Communication apparatus

(12) United States Patent

Fujise et al.

US006442252B1

(io) Patent No.: US 6,442,252 Bl (45) Date of Patent: Aug. 27,2002

(54) COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

(75) Inventors: Shunichi Fujise, Abiko; Makoto Mikuni, Yokohama; Takahiro Kiyohara, Toride; Fumio Shqji, Abiko; Atsushi Ikeda, Tokorozawa; Naoya Watanabe, Toride, all ol (JP)

(73) Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/144,063

(22) Filed: Aug. 31, 1998

(30) Foreign Application Priority Data

Sep. 5, 1997 (JP) 9-257782

Nov. 28, 1997 (JP) 9-344307

Dec. 10, 1997 (JP) 9-340263

(51) Int. CI.7 H04M 11/00

(52) U.S. CI 379/100.01; 379/100.05;

358/404; 358/440

(58) Field of Search 379/100.05, 100.06,

379/100.13, 100.01, 93.05; 358/405, 404,

440

5,251,254 A 10/1993 Tanigawa et al 379/165

5,289,582 A 2/1994 Hirata et al 395/275

5,291,549 A 3/1994 Izumi 379/233

5,293,253 A 3/1994 Kida et al 358/440

5,349,447 A 9/1994 Kuwahara et al 358/404

5,379,124 A * 1/1995 Ikegaya et al 358/440

5,406,387 A * 4/1995 Yamamoto 358/407

5,420,918 A 5/1995 Tsuchida 379/352

5,473,691 A * 12/1995 Menezes et al 358/440

5,519,508 A 5/1996 Murayama 358/436

5,703,698 A 12/1997 Yoshida et al 358/435

5,742,402 A * 4/1998 Kobayashi et al 358/404

5,960,068 A * 9/1999 Yoshida et al 379/100.13

5,963,340 A * 10/1999 Kim 358/404

5,978,097 A * 11/1999 Ueno 358/407

6,118,551 A * 9/2000 Park 358/405

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

EP 0 159 158 Al 10/1985

EP 0 679 012 A3 10/1995

EP 0 679 012 A2 10/1995

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—Stella Woo

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto

A communication apparatus includes a main unit and a communication control unit. The communication control unit informs the main unit of an incoming call. The main unit makes a judgement on whether the incoming call should be accepted. In accordance with this judgement, the main unit instructs the communication control unit to respond to the incoming call. The communication control unit responds to the incoming call in accordance with the judgement by the main unit. In accordance with the state of a memory for storing received signals or with the called party number, the main unit makes a judgement on whether the incoming call should be rejected or ignored.

21 Claims, 19 Drawing Sheets