Pay telephone alarm and audit system

• US 4,123,623 A
• Filed: 10/22/1976
• Issued: 10/31/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steve I. Mcelliott
• Original Assignee: Steve I. Mcelliott
• Inventors: McElliott, Steve I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/734,812
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 179/6.3 R, 179/6.31, 179/6.4, 179/6.5, 179/5 R, 179/5 P, 179/2 A, 179/2 DP, 179/2 CA, 179/7.1 R, 179/7 MM, 179/7 R, 179/7.1 TP, 194/8, 194/16, 340/274, 340/276, 340/248D
• US Class Current: 379/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/023 Circuit arrangements

Abstract

An alarm and audit system for use with loop start telephones and with either semi-post-pay or pre-pay operations, and installed as office equipment for tabulating and storing information concerning collections from coin operated pay telephones, so as to ensure optimum collection and as a perceptive alarm against burglaries; utilizing counter means activated by coin tone bursts transmitted over a pair of normal telephone lines; in semi-post-pay phones the tone burst information being conducted directly to memory means; in pre-pay phones the tone burst information being held in abeyance to be released for tabulation in the memory means by a positive voltage applied when collecting coins, or dropped from said abeyance means by a negative voltage applied when returning coins. The tabulation is accumulative in one of two memory means selectively called upon by computer means to produce information for distribution to those concerned with servicing the said pay telephones.

Claims

1. A money collection totaling system for loop start telephones having a coin tone generator and coin hopper passing coins into a coin vault with a vault switch operable by removal of a coin box therefrom, said tone generator being connected to a telephone cable pair to transmit tone bursts thereover according to the denomination of coins deposited through the hopper, and including;

a distinguishable signal generator means connected to the telephone cable pair and controlled by said vault switch to be energized thereby and to transmit a distinguishable signal thereover when said vault switch is operated, a discriminator means connected to the telephone cable pair and responsive to said distinguishable signal to produce an operational signal, memory means to be connected to an extension of the said cable pair remote from the telephone to record the tone bursts as information, and relay means in circuit with and actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means to disconnect the said memory means from said remote cable pair when the vault switch is operated by removal of the coin box to store money collection information in said memory means.

2. The loop start telephone money collection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein computer means is in circuit with the said memory means to retrieve the said money collection information.

3. A money collection totaling system for loop start telephones having a coin tone generator and a coin hopper and trigger switch for releasing coins into a coin vault with a vault switch operable by removal of a coin box therefrom, said coin tone generator and trigger switch being connected to a telephone cable pair to transmit coin tone bursts according to the denomination of the coins deposited into the hopper and to conduct discriminate switching voltages to alternately return coins from the hopper and to pass coins into said coin vault for collection respectively, and including;

a distinguishable signal generator means connected to the telephone cable pair and controlled by said vault switch to be energized thereby and to transmit a distinguishable signal thereover when said switch is operated, a discriminator means connected to the telephone cable pair and responsive to said distinguishable signal to produce an operational signal, abeyance means connected to an extension of the said cable pair remote from the telephone to hold the tone bursts as money collection information and with cancel means and credit means disbursing the said tone bursts information in response to said discriminating switching voltages according to the coin return and collection at the telephone, a pair of money collection memory means to be connected in circuit with the said abeyance means to record the tone bursts as information, and relay means in circuit with and alternately actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means to selectively disconnect each money collection memory means in circuit with the abeyance means when the vault switch is operated by removal of the coin box to alternately store said tone burst information in one of said pair of money collection memory means.

4. The loop start telephone money collection system as set forth in claim 3, wherein computer means is in circuit with the said pair of money collection means to retrieve the said tone burst information.

5. An alarm and money collection totaling system for loop start telephones having a coin tone generator and a coin hopper passing coins into a coin vault with a vault switch operable by removal of a coin box therefrom, said tone generator being connected to a telephone cable pair to transmit tone bursts according to the denomination of coins deposited through the hopper, and including;

a distinguishable signal generator means connected to the telephone cable pair and controlled by said vault switch to be energized thereby and to transmit a distinguishable signal thereover when said vault switch is operated, a discriminator means connected to the telephone cable pair and responsive to said distinguishable signal to produce an operational signal, a first relay means in circuit with and actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means when the coin box is removed to operate the vault switch, an alarm means energized by said first relay means, and money collection memory means connected to an extension of the said cable pair remote from the telephone to record the tone bursts as information, and a second relay means in circuit with and actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means to disconnect the said memory means from said remote cable pair when the vault switch is operated by removal of the coin box to store money collection information for subsequent retrieval.

6. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately connected to the extension of the said cable pair remote from the telephone to record the tone bursts as money collection information, and wherein each of said money collection memory means is alternately connected to said extension of the said cable pair by said second relay means actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means to store said money collection information for subsequent retrieval.

7. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein a computer means is in circuit with the money collection memory means to audit the said money collection information.

8. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately connected to the extension of the said cable pair remote from the telephone to record the tone bursts as information, wherein each of said money collection memory means is alternately disconnected from said extension of the said cable pair by said second relay means actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means to store said money collection information for subsequent retrieval, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the money collection memory means to audit the said money collection information.

9. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately connected to the extension of the said cable pair remote from the telephone to record the tone bursts as money collection information, wherein each of said money collection memory means is alternately disconnected from said extension of the said cable pair by said second relay means actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means to store said money collection information for subsequent retrieval, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the said pair of money collection memory means through program means to sequentially audit the said money collection information stored therein respectively.

10. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means and said second relay means actuating the said money collection memory means in circuit therewith, there being means to release said holding circuit.

11. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately connected by said second relay and sequencing means to the extension of said cable pair remote from the telephone to record the tone bursts as money collection information, and wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means and said second relay and sequencing means alternately disconnecting the said pair of money collection memory means from said cable pair to store said money collection information for subsequent retrieval, there being means to release said holding circuit.

12. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means and said second relay means actuating the said money collection memory means in circuit therewith, there being means to release said holding circuit, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the money collection memory means to audit the said money collection information.

13. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 5, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately connected by said second relay and sequencing means to the extension of said cable pair remote from the telephone to record the tone bursts as money collection information, wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means and said second relay and sequencing means alternately disconnecting the said pair of money collection memory means from said cable pair to store said money collection information for subsequent retrieval, there being means to release said holding circuit, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the said pair of money collection memory means through program means to sequentially audit the said money collection information stored therein respectively.

14. An alarm and money collection totaling system for loop start telephones having a coin tone generator and a coin hopper and trigger switch for releasing coins into a coin vault with a vault switch operable by removal of a coin box therefrom, said coin tone generator and trigger switch being connected to a telephone cable pair to transmit coin tone bursts according to the denomination of coins deposited into the hopper and to conduct discriminate switching voltages to alternately return coins from the hopper and to pass coins into said coin vault for collection respectively, and including;

a distinguishable signal generator means connected to the telephone cable pair and controlled by said vault switch to be energized thereby and to transmit a distinguishable signal thereover when said switch is operated, a discriminator means connected to the telephone cable pair and responsive to said distinguishable signal to produce an operational signal, a first relay means in circuit with and actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means when the coin box is removed to operate the vault switch, an alarm means energized by said first relay means, abeyance means connected to an extension of the said cable pair remote from the telephone and responsive to the tone bursts to hold money collection information and with cancel means and credit means disbursing the said tone bursts information in response to said discriminating switching voltages according to the coin return and collection at the telephone, a pair of money collection memory means to be connected in circuit with the said abeyance means to record the coin tone bursts as information, and a second relay means in circuit with and alternately actuated by the operational signal from the discriminator means to selectively disconnect each money collection memory means in circuit with the abeyance means when the vault switch is operated by removal of the coin box to alternately store said tone burst information in one of said pair of money collection memory means for subsequent retrieval.

15. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output to the said money collection memory means for pre-pay telephone operation, there being a jumper to be connected between said input and output for semi-post-pay telephone operation.

16. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the said cable pair connection to the abeyance means is through counter means tabulating said money collection information from said coin tone bursts.

17. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the said cable pair connection to the abeyance means is through binary counter means tabulating said money collection information from said coin tone bursts.

18. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, and wherein a pair of said money collection money means are alternately connected to said output to record the said money collection information, and wherein each of said money collection memory means is alternately responsive to actuation of said second relay means disconnecting the same from the said cable pair.

19. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the money collection memory means to audit the said money collection information.

20. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately connected to said output to record the said money collection information, wherein each of said money collection memory means is alternately responsive to actuation of said second relay means disconnecting the same from said cable pair, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the money collection memory means to audit the said money collection information.

21. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately connected to said output to record the said money collection information, wherein each of said money collection memory means is alternately responsive to actuation of said second relay means disconnecting the same from said cable pair, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the said pair of money collection memory means through program means to sequentially audit the said money collection information stored therein respectively.

22. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, and wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means, and said second relay means disconnecting said abeyance means output to retain the money collection information in said credit memory means, there being means to release said holding circuit.

23. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, wherein a pair of said credit memory means are alternately connected by said second sequencing relay means to said output to record the said money collection information, and wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means and said second sequencing relay means alternately disconnecting the said pair of money collection memory means from the abeyance means to store said money collection information for subsequent retrieval, there being means to release said holding circuit.

24. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means, and said second relay means disconnecting the said money collection memory means from the said abeyance means, there being means to release said holding circuit, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the money collection memory means to audit the said money collection information.

25. The alarm and money collection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the abeyance means has an input from the said cable pair connection and an output, wherein a pair of said money collection memory means are alternately disconnected by said second relay means from said output to record the said money collection information, wherein the first relay means comprises a holding circuit energizing said alarm means and said second relay means alternately disconnecting the said pair of money collection memory means from said abeyance means to store said money collection information for subsequent retrieval, there being means to release said holding circuit, and wherein a computer means is in circuit with the said pair of money collection memory means through program means to sequentially audit the said money collection information stored therein respectively.