Claims
- 1. A method of operating a telephone unit having a keypad, a memory programmable by a user to store predetermined information including numbers, commands and pause commands, and control logic means for performing a series of steps including:
- retrieving from said memory in response to an initiating action a stored telephone number for a telephone accessible response system;
- automatically sending a signal using said telephone number to originate a call to said response system;
- providing a predetermined interval after the call is established for a user to enter a sequence of zero or more characters upon said keypad to create a keypad signal;
- monitoring the keypad signal to detect, if entered, a predetermined password sequence;
- in responsive to detection of said password sequence, transmitting the password to said telephone accessible response system, and
- in responsive to non-entry of said password sequence, interrupting any connection of said telephone unit with said telephone accessible response system, and treating any entered sequence as a possible user command, including an instruction to originate a call to another telephone number represented by an entered sequence.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further including:
- monitoring said predetermined password sequence to identify either a manually entered password, or a recall command sequence to recall a password from a preselected location in said memory.
- 3. The method of claim 2 further including:
- retrieving the password from memory in connection with an automatic operation with a response system, without making the password from memory available to a user.
- 4. A method of operating a telephone unit having a keyboard, a memory programmable by a user to store predetermined information including numbers, commands and pause commands, and control logic means for performing a series of steps including:
- in response to application of power to the telephone unit determining if a security feature is activated, including creating a pause interval to permit deactivation of said security feature;
- retrieving from said memory a stored telephone number for a telephone accessible response system, wherein said telephone number includes a password and zero or more pause commands;
- generating a signal to place a call to the response system, said signal including pauses where indicated by pause commands in the telephone number for said system;
- creating a predetermined interval in said series of operations appropriate for a user to enter a sequence of zero or more characters upon said keypad to create a keypad signal which may represent password information;
- monitoring said keypad signals to detect, if entered, a predetermined password sequence; and
- in response to detection of said password sequence, transmitting the password from memory to said telephone accessible response system.
- 5. The method of claim 4, further including:
- in response to non-entry of a password sequence, interrupting any connection of said telephone unit to said response system, and
- treating any entered sequence as a possible user command to dial a telephone number represented by the sequence.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 223,863, filed July 25, 1988, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
223863 |
Jul 1988 |
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