Telephone line powered system

• US 5,343,514 A
• Filed: 12/10/1993
• Issued: 08/30/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary K. Snyder
• Original Assignee: Gary K. Snyder
• Inventors: Snyder, Gary K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/164,922
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 379/91, 379/144, 379/93, 379/96-99, 379/90, 379/387, 379/399, 379/413, 235/380, 235/375, 235/379, 902/8, 902/22, 902/24, 902/25
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/675 the user being required to insert a coded card, e.g. a smart card carrying an integrated circuit chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/738 Interface circuits for coupling substations to external telephone lines H04M1/78 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/82 Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination for detecting caller identity H04M1/573

Abstract

A telephone line powered system operates in conjunction with a user telephone, and is fully biased off whenever the user telephone is in an "on-hook" condition. When the user telephone is placed in an "off-hook" condition, a hookswitch is operated to cause the system to be supplied with a relatively low level of stand-by power from the telephone line. A micro controller is energized by this stand-by power, and initializes the system. Higher power consuming devices, such as a card reader, a DTMF dialer and the like, remain biased off by the micro controller during the stand-by mode of operation. If information is to be transmitted from the card reader or from an auxiliary program, which is accessed by direct access keys, a switch is closed which causes the micro controller to disable the telephone and to power up the higher power consuming devices. Once operation of the higher power consuming devices is completed, the micro controller causes the system to revert back to its stand-by mode of operation; and control of the telephone line is returned to the user telephone. During the stand-by mode of operation, the power consumption is sufficiently low that the system is essentially transparent to the user telephone.

Claims

1. A telephone line powered system for use with a telephone connected with said telephone line for operation therewith, said system including in combination;

a normally open hookswitch;

an auxiliary control system connected to said telephone line in parallel with said telephone through said hookswitch;

a first hookswitch control operated by said telephone in an off-hook condition to close said hookswitch and supply power from said telephone line to said auxiliary control system to operate said auxiliary control system to a standby mode at a relatively low power consumption;

a data input device for supplying data to said telephone line coupled with said auxiliary control system for switching said auxiliary control system to a higher power mode in response to a predetermined operation of said data input device; and

a second hookswitch control operated by said auxiliary control system in said higher power mode to close said hookswitch transferring control of said telephone line from said telephone to said auxiliary control system and said data input device.

2. The combination according to claim 1 further including power disable circuit means coupled with said telephone line and said auxiliary control system for preventing the application of power from said telephone line to said auxiliary control system with said telephone in an "on-hook" condition of operation.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said data input device is a card reader.

4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said data input device is a key activated memory.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said data input device is a card reader.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said data input device is a key activated memory.

7. A telephone line powered system for use with a telephone operating between "on-hook" and "off-hook" conditions of operation, connected to a telephone line for operation therewith, said system including in combination:

a telephone line powered device coupled with said telephone line and responsive to the "off-hook" operation of said telephone to switch to a stand-by mode of operation drawing operating power at a first relatively low level from said telephone line; and

switch means coupled with said telephone powered device for causing said device to switch to an operating mode to receive power at a relatively high level from said telephone line and to disable said telephone, wherein said telephone line powered device in said operating mode supplies signals to said telephone line.