DE2855824A1 - PHONE - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a telephone which, inter alia, also enables automatic dialing of previously stored telephone numbers.

This is achieved according to the invention by a telephone with a device that enables manual dialing of a telephone number, a device that enables automatic dialing of a selected telephone number from a number of telephone numbers stored in the telephone, a device for storing a plurality of selectable telephone numbers that can be selected by a corresponding plurality of code characters are addressable and identifiable, and a device which provides a visual display of a telephone number either manually entered into the telephone or selected on the basis of its identifying code character while that telephone number is being transmitted over the telephone system.

Preferably the telephone also includes a clock to enable the display device to provide a time indication. Preferably, the telephone also has a programmable circuit which enables the time valid in different time zones around the world to be displayed by depressing appropriate keys on the telephone keypad.

The telephone preferably also has a holding battery, so that it is ensured that stored information (for example telephone numbers) from the electronic storage system is not lost in the event of a power failure.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawing.

Show it:

1a to 1d subcircuits of the exemplary embodiment and

FIG. 2 is a sketch from which the mutual coordination of the circuit parts of FIGS. 1a to 1d can be seen.

As can be seen from the drawing, the telephone has a microprocessor 2 which contains a central data processing unit CPU, a random memory RAM and a read-only memory ROM. In addition, a random memory 4, a tone generator circuit 6 for generating a telephone ring tone and an alarm tone, a switch matrix keyboard 8 and a buffer 10 are provided. There is also a power supply unit 12 with transformer, voltage regulator, direct current / direct current converter and battery charging circuit, a fluorescent digital display 14 using high-voltage vacuum technology, a decoder driver 16, a high-voltage anode driver 18 and a circuit 20 for switching between battery and alternating current network. The digital display is visible to the operator of the telephone and has a 14-digit display, each digit being designed in the usual 7-segment format and a decimal point being able to be displayed.

A block of twelve keys on the keyboard 8 is available to the operator on the outside of the telephone, these keys being labeled with the digits 0 to 9 and the "#" character and the "*" character. A block of five further keys, which also belong to the keyboard 8, is designated by the characters "AL", "Z1", "Z2", "MDB" and "MDL". Finally, a block of three keys on the keyboard 8 and a switch for "alarm on" and "alarm off" are provided. The three keys of the latter block are labeled "TS", "-" and "MP". net. The function of these keys is explained in more detail below, but the AL key is used to set the alarm and switch off the alarm. Z1 and Z2 relate to time zones 1 and 2, TS is used to set the time, MP to program the memory, MDP to display the memory content, MDL to dial using the memory, the minus sign to change characters or change the time (am / pm), the * character to redial the last telephone number / pause in access and the # character to reset the telephone.

The telephone works in different modes, namely as a telephone with manual dialing; as a telephone with automatic dialing of a number previously stored in memory; as an alarm / emergency call device that dials a previously stored emergency number when triggered by an external sensor; as a people search system that records an incoming call and transmits the recorded message to one of three pre-stored telephone numbers that are automatically dialed one after the other; as a clock showing the local time; as a timer with counting steps of one tenth of a second and as a clock that shows the world times of two time zones, each with a different, previously stored time difference compared to the local time. The telephone is capable of generating output pulses compatible with the US, European or Australian telephone systems, one of which can be selected as desired.

The first time the phone is connected to a power source, a setting must be made as described below. Usually the digital display shows the local time; however, world times (valid in different parts of the world) or telephone numbers can also appear on the display if the appropriate keys are pressed. The first setting is to switch the display for no power supply (shown by a series of minus signs appearing on the display device 14 by pressing any key, thereby placing the display in the state in which the time is displayed. The operator now sets the local time by pressing the TS button and pressing the number buttons for the corresponding digits of the time display (the clock runs synchronously with the frequency of the AC mains). For example, if the clock is set to 12-hour display (the setting to 24-hour operation is mentioned below), if the local time is 12.45 a.m. then the TS, 1, 2, 4, 5, # keys are depressed. If instead of a.m. the ad p.m. is desired, then the "-" key is depressed before the # key is depressed.

You can then program the phone so that a world time that differs from local time is displayed when you then press the Z1 key. This is done by entering the corresponding time difference on the keyboard. For example, if the desired world time is two hours ahead of local time (i.e. + 2 hours), then you press the TS, Z1, 2, 0, 0 keys and then the # key. If the desired world time is three hours behind local time (i.e. -3 hours), then the TS, Z1 and "-" buttons are pressed and then the 3, 0, 0 and # buttons. A second world time can be programmed by entering a second time difference in the same way as the first time difference. This second world time is called up by pressing the Z2 key.

An alarm time is programmed by first pressing the TS and AL buttons and then entering the alarm time using the numeric buttons in the same way as when setting the local time.

In the "manual dialing" operating mode, the telephone works as follows: The desired telephone number is entered (14 digits maximum). This number is displayed and above transmit the telephone line (the digit just dialed is indicated on the display by a decimal point that appears to the right of this digit). If you made an incorrect entry, press the # key and then enter the correct number. This telephone number is automatically stored in the memory for later use, the storage being deleted only by entering a new telephone number. If the telephone number is then used again, the number is retrieved from the memory and transmitted over the telephone line by pressing the * key again. When the connection with the required telephone number is established, the display goes back to the local time. The phone works as follows in automatic dialing mode. First, the telephone must be programmed to store the desired telephone numbers. A maximum of 74 telephone numbers can be stored, and these numbers are addressed and designated by a two-digit code character belonging to them from the series of digits 00 to 73. The telephone numbers stored in the memory locations 00 to 03 can have a special significance (see below for more details) . You press the MP key and enter the relevant, assigned, two-digit code character on the keyboard. This code symbol is displayed on the side on the left on the display device 14. The desired telephone number (14 digits maximum) is then entered and displayed on the display device. If the number is entered correctly (which can be checked visually) the number is stored by depressing the MP key or the # key. When the MP key is depressed to store the phone number, the phone picks up the next code character from memory, displays it on the display, and gets ready to accept another phone number. If a mistake is made, it is corrected by pressing the # key and then MP and the same two-digit ge code characters again and the correct telephone number. This process is repeated up to a maximum of 74 for as many telephone numbers as one wishes to store them.

In order to dial automatically with one of the stored telephone numbers, the MDL key is pressed and then the corresponding two-digit code character is entered. The code character is shown briefly on the display (for example, for 2 to 5 seconds) before the associated stored telephone number is displayed and transmitted over the telephone line. If a mistake has been made, it can be deleted by pressing the # key or by hanging up the handset. When the connection is established for the call, the display changes back to the indication of the local time.

To call up the world time in one of the two different time zones compared to local time, to which the telephone was programmed in the initial setting step, press either the Z1 or Z2 key. The associated world time is then displayed. The display goes back to the indication of the local time when the # key is pressed.

The telephone works as an alarm emergency call device as follows: The alarm / emergency telephone number is stored in the location of the memory corresponding to the code character 00, the reading being carried out in exactly the same way as for the other telephone numbers, which was described above , apart from the fact that the digits 00 are only used as code characters. An alarm sensor (which can be a mechanical or electronic sensor), which causes a change in a DC voltage level (0 to V + or vice versa) when activated, is connected to an emergency call input socket 22 on the rear of the telephone via an input jack connected. Before use, the operator must determine which logic state corresponds to the activation state of the alarm sensor (logic 1 or logic 0 when activated) and accordingly use jumper wires W1 or W2, see FIG. 1c, as circuit bridges. If the active state is the logical 0, the jumper wire W1 is inserted. When the logic 1 is active, the jumper wire W2 is plugged in, as a result of which the transistor shown on the left of the jumper wire W1 in FIG. 1c is inserted into the circuit in the block shown in broken lines with its two associated resistors.

The telephone works in conjunction with a recording telephone answering machine as a people search system. The answering machine is connected to the telephone via a DIN standard socket 24. The three person search telephone numbers are stored in the memory locations assigned to the code characters 01, 02 and 03 in the manner described above.

Diodes CR 24 to CR 27, which are shown in Fig. 1b next to the keyboard 8, make it possible to select different timer pulse trains and signal character pulse trains:

Signal character / signal pause ratio:

50:50 - Omit CR 24, CR 25

60: 40 - insert CR 24

67: 33 - Insert CR 25

70: 30 - insert CR 24, CR 25

10 pulses / second - omit CR 26

20 pulses / second - use CR 26

12 hour clock - omit CR 27

Insert 24 hour clock - CR 27

The telephone has been described using an exemplary embodiment in which two different world times can be stored and a maximum of 74 telephone numbers for automatic dialing, and a digital display for 14 digits is provided (so that it is possible to dial 14-digit telephone numbers manually and Automatically dial 14-digit telephone numbers by entering two-digit code characters). It should be noted that these possibilities could be expanded or modified as desired.

It should be noted that the telephone is microprocessor-controlled and that the appropriate software for organizing the various operations of the telephone is preprogrammed in the read-only memory ROM of the microprocessor 2.

The illustrated microprocessor 2 is a component in the form of a single chip of the type SC 80255 MPU. Components of this type are manufactured by Motorola, Mostek and Fairchild Company, USA.

The random memory RAM 4 is of the type TMS 40 L 47 from Texas Instruments. The display 14 is of the type FG 157 C1. The decoder driver 16 is of the type DS 8881 N, the anode driver 18 is of the type DS 8887, each from National Semiconductor.

The software program listing for the microprocessor described above is given below:

<Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table> <Table>

Claims (14)

1. Telephone with a device that enables manual dialing of a telephone number, a device that enables automatic dialing of a selected telephone number from a number of telephone numbers stored in the telephone, a device for storing a plurality of selectable telephone numbers, which are represented by a corresponding plurality of Code characters are addressable and identifiable to a device which provides a visual display of a telephone number either manually entered into the telephone or selected by its identifying code character while that telephone number is being transmitted over the telephone system. 2. Telephone according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a memory in which a telephone number is stored after entering the same, and that a switching device is provided which causes the stored telephone number when the telephone is further operated after the storage transmitted over the telephone system. 3. Telephone according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by means for correcting any telephone numbers which appear in the display and which were entered incorrectly manually or incorrectly selected by entering an incorrect identifying code character. 4. Telephone according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that digits are provided as identifying code characters, which can be entered into the telephone via a keyboard. 5. Telephone according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by an additional device for a visual display of the time. 6. Telephone according to claim 5, characterized by a device for the visual display of the time for one of several selectable time zones. 7. Telephone according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it provides a visual display of the local time while the connection is established during a telephone call. 8. Telephone according to claim 5, characterized by an additional device for storing and displaying an alarm time and for generating an audible alarm tone when the stored alarm time coincides with the current time. 9. Telephone according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by a device for data exchange with a telephone answering machine. 10. Telephone according to claim 9, characterized by a device for the automatic transmission of messages that have been recorded by the answering machine to another telephone by automatically dialing one or more pre-stored telephone numbers until the connection with one or more of these telephone numbers is successfully established ( People search facility). 11. Telephone according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by a connection device for an alarm device. 12. Telephone according to claim 11, characterized by a device for automatically dialing a pre-stored emergency number as a function of the actuation of the alarm device. 13. Telephone according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by a timer for counting time periods. 14. Telephone according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it has a microprocessor for function control.