Telephone system gateway interface
First Claim
1. Apparatus for connection between a calling station and an originating central office switch in a telecommunication circuit for providing call connections to at least one other service provider, the apparatus comprising:
- means connected to said circuit for monitoring said circuit for signals from said calling station;
means responsive to receipt of said signals for obtaining payment information from said calling station;
means for verifying said payment information and selectively directing said call directly to said at least one other service provider to bypass said originating central office.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing enhanced call service and call routing functions from a centralized location on a telephone network line through gateway connections to service providers is disclosed. A multiple function interface located between a paystation and an originating central office includes a monitoring circuit for monitoring call signals from the paystation, circuits for obtaining coin or card billing information from the paystation and a control circuit for verifying the payment information and selectively directing the call to a service provider to bypass the originating central office. Calls are able to be routed by a signal generating circuit as direct (1+) calls from the interface to any service provider. Interface circuits permit the interface to interconnect analog and business lines on the paystation side of the interface with analog and business lines and digital links on the service provider side of the interface. A protocol of the invention controls the offering of call services between an intelligent paystation and an interface in which selection is determined based upon a predetermined preference.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. Apparatus for connection between a calling station and an originating central office switch in a telecommunication circuit for providing call connections to at least one other service provider, the apparatus comprising:
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means connected to said circuit for monitoring said circuit for signals from said calling station; means responsive to receipt of said signals for obtaining payment information from said calling station; means for verifying said payment information and selectively directing said call directly to said at least one other service provider to bypass said originating central office. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Apparatus for connection between a calling station and an originating central office switch in a telecommunication circuit for providing call connections to at least one other service provider, the apparatus comprising
a system bus; -
a first interface means for connecting said calling station to said bus; second interface means for connecting said at least one other service provider to said bus; means connected to said circuit for monitoring said circuit for signals from said calling station; means responsive to receipt of said signals for obtaining payment information from said calling station; means for verifying said payment information, and; means responsive to the verification of said payment information for selectively directing said call directly to said at least one other service provider to bypass said originating central office; said directing means controlling the coupling of said first interface means to said second interface means on said bus for effecting communication between said calling station and a selected said other service provider. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Apparatus for connection between a calling station and an originating central office switch in a telecommunication network for providing call connections to at least one other service provider, the apparatus comprising:
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a station monitoring circuit connected to said network for monitoring said network for signals from said calling station; a coin detector circuit responsive to receipt of said signals for obtaining coin payment information from said calling station; a DTMF detector circuit responsive to receipt of said signals for obtaining card billing payment information from said calling station; and a control circuit for verifying said payment information and selectively directing said call directly to said at least one other service provider to bypass said originating central office. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method for intercepting call signals transmitted between a calling station and an originating central office switch in a telecommunication circuit for providing call connections to at least one other service provider, the method comprising:
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monitoring said circuit for signals from said calling station; obtaining payment information from said calling station responsive to receipt of said signals; verifying said payment information; and selectively directing said call directly to said at least one other service provider responsive to the verification of said payment information for bypassing said originating central office. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. Apparatus for intercepting call signals transmitted between a calling station and an originating central office switch in a telecommunication circuit for providing call connections to at least one other service provider, the apparatus comprising:
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means for monitoring said circuit and receiving signals from said calling station indicating call destination information and coin deposit information; means for verifying said coin deposit information, and; means for transmitting said destination information as a direct call to any said other service provider for completion of said call. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for intercepting call signals transmitted between a calling station and an originating central office switch in a telecommunication circuit for providing call connections to at least one other service provider, the method comprising:
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monitoring said circuit and receiving signals from said calling station indicating a call destination number and coin deposit information; verifying said coin deposit information; and transmitting said destination number as a direct call to any said other service provider for completion of said call. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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41. A telephone call service provided between a calling station and a central office for completion of a telephone call between a calling station and a called station in a telecommunication circuit, the service comprising:
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monitoring an original call initiated from said calling station for a busy/ring no answer condition; terminating said original call responsive to an instruction from the calling station upon said busy/ring no answer condition; storing the destination number and the origination number of said original call; subsequently outdialing said destination number until a subsequent call is completed to said original called station; subsequently outdialing said origination number in response to completion of said subsequent call to said original called station; and connecting said completed calls for completion of a call between said original called and calling stations.
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42. Apparatus for connection in a telecommunication circuit between calling station and a central office for completion of a telephone call between the calling station and a called station, the apparatus comprising:
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means for monitoring an original call initiated from said calling station for a busy/ring no answer condition; means for terminating said original call responsive to an instruction from the calling station upon said busy/ring no answer condition; means for storing the destination number and the origination number of said original call; means for subsequently outdialing said destination number until a subsequent call is completed to said original called station; means for subsequently outdialing said origination number in response to completion of said subsequent call to said original called station; and means for connecting said completed calls for completion of a call between said original called and calling stations.
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43. A communications protocol for selectively controlling the offering of services between an intelligent paystation and an interface connected between the paystation and an originating central office in a telecommunications circuit, the protocol comprising:
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means for monitoring the circuit for call conditions which require call services; means for determining which of said paystation and interface is capable of providing said service; means for selecting said paystation to provide said service when said paystation is capable of providing said service and said interface is not capable of providing said service; means for selecting said interface to provide said service when said interface is capable of providing said service and said paystation is not capable of providing said service; and means for selecting one of said paystation and said interface to provide said service when both said paystation and said interface are capable of providing said service according to a predetermined preference. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A method for selectively controlling the offering of services between a intelligent paystation and an interface connected between the paystation and an originating central office in a telecommunications circuit, the method comprising:
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monitoring the circuit for call conditions which require call services; determining which of said paystation and interface is capable of providing said service; selecting said paystation to provide said service when said paystation is capable of providing said service and said interface is not capable of providing said service; selecting said interface to provide said service when said interface is capable of providing said service and said paystation is not capable of providing said service; and selecting one of said paystation and said interface to provide said service when both said paystation and said interface are capable of providing said service according to a predetermined preference. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification