Appeal No. 1998-1393 Page 2
Application No. 08/498,306
BACKGROUND
The invention at issue in this appeal relates to
telephony. Cordless telephones comprise two units: a base
unit and a handset unit. The invention incorporates features
into its handset unit that were previously available only at a
base unit. Specifically, a call screening feature allows a
user at the handset unit to listen to a message received over
telephone lines as it is being recorded by a telephone
answering device within the base unit. In addition, a caller-
identification (-ID) feature informs the user at the handset
unit of the identity of a calling party before the associated
call is answered.
Claim 4, which is representative for our purposes,
follows:
4. A cordless telephone system comprising:
a base unit for connecting to a telephone line
and for receiving a ring signal over said line, said
base unit including a telephone answering device for
responding to an incoming ring signal detected on
said line by going from an on-hook state to an off-
hook state on said line, a caller-ID device for
identifying a caller-ID signal detected on said
line, memory means for storing a telephone number
for comparing with said caller-ID signal and a voice
message associated with said telephone number, and
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