Processor for controlling the operation of a telephone

• US 3,899,645 A
• Filed: 12/11/1972
• Issued: 08/12/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanoch Brafman
• Original Assignee: Hanoch Brafman
• Inventors: Brafman, Hanoch
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bartz, C. T.
• Application Number:
  US05/314,019
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 179/18B,9BB,9AD,2DP,5R,5P
• US Class Current: 379/355.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/62 Keyboard equipment in key telephone systems H04M9/003

Abstract

Automatic dialing apparatus is disposed between a telephone instrument and a telephone line and includes circuitry for successively placing calls from a repertoire of numbers to be called. The apparatus includes a memory for storing the repertoire of numbers, circuitry for activating the telephone line and for sensing the presence of a dial tone and the absence of an incoming call, circuitry for transferring a selected one of the stored numbers to the telephone line and circuitry for automatically initiating a second dialing cycle if either a busy signal or a ringing signal persists for a predetermined time on the telephone line.

Claims

1. In a telephone system, apparatus disposed between a calling telephone instrument and a telephone line for successively placing calls from a repertoire of numbers to be called, said apparatus comprising:

means including first and Second sections, for storing a list of numbers to be called, said list being orginally stored in said first section;

means coupled to said telephone line for activating said telephone line in the absence of an incoming call to said apparatus;

first sensing means coupled to said telephone line and being operative to sense a dial tone signal, a ring back tone signal and a busy signal and to generate respective signals in response thereto, said first sensing means including means to sample for the telephone line signals at a frequency higher than the frequencies of the line signals;

selecting means coupled between said first sensing means and said means for storing and being operative in response to the first signal generated by said first sensing means to select a predetermined one of the numbers stored in the first section of said means for storing;

means for dialing having its output connection coupled to said telephone line and being operative to dial the selected one of the numbers to be called;

means coupled to said first sensing means, for generating a first deactivating signal in response to a busy signal and a second deactivating signal in response to a ring back tone signal that continues for a predetermined time; and

means responsive to first and second deactivating signals for selecting a second number from the list of numbers to be called to thereby initiate a second dialing sequence.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 second sensing means coupled to the telephone line and being operative to generate a signal in response to the occurrence of an off hook condition at the called number occurring subsequent to the sensing of a ring back tone signal by said first sensing means;

and indicator means operative in response to the signal from said second sensing means to generate a sensory perceptive signal to thereby indicate the presence of a party at the called number.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including:

recorded message means operative to provide at its output connection a recorded message; and

gate means having a control connection coupled to said second sensing means and having an input and output connection coupled respectively between said recorded message means and said telephone line, said gate means being operative in response to the signal at its control connection generated by said second sensing means to transfer the recorded message from said recorded message means to said telephone line.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 further including:

transferring means coupled between said means for storing and said means for generating first and second deactivating signals, and being operative in response to the first deactivating signal to transfer the selected number back to a predetermined location in the first section of said means for storing and being operative in response to said second deactivating signal to transfer the selected number to the second section of said means for storing whereby the selected number is transferred to the first section of said storing means if a busy tone signal is sensed on said telephone line and is transferred to the second section of said storing means if a ring back tone signal continues on the telephone line for more than the predetermined time.

5. In a telephone system, apparatus disposed between a calling party instrument and a telephone line for successively placing calls from a repertoire of numbers to be called, said apparatus comprising:

active storage means for storing a list of numbers to be dialed including first and second sections, said list being originally stored in said first section, dialing means coupled to said first section and the telephone line for dialing a number from said list of numbers, sensing means coupled to the telephone line for sensing the line signals at predetermined sensing intervals after completion of a dialing cycle, and for generating a first signal in the presence of a busy tone, a second signal in the presence of a ring back tone, a third signal in the presence of a ring back tone that persists for a predetermined period of time, and a fourth signal in the absence of line signals for a predetermined period of time; and

audio means for providing an audio input to the line between said predetermined sensing intervals.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said sensing means includes:

means for sampling the line signals at a frequency higher than the frequency of the line signals.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said sensing means includes means for terminating said first signal at the end of a busy tone and said second signal at the end of a ring back tone and wherein said sampling means includes means responsive to said first and second signals and to said first and second signal terminating means for extending the sampling time until the termination of said first and second signals.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said audio means includes means for gating said audio input onto the telephone line only between successive sampling times.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5 including means responsive to said first signal for deactivating the telephone line for a predetermined period of time.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5 including means responsive to said third signal for transferring the dialed number from the first section to the second section of said storage means, and for initiating the operation of said dialing means for dialing a second number from the list of numbers in said first section.

11. Apparatus according to claim 5 including indicator means responsive to said fourth signal for actuating a sensory perceptive indicator.