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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. An electronic computing system for use in the automatic control of
telephone instruments and networks over which users can communicate by
means of either spoken voice or manual commands, and comprising:
means for electronic storage of data, for automatic execution of a computer
program, and for input/output transfer of various electronic signals, said
means comprising an automation computer,
means for connection of said automation computer to both a conventional
telephone instrument and a switched network, means for generation and
detection of conventional currents, pulses, and tones associated with the
manual operation and dialing of said telephone instruments,
means for storage and selective regeneration of spoken voice utterances,
means for analysis and detection of selected voice utterances, including
means for distinguishing selected voices utterances from other signals and
voice utterances,
means for measuring the amplitudes and timings of the events and waveform
characteristics of detected tones, pulse, and voice signals,
means for communicating with the calling party and the calling telephone
instrument such that the destination party cannot participate in such
communication,
means for communicating with the destination party and the destination
telephone instrument such that the calling party cannot participate in
such communication,
means for communicating with various conventional automatic equipment, and
with parties other than the calling and destination parties, including
means for the detection of current, pulse, tone, and voice signals
returned in a responsive manner to said automation computer,
means to permit validly-charged calls to proceed and means to establish a
conventional voice connection between the calling and destination parties,
and
means to prevent communication between the calling and destination parties
and to terminate calls attempted to be charged to an invalid credit
account, including means for originating telephonic calls to an
alternative number stored in or created by said computer and other than
those numbers supplied by the calling party,
means for transmitting credit account numbers to automatic equipment and to
parties responding at any such called alternative number,
means for detection of tone and voice signals returned in a responsive
manner to indicate the credit status and account number validity of said
transmitted credit account numbers,
means to terminate said telephonic call made to an alternative number and
to resume other processes to be carried out by said automation computer.
2. Means in accordance with claim 1 wherein said system includes
means for voice and tone communications with the calling party who has
originated said call,
means for detection of tone signals returned in a responsive manner from
the calling party to indicate the type of telephonic call being originated
and the method of call charging and billing being selected,
means for suspending further voice communications with the calling party
while other processes are carried out by said automation computer.
3. Means in accordance with claim 1 wherein said system includes
means for originating a conventional telephonic call to the number of a
called destination party supplied by the calling party,
means for voice communications with the called party who responds to said
call, including an announcement that charges for said call were being
reversed for collection from said called party,
means for regeneration of the stored voice name of the calling party as
identification of the person who is trying to place a station-to-station
call to be charged to the number of said called party,
means for detection of pulse and tone signals returned in a responsive
manner from the called party to indicate the acceptance or rejection of
collect charges for said connection to said calling party.
4. Means in accordance with claim 1 wherein said system includes
means for originating a conventional telephonic call to the number of a
called destination party supplied by the calling party,
means for voice communications with the called party who responds to said
call, including an announcement that charges for said call were being
reversed for collection from said called party,
means for regeneration of the stored voice name of the calling party as
identification of the person who is trying to place a person-to-person
call to be charged to the number of said called party,
means for regeneration of the stored voice name of the called party as
identification of the particular person who is sought to be called,
means for detection of pulse and tone signals returned in a responsive
manner from the called party to indicate the acceptance or rejection of
collect charges for said connection to said calling party.
5. Means in accordance with claim 1 wherein said system includes
means for originating a conventional telephonic call to the number of a
creditor third party supplied by the calling party,
means for voice communications with the creditor third party who responds
to said call, including an announcement that charges for another call to a
destination party were being assigned for collection from said creditor
third party,
means for regeneration of the stored voice name of the calling party as
identification of the person who is trying to place a credit charge to the
number of said creditor third party,
means for detection of pulse and tone signals returned in a responsive
manner from the third party and indicating the acceptance or rejection of
assigned charges for said connection to a destination party.
6. Means in accordance with claim 1 wherein said system includes
means for either origination or answering of either a conventional
telephonic call or a local direct connection that is placed to enable
automatic data communications between said automation computer and another
computer means,
means for transmitting and receiving data to and from said storage facility
of said automation computer, including data describing the history and
details of user calls, numbers, and charging arrangements.
7. An electronic computing system for use in the automatic control of
telephone instruments and networks over which users can communicate by
means of either spoken voice or manual commands, and comprising:
means for electronic storage of data, for automatic execution of a computer
program, and for input/output transfer of various electronic signals, said
means comprising an automation computer,
means for connection of said automation computer to both a conventional
telephone instrument and a switched network,
means for generation and detection of conventional currents, pulses, and
tones associated with the manual operation and dialing of said telephone
instruments,
means for storage and selective regeneration of spoken voice utterances,
means for analysis and detection of selected voice utterances, including
means for distinguishing selected voice utterances from other signals and
voice utterances,
means for measuring the amplitudes and timings of the events and waveform
characteristics of detected tones, pulse, and voice signals,
means for communicating with the calling party and the calling telephone
instrument such that the destination party cannot participate in such
communication,
means for communicating with the destination party and the destination
telephone instrument such that the calling party cannot participate in
such communication,
means for communicating with various conventional automatic equipment, and
with parties other than the calling and destination parties, including
means for the detection of current, pulse, tone, and voice signals
returned in a responsive manner to said automation computer,
means to permit validly-charged calls to proceed and means to establish a
conventional voice connection between the calling and destination parties,
and
means to prevent communication between the calling and destination parties
and to terminate calls attempted to be charged to an invalid credit
account, including
means for either origination or answering of either a conventional
telephonic call or a local direct connection that is placed to enable
automatic data communications between said automation computer and another
computer means,
means for transmitting and receiving data to and from said storage facility
of said automation computer, including data describing the programs,
status, and operating instructions,
means for diagnosing problems and failures in either the hardware or
software of said automation computer, including for communicating the
results of said diagnosis to said other computer means,
means for said automation computer to alter its own information and
programs, including memory and storage means that permit automatic writing
and rewriting of programs and data,
means for correcting and updating said software of said automation
computer, including for communicating to said automation computer the
results of the processing of said diagnostic data by said other computer
means.
8. An electronic computing system for use in the automatic analysis and
storage, synthesis and generation, and control and processing of
electronic signals and data, including signals associated with currents,
pulses, tones, and voices such as are used in telephonic systems, and
comprising:
means for electronic storage of data in discrete form, for automatic
execution of a digital computer program, and for input/output transfer of
various quantized electronic signals, said means comprising an automation
computer,
means for conversion of continuous electronic signals obtained from sources
such as conventional telephone instruments and switching equipment, and
from human sources as users and callers communicating over such apparatus,
and located external to said automation computer, into discrete, quantized
form,
means for conversion of events, changes, pulses, amplitudes, frequencies,
and other characteristics obtained from said continuous electronic signals
derived from said sources external to said automation computer, or
obtained from frequency-limited representations of said signals passed
through linear filters, into discrete, quantized form,
means for communication of said discrete, quantized representations and
data obtained from said continuous electronic signals into the discrete
electronic storage and other data facilities of said digital automation
computer,
means for processing and storage of said data by means of stored programs
and instructions that can be automatically executed by said automation
computer,
means for communication of processed and stored data out from the digital
storage facilities of said automation microcomputer, into means indicating
discrete events, changes, and pulses,
means for conversion of said output digital data into continuous electronic
signals, and into amplitudes, frequencies, and other characteristics of
output signals, including into human speech and voice signals,
means for amplification and otherwise increasing the strength of said
output signals,
means for coupling said output signals onto a bi-directional telephone
line, including means for separation of differing signals traveling in
opposite directions on said bi-directional line,
means for separate control of the current, pulses, tones, and speech
signals communicated to each of several coupling means to said
bi-directional line wherein said system includes means for data and system
security for the storage of data and program of said automation computer,
including means for receiving, storing, and changing security key codes,
means for requiring the sending and/or reception of security key codes at
the beginning of data communications,
means for comparing received key codes with stored key codes, including the
requirement for a match of key codes being obtained before any data
communications can be effected,
means for encoding of data being transmitted from the automation computer
over the switched network, using a stored key code, and such that decoding
by a receiving computer requires knowledge of the stored key code,
means for counting and logging the number of unsuccessful attempts at
establishing communications and matches of key codes,
means for originating data communication calls to auxiliary or host
computers, including to report diagnostic or security alarms and
information.
9. Means in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system includes
means for storing quantized patterns in said storage of said automation
computer that describe measured characteristics of selected and particular
voice utterances,
means for detection and analysis of the characteristics and patterns
exhibited by voice utterances coupled from telephone instruments and
lines,
means for comparing the characteristics and patterns of said signals with
said stored patterns of selected and particular utterances,
means for distinguishing selected and particular voice utterances from
other signals and voice utterances.
10. Means in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system includes
means for both input and output conversion to digital form of continuous
tone data associated with telephone instruments, including multi-frequency
dual-tone signals,
means for separation of certain bands of frequencies from other bands by
linear filtering,
means for distinguishing multi-frequency tone signals generated by manual
control of a telephone instrument from voice and other signals.
11. Means in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system includes means for
input conversion of line signals arriving from remote apparatus of the
switched telephone network, including indeterminate and unspecified
signals occurring both prior to and subsequent to the answer of a call by
a destination party,
means to distinguish said indeterminate signals from voice or other signals
resulting from the answer or termination of a call by said destination
party, said last-named means including means responsive to the actual
start and ending of a communication between calling and called parties.
12. Means in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system includes
means for selectively communicating with more than one line leading to more
than one conventional telephone instruments,
means for selectively communicating with more than one line leading to more
than one conventional local loop or trunk line leading to the switched
network,
means for selectively connecting local loop lines directly to existing or
other conventional telephone instruments, including to permit shared
conventional use of said lines and instruments not being selectively
controlled by said automation computer.
13. Means in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system includes
means for measurement of the frequency and period of the instantaneous
variations and changes over time in the signals coupled differentially
from said telephone instruments and local loop lines,
means for measurement of the time average of the absolute value of the
amplitude of signals coupled differentially from said telephone
instruments and local loop lines,
means for measurement of the variations and changes over time of the time
average of said amplitude of said signals from lines and instruments,
means for measurement of the amplitude of the variations and changes over
time of the time average of said amplitude of said signals from lines and
instruments,
means for measurement of the frequency and period of the instantaneous
variations and changes over time of the time average of said amplitude of
said signals from lines and instruments,
means for computing averages over time of quantized measurements of said
amplitudes, frequencies, and periods,
means for creating time-changing patterns of quantized measurements of said
amplitudes, frequencies, and periods,
means for comparing patterns and making decisions upon quantized
measurements using stored references that identify and distinguish various
states, conditions, and events occurring at said telephone instruments and
local loop lines.
14. Means in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system includes
means for providing power supply voltages sufficient to retain data and
program storage in the memory means of said automation computer,
means for providing said power supply voltages utilizing internal energy
storage means in the absence of external power supply means,
means for modification of data utilized for program instructions executable
by said automation computer, including with data obtained through data
communications with either a remote or locally connected auxiliary
computer,
means for allocating and managing a multiplicity of memory devices and
means, including conventional technologies that do not lose data in the
absence of power, but that can be erased and written by special means.
15. Means in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system includes
means for resetting and restarting automatically the control program of
said automation computer,
means for causing said reset and restart upon the absence of a particular
programmed output signal normally present either periodically or within a
prescribed time limit,
means for causing said reset and restart upon the presence of a particular
command sequence received during data communications with either a remote
or locally-attached auxiliary computer,
means for stopping the execution of the control program of said automation
computer upon the loss or absence of normal power supply voltages,
means for causing said reset and restart of the control program of said
automation computer upon the restoration and presence of normal power
supply voltages.
16. An on-site telephone communications system, said system comprising, in
combination, at least one telephone instrument at a given site, computer
means at said site for enabling the use of said telephone instrument for
the making of calls requiring the acceptance of charges for said call by
another party at a location remote from said site, without the
intervention of a human operator, means for connecting said telephone
instrument to said computer means, and means for connecting said telephone
instrument into an off-site switched telephone network through said
computer means.
17. A system as in claim 16 in which said computer means is adapted to
record and store signals identifying the calling party, transmit
corresponding signals to said other party using a telephone terminal at
said remote location, and for connecting said telephone instrument to
enable telephonic communication between said calling party and a called
party in response to the receipt of a message from said telephone terminal
at said remote location.
18. A system as in claim 17 in which the identifying signals are signals
representing the name of said calling party as spoken by said calling
party.
19. A system as in claim 16 in which said call is a collect call and said
other party is the called party and said message is one conveying
acceptance of charges for the call by said called party.
20. A system as in claim 16 in which said call is to be charged to a third
telephone number, said other party being the party whose telephone
terminal has said third number, and said message is one conveying
acceptance of charges for the call by said other party.
21. A system as in claim 16 in which said computer means includes digital
data storage means, analog-to-digital signal conversion means for
converting analog input signals into digital signals, means for processing
and storing said digital signals in said storage means, data retrieval
means for retrieving data from said storage means, digital-to-analog
conversion means for converting into analog output signals data retrieved
from said storage means, means for coupling said analog output signals to
a bi-directional telephone line, including means for separating different
signals traveling in opposite directions, and means for controlling the
signals traveling in one direction separately from those traveling in the
opposite direction.
22. A system as in claim 16 in which said computer means includes means for
storing digital signals representing measured characteristics of selected
voice utterance signals, means for measuring the characteristics of voice
utterance signals received from telephone signal conductors, comparing
means for comparing the stored characteristics with the characteristics of
said received voice utterance signals, and means for indicating those
received voice utterance signals which satisfy a predetermined comparison
criterion.
23. A system as in claim 16 including a plurality of said telephone
instruments at said site, and switching means for selectively connecting
said telephone instruments to said computer means.
24. A system as in claim 16 including a plurality of said telephone
instruments at said site, a plurality of telephone trunk lines, and
switching means for selectively connecting said telephone instruments with
said trunk lines through said computer means.
25. A system as in claim 16 including another computer means at a location
remote from said site and connected to said switched network and adapted
for periodic intermittent connection to the first-named computer means to
transfer data from the first-named to said other computer means.
26. A system as in claim 25 including another computer means located on
said site and connected to the first-named computer means for supplying
credit-card checking information to enable the making of credit-card calls
from said instrument.
27. A system as in claim 16 in which said calls comprise collect calls and
calls charged to a third party, said computer means also being adapted to
facilitate the making of other calls selected from the group consisting
of: person-to-person collect calls; credit-card calls; international
calls; successive calls charged to a single billing number.
28. A method of manufacturing a telephone system, said method comprising
the steps of selecting as a site a location for one or more public
telephone instruments where a relatively large percentage of the telephone
users seek to make calls charged to a telephone number at an instrument
remote from said site, installing at least one computer means at said
site, said computer means being adapted to enable the making of said calls
without a human operator, and connecting said computer means to said one
or more telephone instruments and a remote switched network to enable the
making of said calls over said switched network.
29. A method as in claim 28 in which the step of installing said computer
means comprises the step of providing pre-programed computer means
programmed to record and store signals identifying the calling party,
transmit corresponding signals to another party at the location of said
remote instrument, and enabling telephonic communication between said
calling party and a called party in response to the receipt of a message
from said telephone terminal at said remote location.
30. A method as in claim 28 including providing means for periodically
connecting said computer means with further computer means for unloading
accumulated calling information and performing telephone accounting
functions.
31. A method as in claim 30 including the step of installing said further
computer means at a facility of an entity administering the operation of
said telephone system.
32. Automation computer means for modifying the operation of one or more
telephone instruments at a given site to enable the usage of said
telephone instrument for the making of calls requiring the acceptance of
charges for said call by another party at a location remote from said
site, without the intervention of a human operator, said computer means
being adapted to make a preliminary connection to said other party at the
remote location to solicit and conduct an acceptance signal from said
remote location to said computer means, and to connect the calling party
to the called party in response to the receipt of said acceptance signal,
and said computer means including means for interconnecting said computer
means between said one or more telephone instruments on said site and a
switched telephone network off of said site.
33. Computer means as in claim 32 in which said call is a collect call and
said other party is the called party and said message is one conveying
acceptance of charges for the call by said called party.
34. Computer means as in claim 32 in which said call is to be charged to a
third telephone number, said other party being the party whose telephone
terminal has said third number, and said message is one conveying
acceptance of charges for the call by said other party.
35. Computer means as in claim 32 including a plurality of said telephone
instruments at said site, and switching means for selectively connecting
said telephone instruments to said computer means.
36. A system as in claim 16 including means for enabling communication
first between said telephone instrument and said computer while disabling
said other party from talking to the calling party, and then enabling
communication between said other party and said computer to allow for
acceptance of charges for the call, and then allowing communication
between said calling party and said other party.
37. A system as in claim 22 in which said predetermined criterion indicates
the acceptance or rejection of a telephone credit account number.
38. A system as in claim 16 including means for both input and output
conversion to digital form of continuous tone data associated with
telephone instruments, including multi-frequency tone signals, means for
separation of certain bands of frequencies from other bands by linear
filtering, and means for distinguishing multi-frequency tone signals
generated by manual control of a telephone instrument from voice and other
signals.
39. A system as in claim 16 including means for input conversion of line
signals arriving from remote apparatus of the switched telephone network,
including indeterminate and unspecified signals occurring both prior to
and subsequent to the answer of a call by a destination party, means to
distinguish said indeterminate signals from voice or other signals
resulting from the answer or termination of a call by said destination
party, said last-named means including means responsive to the actual
start and ending of a communication between calling and called parties. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the switching, accessing, routing, timing,
accounting, billing, and generally the control of public telephones and
lines and the processing of voice telephone calls, where charges are
billed either to credit-account numbers, the called party, or a third
party, rather than collected by coin from the caller at the time and point
of placing the call. Further, this invention relates to the arrangement of
charge or credict billing by automatic means, without the assistance of a
human operator, and without routing the call an excessive distance in
order to access an operator. Even further, this invention relates to means
accomplishing its objects and purposes through a preferred embodiment
comprising microcomputer-based electrical equiment located on the customer
premises.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The prior art is comprised of means such as telephone terminal instruments
accessible to the public and used generally for the placing of voice
telephone calls, by which means a caller manually keys or dials
appropriate information over transmission means, such as local wire loops
connecting to a computing and switching means called a "central office
switch," which first means collects the dialed caller information,
processes the call, and controls the switching, accessing, and routing of
caller information over long-distance transmission means to other
similarly-arranged computing and switching means that are remotely
located, and where voice telephone calls are further connected to a human
operator to provide assistance in accounting and billing for a call, and
where access over additional long-distance transmission means is provided
to a last computing and switching means connected to the local loop of a
destination telephone terminal instrument, and also where the various said
computing and switching means in combination record the call numbers and
timing and further arrange the accounting and billing for the public
telephones and calls.
The prior art is further comprised of public telephone instruments, means
known variously as "private payphones," "smart payphones," "charge-a-call
phones," or by other names, that include microcomputing means for initial
processing and interpreting of the caller's dialing information, for
providing stored voice prompts to the caller to assist in obtaining
correct dialing information, and to provided billing rates for
coin-operated public phones, all without the assistance of a central
office switch. Said prior art further provides automatic dialing signals
different from those provided by the caller and obtained instead from
memory means provided within the telephone instrument, to accomplish the
accessing, routing, and switching of the call over one or more alternative
carriers and the connection of the caller over excessive distances not
related to the call destination in order to access one or more alternative
operator services that assist in timing, accounting, and billing for
charge and collect calls.
Even further, the prior art is comprised of microcomputer means, known
variously as "dialers," "autodialers," "smart dialers," "store-and-formed
dialers," "network access computers," "call processors," or by other
names, that are connected between a public telephone instrument and a
single local loop, provided either within or separate from the enclosure
of the telephone, but not within any private branch exchange switch or
other equipment that is located on the customer premises, wherein said
microcomputer means accomplishes any of the foregoing functions, including
the initial processing and interpreting of the caller's dialing
information, the providing of tones to prompt the caller for correct
dialing, the automatic dialing of signals different from those provided by
the caller and obtained instead from memory means provided within the
microcomputer means to accomplish the accessing, routing, and switching of
the call over alternative and the connecting of the caller over excessive
distances not related to the call destination in order to access
alternative human operator services that assist in timing, accounting, and
billing for charge and collect calls.
Finally, the prior art is comprised of microcomputer means that are
connected to two or more separate local loops used for creating a
three-party connection between the originating caller, the operator
assistance service, and the destination party, wherein call detail records
are created in the memory means associated with said microcomputer means
and are stored for later transmission over one of the local loops to a
separate or remote computing means, further enabling subsequent
presentation of the billed charges to the customer for payment.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention include
providing public phone service that permits and arranges long-distance
calls, the charges for which can be billed either to a credit account, to
the called party, or to a third party, rather than from coins deposited in
said telephone instrument, whereby the revenues collected from the
telephone service can be realized by a private person or firm not
organized for business as a public utility.
Further, the objects and advantages of the invention include providing any
one of several common, familiar, public-phone terminal instruments that
have a familiar payphone appearance, whether a wall-mounted heavy-duty
instrument, a coin-operated instrument, a wall or desk light-duty
instrument, or a radio-operated cordless instrument, one or more of which
would be suitable for providing telephone service in the rooms, hallways,
and lobbies of hotels, motels, and airports, on street corners and outdoor
walkways by stores, in penal institutions, prisons and jails, in
university dormitories and buildings, and additionally in restaurants,
truck stops, and bars including at the caller's table or seat.
Even further, the objects and advantages of the invention include the
providing of a long-distance public telephone calling service in which the
majority of the calls do not require the assistance and cost of a human
operator and are accomplished by automation means including microcomputers
and other electrical apparatus. The long-distance calls and signals are
economically routed, switched, and transmitted directly from the point of
origination to the point of destination by the least expensive methods
available from selected carriers, and without, transmitting calls over
excessive distances, The long-distance telephone service is provided in a
more economical and low-cost manner benefiting both the caller and the
private party providing the improved service.
Further yet, the objects and advantages of the invention includes to
provide automated, recorded voice prompts to both the calling and called
parties while arranging the billing details, with one of several languages
being selectable by the caller. It also is an object to provide automatic
recording, analysis, and playback of selected voice signals being
transmitted over the telephone line. More particularly, the signals
recorded and played back include the caller's name for use in arranging
collect and third party billing. It is a further object to provide
detection and recognition means to responsive signals returned for
acceptance of collect charges, incluiding tone and dial pulse signals, and
further to provide an analysis of loop current, line voltage, ringing,
dial pulse, ringback, busy, intercept, disconnect, and other supervisory
signals that exist at the terminal end of the local loop, and to provide
detection and recognition means for line unbalance , noise, crosstalk, and
other fault and malfunction conditions, while ensuring accurate
identification of the beginning and ending times of billable calls.
And even further, the objects and advantages of the invention include to
provide means for recording the details of all calling activity in memory
means connected to the microcomputer means, to maintain certain
information in the memory for instant screening and evaluation of the
acceptability of the specific number being called and for denying access
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