Patent ID: 7031436

Claim:
A telephone security device, comprising: a telephone handset having a housing, and capable of being used by a user to place telephone calls to any desired number over a telephone line; an electronic controller within the telephone handset, such controller having an off-hook input pin that, in response to an applied voltage signal, places the telephone handset in an off-hook condition, and further having a redial input pin that, in response to an applied voltage signal, causes the telephone handset to dial out, over an external telephone line, a last number previously dialed from the telephone handset; a sensor within the telephone handset housing for detecting an event in an area near the telephone handset; a switch on the telephone handset housing, having a first position and a second position, wherein the switch places the telephone handset into a security active state when in the first position, and not when the switch is in the second position; and a control circuit, within the telephone handset housing and connected to the switch, and connected to the sensor and to the electronic controller for, when the sensor detects an event while the telephone handset is in the security active state, sequentially applying voltage signals to the off-hook input pin and the redial input pin; wherein the voltage signals are not applied to the off-hook and redial input pins when the telephone handset is not in the security active state, and wherein moving the switch from the second position to the first position places the telephone handset into the security active state only after a delay period.