Secretarial answering system

Abstract

A secretarial answering system for use with a switching system which includes a plurality of subscriber telephone stations each equipped with a buzzer, and a secretarial telephone station equipped with an audible signalling circuit and a plurality of lamp and switch pairs. A line circuit is connected to each subscriber station and monitors its busy, idle and ringing status. A processing unit periodically scans the line circuits to determine changes in the status of the subscriber stations. This processing unit then transmits subscriber station status and identification information to the secretarial telephone station. The secretarial station uses this information to provide visual and audible indications of subscriber station status. In response to operation of the switch associated with a called subscriber station, a directed call pick up or a call transfer message is transmitted by the secretarial station to the switching system. A buzzing requested message is also transmitted to the processing unit in association with the call transfer message. The directed call pick up message identifies the subscriber station whose incoming call is to be transferred to the secretarial station for screening. The call transfer message identifies the subscriber station which is to receive a screened call. The buzzing requested message informs the processing unit to cause the called subscriber station's buzzer to provide an audible signal indicating that the current incoming call has been screened by a secretary.