Mobile pay telephone system

• US 5,272,747 A
• Filed: 05/08/1991
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (AOTC) Limited
• Inventors: Meads, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Application Number:
  US07/663,902
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/63, 379/143, 379/144, 379/145, 379/147, 379/148, 379/150, 379/155, 379/93, 194/344, 194/346, 194/350, 194/351
• US Class Current: 455/407
• 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: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation

Abstract

A mobile telephone system for public transportation vehicle, such as trains, cabs, etc., provides passengers with a wide variety of public services presently not available in any other system. Such services include access to facsimile machines and other peripheral devices, a range of payment options such as credit card or cash, and voice synthesized as well as visual instructions on how to operate the system making the system user friendly to an unrehearsed user.

Claims

1. A self contained cellular mobile radio phone of the type comprising:

a standard phone set;

a radio transceiver providing a means of communication between a mobile station and a fixed station;

a handset having interface equipment including a keyboard microphone speaker and display means for displaying information relating to a phone call;

means within the set for generating control signals and reading credit card data comprising at least a credit card reader with an associated administrative processor;

memory for storing data read from the credit card;

means to enable the phone to be operable from a vehicle'"'"'s power supply;

voice means to provide user instruction;

characterised in that the phone also comprises in combination;

a coin acceptor mechanism having an entry/exit slot and

adapted with means to accept or reject coinage;

a cash box housing mechanism including a removable box therein, said box having an opening to allow coin access therein whereby said opening aligns with an accept chute;

said housing including a tray having a removable lid provided with an opening in said box thereby enabling coin access to said box when said box is in said tray; and

an accessory interface to allow the connection and operation of peripheral machines such as a facsimile machine and a computer terminal.

2. A mobile phone according to claim 1 wherein the coin acceptor mechanism comprises:

a comparator coin assembly, through which a coin passes,

a coin entry chute,

a fixed coin slide, and

an adjustable coin slide within said chute, said adjustable coin slide being adjustable parallel to the fixed coin slide in order to reduce the effective cross sectional area of the chute to suit various coin diameters wherein said cash box is disposable.

3. A mobile phone according to claim 2 wherein the coin acceptor mechanism also comprises a movable foot which approximates the size of the cross section of the said chute and which is adapted to prevent the passage of a coin inserted therein.

4. A mobile phone according to claim 3 wherein the said movable foot is mounted on a drive shaft which is in turn interconnected with a drive motor which actuates the movable foot.

5. A mobile phone according to claim 4 wherein the foot is adjustable up or down the length of the chute.

6. A mobile phone according to claim 5 wherein the said motor is controlled by a microprocessor in said phone set thereby facilitating operation of the coin acceptor mechanism.

7. A mobile phone according to claim 1 wherein when a coin is in said slot and when the handset is replaced onto the set without a phone call being made the coin exits from the machine.

8. A mobile phone according to claim 1 wherein the housing has associated therewith a locking plate which in association with a lock secures the housing inside a saddle in the phone set.

9. A mobile phone according to claim 8 whereby the housing is urged against a spring located in the saddle so that when the housing is urged into the saddle and when the locking plate is removed the spring bias causes the housing to fully or partially exit the machine.

10. A mobile phone according to claim 9 wherein, when the housing is to be removed, a security card is first passed through the card reader thereby allowing key actuation of said lock.

11. A mobile phone according to claim 10 wherein the phone set has a piezolectric siren which disables the phone set wherein information on the security card does not match with information stored in a microprocessor in said phone set.

12. A mobile phone according to claim 1 wherein the accessory interface on the phone set has attached thereto means to enable insertion into a memory in said phone set data from a numerical counter located within the vehicle.

24. A mobile phone according to either claim 1 or 13 wherein the accessory interface comprises a multi-pole connector located on a panel on the phone set.

25. A mobile phone according to claim 24 wherein a microprocessor in the phone set provides means for sensing accessory identifying signals on a signal line in combination with function select pins linked to accessories.

26. A mobile phone according to claim 25 wherein when a facsimile machine is to be interfaced into the phone set a cable with predesignated signal format capability is connected to the phone set.

27. A mobile phone according to claim 25 wherein wherein when a facsimile machine is to be interfaced into the phone set an acoustic coupler is used.

28. A mobile phone according to claim 27 wherein when said microprocessor senses the signal format of said cable the phone set enables a call sequence to commence.

13. A self contained cellular mobile radio phone of the type comprising:

a standard phone set;

a radio transceiver providing a means of communication between a mobile station and a fixed station;

a handset having interface equipment including a keyboard microphone speaker and display means for displaying information relating to a phone call;

means within the set for generating control signals and reading credit card data comprising at least a credit card reader with an associated administrative processor;

memory for storing data read from the credit card;

means to enable the phone to be operable from a vehicle'"'"'s power supply;

voice means to provide user instruction;

a coin acceptor mechanism having an entry/exit slot and adapted with means to accept or reject coinage;

a cash box held within a cash box housing mechanism within the phone to facilitate ready removal of coins from the telephone, and an accessory interface to allow the connection and operation of peripheral machines such as a facsimile machine and a computer terminal;

wherein the coin acceptor mechanism comprises;

a comparator coin assembly through which a coin passes;

a coin entry chute;

a fixed coin slide;

an adjustable coin slide within said chute, said adjustable coin slide being adjustable parallel to the fixed coin slide in order to reduce the effective cross-sectional area of the chute to suit various coin diameters;

a movable foot which approximates the size of the cross section of said chute and which is adapted to prevent the passage of a coin inserted therein; and

a drive motor having a drive shaft which said movable foot is attached so as to adjust the foot up or down the length of the chute;

wherein the motor is controlled by a microprocessor and the foot has means to engage with or pass across or through an idle, accept or reject spaced apart photo interrupters, said photo interrupters being controlled by said microprocessor in response to validation of coin by said coin comparator.

14. A mobile phone according to claim 13, wherein, when a coin is accepted via said coin comparator the coin passes via a coin accept chute into a cash box.

15. A mobile phone according to claim 13 wherein the said accept chute is of fixed cross section and runs parallel to the main chute but is offset to one side of the main tube by a distance approximating the tubes width.

16. A mobile phone according to claim 15 wherein, when the foot is lowered to the accept position, the coin is pushed through the side of the entry chute to the accept chute by means of an accept spring.

17. A mobile phone according to claim 16 wherein said spring retracts when said foot returns to the idle position.

18. A mobile phone according to claim 17 also comprising in the coin acceptor mechanism, a solenoid adapted to facilitate closure across an entry slot to the chute to prevent entry of coins or foreign bodies.

19. A mobile phone according to claim 18 wherein closure across the entry slot is effected by means of an infrared transmitter and receiver which are mounted opposite each other wherein a light beam which is produced from said transmitter is broken by an object entering the entry chute thereby placing a solenoid gate connected to the solenoid in a closed position.

20. A mobile phone according to claim 19 wherein when the handset is lifted from the phone set the solenoid gate is moved to the open position.

21. A mobile phone according to claim 20 wherein when a coin is inserted into the entry slot via the coin validator the foot is in engagement with the idle photo interrupter.

22. A mobile phone according to claim 21 wherein when a coin has been inserted into the comparator for validation of said coin, if a signal emits from the comparator the solenoid gate closes thereby retaining said coin.

23. A mobile phone according to claim 21 wherein when a coin has been inserted into the comparator for validation of said coin if a single does not emit from the comparator the solenoid gate remains open said coin thence being driven from said slot when the foot is urged into the reject position.