Using Cordless Phones to Send Voice Commands to Smart Home Devices
A method for letting a cordless phone handset send voice commands to smart home appliances over the same signal path used for regular phone calls.
Original patent title: “USRE48232E1 - Method for controlling cordless telephone device, handset of cordless telephone device, and cordless telephone device”
A method for letting a cordless phone handset send voice commands to smart home appliances over the same signal path used for regular phone calls. Granted to Panasonic Intellectual Property Corp of America in 2020 with 27 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to repurpose the audio stream of a cordless phone to control home appliances. When a user triggers the device—such as by pressing a button or moving the phone—the handset generates 'instruction bit information' alongside the voice data. This data is sent to the base unit using the standard DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) multiplexing scheme, which is the same technology used for normal phone calls. If the user is already on a call, the system can automatically mute the call to the person on the other end while the voice command is processed by the home system.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover voice control systems that use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth protocols instead of DECT.
- Does not cover smart home control that requires a dedicated, non-telephony communication channel.
- Does not cover systems that lack the ability to switch between call mode and mute mode during a voice command.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation is using the existing DECT multiplexing scheme to carry control data packets alongside voice data, effectively turning a standard phone call signal into a dual-purpose data pipe for home automation.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Panasonic cordless home phone systems with integrated smart home features
DECT-based home automation controllers
Why it matters
The bigger picture
As the smart home market grew, manufacturers looked for ways to integrate voice control into existing household hardware. By using the DECT standard, this patent allows a standard cordless phone to double as a remote control for appliances without needing a separate wireless radio or a more complex network infrastructure.
Filed
March 7, 2018
Granted
September 29, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Panasonic remains the primary entity associated with this technology, as they have historically been a major driver of the DECT standard for home telephony. The technology is largely utilized by manufacturers maintaining legacy cordless phone ecosystems with modern smart home integration.
Market impact
This patent helped extend the lifespan and utility of the cordless phone form factor in an era where mobile phones were rapidly replacing landlines. It provided a technical pathway for legacy hardware manufacturers to remain relevant in the smart home market by leveraging existing communication standards.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to repurpose the audio stream of a cordless phone to control home appliances. When a user triggers the device—such as by pressing a button or moving the phone—the handset generates 'instruction bit information' alongside the voice data. This data is sent to the base unit using the standard DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) multiplexing scheme, which is the same technology used for normal phone calls. If the user is already on a call, the system can automatically mute the call to the person on the other end while the voice command is processed by the home system.
The clever bit
The innovation is using the existing DECT multiplexing scheme to carry control data packets alongside voice data, effectively turning a standard phone call signal into a dual-purpose data pipe for home automation.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover voice control systems that use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth protocols instead of DECT.
- Does not cover smart home control that requires a dedicated, non-telephony communication channel.
- Does not cover systems that lack the ability to switch between call mode and mute mode during a voice command.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
18/20
Very broad protection
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$34K – $109K
Midpoint $68K · 11.7 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
27 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Kozuka, M., Wakabayashi, T., Yahata, H., Ishiguro, K., Oka, H., Ogawa, T., Matsumoto, S., & Inoue, A. (2020). Using Cordless Phones to Send Voice Commands to Smart Home Devices (U.S. Patent No. RE48,232). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE48232/video-doorbell
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Using Cordless Phones to Send Voice Commands to Smart Home Devices cover?
A method for letting a cordless phone handset send voice commands to smart home appliances over the same signal path used for regular phone calls.
Who owns patent US RE48232?
Panasonic Intellectual Property Corp of America owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 29, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
As the smart home market grew, manufacturers looked for ways to integrate voice control into existing household hardware. By using the DECT standard, this patent allows a standard cordless phone to double as a remote control for appliances without needing a separate wireless radio or a more complex network infrastructure.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover voice control systems that use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth protocols instead of DECT.
Patent monitoring