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. 03, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 09, 1997
David Borland, Austin, TX (US);
Joe Peterson, Austin, TX (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention comprises an improved telephone system and method that enable a caller to leave a message on a telephone without the telephone first generating a ring sound. The telephone receives an incoming telephone call from a caller, and if the ring/message option feature is enabled, the telephone answers the incoming telephone call. The telephone answers the incoming telephone call prior to the telephone generating a ring sound. The caller is then given the choice by the telephone to either access an answering machine in order to leave a message or have the telephone generate a ring sound in order to alert the user or users to the incoming telephone call. If the caller chooses to leave a message, the telephone transfers control to an answering machine unit which plays a message requesting the caller to leave a message after the answering machine unit generates a characteristic tone. After the answering machine unit generates the characteristic tone, the answering machine unit receives and records a message from the caller. Thus, the caller may leave a message without disturbing the user. For example, the caller may call a telephone with the ring/message option feature and leave a message late at night when the user or users are asleep.