Call tracing and identification system
First Claim
1. A call tracing and identification system for a telephone system connected to a calling-party telephone line and a called-party telephone line, said tracing and identification system comprisingencoder means associated with the calling-party telephone line for applying a train of sine wave bursts to the called party telephone line,said bursts each having a selected number of sine wave cycles such that the number of sine wave cycles in the bursts of the train identify the calling party,a called-party telephone device connected to the called-party telephone line and includinga. means, including counting means, for receiving the train of sine wave bursts on the called-party telephone line, andb. means responsive to the receiving means for producing a visual identification of the calling-party telephone line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A call tracing and identification system for use with a public telephone network includes at least one interrogation and digital display circuit associated with a called-party telephone of the network, and an encoder circuit associated with a calling party telephone in the system. In response to an interrogation command initiated by a ringing signal or a line voltage change when the telephone is answered, the encoder circuit generates a series of coded signals and applies the same to the telephone for identifying the calling party by area code and telephone number. The identification signals are received by the display circuit of the called telephone where they are rapidly decoded, stored and displayed in digital form. The number of cycles of transmitted sine wave frequency is used for identification, and an output of a sequentially addressed memory to a display is gated in synchronism with the addressing at a rate sufficient to be visually imperceptible.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A call tracing and identification system for a telephone system connected to a calling-party telephone line and a called-party telephone line, said tracing and identification system comprising
encoder means associated with the calling-party telephone line for applying a train of sine wave bursts to the called party telephone line, said bursts each having a selected number of sine wave cycles such that the number of sine wave cycles in the bursts of the train identify the calling party, a called-party telephone device connected to the called-party telephone line and including a. means, including counting means, for receiving the train of sine wave bursts on the called-party telephone line, and b. means responsive to the receiving means for producing a visual identification of the calling-party telephone line.
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6. A call tracing and identification system for a telephone system connected to a calling-party telephone line and a called-party telephone line, said tracing and identification system comprising
encoder means, associated with the calling-party telephone line, for applying signals corresponding to a multiple digit identification number to the called-party telephone line, and a called-party-telephone device connected to the called-party telephone line and including a. memory means for receiving the signals corresponding to the identification number from the called-party telephone line, b. a plurality of number indicators, c. gating means for selectively connecting the plurality of indicators to the output of the memory means, and d. sequencing means connected to the memory means for sequentially producing a readout of the digits on the output of the memory means and for sequentially operating the gating means to sequentially connect the plurality of indicators to the output of the memory in synchronism with the readout on the output of the memory means.
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10. A call tracing and identification system for a telephone network connected to a calling-party telephone line and a called-party telephone line, said system comprising
encoder means, associated with the calling-party telephone line, for applying an identification signal identifying the calling-party telephone line to the called-party telephone line, said encoder means including means responsive only to an interrogation signal having a first characteristic on the called-party telephone line for initiating operation of said encoder means; - and
a called party telephone device connected to the called-party telephone line and including a. interrogation means for generating and applying an interrogation signal having the first characteristic to the called-party telephone line, said interrogation means including means responsive to a ringing signal on the called party telephone line for initiating operation of the interrogation means, and means responsive to the called-party telephone device being answered for initiating operation of the interrogation means wherein said means responsive to the called-party telephone device being answered is responsive to a change in voltage conditions on the called party telephone line, b. means for receiving the identification signal from the called-party telephone line, and c. means responsive to the receiving means for producing a visual identification of the calling-party telephone line.
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Specification