Abstract: The present invention provides a password authentication security system for a telecommunications network having a plurality of user terminals or subscriber stations communicably coupled to the network. The system comprises a network control center coupled to the subscriber stations, to service provider stations and to network databases via the network. Upon establishment of a communication with a subscriber station, a network coupling identifier comprising in one embodiment the telephone number of the line to which the subscriber station is connected is detected at a telephone switching office and transmitted to the control center. If this is the first time communications have been established between the subscriber station and the network, the received telephone number is encrypted to produce a secret password that is then automatically transmitted to the subscriber station for storage in memory.

Abstract: Techniques for employing a television set and a television set controller as the control interface for devices which themselves do not have display capability and for services provided via the telephone network. The techniques involve control apparatus which is connected to the telephone network and a television set and is responsive to inputs from a hand-held controller for the television set. The control apparatus outputs a screen which contains control selections to the television set and the user employs the controller to make a selection. The control apparatus then performs the control function specified by the selection. One application is a telephone messaging system: integral with the control apparatus is a system which can answer calls and store voice messages, fax messages, character-string messages, and script messages. The control apparatus plays the voice messages on the television set and provide screens to the television set which display the fax and character-string messages.

Abstract: A telephone message system overcomes the problems and limitations of presently available systems that seek to enhance inter-and intra-premises communications. The system advantageously comprises a controller unit with Caller ID capabilities and one or more adjunct units that are bridged onto a single wire-pair at a user's residential location in a parallel electrical connection. These customer installable units are merely plugged into any telephone jack and share a telephone wire-pair with existing telephone extensions without interference. Such operation is possible since communication between the controller unit and the adjunct units is limited to a frequency band different from the audio frequency band used by the existing telephone extensions on the single wire-pair. The controller unit, in one configuration, operates as an answering machine with multiple mailboxes. This functionality is advantageously combined with Caller ID, intercom and speakerphone capabilities.

Abstract: A telephone message system overcomes the problems and limitations of presently available systems that seek to enhance inter-and intra-premises communications. The system comprises a controller unit with Caller ID capabilities and one or more adjunct units that are all bridged onto a single wire-pair at a user's residential location in a parallel electrical connection. For facilitating a message routing capability, a mailbox of groups of telephone numbers are associated with a particular party at the residence. These telephone numbers are preprogrammed into the controller unit so that upon receipt of an incoming call from one of these telephone numbers, identified through caller ID, the incoming call is associated with the particular called party and the controller unit routes the incoming call directly to the called party's mail box where the calling party is able to leave a message.