AREA UNIT STATUS SYSTEM

• US 3,854,009 A
• Filed: 02/23/1973
• Issued: 12/10/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert M. Pirnie III
• Original Assignee: Robert M. Pirnie III
• Inventors: Pirnie, Robert M. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saffian, Mitchell
• Application Number:
  US05/334,980
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2R,2A,84L,37
• US Class Current: 379/106.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/02 with bell or annunciator systems

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system for ascertaining the service status of area units such as motel rooms through visual red-green lighted panels at the front desk - housekeepers desk and maid area which panels are controlled by positive sequential actuation of the telephone dialing or touch tone units on the telephone of each room.

Claims

1. For use with a plurality of dial telephones serving a plurality of service area units, which telephones are connectible to and disconnectible from a PABX with at least one telephone being in each service area unit;

an area unit status system comprising;

a. a service area control means comprising a disconnect switch, a clear switch and visual status indicating lamps for each of the service area units;

b. at least one remote panel with corresponding status indicating lamps;

c. dial responsive means connected for actuation by dial pulses from said telephones when the telephones are disconnected from said PABX, and actuated upon energization;

d. means for disconnecting the telephones from the PABX and energizing the dial responsive means;

e. said means for disconnecting being operated under control of said disconnect switch;

f. lamp operating means selectively responsive to energization of the dial responsive means to establish a first lamp indicating condition among said lamps, and selectively responsive to the dialing of a first digit to establish a second lamp indicating condition among said lamps, and selectively responsive to the dialing of a second digit to establish a third lamp indicating condition among said lamps; and

g. said means for disconnecting being operated by said clear switch to connect the telephones to said PABX and de-energize the dial responsive means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lamp operating means comprise a two-level stepping switch connected to energize said lamps to said indicating conditions at three steps thereoF.

3. For use with a plurality of dial telephones serving a plurality of service area units, which telephones are connectible to and disconnectible from a PABX with at least one telephone being in each service area unit, an area unit status system comprising:

a. a service area panel and a remote signal panel each having corresponding visual status indicating lamps for the service area units;

b. a first switch actuating circuit comprising a disconnect switch and means for disconnecting an associated telephone from the said PABX;

c. a second switching circuit comprising selective lamp operating means capable of establishing three different lamp indicating conditions among said lamps;

d. a third circuit comprising dial response means responsive to the means for disconnecting to operate the lamp operating means to establish a first condition among said lamps, and further responsive to dialed digits to operate the lamp operating means to establish further indicating conditions among said lamps; and

e. a fourth circuit comprising a clear switch connected to deactivate said means for disconnecting and said dial response means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said lamp operating means comprises a two-level stepping switch connected to energize said lamps to said indicating conditions at three steps thereof.