Remotely programmable, vandal-resistant voice communications unit

• US 5,475,751 A
• Filed: 04/06/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John J. Mcmonagle Jr, Kevin T. Vesely
• Original Assignee: John J. Mcmonagle Jr, Kevin T. Vesely
• Inventors: McMonagle, John J. Jr., Vesely, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US08/223,863
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 379/355, 379/354, 379/356, 379/357, 379/353, 379/57, 379/40, 379/45, 200/302, 200/345, 340/825.64, 340/826
• US Class Current: 379/355.06
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/038 Anti-vandalism
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/12 Push-buttons
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/62 Lubricating means structurally associated with the switch for lubricating contact-making surfaces H01H1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence

Abstract

A vandal resistant, remotely programmable voice communications unit is capable of being programmed for automatically calling predetermined telephone numbers. The unit is programmed remotely from any touch-tone telephone. A vandal-resistant push-button actuator employs first and second axially spaced apart, slidable seals on a push-button mounted within a housing. The seals absorb transverse blows to a raised portion of the push-button and a lubricant is disposed between the seals to prevent an adhesive inserted by a vandal from disabling the actuator. A speaker and microphone baffle utilizes offset passageways to inhibit the introduction of a pointed object therethrough to prevent damage to the speaker or microphone. A raised push-button actuator is disposed inwardly of an escutcheon and shaped to form a concave, ring-shaped surface therewith, thus to inhibit damage to the inner surface of the escutcheon from a hammer blow. A vandal-resistant pole mounting device clamps about the pole and is fastened by means of a fastener enclosed within a vandal-resistant housing, thus to prevent tampering with the fastener by a vandal in order to prevent removal of the housing and the mounting device from the pole.

Claims

1. A remotely programmable voice communications unit, comprising:

transmitter means for transmitting a voice signal;

receiver means for receiving a voice signal and for receiving a remotely generated programming signal initiated by a remotely located caller without any input from a user of said remotely programmable voice communications unit which is transmitted via a public telephone system, the remotely generated programming signal including telephone number data and control data;

means for coupling the transmitter means and the receiver means with the public telephone system for respectively transmitting and receiving voice signals therethrough; and

remotely programmable unit controller means for storing the telephone number data as a preprogrammed telephone number without any assistance from said user of said remotely programmable voice communications unit in response to the control data included in said remotely generated programming signal received by the receiver means and for controlling the operation of the transmitter means to automatically transmit the preprogrammed telephone number via the public telephone system in response to user actuation for establishing voice communication with a predetermined remotely located telephone unit.

2. The remotely programmable voice communications unit of claim 1, further comprising enclosure means for enclosing the transmitter means, the receiver means and the remotely programmable unit controller means, the enclosure means including an outwardly facing wall;

and further comprising vandal-resistant user actuatable means mounted on the outwardly facing wall for user actuation of the remotely programmable unit controller means to transmit the preprogrammed telephone number.

3. The remotely programmable voice communications unit of claim 2, wherein the vandal-resistant user actuatable means comprises a push-button;

a push-button housing mounted on the outwardly facing wall, the push-button being slidably disposed in the push-button housing; and

means for forming a slidable seal between the push-button and the push-button housing resisting the introduction of foreign substances between the push-button and the push-button housing.

4. The remotely programmable voice communications unit of claim 1, wherein the remotely programmable unit controller means is operative to store a plurality of preprogrammed telephone numbers, and further comprising user actuatable means for selectively operating the remotely programmable unit controller means to cause the transmitter means to transmit a selected one of said preprogrammed telephone numbers.

5. The remotely programmable voice communications unit of claim 4, wherein the user actuatable means comprises a plurality of push-button switches each operative when pushed by a user to actuate the remotely programmable unit controller to transmit a corresponding one of the plurality of preprogrammed telephone numbers.

6. The remotely programmable voice communications unit of claim 5, wherein the remotely programmable unit controller means is operative to select one of at least two of the preprogrammed telephone numbers selected by coactuation of at least two of the plurality of push-button switches based on a predetermined priority of the preprogrammed telephone numbers.

7. The remotely programmable voice communications unit of claim 1, wherein the receiver means is operative to receive the remotely generated programming signal encoded as a dual tone multi-frequency signal.

8. The remotely programmable voice communications unit of claim 1, further comprising memory means for storing locally generated data;

and wherein the remotely programmable unit controller means is operative to provide said locally generated data and to actuate the transmitter means to transmit the locally generated data stored in the memory means to a remote data receiver via the public telephone system in response to a predetermined condition.

9. A speakerphone assembly, comprising:

an outer housing having a transducer mounting wall;

a transducer mounting member having first and second walls in opposing relation, the transducer mounting member being affixed to the transducer mounting wall such that the first wall thereof abuts the transducer mounting wall;

a speaker mounted on the second wall of the transducer mounting member; and

a microphone mounted on the second wall of the transducer mounting member;

the transducer mounting member having at least one first sound aperture extending from its second wall adjacent the speaker to the first wall thereof adjacent the transducer mounting wall and at least one second sound aperture extending from its second wall adjacent the microphone to the first wall thereof adjacent the transducer mounting wall;

the first and second apertures being arranged in the transducer mounting member to extend in mutually deviating directions such that sound from the speaker is projected outwardly of the transducer mounting wall in a direction generally away from a sound path from the transducer mounting wall through the second sound aperture to the microphone whereby sound from the speaker is denied a direct path to the microphone.