Remote telephonic data transcribing system

• US 4,754,473 A
• Filed: 10/16/1986
• Issued: 06/28/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Willie Edwards
• Original Assignee: Willie Edwards
• Inventors: Edwards, Willie
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/919,463
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 379/57, 379/59, 379/61, 379/96, 379/58, 340/825.44, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 455/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/737 Characterised by transmission of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. infrared waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems

Abstract

A telephonic communications system (FIGS. 1 and 2) designed to use the availability of ordinary subscriber telephone lines to which a telephone instrument (312) is conventionally attached. Whenever it is desirable for a caller (306 or 309) to transmit data from a calling telephone (305, 308 or 316) a special code is input to the called telephone (312 or 301) which, through detection circuitry, activates an intercept system (184A of FIG. 11) within the called telephone, which inhibits audible ringing of the called telephone instrument and connects a second system (FIGS. 10 and 14) incorporated within the same called telephone instrument for auto-tuning, processing, and re-transmitting from the called telephone subsequent received data to a remote addressable portable data unit (302 or 311). The remote data units (302 and 311) communicate with the telephone instrument (301 and 312) via a radio frequency data link, through which it may either receive data from or transmit data to the telephone instrument. The communication system can operate without the need for human intervention at the calling or called telephone instrument and neither calling nor called telephone instrument need be manually placed off-hook for end-to-end operation.

Claims

1. A landline telephone communication system comprising a plurality of subscriber loops, said loops allowing a telephone to be connected to telephone lines via conventional telephone connection means and wherein said telephone has an automatic telephone message interception means attached which can, upon detection of a coded signal sent from a calling telephone, inhibit audible ringing of called telephone instrument engaging said message interception means, and upon lifting of the handset of said called telephone instrument disengaging said message interception means and restoring the availability of the ordinary use of said called telephone instrument, comprising:

a modularized telephone-based data relay station residing within said telephone instrument and connected to said message interception means for providing a plurality of signal response means;

line receiver means residing within said telephone-based data relay station responsive to dial signal messages which a caller may send over said telephone lines;

telephone-based storage means residing within said telephone-based data relay station consisting of digital electronic memory for storing of said dial signals transmitted from said caller;

formatting means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for arranging said dial signals from said caller into a unique digital format suitable for system application;

telephone-based transmission means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for aerially transmitting via radio-frequency said digitally formatted signals to a plurality of addressable mobile subscriber input/output data transcribers;

first automatic self-tuning means residing within said telephone-based data relay station whereby said telephone-based transmission means has capability to automatically tune itself to the operating frequency of any one of a plurality of said addressable mobile subscriber input/output data transcribers upon realizing a coded address sent to said telephone-based data relay station by said caller;

base station receiver means residing within said telephone-based data relay station providing means for receiving transmitted signals from said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices;

second automatic self-tuning means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for accepting system coded digitally formatted radio frequency signals from said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribers, said signals from said input/output data transcribers being first transmitted to said telephone-based data relay station on a common system-wide access frequency and upon gaining of access to said telephone lines said second automatically self-tuning means accepts data to be transmitted by said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing device on said mobile subscriber'"'"'s input/output data transcribing device'"'"'s own private frequency;

line access means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for the purpose of effecting an off-hook condition of said telephone instrument connected to said telephone line, when it is desired by said mobile subscriber using said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribers to input data through the telephone system;

portable receiver means residing within said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices wherein a plurality of said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices may acquire said radio frequency digitally formatted signals transmitted by said telephone-based transmission means being located within said telephone-based data relay station;

portable transmitting means residing within said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices wherein a plurality of said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices may transmit radio frequency digitally formatted signals to said base-station receiver means for the purpose of gaining telephone line access, and inputting subsequent data from said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber devices;

portable mass memory storage means residing within said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices comprising recirculating shift registers for the transcribing of data received at said portable receiver means in a volume suitable for accommodating a data controlled device data control function;

output means for immediately and continuously throughputting said data received at said portable receiver means, making it available at said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber output jack for writing to a hardcopy device; and

remote control means comprising matrix-switched format incorporated within said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices for subscriber inputting and application of line access signals and data signals transmittable by said portable transmitting means.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said data output from said data transcriber output jack is in serial binary format.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said matrix-switched format of said remote control means incorporated within said data transcribing devices is a push-button keypad.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said dial signals sent over said telephone lines to said telephone-based data relay station are dual-tone-multiple-frequencies.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber has first indicator means for notifying said mobile subscriber that said telephone-based data relay station selected by said subscriber has effected an off-hook condition giving said subscriber telephone line system access.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber has second indicator means, for notifying said mobile subscriber that said telephone-based data relay station selected by said subscriber has encountered a telephone system line-busy condition.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the outputting of said data at said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber output jack does not delete said data from said portable storage means of said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices have means for automatically transmitting said device'"'"'s own address along with said device'"'"'s data transmissions.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mass memory storage means of digital data within said portable receiver means comprises architecture inherent to expansion of said data character width.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said portable mass storage means has means for automatically overwriting existing data.

11. A landline telephone communication system comprising a plurality of subscriber loops, said loops allowing a telephone to be connected to telephone lines via conventional telephone connection means, and wherein said telephone has an automatic telephone message interception circuit attached which, upon detection of a coded signal sent from a calling telephone, prevents audible ringing of a called telephone instrument and activates said message interception circuit, said message interception circuit also allowing said called telephone instrument to be reclaimed for its ordinary use by the lifting of said called telephone handset, comprising:

a modularized telephone-based data relay station residing within said telephone instrument and connected to said message interception circuit for providing a plurality of data signal response means;

line receiver means residing within said telephone-based data relay station responsive to dial signal messages which a caller may send over said telephone lines;

telephone-based storage means residing within said telephone-based data relay station consisting of digital electronic memory for storing of said dial signals transmitted from said caller;

formatting means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for arranging said dial signals from said caller into a unique digital format suitable for system application;

first transmitting means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for aerially transmitting via infra-red signals said digitally formatted signals to a plurality of addressable mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber devices having transceiving means;

first automatic self-tuning means residing within said telephone-based data relay station whereby said first transmitting means has capability to automatically tune itself to output on the operating receiving frequency of any one of a plurality of said addressable mobile subscriber input/output data transcribers upon realizing a coded address sent to said telephone-based data relay station by said caller;

base station receiver means wherein said telephone-based data relay station has means for receiving transmitted signals from said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices;

second automatic self-tuning means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for accepting system coded digitally formatted infra-red signals transmitted by said remote subscriber input/output data transcribers, said signals being first transmitted on a common system-wide access frequency and upon gaining of access to said telephone lines said second automatically self-tuning means accepts subsequent data to be transmitted by said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing device on said mobile subscriber'"'"'s input/output data transcribing device'"'"'s private frequency;

line access means residing within said telephone-based data relay station for the purpose of effecting an off-hook condition of said telephone instrument connected to said telephone line, when it is desired by said mobile subscriber using said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribers to input data through the telephone system;

portable receiver means residing within said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing device wherein a plurality of said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices may acquire said infra-red digitally formatted signals transmitted by said first transmission means being located within said telephone-based data relay station;

second transmitting means wherein a plurality of said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices may transmit infra-red digitally formatted signals to said base-station receiver means for the purpose of gaining telephone line access, and inputting subsequent data from said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber devices;

portable storage means comprising mass memory capacity digital data recirculating shift registers for the transcribing in sufficient quantities to perform a data process application said data received at said portable receiver means;

output means for immediately and continuously throughputting said data received at said portable receiver means, making it available at said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber output jack for writing to a hardcopy device; and

remote control means comprising matrix-switched format incorporated within said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices for subscriber inputting and application of line access signals and data signals transmitted by said second transmitting means.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein said data output from said data transcriber output jack is in serial binary format.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein said matrix-switched format of said remote control means incorporated within said data transcribing devices is a push-button keypad.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein said dial signals sent over said telephone lines to said telephone-based data relay station are dual-tone-multiple-frequencies.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber has first indicator means for notifying said mobile subscriber that said telephone-based data relay station selected by said subscriber has effected an off-hook condition giving said subscriber telephone line system access.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein said mobile subscriber input/output data transcriber has second indicator means, for notifying said mobile subscriber that said telephone-based data relay station selected by said subscriber has encountered a telephone system line-busy condition.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the outputting of said data at said data transcriber output jack does not delete said data from said portable storage means.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said mobile subscriber input/output data transcribing devices have means for automatically transmitting said device'"'"'s own address along with said device'"'"'s data transmissions.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said mass memory capacity storage of digital data received by said portable transcribing device comprises architecture inherent to expansion of said data character width.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said portable storage means within said portable transcribing device has means for automatically overwriting existing data.

21. A telephone-based data communication system whereby a caller may transmit data through the telephone system by utilizing a telephone-based data signal processing means located entirely within a telephone instrument, said telephone instrument being wired to conventional telephone wires, said data signal processing means having, in addition to storage means, a detection means, whereby said caller may input a special code recognizable by said telephone-based data signal processing means located within the called telephone instrument, whereupon detection of said code is able to prevent normal audible ringing function in said called telephone instrument, said caller being able to consequently input data to said telephone-based data signal processing means of said called telephone, said caller input data including a remote input/output data transcribing device address which, upon receipt, is automatically formatted and stored in said called telephone instrument, first radio frequency response means residing within said called telephone instrument comprising transmitter means, whereby said called telephone-based data signal processing means may automatically convert said remote input/output data transcribing device'"'"'s address to a select radio frequency communication link comprising a generated signal through which said called telephone instrument is able to communicate with said remote input/output data transcribing device, second radio frequency response means residing within said telephone instrument comprising receiver means, for automatically tuning said telephone-based data signal processing means to receive a radio signal from said remote input/output data transcribing device;

and a remote input/output data transcriber device containing remote signal keying and processing means for enabling said input/output data transcriber device to communicate with said telephone-based data signal processing means via radio frequency means, said radio frequency means comprising receiver means within said remote input/output data transcriber device responsive to signal generated by said transmitter means residing within said telephone-based data signal processing means, a first remote input/output data transcriber device signal transmission means, for generating an output signal in order to gain telephone line sign-on access to said telephone-based data signal processing means, a second remote input/output data transcriber device signal transmission means, for enabling said remote input/output data transcriber device to output data using a private second frequency into said telephone-based data signal processing means, storage means within said remote input/output data transcriber having memory capacity to store a sufficient quantity of received raw data to accommodate a data application device control function, data output means to make said received raw data continuously available at convenient output jack of said remote input/output data transcriber devices.

22. A communication system whereby a telephone caller making contact with a central transmitting station may transfer a continuous quantity of raw data from a first digital data application device to a second digital data application device, comprising:

a plurality of addressable portable data transcribing devices small enough to be carried on a subscriber'"'"'s person for providing an intermediate data link between said central transmitting station and said second data application device;

radio receiver means for enabling said portable data transcribing devices to receive signals from said transmitting station;

address decoding means responsive to said transmitting station signals for selecting desired said portable data transcriber;

expansive data storage means for enabling said portable data transcriber to hold in memory quantities of received data large enough to support programmable equipment control functions;

output means for allowing a data transmission cable to be conveniently connected into a jack mounted on said portable data transcriber for the outputting of said received data;

dual speed memory register buffer storage means for compensating for different said received data input and data output speeds of said portable data transcribers;

continuous data-throughput means for making said received data available at said portable data transcriber output;

transistorized line-driver means for driving said data transmission cable linking said portable data transcriber to said second data application device;

start-stop data transmission means for allowing said portable data transcriber to interface with said second digital data application devices using a similar protocol; and

indicator means for alerting said portable data transcriber carrier that said portable data transcriber requires on-line application.