Patent Application
20160165063
This invention relates generally to telecommunications systems and, more particularly, to an enhanced landline telephone system having a landline telephone apparatus configured to send and receive audible and data messages on landline, mobile phone, and wide area networks.
Traditional residential and office telephones operate using a cable that interfaces a handset and input buttons to a public switch network in order to make voice calls to other landline telephones or, more recently, to mobile telephones. More recently, the advent of mobile telephones has brought the capability to send small text messages between mobile telephones. While landline telephones have an advantage over cell phones with regard to reliability and no dropped calls, cell phones have the advantage of SMS messaging and many other unique features. Computer messaging methods, such as email, also have advantages over both landline and mobile communications in that more complex combinations of media types can be sent by electronic mail over a wide area network such as the internet.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an enhanced landline telephone apparatus having its traditional reliability but that also has SMS text messaging and computer network messaging. Further, it would be desirable to have an enhanced landline telephone apparatus having the capability to deliver predetermined text messages to predetermined or programmed target recipients such as emergency authorities. In addition, it would be desirable to have an enhanced landline telephone system having a camera and a USB port such that media contact from other electronic devices may be included with data messages generated by the landline telephone apparatus.
An enhanced landline telephone system for sending and receiving audible and data messages on landline, mobile phone, and wide area networks according to the present invention includes a landline telephone apparatus in data communication with a packet switch network. The packet switch network is configured to selectively communicate with a landline telephone, a mobile telephone, and a computer connected to the wide area network. The landline telephone apparatus includes a SMS module, a processor, and a memory in data communication with processor and SMS module. The memory includes programming and data structures configured to store data messages and audio/visual data associated therewith. There is programming that when executed by the processor causes the processor to deliver entered data messages to the packet switch network for delivery to target recipients on a respective landline, mobile phone, or wide area network, respectively.
Having a landline phone that includes the versatility of mobile phone and email messaging features has many advantages, such as not needing to pay for multiple cell phones for children and the accompanying insurance fees, reducing the number and frustration of “dropped calls,” and being able to construct and deliver emergency text messages directly to authorities when needed.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide an enhanced landline telephone system that includes a landline telephone apparatus configured to construct and transmit text messages.
Another object of this invention is to provide an enhanced landline telephone system, as aforesaid, that selectively interfaces with landline, mobile phone, and wide area networks so as to deliver voice and data messages.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an enhanced landline telephone system, as aforesaid, in which a landline telephone apparatus includes having a USB port configured to selectively associate digital content with a data message.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an enhanced landline telephone system, as aforesaid, in which a landline telephone apparatus includes a camera configured to generate image data for association with text or other data.
A further object of this invention is to provide an enhanced landline telephone system, as aforesaid, in which the landline telephone apparatus includes present input buttons that selectively associate a text message with a target recipient such that emergency message or the like can be directly and immediately forwarded.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention.
An enhanced landline telephone system for sending and receiving audible and data messages from a landline telephone apparatus over landline, mobile phone, and wide area networks will now be described in detail with reference to
The enhanced landline telephone system 10 includes a landline telephone apparatus 20 in communication with a packet switch network 12 (“PSN”). Packet switching is a digital network communications method in which all transmitted data is grouped into predetermined sized blocks called packets and facilitates transmitting streams of packets over a shared network. Data of all types, contents, and bit-rates can be streamed as packets. So, in the case of the present landline telephone apparatus 20, messages may be divided into groups or packets and delivered in an orderly fashion by the packet switch network 12 onto a landline network 14, mobile phone network 16 (e.g. cellular network), or wide area network 18 (e.g. the internet). The landline telephone apparatus 20 is capable of gaining access to these networks through its connection to a standard phone outlet.
The landline telephone apparatus 20 includes a case 21. A processor 22 and a memory 24 in data communication with the processor 22 may be situated in the interior area of the case 21. The memory 24 includes data structures configured to store data (such as for messages, target recipient data, and the like) and programming instructions. The processor 22 is in data communication with various input devices as will be described below that, individually or together, allow message data to be entered, processed, transmitted, displayed, and the like. In addition, the landline telephone apparatus 20 includes an encoder 26 configured to encode a message into digital packets to be streamed and a decoder 28 configured to decode incoming digital packets into a form that can be displayed or processed. The encoder 26 and decoder 28 may be situated in the case 21. In another embodiment, the packet switch network 12 may be situated remote from the telephone apparatus 20, such as at the PSN, and in data communication with the processor 22 and configured to receive input data or data stored in memory 24 and to encode it for transmission.
The packaging of messages into digital packets and access to landline, mobile phone, and wide area networks enables the landline telephone apparatus 20 to send and receive audible messages as is traditional by landline phones, text and image messages as is capable by cell phones, and combined data messages as is capable through electronic mail. In addition, the present invention discloses a landline phone apparatus 20 that can form data messages in a manner not previously disclosed by a landline device such as having data communication through a USB port 30, having a camera 32, being configured to receive digital content, and having other input elements, as will be described in greater detail below.
As indicated above, the landline telephone apparatus 20 includes a housing or case 21 defining an interior area configured to receive traditional telephone electronic components as well as components for operation like a mobile telephone and like a computer as will be described below. For instance, the landline telephone apparatus 20 includes a Short Messaging System module 34 (“SMS”) that enables text messages to be received, to be entered from input components, and to be transmitted through the mobile phone network 16 as will be described later. SMS is a text messaging service that uses known communication protocols to exchange short text messages primarily between mobile handsets.
Traditional telephone components may be coupled to the case 21, such as a handset 23, a display 25, and a numeric keypad 27. The handset 23 enables a user to hear audible messaging and to speak audible tones (such as a real time phone conversation) in a traditional manner. The keypad 27 may be used to enter either a landline or a mobile phone number. The numeric keypad 27 is an input device by which a telephone number may be entered. Entry of a telephone number is indicative of a “target recipient” of a message. The keypad 27 may be positioned on an upper surface of the case 21 as shown in the drawings or be positioned on the handset 23 or another location on the case 21.
The display 25 is configured to publish numbers being entered into the keypad, caller-ID information from an incoming call, a text message being composed or received, or the like. In an embodiment, the display 25 may be pivotally coupled to a top surface of the case 21 and movable between a stowed configuration (
In an embodiment, a keyboard 29 may be included as an input device and situated on the case 21 (
The landline telephone apparatus 20 may include a USB port 30 in communication with the processor 22 and, operatively, with the memory 24. The USB port is selectively connected to an electronic device (not shown) remote from the landline telephone apparatus 20. For instance, a flash drive, portable hard disk drive, laptop computer, tablet computing device, electronic music player, or the like may be electrically connected to the USB port 30 and thus in data communication with the processor 22 of the landline telephone apparatus 20. Executing programming instructions, the processor 22 is able to associate data received via the USB port 30 with text and data messages entered with respective input devices. The combined data message (text and data from a USB connected device) may then be transmitted through the packet switch network 12 and connected networks.
The landline telephone apparatus 20 may include a camera 32 mounted to the case 21 or, more particularly, to the pivotal display 25. Preferably, the camera 32 is in data communication with the processor 22 and, operatively, to the memory 24. The camera 32 enables a user to snap a picture of himself when positioned in front of the display 25 in the manner of a “selfie.” Under program control, a picture may be taken by the camera 32 and saved in a respective data structure in memory 24. The combined data message may then sent by the SMS module 34 via the mobile phone network 16 or as an attachment to an email message transmitted over the wide area network 18, such as the internet 19.
An exemplary process 100 of operation of the enhanced landline telephone system 10 according to the present invention is shown in
At step 106, the message having been processed according to the process shown in
At step 110, the encoded message is relayed or transmitted via the network determined to be appropriate. The process 100 proceeds to step 112. At step 112, a destination target recipient receives the relayed message and the process 100 proceeds to step 114. It is represented at step 114 that a received message (such as by the landline telephone apparatus 20) is decoded by the decoder 28 into a complete intelligible message. The process 100 proceeds to step 116 where the decoded message is published on the display 25.
Now turning to
At step 206, the processor 22 determines if an image, video, or other media is to be attached to a text message and, if so, proceeds in turn to steps 208 and 210. Otherwise, the process 200 proceeds to step 106 illustrated in
In use, the landline telephone apparatus 20 may be situated virtually anywhere in a home or office, connected to a traditional telephone landline, and utilized for voice calls in a traditional manner. As with a traditional landline phone, calls may be placed to both landline (cord or cordless) and wireless mobile phones. In the present invention, however, the landline telephone apparatus 20 also includes an SMS module 34 capable of generating and sending text messages in the manner common to cell phone technology. Text messages may be composed using various input devices such as a keyboard or keypad situated on the case 21 of the landline telephone apparatus 20. The processor 22 determines whether a message is to be sent via a traditional landline network 14, mobile phone network 16, or wide area network 18 based on the nature of the target recipient address.
Importantly, the landline telephone apparatus 20 includes several features that are unexpected of a residential or office landline phone. Namely, the landline telephone apparatus 20 includes a USB port 30, a camera 32, and a memory 24 configured to store media files obtained from the USB port 30 and camera 32 components such that said files may be attached to outbound data messages.
It is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof.
