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:
Jan. 08, 2002
Filed:
May. 23, 1997
Robert S. Bugash, Germantown, MD (US);
David L. Potts, Fairfield, PA (US);
James H. Heidenreich, Mentor, OH (US);
Microlog Corporation, Germantown, MD (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for coupling an automated attendant to a telecommunications system. The apparatus includes a switching device which establishes connection between a plurality of trunk lines of an existing telecommunications system and a plurality of ports of an automated attendant. A switching device of the apparatus is controllable to establish communication between any of the trunk lines and any of a plurality of station line ports that are adapted to be coupled to a plurality of telephone stations, respectively. The apparatus substantially isolates either the switching network or the automated attendant from the AC audio portion of a telecommunications signal based on whether the automated attendant or the switching network is handling the telecommunications signal, and is capable of monitoring the status of the trunk and stations lines to detect for an on-hook condition.