of the telephone chassis ringer  22  to alert a party on hold that the hold initiating party is ready to resume conversation. This allows the party on hold to pursue other activities during the telephone hold time period. Lastly, this telephone alert system  10  uses many of the standard components incorporated into the telephone  12  to provide these features and as such, this alert system  10  is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.