Automatic dial system for a subscriber telephone

• US 4,011,414 A
• Filed: 04/04/1975
• Issued: 03/08/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Warren, Walter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooper, William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/565,161
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 179/90 AN, 179/90 K, 179/90 B, 179/90 BB, 179/90 DD, 179/2 DP, 235/156
• US Class Current: 379/357.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27495 implemented by means of discrete electronic components, i.e. neither programmable nor microprocessor-controlled H04M1/27457-H04M1/2749 take precedence

Abstract

An automatic dial system for a subscriber telephone utilizes a keyboard array to enter coded information into an integrated circuit digit processor. The digit processor includes a programmed ROM for storing an instruction set to control the operation of the dial system, an arithmetic/logic unit for performing arithmetic and logic operations on data according to said instruction set, and a first read/write RAM for storing the data being processed. A second integrated circuit RAM, which is selectively connected to the output of the digit processor, is provided for the storage and retrieval of changeable groups of selected telephone numbers.

A pulse or tone generator is also selectively connected at the output of the digit processor for the selective transmission of pulse or tone signals over the telephone lines according to the stored instruction set and coded information derived from the keyboard. The keyboard, in conjunction with the digit processor, is utilized to write telephone numbers in the second RAM, to manually dial telephone numbers to be transmitted, and to retrieve telephone numbers from the second RAM to be transmitted.

Claims

1. An automatic dial system for a telephone set comprising:

a. an integrated circuit digit processor having at least one set of input terminals and at least one set of output terminals and including;

i. a programmed ROM containing a stored instruction set for controlling the operation of the dial system,

ii. an arithmetic/logic unit for performing arithmetic and logic operations on data according to said stored instruction set, and

iii. a first RAM means for storing data as such data is being processed by said digit processor;

b. a keyboard array having a plurality of keys selectively coupled to at least one of said input terminals for entering coded information into said digit processor in dependence upon the state of said keys;

c. a second RAM means having data input terminal means coupled to at least one of the output terminals of said digit processor, data output terminal means coupled to at least one of the input terminals of said digit processor and address means coupled to a plurality of data output terminals of said digit processor for storing a plurality of digit sequences corresponding to a repertoire of telephone numbers; and

d. signal generator means coupled to at least one output terminal of said digit processor for generating dial dignals corresponding to said stored number sequences.

2. The automatic dial system according to claim 1 wherein said signal generator means is a pulse responsive relay means for generating dial pulse signals.

3. The automatic dial system according to claim 1 wherein said signal generator means is a tone generator for generating a plurality of different tones corresponding to digital input signals provided by said digit processor.

4. The automatic dial system according to claim 1 wherein said digit processor is responsive to said keyboard array for generating a plurality of addresses to said second RAM means for each virtual address keyed into said keyboard array to store and retrieve telephone number sequences from a plurality of locations of second RAM means corresponding to said virtual address.

5. The automatic dial system according to claim 1 wherein said digit processor is programmed calculator type digit processor.

6. The automatic dial system according to claim 1 including means selectively coupling the output terminals of said digit processor to said keyboard array wherein said digit processor generates keyboard scan signals which are detectable at said at least one input terminal to determine the state of said keys.

7. An automatic dial system for telephone comprising:

a. a keyboard array including 0-9 digit keys;

b. a digit processor selectively coupled to said keyboard array for receiving coded information entered into said keyboard array, said digit processor having at least two modes, a normal mode and a mode selected by mode selection means;

c. a RAM means having data input terminal means for receiving and storing digital data, data output terminal means for nondestructively transmitting stored data and address terminal means coupled to said digit processor, said digit processor including means for generating a plurality of RAM address signals to said RAM address terminals to retrieve a plurality of stored digits in sequence corresponding to a telephone number for each virtual address location keyed into the 0-9 digit keys of said keyboard array with said digit processor operating in one of said modes; and

d. signal generator means coupled to an output terminal of said digit processor, said signal generator means for generating dial signals corresponding to said stored number sequences in said one mode and for generating dial signals corresponding directly to keyboard array entries from the 0-9 digit keys in said other mode.

8. The sutomatic dial system according to claim 7 wherein said first mode selection means is a preselected coded entry from said keyboard array.

9. The automatic dial system according to claim 7 including second mode selection means coupled to said digit processor, said digit processor being responsive to said second mode selection means for generating a plurality of RAM address signals to address a plurality of locations in said RAM for each virtual address keyed into the 0-9 digit keys of said keyboard array and writing telephone number digits into said addressed location in sequence as said digits are keyed into the 0-9 digit keys of said keyboard array following said virtual address.

10. The automatic dial system according to claim 7 wherein said signal generator means is a pulse responsive relay means for generating dial pulse signals.

11. The automatic dial system according to claim 7 wherein said signal generator means is a tone generator for generating a plurality of different tones corresponding to digital input signals provided by said digit processor.

12. An automatic dial system for a telephone comprising:

a. an integrated circuit digit processor having at least one set of input terminals and at least one set of output terminals;

b. a keyboard array having a set of 0-9 digit keys selectively coupled to at least one of said input terminals for entering coded information into said digit processor in dependence upon the state of said keys;

c. RAM means having data input terminal means coupled to at least one of the output terminals of said digit processor, data output terminal means coupled to at least one of the input terminals of said digit processor and address means coupled to a plurality of data output terminals of said digit processor; and

d. signal generator means coupled to at least one output terminal of said digit processor for generating dial signals;

wherein

e. said digit processor is responsive to said set of digit keys for generating a selected set of address locations to said RAM corresponding to a keyed in virtual address, storing in said selected set of locations address coded telephone numbers digits keyed in to said set of digit keys and controlling said signal generator in accordance with digit data stored in said RAM at virtual addresses keyed in to said set of digit keys or directly from said keyboard array as said digits are keyed in to said set of digit keys.

13. The automatic dial system according to claim 12 including battery means for maintaining the data stored in said RAM means.

14. An sutomatic dial system for a telephone set comprising:

a. an integrated circuit calculator system having input and output means and a programmed memory means for controlling the operation of the dial system;

b. a keyboard array having a plurality of keys selectively coupled to the output means of said calculator system to receive selective scanning signals and to the input means of said calculator system for entering coded information into said calculator system in dependence upon the state of said keys and said scanning signals;

c. an integrated circuit random access memory means having a data input terminal means coupled to the output of said calculator system, a data output terminal means coupled to the input means of said calculator system and memory location selection means selectively coupled to the output means of said calculator system, said memory means for storing a repertoire of retrievable telephone number sequence; and

d. signal generator means coupled to the output means of said calculator system for generating dial signals in accordance with the output of said calculator system.

15. The automatic dial system according to claim 14 wherein said signal generator means is a pulse responsive relay means for generating dial pulse signals provided at the output of said calculator system.

16. The automatic dial system according to claim 14 wherein said signal generator means is a tone generator for generating a plurality of different tones corresponding to digital signals provided at the output of said calculator system.