Telecommunications enhancement user interface system and method

• US 6,028,923 A
• Filed: 01/08/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Call Director Incorporated
• Inventors: Davis, Irvin, Ciardullo, Daniel, Kolb, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/011,088
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 379/216, 379/355, 379/356, 379/354, 379/368, 379/140, 379/141, 379/130, 379/352, 379/142, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 455/566, 455/575, 455/564
• US Class Current: 379/216.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27 Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence

Abstract

A telecommunications interface system is operably coupled to customer premises termination equipment such as a telephone or facsimile machine for controlling signal transmissions to and from a public or private communication network. The interface system can be incorporated into the termination equipment, or can be contained in a housing that is externally connected between the termination equipment and a wall jack providing access to the telecommunications network. The interface system has a memory device for storing data representative of information such as long distance access codes and service providers. Each access code provides access to a long distance service provided by a service provider. A data processing system is provided that performs data processing functions on data stored in the memory device. The interface system also includes a visual display device for displaying information relating to one of the long distance providers based upon data stored in the memory device. Two push-button switches allow a user to change provider information displayed on the display device by scrolling through provider information stored in the memory device. When a desired provider is displayed, the user selects that carrier by pressing a carrier push-button switch. The system then transmits a dial signal indicating the access code for the selected service to the network. Push-button switches are provided that trigger the system to dial preprogrammed area code information stored in the memory device when pressed. Additional push-button switches trigger the system to dial preprogrammed toll free codes also stored in the memory device when pressed.

Claims

1. A telecommunications interface system operably coupled to customer premises termination equipment for controlling signal transmission to a communication network, comprising a memory device for storing data including area code information representative of at least one area code;

a data processing system operably connected to said memory device for performing input, processing, storage, output and control functions on data stored in said memory device;

at least one area code push button switch operatively connected to said data processing device, the number of area code switches being at least equal to the number of area codes stored in said memory device, each area code switch triggering said data processing device to retrieve information relating to a corresponding area code when actuated, and said data processing device then transmitting a dial signal to the telecommunications network representative of the area code information associated with the actuated area code switch.

2. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 1, further including a visual display device operably connected to said data processing system for displaying information based upon data stored in said memory device.

3. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 2, wherein data representative of a plurality of access codes and a plurality of long distance communication service providers are stored in said memory device, said access codes providing access to a long distance communication service provided by one of the long distance communication providers.

4. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said display device displays data relating to one of said long distance providers stored in said memory device.

5. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 4, further including means for changing data displayed on said display device to show data relating to another long distance provider stored in said memory device.

6. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 5, further including means for selecting a desired long distance communication service based upon presently displayed data on said display device.

7. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 6, further including means for transmitting a dial signal indicating the access code for the selected long distance communication service to the communication network.

8. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for changing information displayed on said display device includes a first manually actuated push-button switch and a second manually actuated push-button switch that allow a user to selectively change data displayed on said display device by pressing said first or second switch, said first switch, upon actuation, triggering said data processing system to change data displayed on said display device to data relating to a next long distance provider stored in said memory device following the presently displayed provider, said second switch, upon actuation, triggering said data processing system to change data displayed on said display device to the long distance provider data previously displayed before the presently displayed provider data appeared on said display device.

9. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for selecting a desired long distance communication service includes a third manually actuated push-button switch operatively connected to said data processing system that is actuated when the desired long distance provider data appears on said display device, said data processing system retrieving data associated with the selected service when said third push-button switch is pressed, and causing said transmitting means to transmit the dial signal based upon the retrieved data.

10. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system is disposed in said termination equipment.

11. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system is disposed inside a housing, said system being electrically connected between said termination equipment and said communication network.

12. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said memory device is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory device.

13. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 1, further including a manually actuated program push-button switch for triggering said data processing system into a programming mode when pressed by a user, and a plurality of manually actuated dial keys on a keypad associated with said termination equipment in electrical communication with said data processing system, said dial keys triggering said data processing system to change data stored in said memory device when pressed by a user during the programming mode.

14. A telecommunications interface system used in conjunction with a touch tone telephone set for controlling signal transmissions between the telephone and a telecommunications network, comprising a memory device for storing data including area code information representative of one or more area codes;

a data processing device operably connected to said memory device for performing data processing functions on data stored in said memory device, and for controlling operation of said interface system;

one or more manually actuated area code push-button switches operatively connected to said data processing device, the number of area code switches being at least equal to the number of area codes stored in said memory device, each area code switch triggering said data processing device to retrieve information relating to a corresponding area code when actuated, and said data processing device then transmitting a dial signal to the telecommunications network representative of the area code information associated with the actuated switch.

15. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 14, wherein data including name information identifying one or more long distance telecommunications service providers and access code information for accessing a long distance telecommunications service provided by each of said long distance providers are stored in said memory device.

16. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 15, further including a visual display device operably connected to the data processing system for displaying information based on data stored in said memory device.

17. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 16, further including means for changing presently displayed information on said display device to show name information relating to a different long distance provider stored in said memory device.

18. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 17, further including means for selecting a desired long distance communications service based upon presently displayed name information on said display device.

19. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 18, further including a manually actuated carrier push-button switch operatively connected to said data processing device for triggering said data processing device to transmit a dial signal to the telecommunications network representative of the access code for the selected long distance communication service upon actuation of said carrier switch.

20. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said system is disposed in a housing for the telephone set.

21. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said system is disposed in a housing externally connected to the telephone set.

22. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said data processing device monitors signals received from the telephone set indicating whether the telephone set is maintained in an off-hook condition or an on-hook condition.

23. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 22, further including power source for supplying power to said interface system.

24. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 23, further including a ringing detector circuit operatively connected between said data processing device and the telecommunications network for monitoring signals received from the telecommunications network to determine whether a ringing signal indicative of an incoming call is present, and transmitting a message signal to said data processing device indicating when a ringing signal is received.

25. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 24, further including a switching circuit operatively connected to said data processing device, the telecommunications network and the telephone set for routing and processing signals transmitted to and from the telecommunications network and the telephone set, said data processing device controlling the operation of said switching circuit when said interface system is energized by said power source.

26. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 25, further including a dual tone multifrequency circuit operatively connected between said microprocessor and said switching circuit for converting signals transmitted from said microprocessor to the telecommunications network into a format readable by the telecommunications network.

27. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 26 wherein said dual tone multifrequency circuit converts signals transmitted by the telephone into a format readable by said data processing device.

28. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 26, further including a manually actuated program push-button switch operatively connected to said data processing device for triggering said data processing device into a programming mode of operation when pressed for a predefined period of time, said data processing device changing data stored in said memory device when in the programming mode based upon information input by a user by pressing one or more keys on a telephone keypad associated with the telephone set.

29. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the data stored in said memory device includes information relating to one or more toll free codes used to place calls via the telecommunications network free of charge.

30. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 29, further including one or more manually actuated push-button switches operatively connected to said data processing device, the number of said switches corresponding to the number of toll free codes stored in said memory device, each of said switches triggering said data processing device to transmit a dial signal upon actuation to the telecommunications network representative of the toll free code associated with the actuated switch.

31. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 14, 19 or 30, further including a manually actuated program push-button switch operatively connected to said data processing device for triggering said data processing device into a programming mode of operation when pressed for a predefined period of time, said data processing device changing data stored in said memory device when in the programming mode based upon information input by a user by pressing one or more keys on a telephone keypad associated with the telephone set.

32. The telecommunications interface system as set forth in claim 31 wherein said switching circuit is in one of six operational states, including a first operational state allowing for signal transmission between said telephone set and the telecommunications network when said interface system is not energized by said power source, a second operational state occurring when no signals are transmitted to or from said telecommunications network, signals transmitted by said telephone set are data processed by said data processing device, said telephone set is on-hook, and said interface system is energized by said power source, a third operational state allowing for signal transmission from the telecommunications network to said telephone set, the third state occurring when the ringing signal is not detected by the ringing detector circuit, and said telephone set is off-hook, and said interface system is energized by said power source, said interface system controlling signal transmission to the telecommunications network in the third state when the user presses one of the keys on the telephone keypad, area code switches or the carrier switch, a fourth operational state occurring after the third operational state expires when the telephone set is off-hook and said interface system is energized by said power source, said switching circuit allowing for signal transmission between the telecommunications network and said telephone set during the fourth operational state, said data processing device causing said switching circuit to exit the fourth operational state and enter the second operational state when said telephone set returns to the on-hook condition, a fifth operational state occurring after the second operational state expires when a ringing signal is detected by said ringing detector circuit, said telephone set is on-hook, and said interface system is energized by said power source, said switching circuit allowing for signal transmission from the telecommunications network to said telephone set for at least the duration of the ringing signal, said data processing device causing said switching circuit to enter the second operational state after the ringing signal has expired for a predefined period of time, said data processing device causing said switching circuit to enter the fourth operational state if the termination equipment goes off-hook, and a sixth operational state occurring when said data processing device is in the programming mode.