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:
Mar. 02, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 28, 1997
Edward W Boakes, Middletown, NJ (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A telephone system and method that enables a telephone to handle more call appearances that it has call appearance keys. The telephone system contains a display and general purpose keys that are used to respond to prompts shown on the display. When the telephone system receives an incoming call that is not assigned to a dedicated call appearance key, then the system places a prompt on the display. The prompt identifies the line upon which the telephone call is received by placing an identifying name, number or telephone location on the display. The prompt is placed adjacent to one of the general purpose keys so that the prompt is clearly associated with only one of the general purpose keys. The system then assigns that general purpose key to the telephone line addressed by the prompt. As a result, the general purpose key becomes a call appearance key and a person using the telephone system can complete a connection between that telephone an incoming call by pressing that general purpose key.