PC-Phone: adding special telephone secretary functions to a PC

Abstract

The architecture and operation of PC-Phone, a smart telephone-controller device, is described. PC-Phone offers extended telephone-secretary functions far beyond the standard answering machine, such as multimode calling functions, password-based personal message communication, and telecontrol functions. PC-Phone can store and transmit up to eight standard short answering messages, and transmit or receive personal messages to/from certain subscribers, upon verification of their personal password. PC-Phone consists of a microcontroller-based board and the relative monitor program, along with the supporting software installed on the PC.<>