Abstract: The present application provides an instant messaging-based secure voice communication method and means. The method comprises: receiving a user-issued secure communication instruction to conduct voice communications with at least one opposite terminal in a secure communication mode; establishing a voice communication connection with at least one opposite terminal according to the secure communication instruction; prohibiting, during voice communications with at least one opposite terminal, the occurrence of risky operations detrimental to the security of the voice communications. By providing a secure communication mode, the present application solves the security problems of voice communications in instant messaging contexts and improves the security of instant messaging.

Abstract: Described are a system and method of managing a real-time communication initiated to a mobile communications device. A communication from an originating communications device is sensed as being directed to a first destination address corresponding to a mobile communications device. Location information of the mobile communications device is determined. The communication is directed to a second destination address based on the determined location of the mobile communications device.

Abstract: Communications over a network are selectively routed to one of multiple mobile devices identified by the same mobile device number. In one example, a method includes identifying a first mobile phone associated with a first activation priority by a phone number and identifying a second mobile phone associated with a second activation priority by the same phone number. The activation priority indicates a priority with which the first and the second mobile phones are activated for communications on a network. Communications associated with the phone number are selectively routed to one of the first mobile phone or the second mobile phone having a highest activation priority. The phone number defines an address at which the communications are routed to the one of the first mobile phone or the second mobile phone having the highest activation priority without being routed to an intervening address defined by another device number.

Abstract: A VOX interface is provided that interfaces with at least two communication paths to two separate devices. One communication path may be to a first electronic device, such as a central monitoring station remote from the VOX interface, and another communication path may be to one or more remote devices, such as to one or more patient devices remote from the VOX interface. The VOX interface may determine which of the communication paths is sending a signal (such as an audio signal), and configure the VOX interface (via one or more switches) to pass the signal through. Specifically, the VOX interface may sense signals indicating the presence of audio from a central station audio bus and the patient station bus, may do some background noise filtering on the signals, and may pass these filtered values through a differentiator circuit to determine which bus presented the audio.

Abstract: According to the invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for providing multiline telephonic and data services over a single access facility. In one embodiment of the present invention, a wall unit is located at a customer premises which terminates a single analog phone line and adaptively encodes using Voice over Internet Protocol technology and multiplexes a plurality of telephonic and data calls over the single analog phone line. A corresponding gateway server (or a plurality of gateway servers), which supports one or a plurality of wall unit calls, is located in the public switched telephone network (“PSTN”), or possibly in a private telephone network. The gateway server communicates with one or more active wall units to extract one or more telephonic and data calls from the analog signal produced from a wall unit, and to appropriately route the telephonic calls over the PSTN and the data packets over the Internet or to other data services.

Abstract: A parallel-connected dialing signal detection and transmission-inhibiting device is disclosed which detects dual-tone multi-frequency dialing signals across tip and ring conductors of a telephone link and switches in an a.c. load that attenuates the dialing signals by at least 30 dB. This prevents action in response to the DTMF signals by a central office servicing the telephone link, thereby allowing commands-data to be transmitted within the home telephone wiring. Such commands can be used to invoke a speed/auto dialing function, to provide an intercom, to control appliances, etc. To allow fast response, the controller charges a capacitor of the a.c. load by connecting it across the tip and ring conductors in response to an off-hook condition. Then it is disconnected to allow a dial tone to reach a user at the telephone. Further transparency is provided by the fact that a single interfacing capacitor connects both the dialing signal detector and a tone generator to the tip line.

Abstract: A major disadvantage of known reflective displays consists in the fact that they ideally have a switching angle of ±45° in the so-called symmetric mode. With the liquid crystal mixtures known to date, this is not possible without hysteresis effects occurring even at small switching angles and resulting in the switching time being increased to an impermissible extent. The invention relates to a novel reflective, ferroelectric display which can be actuated without DC voltage and has a maximum switching angle &agr; which is ±22.5°. The liquid crystal display according to the invention is distinguished in particular by the fact that a further birefringent element is arranged between the two plates bounding the birefringent liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A network interface device that allows a user to simultaneously receive/send a plurality of calls from/to a telecommunications network by multiplexing/demultiplexing the calls on a single telephone line. The network interface device allows for the provisioning of an extra line on demand to the user for incoming and outgoing purposes. The network interface device further selectively connects the calls with a plurality of devices in accordance with each devices availability and the stored preferences of the party receiving the call. When a call ends, the network interface device terminates the temporary virtual line assignment.

Abstract: A call controlling apparatus for receiving input signals each including a phone number through respective communication channels and making a call. The apparatus provides a plurality of telephones corresponding respectively to the channels and a storage storing respective phone numbers of the telephones; detects the phone number in the input signals; determines in which input signals the phone number is detected; selects the phone number based on the determining; compares the selected phone number with those stored in the storage and makes the call on the corresponding telephone depending on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: A two-way wireless messaging system includes a messaging network having at least one user agent corresponding to a subscriber of a two-way wireless messaging service. The subscriber receives messages from the messaging network along a first communication channel. The user agent includes a plurality of messages stored therein wherein a predetermined message is stored in the user agent and forwarded to a desired destination in response to an originating message code that is received from a two-way messaging device of the subscriber along a second communication return channel. The originating message code can be expanded by the user agent. The messages stored by the user agent can be modified so that different messages can be forwarded to the predetermined destination. The user agent also maintains location information of the two-way messaging device of the subscriber.

Abstract: A power line telephone communications system having an ON HOOK digital voiceband messaging feature by which selected information contained in an incoming call to a telephone is received prior tc the telephone being lifted off its hook. The incoming ring signals, ON HOOK digital voiceband messaging and information signals are conducted by a base unit to the power line for transmission to an extension unit to which a telephone is connected.

Abstract: An improved telephone interface device communicatively couples a local telephone set to an inside telephone wire which, in turn, is communicatively coupled to an outside telephone line from a central office of a telephone service provider. The interface device includes an on-hold switch, a ring detector, a tone decoder, and a coupling switch, all of which are coupled to the bridge via an internal signal line and a control computer. The touch tone decoder receives input tone sequences from the bridge, decodes the tone sequence, and outputs a bit signal to the control computer. The on-hold switch is responsive to a command from the control computer, and is operative to maintain the signal line at a first predetermined voltage. The coupling switch communicatively couples the signal line to a node line. When the node line is coupled to the signal line, a user at the local telephone set may communicate with another user in the home, or with an outside user.

Abstract: A telephone station set is arranged to automatically prefix calls with the access code of a particular, preselected IXC. In one embodiment, the telephone station set is arranged to have at least one locking button that corresponds to an IXC and whenever the locking button is in the selected state, any calls originated from that telephone station set are automatically prefixed with the access code of the IXC to which the button corresponds. Whenever there aren't any IXC buttons selected, only those digits corresponding to the buttons dialed by the calling party are transmitted to the LEC. In another embodiment, the telephone station set incorporates a slide switch having IXC positions and a "No IXC" position.

Abstract: A data dial system having at least one matrix switch, one or more user terminals, one or more Touch-Tone push button telephones, and at least one processor. The matrix switch can switch the user terminals between various inputs and outputs. The Touch-Tone push button telephones, each of which has a dual-tone-multiple-frequency keypad, generates signals which can actuate the processor. The processor controls the operation of the matrix switch, for switching signals between signal sources and signal destinations by establishing connections and by performing disconnections of the various inputs and outputs of the matrix switch.

Abstract: A calling signal controller in which a calling signal generator having a necessary and minimum output capacity is used to the most efficiently possible extent. The controller includes a phase number memory specifying the total number of phases of calling signals used to selectively call a plurality of telephone sets, a ringing count memory loaded with a ring count for each of the phases, and a ringing control memory of which addresses are associated with the phase numbers and the ringing counts, thereby controlling the calling signals.

Abstract: A page party system for use in industrial environments, having a plurality of stations joined by a page line and by a single party line for providing multiple full-duplex conference calls over the single party line. Multiple full-duplex conferencing is achieved by combining single sideband suppressed carrier amplitude modulation and frequency division multiplexing.

Abstract: A communication terminal apparatus is used in a network system in which a sub address is affixed to a subscriber apparatuses from each other. A proper incoming call indicating tone is registered beforehand in correspondence with a sub address, and an incoming call indicating tone which has been registered in accordance with the sub address is output when a terminating call is received. In consequence, a called terminal can be discriminated by the incoming call indicating tone. Further, a desired incoming call terminating tone can be heard.

Abstract: A control system for a plurality of telephone sets connected as branched to a central office line allows extension calling, privacy function setting and hold releasing operations between the telephone sets. Each of the telephone sets in the branched connection comprises keys through which a control data corresponding to a desired control operation is inputted, a transmission circuit for sending to the central office line a control signal corresponding to the control data inputted by the keys, a reception circuit for receiving the control signal from the line, and a control circuit for performing a predetermined control operation on the basis of the control signal received by the reception circuit, whereby the respective operations of the telephone sets are mutually controlled on the basis of the control signal.

Abstract: A key telephone system including a key service unit, a plurality of key telephone station sets which are connected via speech lines for transmission of speech signals and via data lines for transmission of data, and a device provided at the key service unit for sending a predetermined discrimination signal to a selected key telephone station set via an associated speech line, whereby the key service unit sends key telephone station set information to the plurality of key telephone station set via the data lines, and each of the plurality of key telephone station sets derives its own key telephone station set information from the key telephone station set information sent via the data lines, on the basis of the discrimination signal sent via the speech line.

Abstract: A telephone system, wherein an IC card device storing a personal ID number is inserted into the telephone nearest the owner of the IC card device, thus registering the personal ID number in association with the nearest telephone. Once the personal ID number has been registered in this manner, this telephone is automatically connected to any calling telephone on which the personal ID number is dialed.

Abstract: An intercommunications system for the selective establishment of two-way communications between a multiplicity of stations is disclosed and comprises a terminal located at each station and a communications network including a predetermined number of lines for interconnecting any one of the terminals to at least one other of the terminals.

Abstract: An intercom system for a building having several occupied units served by the same entrance with a locked door. A control panel at the entrance has several call switches, one for each occupied unit. An individual two-wire line extends between the entrance control panel and a control panel in each occupied unit. A person in the occupied unit, which has been called from the entrance can release the entrance door after talking with the visitor. The system consumes electrical power only when needed.