Method and apparatus for the secure communication of data

• US 5,583,933 A
• Filed: 08/05/1994
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smart Tone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smart Tone Authentication, Inc.
• Inventors: Mark, Andrew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/286,825
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 379/361, 379/257, 379/418, 379/96, 379/355, 379/283, 379/97, 379/98, 379/354, 379/357, 379/386, 379/368, 379/444, 379/93, 340/825.44, 340/825.48, 380/6, 380/9, 235/380
• US Class Current: 379/357.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2155 Acoustic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/50 by generating or selecting currents of predetermined frequencies or combinations of frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/16 with lock-out or secrecy provision in party-line systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/453 in which m-out-of-n signalling frequencies are transmitted

Abstract

An auto-dialer suitable for use as a smart card capable of being acoustically coupled to a telephone and being reprogrammed in response to acoustic signals. The programming and other features of the auto-dialer can be enabled or disabled by the auto-dialer in response to persecuted signals, e.g., a string of DTMF tones. Encryption of calling card and other data into destination telephone numbers is achieved by selectively altering persecuted characteristics of a DTMF tone sequence, such as the duration of tones, the period of silence between tones and the twist between Lo-band and Hi-band tones of DTMF tone pairs in a DTMF tone sequence representing a telephone number. The encryption of data into the telephone number does not affect the ability of standard telephone switching circuitry to recognize the destination number. However, information encrypted into the DTMF signals is undetectable to standard telephone switching circuitry because it is encrypted using DTMF signal characteristics not normally used to represent data. The auto-dialer has a system clock used to drive a pseudo random number generator used in various data security schemes. Calibration features permit the calibration of the audio output and system clock with adjustments being made via the acoustic programming of the auto-dialer with various calibration factors.

Claims

1. A device for generating a set of tones encoded with data, each tone in the set being separated by an interdigit period, the device including:

memory storing encoding information relating to alterable tone characteristic values and storing corresponding data items; and

an encoding generator electrically coupled to said memory, said encoding generator generating a set of tones encoded with said alterable tone characteristic values in response to said encoding information and said data items.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a system clock generating a system time;

a clock setter responsive to a first pre-defined acoustic signal to set the system clock;

a calibrator responsive to a second pre-defined acoustic signal to calibrate said system time as a function of the deviation in time from the last setting; and

an acoustic signal receiver electrically coupled to said clock setter and said calibrator.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

memory storing information relating to the insertion of a timing space between a string of tones conforming to the time necessary for one call switching system to make contact with another;

an information controller responsive to a preselected sequence of tones to alter the stored information relating to the insertion of a timing space; and

a tone receiver electrically coupled to said information controller,

said generator generating said tones as a function of the stored information relating to the timing space.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a limiter limiting user accessibility to features of the device, said limiter being responsive to the receipt of a signal including a string of pre-selected tones to alter, as a function of the received signal, the features to which the user is given access; and

a signal receiver electrically coupled to said limiter.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a system clock generating a system time;

a pseudo random number generator generating a pseudo random number as a function of the system time; and

an output device outputting the pseudo random number.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

an audio transducer receiving audio signals and converting the audio signals into electrical signals;

memory storing information relating to the amount of amplification that is to be applied to the electrical signals generated by the audio transducer; and

an information controller altering the information stored in said memory relating to the amount of amplification that is to be applied to the electrical signals in response to the receipt of a preselected series of audio signals stored in said memory.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising an indicator device indicating when the device is outputting the tones.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a decoder circuit receiving and decoding encoded tones to obtain paging information from received tones; and

a display device displaying the paging information.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a number generator selected from the group consisting of a pseudo random number generator, a random number generator and an incrementing register; and

a generated number output device electrically coupled to said selected number generator.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

memory storing information relating to an acoustic device access control signal;

a receiver receiving an acoustic signal, said receiver including an audio transducer;

a detector comparing a received acoustic device access control signal to the stored information relating to the acoustic device access control signal to detect the receipt of the acoustic device access control signal; and

a controller placing the device into a functional mode not otherwise available to a user of the device upon the receipt of the acoustic device access control signal.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the information relating to the access control signal includes information identifying a preselected set of tones.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a calibrator monitoring, processing and storing transmission related characteristics of tones and calibrating the output of the device as a function of the stored transmission related characteristics.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a calibration controller enabling the calibrator to calibrate the output of the device in response to the receipt of a preselected set of tones.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

memory storing a string of network address codes and dialing sequences intended for use when initiating a telephone call;

a reprogrammer responsive to a pre-selected set of tones, to alter said stored string of network address codes and dialing sequences; and

a tone receiver electrically coupled to said reprogrammer.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said reprogrammer is responsive to received tones to reprogram the device with information encoded into the received tones.

16. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker outputting the tones as an audio signal;

a housing surrounding said speaker, the housing including audio outlets, said audio outlets permitting the audio signal generated by the speaker to exit the housing; and

a device indicator mounted on the housing in close proximity to the audio outlets, said device indicator being adapted to indicate to a receiver the presence of the device.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the device indicator is a strip of highly reflective material mounted on the housing in close proximity to the audio outlets, said reflective material being adapted for reflecting light to the receiver to thereby indicate to the receiver the presence of the device.

18. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a decoder circuit receiving and decoding encoded tones to obtain paging information from received tones; and

a transmitter device transmitting the paging information to a pager device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the transmitter device is a radio frequency transmitter.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the generator generating the set of tones includes circuitry generating a single tone and only a single tone during at least one of the interdigit periods separating the tones in the set.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the single tone is a tone having a frequency less than 672 Hz or greater than 1590 Hz.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the single tone has a frequency less than 672.61 Hz or greater than 1690.16 Hz.

23. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an activator responsive to an activation signal, said activator causing the device to become fully active upon receipt of the activation signal.

24. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

memory storing information representing a preselected set of tones corresponding to the activation signal; and

wherein the activator includes a detector detecting a received signal, said detector including a comparator comparing the received signal to the stored information corresponding to the activation signal.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the activation signal comprises a light signal.

26. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver receiving signals representing computational instructions;

a data item calculator performing computational operations on a data item as a function of the received signals representing computational instructions; and

an output device outputting the result of the computational instructions.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein said device is capable of performing a plurality of functions and wherein said memory includes memory space storing information relating to a user, the stored information including information regarding the device functions which the user is permitted to use.

28. The device of claim 27, further comprising:

an optical sensor receiving optically transmitted data.

29. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio transducer receiving audio signals;

a memory device storing information relating to a first and second predetermined control signal;

a detector circuit detecting the receipt of the first and second predetermined control signals; and

a controller causing the device to cease operation in response to the detection of the first predetermined control signal.

30. The device of claim 29, further comprising:

an audio output circuit; and

wherein the controller controls the audio output circuit to output a predetermined set of tones in response to the detection of the second control signal.

31. The device of claim 29, further comprising:

an audio output circuit; and

wherein the controller controls the audio output circuit to output a diagnostic signal indicative of the operational status of the device in response to the detection of the second control signal.

32. The device of claim 29, wherein the memory stores a plurality of signal characteristics relating to signals which the device is capable of decoding, said device further comprising:

an adjustable filter circuit filtering out received signals that fail to conform to the plurality of signal characteristics stored in the memory.

33. The device of claim 1 wherein the set of tones comprises a series of tone pairs.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the information relating to the alterable tone characteristic values includes tone pair duration values.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the information relating to the alterable tone characteristic values includes aggregate tone pair signal power levels.

36. The device of claim 33, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the information relating to the alterable tone characteristic values includes differences in signal levels between the highest and lowest levels of each tone in a tone pair.

37. The device of claim 33, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal, and wherein the information relating to the alterable tone characteristic values includes interdigit duration values.

38. The device of claim 33, wherein the generator generating the set of tones includes circuitry generating a third tone simultaneously with the generation of a tone pair to represent information to be encoded into the set of tones, the third tone having a frequency less than 672 Hz or greater than 1590 Hz.

39. The device of claim 33, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal, each tone pair including a first tone and a second tone, and wherein the generator generating the set of tones includes:

a first amplification circuit amplifying the first tone; and

a second amplification circuit amplifying the second tone.

40. The device of claim 39, further comprising:

a data table in the memory storing information about amplification levels to be used for each of said first and second tones when generating one of a plurality of tone pairs; and

an amplification controller electrically coupled to said memory, said first amplification circuit and said second amplification circuit, said amplification controller controlling the amplification levels of the first and second tones of each tone pair being generated as a function of the information stored in the data table.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the data table further includes:

a list of tone frequencies that may be used to generate the DTMF signal.

42. The device of claim 41 further comprising:

a programmer reprogramming the information stored in the data table in response to receipt of a signal including a pre-selected set of tones.

43. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a proximity sensor electrically coupled to said generator, said proximity sensor detecting the proximity of said device to said receiver.

44. The device of claim 43 wherein said receiver is a microphone of a telephone handset, said device further comprising:

a proximity indicator coupled to said proximity sensor, the proximity indicator indicating when the device must be placed closer to said microphone to provide satisfactory acoustic communication between the device and the microphone of the handset.

45. The device of claim 44, wherein the proximity indicator is a light.

46. The device of claim 44, wherein the proximity indicator is an audio signal generator generating an audio signal indicating when the device must be placed closer to the microphone.

47. The device of claim 43 further comprising:

a speaker electrically coupled to said generator, said speaker outputting the tones as an audio signal; and

a housing surrounding said speaker, said housing including audio outlets, said audio outlets permitting the audio signal generated by said speaker to exit said housing,

wherein said proximity sensor is a pressure switch located on said housing.

48. The device of claim 43 further comprising:

a speaker electrically coupled to said generator, said speaker outputting the tones as an audio signal; and

a housing surrounding said speaker, said housing including audio outlets, said audio outlets permitting the audio signal generated by said speaker to exit said housing,

wherein said proximity sensor is a series of pressure switches encircling said audio outlets.

49. The device of claim 43 wherein said proximity sensor is a light sensor.

50. The device of claim 49 wherein said proximity sensor is activated when the device is placed in close proximity to a microphone of a telephone handset thereby reducing the amount of light received by the proximity sensor.

51. The device of claim 43 wherein said device has a predetermined operating proximity to said receiver, said device enabling said generator upon said proximity sensor detecting said proximity of said device to said receiver to be within said operating proximity, and disabling said generator upon said proximity sensor detecting said proximity of said device to said receiver to be outside said operating proximity.

52. The device of claim 51 further comprising a proximity indicator electrically coupled to said proximity sensor, said proximity indicator indicating to a user that said device is outside said operating proximity upon said proximity sensor detecting said proximity of said device to said receiver to be outside said operating proximity.

53. The device of claim 52 wherein said proximity indicator is an indicator selected from the group consisting of a speaker, a display and a light;

wherein said speaker outputs an audible signal to indicate that said device should be moved closer to said receiver;

wherein said display displays a message to indicate that said device should be moved closer to said receiver; and

wherein said light illuminates to indicate that said device should be moved closer to said receiver.

54. A device -for generating DTMF tone pairs encoded with data, the device comprising:

memory storing information elements and non-frequency DTMF tone pair characteristic values, each one of the information elements being associated with one of the non-frequency DTMF tone pair characteristic values;

a signal generator controllably generating DTMF tone pairs with non-frequency DTMF tone pair characteristic values corresponding to ones of said values stored in said memory; and

a processor coupled to said memory and said signal generator, said processor controlling the signal generator to generate said DTMF tone pairs as a function of said stored values.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein the non-frequency DTMF tone pair characteristic values include the duration of delay periods between DTMF tone pairs.

56. The device of claim 54, wherein the non-frequency DTMF tone pair characteristic values include tone pair durations.

57. The device of claim 54, wherein the non-frequency DTMF tone pair characteristic values include tone pair signal levels.

58. The device of claim 54, wherein the DTMF tone pairs each have a twist level, and wherein the non-frequency DTMF signal characteristic values include DTMF tone pair twist levels.

59. A device for decoding data encoded into a set of tones having non-frequency tone characteristic values representing encoded information, said device comprising:

a data table storing a plurality of non-frequency tone characteristic values and a data element associated with each of the stored non-frequency tone characteristic values;

a detector detecting the non-frequency tone characteristic values representing the encoded information; and

a processor coupled to said data table and said detector, said processor decoding said encoded information as a function of the data stored in the data table and the detected non-frequency tone characteristic values.

60. The device of claim 59, further comprising:

a transducer coupled to said processor, said transducer receiving an acoustic signal representing the set of tones.

61. The method of claim, 59 wherein the set of tones comprises a series of tone pairs.

62. The device of claim 61, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the tone characteristic values include tone pair duration values.

63. The device of claim 61, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the tone characteristic values include aggregate tone pair signal power levels.

64. The device of claim 61, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the tone characteristic values include differences in power levels between the highest and lowest power levels of each tone in a tone pair.

65. The device of claim 61, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the tone characteristic values include differences in amplitude levels between the highest and lowest amplitude levels of each tone in a tone pair.

66. The device of claim 61, wherein the series of tone pairs is a DTMF signal and wherein the tone characteristic values include durations of interdigit periods.

67. The device of claim 61, wherein the tone pairs are separated by interdigit periods, further comprising a detector detecting a single tone asserted during at least one of the interdigit periods separating the tone pairs in the signal.

68. The device of claim 67, further comprising a detector detecting signal characteristics of the single tone and decoding information represented by the single tone.

69. A device for generating a series of tone signals providing non-frequency modulation of data, each tone signal including simultaneously asserted first and second tones, the device comprising:

a first tone generator circuit generating a first tone;

a second tone generator circuit generating a second tone;

a first amplification circuit coupled to said first tone generator circuit amplifying the first tone;

a second amplification circuit coupled to the second tone generator circuit amplifying the second tone, said first and second amplification circuits operating independently to provide non-frequency modulation of data;

a control circuit controlling the first and second tone generator circuits and the first and second amplification circuits to generate a series of first and second tones; and

an output circuit coupled to said first and second amplification circuits combining the series of first and second tones to generate a series of tone signals.

70. A device for generating a series of tone signals providing non-frequency modulation of data, each tone signal including simultaneously asserted first and second tones, the device comprising:

a first tone generator circuit generating a first tone;

a second tone generator circuit generating a second tone;

a first amplification circuit electrically coupled to said first tone generator circuit, said first amplification circuit amplifying the first tone;

a second amplification circuit electrically coupled to the second tone generator circuit, said second amplification circuit amplifying the second tone, said first and second amplification circuits operating independently to provide non-frequency modulation of data;

a control circuit electrically coupled to said first and second amplification circuits and said first and second generator circuits, said control circuit controlling the first and second tone generator circuits and the first and second amplification circuits to generate a series of first and second tones;

an output circuit coupled to said first and second amplification circuits, said output circuit combining the series of first and second tones to generate a series of tone signals;

memory storing a plurality of twist levels, each twist level representing the difference of the amplification of a first tone and a second tone of a tone signal; and

wherein the control circuit includes a processor coupled to said memory and said first and second amplification circuits, said processor accessing said memory and controlling the amplification levels of said first and second amplification circuits to introduce into the tone signals being generated the level of twist stored in the memory for the tone signal being generated.

71. The device of claim 70, wherein each tone signal further includes a third tone signal and wherein the device further comprises:

a third amplification circuit amplifying the third tone of each tone signal being generated independently of the amplification of said first and second tone signals.

72. A device for generating a series of tone signals providing non-frequency modulation of data, each tone signal including simultaneously asserted first and second tones, the device comprising:

a first tone generator circuit generating a first tone;

a second tone generator circuit generating a second tone;

a first amplification circuit electrically coupled to said first tone generator circuit, said first amplification circuit amplifying the first tone;

a second amplification circuit electrically coupled to the second tone generator circuit, said second amplification circuit amplifying the second tone, said first and second amplification circuits operating independently to provide non-frequency modulation of data;

a control circuit electrically coupled to said first and second amplification circuits and said first and second generator circuits, said control circuit controlling the first and second tone generator circuits and the first and second amplification circuits to generate a series of first and second tones;

an output circuit coupled to said first and second amplification circuits, said output circuit combining the series of first and second tones to generate a series of tone signals;

a speaker coupled to the output circuit converting the series of tone signals into acoustic signals; and

a microphone located in proximity to the speaker and coupled to the control circuit converting the acoustic signals into an electrical feedback signal,

wherein the series of tone signals are electrical signals.

73. The device of claim 72 wherein said electrical feedback signal has actual signal characteristic values, said device further comprising:

memory including a first set of memory locations storing control parameters for controlling the generation of the first and second tones, and a second set of memory locations storing signal characteristic values, and

wherein the control circuit operates to compare the actual signal characteristic values of the electrical feedback signal to characteristic values stored in the second set of memory locations and to adjust the control parameters stored in the first set of memory locations to adjust the first and second tone generator circuits to reduce the differences between the stored signal characteristic values and the actual signal characteristic values of the electrical feedback signal.

74. A device for generating and dynamically encrypting data into a set of tones, said device comprising:

memory storing data, information relating to alterable tone characteristic values and a plurality of encryption methods, each of said plurality of encryption methods being valid for use at different times;

an encryptor electrically coupled to said memory, said encryptor selecting which of said encryption methods is valid for use and using said valid encryption method to associate each of said alterable tone characteristic values with a data item; and

a tone generator in electrical communication with said encryptor.

75. The device of claim 74 further comprising:

a system clock electrically coupled to said encryptor,

wherein said encryptor selects said valid encryption method in response to said system clock.

76. The device of claim 74 further comprising:

a number generator electrically coupled to said encryptor,

wherein said encryptor selects said valid encryption method in response to said number generator.

77. The device of claim 74 wherein said set of tones comprises a series of tone pairs.

78. A device for generating a set of tones encoded with data, each tone in the set being separated by an interdigit period, the device including:

memory storing encoding information relating to alterable out-of-band tone characteristic values and storing corresponding data items; and

an encoding generator electrically coupled to said memory, said encoding generator generating a set of tones encoded with said alterable out-of-band tone characteristic values in response to said encoding information and said data items to provide out-of-band transmission of said data items.

79. The device of claim 78 wherein the set of tones comprises a series of tone pairs.

80. A method of generating a set of tones encrypted with data, wherein the tones are separated by interdigit periods, said method comprising the steps of:

storing information in a data table, the information relating to a set of N variations of a first tone characteristic value, wherein the first tone characteristic value can be selectively altered and wherein N is a positive integer; and

generating, as a function of the stored information and the data to be encrypted, the set of tones wherein the first tone characteristic value is varied, as a function of the data to be encrypted, with the generation of each tone, to correspond to one of the set of N variations of the first tone characteristic value.

81. The method of claim 80, further comprising the step of:

accessing the stored information using the data to be encrypted as an index into the data table of stored information, the accessed information indicating which variation of the set of N variations of the first tone characteristic value corresponds to the data to be encrypted.

82. The method of claim 80, further comprising the step of generating as a function of the information to be encrypted, a single tone during at least one of the interdigit periods separating the tones in the set.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein the single tone is a tone having a frequency less than 672 Hz or greater than 1590 Hz.

84. The method of claim 80 wherein the set of tones comprises a series of DTMF tone pairs.

85. The method of claim 84, further comprising the step of generating a third tone, as a function of the information to be encrypted, at the same time a DTMF tone pair is generated, the third tone having a frequency less than 672 Hz or greater than 1590 Hz.

86. The method of claim 84, wherein the first tone characteristic value is the time period between the generation of each sequential DTMF tone pair and wherein the step of storing information in the data table includes the step of storing in the data table N different time periods representing the time periods between the generation of each sequential DTMF tone pair.

87. The method of claim 84, wherein the first tone characteristic value is the duration a DTMF tone pair is asserted and wherein the step of storing information in the data table includes the step of storing in the data table N different durations representing the durations a DTMF tone pair can be asserted.

88. The method of claim 84, wherein each DTMF tone pair includes a Lo-band tone and a Hi-band tone and wherein the first tone characteristic value is the twist between the Lo-band and Hi-band tones of a tone pair, the step of storing information in the data table including the step of storing in the data table N different twist values.

89. A method of generating a set of tones encoded with data, comprising the steps of:

storing in a data table a plurality of information elements and a plurality of alterable tone characteristic values, each one of the information elements being associated with one of the plurality of alterable tone characteristic values;

using the data to be encoded to obtain the alterable tone characteristic value associated with the data to be encoded from the data table; and

generating, as a function of the alterable tone characteristic value obtained from the data table, a set of tones.

90. The method of claim 89 wherein the set of tones comprises a DTMF signal.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein the step of generating a set of tones includes the step of generating a series of tone pairs, each tone pair having a twist level, and wherein the step of storing in a data table a plurality of alterable tone characteristic values, includes the step of storing a plurality of twist level values.

92. The method of claim 90, wherein the step of generating a set of tones includes the step of generating a series of tone pairs separated by delay periods, and wherein the step of storing in a data table a plurality of alterable tone characteristic values, includes the step of storing a plurality of delay period values, each delay period value representing a different delay following the generation of a tone pair.

93. The method of claim 92, wherein the step of storing in a data table a plurality of information elements includes the step of storing a plurality of alphanumeric values in the data table.

94. The method of claim 90, wherein the step of generating a set of tones includes the step of generating a series of tone pairs, each tone pair having a period of signal duration, and wherein the step of storing in a data table a plurality of alterable tone characteristic values, includes the step of storing a plurality of tone pair signal duration values, each signal duration value representing a different period of tone pair signal duration.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein the step of storing in a data table a plurality of information elements includes the step of storing a plurality of alphanumeric values in the data table.

96. The method of claim 90, wherein the step of generating a set of tones includes the step of generating a series of tone pairs, each tone pair having a signal level, and wherein the step of storing in a data table a plurality of alterable tone characteristic values, includes the step of storing a plurality of signal level values.

97. The method of claim 96, wherein the step of storing in a data table a plurality of information elements includes the step of storing a plurality of alphanumeric values in the data table.

98. A method of generating an audio DTMF signal providing non-frequency modulation of data, comprising the steps of:

generating a Lo-frequency tone signal;

amplifying the Lo-frequency tone signal to create a Lo-frequency tone signal having a first power level;

generating a Hi-frequency tone signal;

amplifying the Hi-frequency tone signal separately from said Lo-frequency tone signal to generate a Hi-tone signal having a second power level that differs from the first power level to provide non-frequency modulation of data;

combining the Lo-frequency and Hi-frequency tone signals to form a tone pair;

amplifying the tone pair; and

supplying the amplified tone pair to a speaker to generate said audio DTMF signal.

99. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 1, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately nine dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

100. The method of claim 98, Wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 2, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately three dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

101. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 3, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately five dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

102. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 4, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately one dB lower than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

103. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 5, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately seven dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

104. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 6, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately seven dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

105. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 7, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately five dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

106. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 8, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately three dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

107. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 9, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately seven dB higher than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

108. The method of claim 98, wherein the tone pair corresponds to the digit 0, and the Lo-frequency tone component of the audio DTMF signal has a sound pressure level that is approximately two dB lower than the sound pressure level of the Hi-frequency tone signal component of the audio DTMF signal.

109. A method of dynamically encrypting data into a set of tones, said method comprising the steps of:

storing data items, information relating to alterable tone characteristic values and a plurality of encryption methods, each of said plurality of encryption methods being valid for use at different times;

determining which of said plurality of encryption methods is valid for use;

using said valid encryption method to associate each of said alterable tone characteristic values with a data item; and

generating a set of tones as a function of the alterable tone characteristic values associated with each data item to be encrypted.

110. The method of claim 109 wherein the step of determining which of said plurality of encryption methods is valid for use further comprises the steps of:

obtaining a current system time from a system clock; and

using said current system time to determine which of said plurality of encryption methods is valid for use.

111. The method of claim 109 Wherein the step of determining which of said plurality of encryption methods is valid for use further comprises the steps of:

generating a pseudo random number; and

using said pseudo random number to determine which of said plurality of encryption methods is valid for use.

112. The method of claim 109 wherein the step of generating a set of tones further comprises the step of generating a series of tone pairs.