System and method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections

• US 5,912,956 A
• Filed: 02/20/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Secure Connection, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Talk Time, Inc.
• Inventors: Frazier, Ronald V., Longo, Robert Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US08/803,288
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 379/144, 379/150, 379/149, 379/153, 379/155, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/93.23, 379/142, 379/210, 379/211, 379/38, 235/377-378, 283/70, 283/74, 283/67, 283/301, 40/300, 40/586, 40/584, 40/301, 340/573, 340/691
• US Class Current: 379/144.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/571 Blocking transmission of caller identification to called party
• 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 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 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers

Abstract

A system and method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections includes a plurality of identification tags, a master control telephone calling card, a computer-executable program, a voice synthesizer and a telephone switch. The identification tags are carried by persons, pets or objects and each include unique visible indicia which provide instructions on how a holder or finder of an identification tag can make a toll-free telephone call to a person responsible for the person, pet or object carrying the identification tag. The visible indicia also include a simplified menu of system inputs. The system employs the computer-executable program and the voice synthesizer to interactively prompt a caller to select and enter inputs from the menu shown on the tag. The system then employs the selected inputs and stored data accessible to the computer executable program to anonymously establish telephonic connections at the telephone switch between the caller and a person responsible for the person, pet or object associated with the tag. The master control card is provided to a system subscriber and has visible indicia including a master control personal identification number (PIN). When the master control PIN is provided to the system, a different portion of the computer-executable program is executed thereby enabling the system subscriber to remotely change the stored data exploit other system features which are inaccessible to holders of the identification tags.

Claims

1. A system for anonymously establishing telephonic connections comprising:

a plurality of identification tags including visible indicia providing information needed for finders of said identification tags to place toll-free telephone calls to a computer-controlled telephone switching system and to provide selected inputs from the visible indicia to the computer controlled telephone switching system; and

a processor adapted to receive the selected inputs and to control the computer-controlled telephone switching system to anonymously establish telephonic connections between finders of said identification tags and persons responsible for people, pets or objects associated with said identification tags.

2. The system for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 1 wherein the visible indicia include:

central telephone number associated with a central telephone switch;

a personal identification number (PIN) for each of said identification tags; and

a series of speed dial prompt numbers.

3. The system for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 2 wherein the computer-controlled telephone switching system employs the PINs and a selected one of the series of speed dial prompt numbers to establish the telephonic connections.

4. The system for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 1 further comprising:

a voice synthesizer electrically connected to said computer-controlled telephone switching system, said voice synthesizer being adapted to interactively prompt the callers to select the selected inputs.

5. The system for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 4 wherein:

said processor is adapted to receive the selected inputs and to generate switching control inputs and voice synthesizer control inputs depending upon the selected inputs;

said computer-controlled telephone switching system being adapted to receive the switching control inputs and to establish the telephonic connections depending upon the switching control inputs; and

said voice synthesizer being adapted to receive the voice synthesizer control inputs and to interactively prompt the callers to select the selected inputs depending upon the voice synthesizer control inputs.

19. The system for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 1, wherein said processor is capable of establishing a telephone connection between a holder of said identification tag and another person in response to second selected inputs.

6. A system for establishing telephonic connections comprising:

a plurality of identification tags including visible indicia providing information needed for finders of said identification tags to place toll-free telephone calls at a remote telephone and to enter selected inputs from the visible indicia at the remote telephone;

a master control telephone calling card including visible indicia providing information needed for a master controller to provide programming inputs to a telephone switching system;

a computer-executable program for execution on a processor adapted to receive the selected inputs and to generate switching control inputs and voice synthesizer control inputs depending upon the selected inputs, the processor being adapted to receive the programming inputs and to change stored data provided to said computer-executable program depending upon the programming inputs;

a voice synthesizer adapted to receive the voice synthesizer control inputs and to generate vocal instructions to interactively prompt a finder of one of said identification tags to enter the selected inputs at the remote telephone; and

a telephone switching system electrically connected to said voice synthesizer and adapted to receive the switching control inputs, said telephone switching system establishing telephonic connections between the finders of said identification tags and persons responsible for people, pets or objects associated with said identification tags.

7. The system for establishing telephonic connections of claim 6 wherein the visible indicia on said plurality of identification tags include:

a central telephone number associated with a central telephone switch;

a personal identification number (PIN) for each of said identification tags; and

a series of speed dial prompt numbers.

8. The system for establishing telephonic connections of claim 6 wherein:

the visible indicia on said master control telephone calling card includes;

said central telephone number; and

a master control PIN.

9. The system for establishing telephonic connections of claim 8 wherein:

said computer-executable program is programmed to determine, upon receipt of the master PIN, the voice synthesizer control inputs depending upon the programming inputs.

10. The system for establishing telephonic connections of claim 9 wherein:

the visible indicia on said plurality of identification tags include a series of speed dial prompt numbers;

the stored data include stored telephone numbers and associations between the speed dial prompt numbers and the stored telephone numbers; and

said voice synthesizer interactively prompts the master controller to change the stored data to modify the stored telephone numbers and the associations between the speed dial prompt numbers and the stored telephone numbers.

11. The system for establishing telephonic connections of claim 9 wherein:

the stored data include stored time remaining values and associations between said identification tags and the stored time remaining values; and

said voice synthesizer interactively prompts the master controller to change the stored data to modify the stored time remaining values.

12. The system for establishing telephonic connections of claim 9 wherein:

the stored data include stored time expended values and associations between said identification tags and the stored time expended values; and

said computer-executable program is programmed to monitor and store a total time expended value from the stored time expended values.

20. The system for establishing telephonic connections of claim 6, wherein said processor is capable of establishing a telephone connection between a holder of said identification tag and another person in response to second selected inputs.

13. A method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of identification tags including visible indicia providing information needed for finders of said identification tags to place toll-free telephone calls to a computer-controlled telephone switching system and to provide selected inputs from the visible indicia to the computer controlled telephone switching system; and

(b) providing a processor adapted to receive the selected inputs and to control the computer-controlled telephone switching system to anonymously establish telephonic connections between finders of said identification tags and persons responsible for people, pets or objects associated with said identification tags.

21. The method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 13, wherein said processor is capable of establishing a telephone connection between a holder of said identification tag and another person in response to second selected inputs.

14. A method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of identification tags including visible indicia providing information needed for finders of said identification tags to place toll-free telephone calls at a remote telephone and to enter selected inputs from the visible indicia at the remote telephone;

(b) providing a master control telephone calling card including visible indicia providing information needed for a master controller to provide programming inputs to a telephone switching system;

(c) providing a computer-executable program for execution on a processor adapted to receive the selected inputs and to generate switching control inputs and voice synthesizer control inputs depending upon the selected inputs, the processor being adapted to receive the programming inputs and to change stored data provided to said computer-executable program depending upon the programming inputs;

(d) providing a voice synthesizer adapted to receive the voice synthesizer control inputs and to generate vocal instructions to interactively prompt a finder of one of said identification tags to enter the selected inputs at the remote telephone; and

(e) providing a telephone switching system electrically connected to said voice synthesizer and adapted to receive the switching control inputs, said telephone switching system anonymously establishing telephonic connections between the finders of said identification tags and persons responsible for people, pets or objects associated with said identification tags.

22. The method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 14, wherein said processor is capable of establishing a telephone connection between a holder of said identification tag and another person in response to second selected inputs.

15. A method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of identification tags including visible indicia of;

(1) a central telephone number associated with a central telephone switch;

(2) a unique personal identification number (PIN) for each of said identification tags; and

(3) a series of speed dial prompt numbers;

(b) telephoning said central telephone number on a located identification tag of said identification tags from a remote telephone to establish a telephonic connection between said central telephone switch and said remote telephone;

(c) from said central telephone switch, providing a vocal instruction delivered at said remote telephone to enter said PIN number on said located identification tag;

(d) from said remote telephone, entering said PIN number on said located identification tag;

(e) from said central telephone switch, providing a vocal instruction delivered at said remote telephone to enter a selected speed dial prompt number from said series of speed dial prompt numbers;

(f) from said remote telephone, entering said selected speed dial prompt number;

(g) via said central telephone switch, employing said PIN on said located identification tag and said selected speed dial prompt number to establish a telephonic connection between a telephone of a person responsible for an object associated with said located identification tag and said remote telephone; and

(h) repeating steps (a)-(g) for different identification tags bearing different PIN numbers.

16. The method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

(i) providing a master control telephone calling card including visible indicia of;

(1) said central telephone number; and

(2) a master control PIN; and

(j) employing said master control PIN to remotely program an executable program which controls operation of said central telephone switch.

17. The method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

(k) associating said master control telephone calling card with one or more of said identification tags; and

(l) charging all telephone calls originating from said one or more of said identification tags associated with said master control telephone calling card to a single payment account.

18. A system for anonymously establishing telephonic connections comprising:

a plurality of identification tags including visible indicia providing information needed for finders of said identification tags to place toll-free telephone calls to a computer-controlled telephone switching system and to provide selected inputs from the visible indicia to the computer controlled telephone switching system; and

a processor adapted to receive the selected inputs and to control the computer-controlled telephone switching system to anonymously establish telephonic connections between finders of said identification tags and persons responsible for people, pets or objects associated with said identification tags without human intervention.