Variable color display telephone

• US 4,726,059 A
• Filed: 03/14/1986
• Issued: 02/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karel Havel
• Original Assignee: Karel Havel
• Inventors: Havel, Karel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Application Number:
  US06/839,526
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 179/81 C, 179/81 R, 179/84 L, 179/84 R, 179/99 LS, 179/90 AN, 179/90 BD, 179/90 K, 179/2 DP, 40/450, 40/451, 313/510, 340/815.03, 340/815.1, 340/713, 340/718, 379/142, 379/354, 379/368, 379/396, 379/200, 379/263, 379/164
• US Class Current: 379/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set

Abstract

A telephone with variable color display visually presents dialed telephone number in a color variable in accordance with the type of a telephone call, e.g, internal, external, local, long distance, and the like.

Claims

1. The method of displaying selectively dialed telephone number for establishing a telephone call of a selective type, on a variable color display means, by causing said dialed telephone number to be visually presented on said variable color display means and by controlling the color of said variable color display means in accordance with the type of said telephone call.

2. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number to establish a telephone call of a selective type;

variable color display means for (visually presenting said) providing an indication of the dialed telephone number;

means for determining the type of a telephone call in accordance with the dialed telephone number and for developing output signals accordingly; and

color control means responsive to said output signals for controlling the color of said (variable color display means) indication in accordance with the type of the telephone call.

3. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number having a plurality of digits to establish a telephone call of a selective type, either a local telephone call or a long distance telephone call characterized by an area code portion and a local number portion, in accordance with the first dialed digit;

variable color display means including a plurality of variable color display elements for visually presenting the dialed digits;

means for interrogating the first dialed digit, by comparing it with a predetermined value defining a long distance telephone call, to determine the type of a telephone call;

color control means for controlling the color of said variable color display means in accordance with the result of such comparison;

when the first dialed digit is not equal to said predetermined value, thereby indicating a local telephone call, for causing images of all dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means in the same color; and

when the first dialed digit is equal to said predetermined value, thereby indicating a long distance telephone call, for defining a first color for the first predetermined number of dialed digits, representing the expected area code portion of said telephone number, and for defining a second color for the second predetermined number of dialed digits, representing the expected local number portion of said telephone number, said first and second colors being different, to cause images of the dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means and moved thereon in alignment with the dialing such that each displayed digit maintains its color when moved.

4. A method of displaying selectively dialed telephone number for establishing a telephone call of a selective type, on a variable color display means, by causing said dialed telephone number to be visually presented on said variable color display means and by controlling the color of said variable color display means in accordance with the type of said telephone call such that dialed telephone number for establishing a telephone call of a first type is displayed in a single color, and dialed telephone number for establishing a telephone call of a second type is displayed in two different colors, its first predetermined portion being displayed in a first color, and its second predetermined portion being displayed in a second color.

5. A method of displaying selectively dialed telephone number for establishing a telephone call of a selective type, either a local telephone call or a long distance telephone call characterized by an area code portion and a local number portion, on a variable color display means, by causing said dialed telephone number to be visually presented on said variable color display means and by controlling the color of said variable color display means in accordance with the type of said telephone call such that dialed telephone number for establishing a local telephone call is displayed in a single color, and dialed telephone number for establishing a long distance telephone call is displayed in two different colors, its area code portion being displayed in a first color, and its local number portion being displayed in a second color.

6. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number to establish a telephone call of a selective type;

variable color display means for visually presenting said dialed telephone number;

means for determining the type of a telephone call in accordance with the dialed telephone number; and

color control means for controlling the color of said variable color display means in accordance with the type of the telephone call such that dialed telephone number for establishing a telephone call of a first type is displayed in a single color, and dialed telephone number for establishing a telephone call of a second type is displayed in two different colors, its first predetermined portion being displayed in a first color, and its second predetermined portion being displayed in a second color.

7. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number to establish a telephone call of a selective type, either a local telephone call or a long distance telephone call characterized by an area code portion and a local number portion;

variable color display means for visually presenting said dialed telephone number;

means for determining the type of a telephone call in accordance with the dialed telephone number; and

color control means for controlling the color of said variable color display means in accordance with the type of the telephone call such that dialed telephone number for establishing a local telephone call is displayed in a single color, and dialed telephone number for establishing a long distance telephone call is displayed in two different colors, its area code portion being displayed in a first color, and its local number portion being displayed in a second color.

8. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number having a plurality of digits to establish a telephone call of a selective type;

variable color display means including a plurality of display elements for visually presenting respective dialed digits;

means for determining the type of a telephone call in accordance with the dialed telephone number and for developing output signals accordingly;

first moving means for moving the displayed dialed digits on said display elements in alignment with the dialing of the telephone number; and

color control means responsive to said output signals for independently controlling the color of respective display elements, said color control means including second moving means for moving color control signals for respective display elements in alignment with the moving of the displayed dialed digits such that each displayed digit maintains its color when moved, said color control means either illuminating all said display elements in a first color or illuminating a predetermined number of said display elements in a second color and all remaining display elements in a third color, at least said second and third colors being different, in accordance with said output signals.

9. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number having a plurality of digits to establish a telephone call of a selective type in accordance with the first dialed digit;

variable color display means including a plurality of display elements for visually presenting respective dialed digits;

first dialed digit detect means for interrogating the first dialed digit to determine the type of a telephone call and for developing an output signal when said first dialed digit is equal to a predetermined value;

first shift register means for shifting the displayed dialed digits on said display elements in alignment with the dialing of the telephone number, said first shift register means being responsive to said output signal for causing each said display element to be initialized when said output signal occurs; and

color control means for independently controlling the color of respective display elements, said color control means including second shift register means for shifting color control signals for respective display elements in alignment with the shifting of the displayed dialed digits such that each displayed digit maintains its color when moved, said color control means being responsive to said output signal for illuminating all said display elements in a first color when said output signal does not occur, and for illuminating a predetermined number of said display elements in a second color and all remaining display elements in a third color when said output signal occurs, at least said second and third colors being different.

10. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number having a plurality of digits to establish a telephone call of a selective type;

variable color display means including a plurality of variable color display elements for visually presenting the dialed digits;

means for determining the type of a telephone call in accordance with the dialed telephone number and for developing output signals accordingly;

color control means for controlling the color of said variable color display means in accordance with said output signals;

when said output signals have a first value, thereby indicating a telephone call of a first type, for causing images of the dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means in the same color; and

when said output signals have a second value, thereby indicating a telephone call of a second type, for defining a first color for the first predetermined number of dialed digits and for defining a second color for the second predetermined number of dialed digits, said first and second colors being different, for causing images of the dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means in two colors.

11. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number having a plurality of digits to establish a telephone call of a selective type;

variable color display means for visually presenting the dialed digits;

color memory means;

central processor means for interrogating the dialed telephone number to determine the type of a telephone call and for accordingly storing codes representing a selected color in said color memory means;

in accordance with the result of such comparison, when the dialed telephone number is of a first type, said central processor means further determines one of a plurality of codes, representing a selected color of said variable color display means, and conveys said code to said color memory means for causing images of the dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means in the same color; and

when the dialed telephone number is of a second type, said central processor means defines a first code, representing a first color for the first predetermined number of dialed digits, and defines a second code, representing a second color for the second predetermined number of dialed digits, said first and second colors being different, and conveys said first and second codes to said color memory means for causing images of the dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means in two colors.

12. In a telephone device, the combination comprising:

dialing means for selectively dialing a telephone number having a plurality of digits to establish a telephone call of a selective type, either a local telephone call or a long distance telephone call characterized by an area code portion and a local number portion;

variable color display means for visually presenting the dialed digits;

color memory means;

central processor means for interrogating the first dialed digit by comparing it with a predetermined value defining a long distance call to determine the type of a telephone call and for accordingly storing codes representing a selected color in said color memory means;

in accordance with the result of such comparison, when the first dialed digit is not equal to said predetermined value, thereby indicating a local telephone call, said central processor means further determines one of a plurality of codes, representing a selected color of said variable color display means, and conveys said code to said color memory means for causing images of the dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means in the same color; and

when the first dialed digit is equal to said predetermined value, thereby indicating a long distance telephone call, said central processor means defines a first color for the first predetermined number of dialed digits, representing the expected area code portion of said telephone number, and defines a second color for the second predetermined number of dialed digits, representing the expected local number portion of said telephone number, said first and second colors being different, and causes images of the dialed digits to be visually presented on said variable color display means and moved thereon in alignment with the dialing such that each displayed dialed digit maintains its color when moved.