Patent ID: 8325903

Claim:
A telephone device configured to communicate with a first external device, wherein: the telephone device is configured to receive, via a communication control device, a call from a second external device during a communication with the first external device, the communication control device is configured to be set to a first status that indicates that a call from the second external device is acceptable and a second status that indicates that a call from the second external device is unwanted, the communication control device comprises: a communication control unit configured to control the communication with the first external device; a call detection unit configured to detect a call from the second external device during the communication with the first external device; and a ring alert inhibiting unit configured to be actuated in the second status to inhibit issuance of a ring alert for informing reception of the call which is sent from the second external device and which is detected by the call detection unit, the telephone device comprises: a communication start instruction unit configured to instruct the communication control unit to start communication with the first external device; and a setting unit that is configured to instruct the communication control device to be set to the second status, when starting the communication with the first external device in accordance with the instruction by the communication start instruction unit, or while the communication control unit is executing communication with the first external device, and the communication control device further comprises a notification unit that is configured to notify the second external device that the communication control device is in the second status when the setting unit instructs the communication control device to be set to the second status, thereby enabling the second external device to determine that a call from the second external device is unwanted before that call is made to the telephone device.