Calling Party Announcement Apparatus

Abstract

A calling party announcement apparatus that provides the identity of the caller in synthesized human speech. The invention captures the Incoming Caller Line Identification (ICLID) signal sent by the telephone company. The invention announces the calling party's identity to the called party through a built-in speaker and over the telephone receiver. The called party can elect to accept or reject the call before the telephone company central office has connected the two parties together. The invention makes it possible to screen incoming telephone calls without the aid of a special Caller ID telephone set or auxiliary Caller ID display terminal. The invention is installed in the customer premises, such as a residence or office, between the telephone line demarcation point and the telephone sets. The invention is compatible with any standard telephone set and subscriber trunks provisioned with the Caller ID enhanced customer feature. One of the most important features of the invention is its ability to deliver a vocalized announcement of the caller's identity over a standard telephone set's receiver without the call having actually been declared answered by the telephone company, and without the caller having been cut through. The call is not considered “answered” nor is it billed by the telephone company unless the called party or a telephone answering device , such as an answering machine, accepts the call.

1 .- 17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . An apparatus comprising:
 first memory storage for a plurality of audio records;   second memory storage for storing records, each of a plurality of records in the second memory storage including a telephone number and a reference to an audio record stored in the first memory storage.   
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  further comprising a user interface for selecting an audio record from among the plurality of audio records stored in the first memory storage. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  where the user interface further provides for storing the selected audio record with a telephone number in a record in the second memory storage. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a microphone;   a recorder connected to the microphone that records signals received from the microphone to create audio records.   
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the created audio record is stored at an address in the first memory storage. 
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the second memory storage is non-volatile RAM memory. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the second memory storage is flash memory. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the signals received from the microphone are audio signals. 
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 18  further comprising a user interface to either or both the first memory storage or the second memory storage. 
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the user interface provides the option of adding an audio record to the first memory storage. 
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the user interface provides the option of erasing an audio record from the first memory storage. 
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the user interface provides the option of erasing a telephone number from the second memory storage. 
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the user interface provides the option of adding an association between a telephone number and an audio record. 
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the user interface provides the option of changing an association between a telephone number and an audio record. 
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the user interface provides the option of associating plural telephone numbers with the same audio record. 
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 18  further comprising circuitry for connecting to a telephone network for placing and receiving telephone calls on the network. 
   
   
       34  The apparatus of  claim 33  further comprising a log memory for storing telephone numbers of calls received on the network. 
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 34  further comprising a user interface to the log memories. 
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 35  wherein the user interface provides the option of reviewing telephone numbers stored in the log memory. 
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 35  wherein the user interface provides the option of erasing telephone numbers stored in the log memory. 
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 35  wherein the user interface provides the option of associating a telephone number stored in the log memories with an audio record. 
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 33  further comprising circuitry for detecting signals provided by the network that identify a caller. 
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 39  wherein the circuitry for detecting signals provided by the network identifies the telephone number of the caller. 
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the apparatus is configured to identify an audio record associated with the telephone number of the caller. 
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the apparatus includes a speaker. 
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 42  wherein the apparatus is configured to play the audio record associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker. 
   
   
       44 . Apparatus comprising:
 a microphone;   a speaker;   a recorder connected to the microphone that records audio signals received from the microphone at one or more addresses;   a database for storing a plurality of telephone numbers in association with the addresses of a respective plurality of recorded signals;   wherein the apparatus is configured for connection to a telephone network for placing and receiving telephone calls on the network, and for detecting signals provided by the network that identifies a telephone number of a caller;   wherein the apparatus is further configured to search the database for the telephone number of the caller, and play the recorded signal associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker.   
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of  claim 44  further comprising a user interface to the database that provides the options of erasing a recorded signal from the database, erasing a stored telephone number from the database, adding or changing an association between a telephone number and a recorded signal. 
   
   
       46 . Apparatus comprising:
 a microphone;   a speaker;   a recorder connected to the microphone that records audio signals received from the microphone at one or more addresses;   a database for storing a plurality of telephone numbers in association with the addresses of a respective plurality of recorded signals;   wherein the apparatus is configured for connection to a telephone network for placing and receiving telephone calls on the network, and for detecting signals provided by the network that identifies a telephone number of a caller;   a log memory for storing telephone numbers of calls received on the network.   
   
   
       47 . The apparatus of  claim 46  further comprising a user interface to the log memory that provides the options of reviewing telephone numbers stored in the log memory, erasing telephone numbers stored in the log memory, and associating a telephone number stored in the log memory with a recorded signal. 
   
   
       48 . The apparatus of  claim 46  wherein the apparatus is further configured to search the database for the telephone number of the caller, and play the recorded signal associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker. 
   
   
       49 . Apparatus comprising:
 a microphone;   a speaker;   a recorder connected to the microphone that records audio signals received from the microphone at one or more addresses;   a database for storing a plurality of telephone numbers in association with the addresses of a respective plurality of recorded signals;   wherein the apparatus is configured for connection to a telephone network for receiving telephone calls on the network, and for detecting signals provided by the network that identifies a telephone number of a caller;   a log memory for storing telephone numbers of calls received on the network;   wherein the apparatus is further configured to search the database for the telephone number of the caller, and play the recorded signal associated with the telephone number of the caller on the speaker;   a user interface that provides the options of erasing a recorded signal from the database, erasing a stored telephone number from the database, adding or changing an association between a telephone number and a recorded signal, reviewing telephone numbers stored in the log memory, and associating a telephone number stored in the log memory with a recorded signal.