Area unit status system

• US 3,924,071 A
• Filed: 10/16/1973
• Issued: 12/02/1975
• 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): Chin, Tommy P.
• Application Number:
  US05/403,256
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2A,2R,81C,84C,84L,18B 340/81R,83,334
• US Class Current: 379/102.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/02 with bell or annunciator systems

Abstract

A system for ascertaining the service status of area units such as motel rooms by establishing various flashing rates to represent three different lamp indicating conditions among each lamp through visual lighted panels at the front deskhousekeeper'"'"''"'"'s 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 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 also actuated upon energization via said switch;

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

e. said means for disconnecting being in circuit with and operated under control of said switch in a first position;

f. lamp operating means comprising a single level stepping switch connected between said lamps and sources of energy therefor and 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;

one of said conditions comprising flashing said lamps and a second of said conditions comprising winking said lamps at a rate detectably different from the flashing by human vision, and g. said means for disconnecting being operated by said switch in a second position to connect the telephones to said PABX and de-energize the dial responsive means.

2. 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 switch means for disconnecting an associated telephone from the said PABX;

c. a second switching circuit comprising a single level stepping switch, sources of lamp operating energy and selective lamp operating means capable of establishing three different lamp indicating conditions among said lamps;

one of said conditions flashing said lamps and a second of said conditions winking said lamps at a rate detectably different from the flashing by human vision, and d. a third circuit comprising dial response means responsive to operation of the disconnect Switch to operate the stepping switch 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.