Telephone dialing system

• US 4,817,136 A
• Filed: 08/17/1987
• Issued: 03/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard M. Rhoads
• Original Assignee: Richard M. Rhoads
• Inventors: Rhoads, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lev, Robert
• Application Number:
  US07/086,935
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 379/91, 379/63, 379/357
• US Class Current: 379/357.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2765 implemented by means of portable magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/53 Generation of additional signals, e.g. additional pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/91 Bar code or optical character reader with telephone
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/912 Geographically adaptive

Abstract

A telephone dialing system which utilizes a calling card having party identification information thereon as well as a telephone number digitally encoded thereon. The calling card is capable of being inserted into a dialing unit which will automatically dial the telephone number encoded on the calling card. The dialing unit automatically determines whether or not the area code included within the telephone number is to be dialed or disregarded. In addition, the dialing unit will automatically determine whether or not additional digits are to be generated for dialing of the telephone number on the card.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reading a digitally encoded telephone number on a member which contains no electronic circuitry and automatically dialing that telephone number, said apparatus comprising:

(a) reading means containing all of the electronic circuitry necessary for reading the digitally encoded telephone number and which telephone number is comprised of digits representing a local telephone number and area code digits,

(b) means for storing an area code of the telephone from which the telephone number is being dialed,

(c) comparator means operatively connected to said means for storing and to the means for reading to determine if the area code of such telephone number is a local area code and not to be dialed or not a local area code and is to be dialed,

(d) processor means connected to the comparator means for determining if the telephone area code is to be disregarded in the dialing of the telephone number and thereafter initiating a dialing of such telephone number or is to be included in the telephone number to be dialed and thereafter initiating a dialing of the area code and the telephone number, and

(e) means for connecting said processor means to a telephone set to enable the sending of a dialing signal for the dialed telephone number to a telephone central station.

2. The reading and dialing apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said member comprises data information representing a telephone number and clock pulse information, said apparatus comprises means for differentiating clock pulse information from the data information representing an actual telephone number to enable operation of said apparatus.

3. The reading and dialing apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said comparator comprises means for determining if the number read by the reading means was accurately read.

4. The reading and dialing apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said member is a calling card which contains a telephone number to be dialed encoded on the calling card.

5. The reading and dialing apparatus of claim 4 further characterized in that the telephone number is digitally encoded on the calling card.

6. The reading and dialing apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that a manually operable input means is provided to introduce the area code of an area of use for said apparatus in the means for storing.

7. The reading and dialing apparatus of claim 4 further characterized in that a video display monitor is operatively connected to said apparatus for display identification information contained on said member.

8. The reading and dialing apparatus of claim 7 further characterized in that a computer storage is operatively connected to said reading and dialing apparatus for recording information contained on said member.

9. A system for reading a digitally encoded telephone number on a calling card which contains no electronic circuitry and automatically dailing that telephone number, said system comprising:

(a) a calling card of the type routinely dispensed to parties and which contains personal or business information about the person dispensing the calling card, said calling card being comprised of;

(1) a substrate,

(2) personal identification information on said substrate and including the name and address of the party whom the calling card identifies,

(3) digitally encoded sensed information also on said substrate, said digitally encoded information representing the telephone number of the party whom the calling card identifies and which is capable of being read by responsive reading equipment and generating a dialing signal for automatically dialing the telephone number of the party whom the calling card identifies,

(b) reading means containing all of the electronic circuitry necessary for reading the digitally encoded telephone number and which telephone number is comprised of digits representing a local telephone number and area code digits,

(c) means for storing an area code of the telephone from which the telephone number is being dialed,

(d) comparator means operatively connected to said means for storing and to the means for reading to determine if the area code of such telephone number is a local area code and not to be dialed or not a local area code and is to be dialed,

(e) means associated with said comparator means for determining if the number read by the reading means was accurately read,

(f) processor means connected to the comparator means for determining if the telephone area code is to be disregarded in the dialing of the telephone number and thereafter initiating a dialing of such telephone number or is to be included in the telephone number to be dialed and thereafter initiating a dialing of the area code and the telephone number, and

(g) means for connecting said processor means to a telephone set to enable the sending of a dialing signal for the dialed telephone number to a telephone central station.

10. The system of further characterized in that a manually operable input means is provided to introduce the area code of an area of use for said system in the means for storing.

11. The system of claim 10 further characterized in that a computer storage is operatively connected to said processor means for recording information contained on said calling card.