IP Library Granted Patent US 10,237,381
Granted Patent B2
US 10,237,381 · App. 15/648,637 · Granted Mar 19, 2019

Telephone receiver identification

Inventors: Jasper Cheekeong Pan (Draper, UT); Brian Chevrier (Highland, UT)
Assignee: Sorenson IP Holdings, LLC
H04M1/03H04R1/225H04R3/04H04R2430/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,237,381
App. No.
15/648,637
Granted
Mar 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A telephone system may include a telephone receiver and a base unit. The telephone receiver may include a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact configured to be electrically grounded. The first electrical contact may be either coupled to the second electrical contact or electrically floating. The base unit may be configured to be coupled to the telephone receiver over a wired connection. The base unit may be configured to electrically ground the second electrical contact by way of the wired connection. The base unit may also be configured to determine an identification of the telephone receiver based on whether the first electrical contact is electrically grounded or electrically floating.

Claims (53)

1. A telephone system comprising:

a telephone receiver including:

a first electrical contact; and

a second electrical contact configured to be electrically grounded, the first electrical contact either coupled to the second electrical contact or electrically floating; and

a base unit configured to be coupled to the telephone receiver over a wired connection, the base unit configured to:

electrically ground the second electrical contact by way of the wired connection, and

determine an identification of the telephone receiver based on whether the first electrical contact is electrically grounded or electrically floating.

2. The telephone system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit is further configured to:

select audio settings based on the determined identification of the telephone receiver; and

apply the audio settings to audio that is provided to the telephone receiver for presentation by the telephone receiver.

3. The telephone system of claim 2 , wherein the audio settings are based on a frequency response of the telephone receiver.

4. The telephone system of claim 1 , wherein the telephone receiver further includes:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a third electrical contact electrically coupled to the speaker and configured to receive fust electrical signals from the base unit to provide to and drive the speaker; and

a fourth electrical contact electrically coupled to the microphone and configured to receive second electrical signals from the microphone that are provided to the base unit.

5. The telephone system of claim 4 , wherein the second electrical contact is directly electrically coupled to one or more of: the microphone and the speaker.

6. The telephone system of claim 4 , wherein the second electrical contact is electrically isolated from the microphone and the speaker.

7. The telephone system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit is configured to determine the identification of the telephone receiver by:

reading a voltage level of an input port electrically coupled to the first electrical contact;

comparing the voltage level to a threshold level; and

determining the first electrical contact is electrically grounded when the voltage level is below the threshold level.

8. The telephone system of claim 1 , wherein the telephone receiver further includes a plurality of electrical contacts that include the first electrical contact, each of the plurality of electrical contacts are either coupled to the second electrical contact or electrically floating,

wherein the base unit is further configured to determine the identification of the telephone receiver based on which of the plurality of electrical contacts are electrically grounded and which of the plurality of electrical contacts are electrically floating.

9. The telephone system of claim 1 , wherein the wired connection is a multi-line cable with a first end and a second end, wherein the telephone receiver is configured to be coupled to the first end and the base unit is configured to be coupled to the second end.

10. A telephone receiver comprising:

a speaker;

a microphone; and

an electrical connector configured to be electrically coupled to a multi-line cable, the electrical connector including:

a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the speaker and configured to receive first electrical signals to provide to and drive the speaker;

a second electrical contact electrically coupled to the microphone and configured to receive second electrical signals from the microphone; and

a third electrical contact that is electrically floating such that the third electrical contact is not electrically grounded, wherein the third electrical contact is configured to be used to determine an identification of the telephone receiver.

11. The telephone receiver of claim 10 , wherein the electrical connector further includes:

a fourth electrical contact that is a ground contact of the speaker or the microphone; and

a fifth electrical contact that is directly electrically coupled to the fourth electrical contact.

12. The telephone receiver of claim 10 , wherein the electrical connector further includes:

a fourth electrical contact that is unassociated with the speaker and the microphone; and

a fifth electrical contact that is directly electrically coupled to the fourth electrical contact.

13. The telephone receiver of claim 10 , wherein the electrical connector is configured to removably couple to the multi-line cable.

14. The telephone receiver of claim 10 , wherein the telephone receiver is a telephone handset.

15. A telephone receiver comprising:

a speaker;

a microphone; and

an electrical connector configured to be electrically coupled to a multi-line cable, the electrical connector including a plurality of electrical contacts, the plurality of electrical contacts including:

a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the speaker and configured to receive first electrical signals to provide to and drive the speaker;

a second electrical contact electrically coupled to the microphone and configured to receive second electrical signals from the microphone;

a third electrical contact that is unassociated with the speaker and the microphone and configured to be used to determine an identification of the telephone receiver; and

a fourth electrical contact that is directly electrically coupled to the third electrical contact and configured to be used to determine the identification of the telephone receiver.

16. The telephone receiver of claim 15 , wherein the fourth electrical contact is configured to be grounded.

17. The telephone receiver of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts further include a fifth electrical contact that is electrically floating.

18. The telephone receiver of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts further include a sixth electrical contact that is electrically floating.

19. The telephone receiver of claim 15 , wherein the electrical connector is configured to removably couple to the multi-line cable.

20. The telephone receiver of claim 15 , wherein the telephone receiver is a telephone handset.

Assignments (14)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY DATA THE NAME OF THE LAST RECEIVING PARTY SHOULD BE CAPTIONCALL, LLC PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67190 FRAME 517. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded May 31, 2024
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 067591/0675 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; INTERACTIVECARE, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: OAKTREE FUND ADMINISTRATION, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067573/0201 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONALCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 067190/0517 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
To: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 058533/0467 →
JOINDER NO. 1 TO THE FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2021
From: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056019/0204 →
LIEN Recorded Feb 11, 2020
From: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 051894/0665 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2019
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC; INTERACTIVECARE, LLC
Reel/Frame 049115/0468 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC; INTERACTIVECARE, LLC
Reel/Frame 049109/0752 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 29, 2019
From: SORENSEN COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050084/0793 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2019
From: CHEVRIER, BRIAN
To: CAPTIONCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 048214/0066 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2018
From: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; INTERACTIVECARE, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 046416/0166 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2018
From: CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 045401/0787 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2018
From: PAN, JASPER CHEEKEONG
To: CAPTIONCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 044854/0225 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2017
From: PAN, JASPER CHEEKEONG
To: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 042994/0837 →
Continuity (1)
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