Restricted access telephones for logical telephone networks

• US 5,745,559 A
• Filed: 07/24/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Earline Madsen Weir
• Original Assignee: Earline Madsen Weir
• Inventors: Weir, Earline Madsen
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/685,692
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 379/188, 379/199, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/200, 379/201, 379/387, 379/207, 379/219, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 379/199
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A logical network is defined by a plurality of restricted class telephones in which such telephones incorporate a network access code characterizing the logical network. Each telephone contains a verification device that allows each telephone of such logical network to verify that others of such telephones are members of that logical network by transmission and receipt of a network access code. The logical network is useable on any telephone system, including public telephone service networks, cellular telephone systems and radio telephone systems. The verification device may be installed as a retroactive addition to the standard components found within existing cellular telephones or may be included as part of the technical design in new cellular telephones.

Claims

1. A restricted access telephone for use in a switched communications network, said restricted access telephone containing a first network access code identifying said restricted access telephone as a member of a first auxiliary logical network containing a plurality of telephones similar to one another, comprising:

communications means for placing and answering telephone calls to establish a telephone connection with a second telephone over said switched communications network for permitting communication there between, said communications means including dialing means for dialing telephone numbers;

a network access code listing of network access codes of auxiliary logical networks to which said restricted access telephone is a member, including said first network access code;

call origination status monitoring means for monitoring whether said communications means places or answers a telephone call;

first verification means, responsive to said call origination status monitoring means determining that said communications means has placed a call, for automatically determining whether a second telephone with which a telephone connection is established contains a listed network access code contained in said network access code listing and for thereafter automatically sending said listed network access code to said second telephone when said automatic determination is positive; and

second verification means, responsive to said call origination status monitoring means determining that said communications means has answered a call from a second telephone, for automatically sending said first network access code to said second telephone and for thereafter automatically determining whether said second telephone contains said first network access code; and

perceptible indication means for providing a perceptible indication, responsive to either of said first and second verification means making a negative automatic determination.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said perceptible indication means includes at least one of the following:

sensory warning means to indicate that said second telephone is not a member of the same auxiliary logical network as said restricted access telephone; and

disconnection means for disconnecting said restricted access telephone from said second telephone to prevent further communication and thereby indicate that said second telephone is not a member of the same auxiliary logical network as said restricted access telephone.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said sensory warning means comprises an audible message.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said sensory warning means comprises a visual indication.

5. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein an network access code comprises a multiple digit number;

and wherein each of said first and second verification means send network access code numbers with a predetermined interdigital time spacing between each of the digits in said multiple digit number; and

wherein each of said first and second verification means further includes;

means for monitoring the interdigital time spacing between the numbers of a received network access code; and

means for invalidating said received network access code when the interdigital time spacing monitored between any received numbers exceeds said predetermined interdigital time spacing.

6. The invention as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

bypass means for permitting said restricted access telephone to complete a call to selected out-of-auxiliary logical network telephones, said bypass means including means for disabling said first verification means, responsive to placement of a call to one of said selected out-of-auxiliary logical network telephones.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6, wherein said bypass means includes:

a number listing of out-of-auxiliary logical network telephone numbers for telephones with which uninhibited telephone communications are to be permitted;

bypass number monitoring means for monitoring the telephone number dialed by said dialing means and determining if said monitored telephone number is found within said out-of-auxiliary logical network telephone listing; and

,

means, responsive to a positive determination for said monitored telephone number, for disabling said first verification means.

8. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said switched communications network supplies a ring signal in response to receiving a telephone call placed to said restricted access telephone to indicate that another telephone has placed a call thereto;

wherein said communications means of said restricted access telephone, responsive to answer of said telephone call, changes from an on-hook condition to an off-hook condition; and

wherein said call origination status monitoring means includes;

means for determining whether said communications means of said restricted access telephone changed to said off hook condition (a) during the presence of a ring signal from said switched communications network, whereby said restricted access telephone is determined to be a called party telephone, or (b) during an absence of a ring signal, whereby said restricted access telephone is determined to be a calling party telephone.

9. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said first verification means includes:

first timing means for prescribing a first predetermined time interval for reception of a network access code transmitted by said second telephone;

checking means for checking any network access code received within said first predetermined time interval to determine whether such received access code is valid;

said checking means including;

means for storing said received network access code;

means for comparing said received access code against said access code listing to determine if said received access code is contained in said access code listing; and

validate means for providing a valid result when said received network access code is contained in said listing, and an invalid result when said received network access code is not contained in said network access code listing;

means for automatically sending the same network access code to said second telephone when said received network access code checks as valid; and

, alternatively,

means for initiating said perceptible indication means to indicate failure to receive any network access code within said first predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9, wherein said second verification means includes:

means for automatically sending said first network access code;

second timing means for prescribing a second predetermined time interval following the sending of said first network access code within which to receive a network access code transmitted by a calling party telephone;

means for checking any network access code received within said second predetermined time interval to determine whether such received access code is valid;

said checking means including;

means for storing said received network access code;

means for comparing said received access code against said network access code listing;

means for providing a valid result when said received network access code is contained in said network access code listing, and an invalid result when said received network access code is not contained in said network access code listing; and

means for initiating generation of a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said second predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid.

11. A restricted access telephone for use in a switched communications network, said restricted access telephone containing a first network access code identifying said restricted access telephone as a member of a first auxiliary logical network containing a plurality of telephones similar to one another, comprising:

communications means for initiating and receiving telephone calls to establish a telephone communication with a second telephone over said switched communications network;

said communications means comprising at least;

keypad means for sending telephone numbers to said switched communications network for dialing another telephone in said switched communications network;

transducer means for converting voiced words into electrical signals for transmission over said switched communications network;

speaker means for audibly reproducing voiced words from electrical signals representative thereof received over said switched communications network;

signaling means to provide indication that said telephone receiver is receiving a ring signal from said switched communications network when said telephone receiver is in an idle condition; and

status transmitting means for indicating to said switched communications network when said restricted access telephone is on-hook and, thereby, in an idle condition and when said restricted access telephone is off-hook and, thereby, in use;

call origination status monitoring means for monitoring whether said communications means places a call, wherein said restricted access telephone is the calling party, or answers a telephone call, wherein said restricted access telephone is the called party;

said call origination status monitoring means including means for determining whether said restricted access telephone changed to said off hook condition (a) during the reception of a ring signal transmitted from said switched communications network, whereby said restricted access telephone is determined to be a called party telephone, or (b) in the absence of said ring signal, whereby said restricted access telephone is determined to be a calling party telephone;

a network access code listing of network access codes of auxiliary logical networks to which said restricted access telephone is a member, including said first network access code;

first verification means, responsive to said call origination status monitoring means determining that said communications means has placed a call, whereby said restricted access telephone is the calling party, for automatically determining whether a second telephone with which a telephone connection is established contains a listed access code and for thereafter automatically sending said listed access code to said second telephone when said automatic determination is positive;

said first verification means including;

;

first timing means for prescribing a predetermined time interval for reception of a network access code transmitted by said called party telephone;

checking means for checking any received network access code to determine whether such received access code is valid;

said checking means including;

means for storing said received network access code;

means for comparing said received access code against said network access code listing to determine if said received access code is contained in said network access code listing; and

validate means for providing a valid result when said received network access code is contained in said network access code listing, and an invalid result when said received network access code is not contained in said network access code listing;

means for automatically sending the same network access code to said called party telephone when said received network access code checks as valid; and

, alternatively, indication initiating means for initiating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive within said predetermined time interval any network access code or any network access code that checks valid;

and

second verification means, responsive to said call origination status monitoring means determining that said communications means has answered a call from a calling party second telephone, whereby said restricted access telephone is a called party, for automatically sending said first network access code to said called party second telephone and for thereafter automatically determining whether said calling party second telephone also contains said first network access code;

said second verification means including;

means for automatically sending said first network access code upon answer of a call;

timing means for prescribing a second predetermined time interval following the sending of said first network access code in which to receive a network access code transmitted by said calling party second telephone;

means for checking any received network access code to determine whether such received network access code is valid;

said checking means including;

means for storing said received network access code;

means for comparing said received network access code against said network access code listing; and

means for providing a valid result when said received network access code is found in said network access code listing, and an invalid result when said received network access code is not contained in said network access code listing; and

indication initiating means for initiating generation of a perceptible indication of the failure to receive within said second predetermined time interval any network access code or to receive any network access code that checks valid;

perceptible indication generating means for providing a perceptible indication that the other telephone to said communication is not a member of said logical auxiliary network, responsive to said indication initiation means of each of said first and second verification means;

said perceptible generating means including at least one of the following perceptible indications;

sensory warning means to indicate that said second telephone to the telephone connection is not a member of the same logical auxiliary telephone network; and

disconnection means for disconnecting said telephone connection to prevent further communication and thereby indicate that said second telephone to the telephone connection is not a member of the same logical auxiliary network;

bypass means for permitting said restricted access telephone to complete a call to selected out-of-logical auxiliary network telephones, said bypass means including means for disabling said first verification means responsive to placement of a call to one of said selected out-of-network telephones;

said bypass means including;

a telephone number listing of out-of-logical network telephone numbers for telephones with which uninhibited telephone communications are to be permitted;

bypass number monitoring means for monitoring the telephone number dialed and determining if said monitored telephone number is found within said out-of-network telephone listing; and

,

means, responsive to a positive determination for said telephone number dialed, for disabling said first verification means.

12. The invention as defined in claim 11, wherein said restricted access telephone further includes:

memory means, said memory means for storing said network access code listing and said telephone number listing of out-of-logical network telephone numbers of selected telephones with which uninhibited telephone communications are to be permitted.

13. The invention as defined in claim 11, wherein said network access code comprises a multiple digit number and wherein each of said first and second verification means sends said network code numbers as a serial stream of numbers with a predetermined interdigit time spacing between numbers in said serial stream;

and wherein each of said first and second verification means further includes means for monitoring the interdigital time spacing between the numbers of a received network access code; and

means for invalidating said received network access code when the interdigital time monitored between any received numbers exceeds said predetermined interdigit time spacing.

14. The invention as defined in claim 11, wherein said restricted access telephone further includes:

a DTMF signal generator; and

a DTMF signal decoder.

15. In combination with a first telephone, said telephone comprising communications means for initiating and receiving telephone calls to establish a telephone connection with another telephone over a switched communications network for permitting communication there between, said communications means including dialing means for dialing telephone numbers, a means for limiting access of said first telephone to other telephones, said access limiting means comprising:

memory means, said memory means containing a network access code of at least one auxiliary logical network to which said first telephone is a member; and

digital microprocessor means, said digital microprocessor means including;

a program;

call origination status monitoring means for monitoring whether said communications means places or answers a telephone call;

first verification means, responsive to said call origination status monitoring means determining that said communications means has placed a call, for automatically determining whether another telephone with which a telephone connection is established also contains said network access code and for thereafter automatically sending said network access code to said another telephone when said automatic determination is positive;

said first verification means including means for checking a network access code received from said other telephone against said network access code listing in said memory means;

second verification means, responsive to said call origination status monitoring means determining that said communications means has answered a call from another telephone, for automatically sending said network access code to said another telephone and for thereafter automatically determining whether said another telephone also contains said network access code;

said second verification means including means for retrieving and sending said network access code from said memory means and means for thereafter checking a network access code received from said another telephone against said network access code in said memory means; and

perceptible indication generating means for providing a perceptible indication that said another telephone is not a member of said auxiliary logical network, responsive to either of said first and second verification means failure to determine that said another telephone contains said network access code.

16. For use in completing a telephone call between a calling party telephone and a called party telephone in a switched telephone network that is accessible to telephones that are members of the same auxiliary telephone network and comprise auxiliary network telephones and other telephones that are not members of such auxiliary telephone network, said calling and called party auxiliary network telephones each including a listing of network access codes identifying the auxiliary networks with which the respective telephone is a member and the principal one of such auxiliary networks, and a listing of telephone numbers of out-of-network telephones with which said auxiliary network telephones are permitted uninhibited communication, a method of automatically representing the lack of status of a called party telephone to a calling party auxiliary network telephone and of a calling party telephone to a called party auxiliary network telephone as members of the same auxiliary telephone network, and to a called party telephone as not a member of an out-of-auxiliary network telephone authorized for communication with the calling party auxiliary network telephone, said method comprising the steps at said calling party auxiliary network telephone of:

monitoring the change of state of an auxiliary network telephone from an idle condition to an off-hook condition to detect whether said auxiliary network telephone is placing or answering a call;

said monitoring including the steps of detecting whether a change of state to the off-hook condition occurs during reception of a ring signal transmitted from said switched telephone network, whereby said auxiliary network telephone represents a called party auxiliary network telephone, or occurs in the absence of said ring signal, whereby said auxiliary network telephone represents a calling party auxiliary network telephone;

dialing the telephone number of the called party telephone;

monitoring the telephone number dialed and determining if said telephone number is found within an out-of-network telephone listing; and

, upon a positive determination, disabling the succeeding steps and permitting telephone communications over said telephone connection;

detecting answer by said called party telephone to establish a telephone connection between said telephones;

waiting a predetermined time interval following answer by said called party telephone for the reception of a network access code transmitted by said called party telephone;

checking any received network access code to determine whether such received access code is valid;

said checking including the steps of;

storing said received network access code;

comparing said received access code against a listing of network access codes maintained at said calling party telephone; and

providing a valid result when said received network access code is contained in said listing, and an invalid result when said received network access code is not contained in said listing;

automatically sending the same network access code to said called party telephone when said received network access code checks as valid; and

, alternatively, generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid;

said method further comprising the steps at said called party auxiliary network telephone of;

monitoring the change of state of an auxiliary network telephone from an idle condition to an off-hook condition to detect whether said auxiliary network telephone is placing or answering a call;

said monitoring including the steps of detecting whether a change of state to the off-hook condition occurs during reception of a ring signal transmitted from said switched telephone network, whereby said auxiliary network telephone represents a called party auxiliary network telephone, or occurs in the absence of said ring signal, whereby said auxiliary network telephone represents a calling party auxiliary network telephone;

automatically sending a network access code of the principal auxiliary network with which said called party auxiliary network telephone is a member when said called party auxiliary network telephone changes to the off-hook condition and detects its representation as a called party telephone;

waiting a predetermined time interval following the sending of said network access code for reception of a network access code transmitted by a calling party telephone;

checking any received network access code to determine whether such received access code is valid;

said checking including the steps of;

storing said received network access code;

comparing said received access code against a listing of network access codes maintained at said calling party telephone; and

providing a valid result when said received network access code is contained in said listing, and an invalid result when said received network access code is not contained in said listing;

generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein said step of generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid includes the step of;

preventing communication between said calling party telephone and said called party telephone;

whereby telephone communications may not proceed.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein said step of preventing communication between said calling party telephone and said called party telephone includes at least one of the following steps:

disconnecting said telephone connection at said calling party telephone; and

disconnecting said telephone connection at said called party telephone.

19. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein said step of generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid includes the step of:

generating an audible warning that a telephone is not a member of the same auxiliary telephone network.

20. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein said step of generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid includes the steps of:

generating an audible warning hat a telephone is not a member of the same auxiliary telephone network; and

thereafter

preventing communication between said calling party telephone and said called party telephone.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein said step of preventing communication between said calling party telephone and said called party telephone includes at least one of the following steps:

disconnecting said telephone connection at said calling party telephone; and

disconnecting said telephone connection at said called party telephone.

22. For use in completing a telephone call between a calling party telephone and a called party telephone in a switched telephone network that is accessible to telephones that are members of the same auxiliary telephone network and comprise auxiliary network telephones and other telephones that are not members of such auxiliary telephone network, said calling and called party auxiliary network telephones each including a listing of network access codes identifying the auxiliary networks with which the respective telephone is a member and the principal one of such auxiliary networks, a method of automatically representing the lack of status of a called party telephone to a calling party auxiliary network telephone and of a calling party telephone to a called party auxiliary network telephone as members of the same auxiliary telephone network, and to a called party telephone as not a member of an out-of-auxiliary network telephone authorized for communication with the calling party auxiliary network telephone, said method comprising the steps at said calling party auxiliary network telephone of:

dialing the telephone number of the called party telephone;

detecting answer by said called party telephone to establish a telephone connection between said telephones;

waiting a predetermined time interval following answer by said called party telephone for the reception of a network access code transmitted by said called party telephone;

checking any received network access code to determine whether such received access code is valid;

automatically sending the same network access code to said called party telephone when said received network access code checks as valid; and

, alternatively,

generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, further comprising the steps at said called party auxiliary network telephone of:

automatically sending a network access code of the principal auxiliary network with which said called party auxiliary network telephone is a member when said called party auxiliary network telephone changes to a off-hook condition in response to reception of a call from a calling party telephone;

waiting a predetermined time interval following the sending of said network access code for reception of a network access code transmitted by said calling party telephone;

checking any received network access code to determine whether such received access code is valid; and

generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid.

24. The method as defined in claim 23 wherein said step at either of said calling party auxiliary network telephone and said called party auxiliary network telephone of generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid includes the step of:

preventing communication between said calling party telephone and said called party telephone.

25. The method as defined in claim 23 wherein said step at either said calling party auxiliary network telephone and said called party auxiliary network telephone of generating a perceptible indication of the failure to receive any network access code within said predetermined time interval or to receive any network access code that checks valid includes the step of:

generating an audible warning that a telephone is not a member of the same auxiliary telephone network.