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:
Nov. 02, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 28, 1997
Edward W Boakes, Middletown, NJ (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A telephone device and method that enable the user of the telephone to visibly read a number stored in a memory of the telephone even though the telephone does not have a numeric display. The telephone has at least one light, such as an LED, that is visible by a person using the telephone. The light is coupled to a controller that consists of a microprocessor and an LED driver. The microprocessor is coupled to the various keys on the telephone. When the microprocessor receives a command, via the telephone keys, for viewing a specific number, the microprocessor reads that number from memory. The microprocessor then instructs the driver to flash the light or lights on the telephone in such a manner that a person viewing the lights would become cognizant of the number. Thus, a person watching the telephones lights can read numbers from the memory of the telephone, even though the telephone does not have a numeric display.