The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 27, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 02, 1996
Zafar M Khalid, San Jose, CA (US);
William J Beyda, Cupertino, CA (US);
Jay Thomas, Los Altos, CA (US);
Siemens Business Communication Systems, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A method is provided for a telephone subscriber to distinguish between callers. The method is accomplished by storing a pass code for a subscriber's telephone within a memory of the telephone system. Callers who have been informed of the pass code and who call the subscriber's telephone and enter the pass code receive special treatment. For example, upon the caller calling the subscriber's telephone, a normal ringing pattern is applied to the subscriber's telephone while a ring back signal is returned to the caller. Upon the caller entering the pass code, a special ringing pattern is applied to the subscriber's telephone. The special ringing pattern is different than the normal ringing pattern and thus indicates to a subscriber of the subscriber's telephone, even before the telephone is answered, that the caller is one of a select group of callers to whom the subscriber has shared the pass code.