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:
Sep. 28, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 14, 1996
Gregory F Beck, Laguna Hills, CA (US);
Douglas L Palmer, Foothill Ranch, CA (US);
James A Fontana, Mission Viejo, CA (US);
Richard D Ray, Mountain View, CA (US);
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In a two-line telephone controller which includes a line select switch which operates complementarily to a force busy relay that allows an unselected telephone line to be forced to a busy state, a method for using the force busy relay also to place an active line on hold. The method includes detecting an incoming call on an inactive line, switching the line select switch to the inactive line, receiving an instruction to place the active line on hold, and responding to the hold instruction by closing an off-hook relay so as to connect the force busy switch across the active telephone line, opening a first handset select switch for the active telephone line, and closing a second handset select switch so as to select the incoming call on the ringing line. Because the force busy switch is connected across the formerly-active telephone line, loop current is maintained, thereby placing and maintaining the formerly-active call on hold.