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:
Feb. 12, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1998
John Alexander Galbreath, Reisterstown, MD (US);
Other;
Abstract
The invention is a telephone answering device that permits the number of rings before the call is answered, and the speaker volume, to be programmed to vary depending on the time of day and day of the week, or to be set at desired levels for specific lengths of time. The device contains a timer and a microcomputer , said microcomputer having a programmable ring register and a programmable speaker register . A program ring button , a program speaker button , a time ring button , a time speaker button , a plus button , and a minus button located on a control module enable the user to access programmable ring register and programmable speaker register , to set the number of rings before answering and the speaker volume. Incoming telephone calls are handled by a ring detector circuit and microcomputer . When the number of cumulative ring signals matches the appropriate programmed setting, the incoming call is sent to an answering apparatus . Microcomputer then sets the volume of a speaker to the appropriate programmed setting, via a volume control circuit