Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/26—Devices for calling a subscriber
  • H04M1/27—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
  • H04M1/274—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc
  • H04M1/2745—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
  • H04M1/2749—Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/64—Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations
  • H04M1/65—Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party

Definitions

• This invention relates to a communication assembly.
• the invention has particular but not exclusive application to a communication assembly which is suitable for use as a gift or greeting and which enables a phone call to be made to a selected telephone number.
• greeting cards to include a phone number which, when phoned by the person receiving the greeting card, plays a message prerecorded by the person sending the greeting card.
• the present invention aims to provide an alternative to known communication assemblies and methods of providing a phone-based services.
• this invention resides broadly in a method of providing a phone-based service including:- programming a telephone assembly having means to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, to transmit a message only to one or a plurality of designated other telephones from which the phone-based services are available, and providing a programmed telephone assembly to a prospective user of the phone-based services, the telephone assembly being housed in housing means having theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with the phone-based services.
• the expression “theme identification” is to be construed broadly as referring to the identification of a theme. "Theme” in this context is to be considered in it's normal dictionary meaning as a subject or attribute that members of a group or category have in common.
• “Theme identification means” is to be construed as meaning any means by which the subject or attibute held in common is/are identified. Exemplary of such means are shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration. Thus for example, the pattern of a portion of a musical score identifies the theme "Music” - as does the shape or configuration of a housing shaped as a base clef etc.
• the theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of said housing means. It is also preferred that said housing means is star-shaped, said theme is astrology and said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services, or that said housing means has a sexual shape, said theme is a sexual theme and said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services.
• This invention in another aspect resides broadly in a communication assembly including:- a telephone assembly having means to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, and programming means for programming the telephone assembly to transmit a message only to one other or a plurality of designated other telephones.
• the communication assembly includes housing means housing the telephone assembly, the housing means having theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with the other telephone(s).
• the theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of the housing means.
• the telephone assembly includes:- connection actuating means for actuating telephone connection to the other telephone(s), and disconnection means for disconnecting telephone connection with the other telephone(s).
• the telephone assembly cannot receive incoming telephone calls.
• the housing means is heart-shaped and the theme is love, ie St Valentine's day.
• the programming means is preferably a key pad or the like programmable to transmit a message to only the telephone having the number first indexed on the key pad.
• the housing means may be star-shaped and the theme is astrology.
• the programming means have been preprogrammed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services.
• the housing means has a sexual shape and the theme is a sexual theme.
• the programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services.
• the programming means is a key pad or the like programmable for transmission of a message to the one or plurality of designated telephones numbers providing the astrology or sexually related services.
• FIG 1 is a schematic block diagram of the communication assembly of the present invention
• FIGS 2A and 2B are front and rear plan views of a first embodiment of the invention having a St Valentine's day theme, and
• FIGS 3A and 3B are front and rear plan views of a second embodiment of the invention having an astrology theme.
• communication assembly 10 includes a telephone assembly having means 11 to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, and programming means 16,17 for programming the telephone assembly to transmit a message only to one other or a plurality of designated other telephones.
• communication assembly 10 includes housing means housing the telephone assembly.
• the housing has theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with the other telephone (s).
• the theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of the housing means.
• FIGS 2A and 2B illustrate a love heart tele-greeting phone assembly 21.
• Housing 18 is heart-shaped and the theme is love, for example St Valentine's day.
• the programming means is a key pad 17 recessed beneath a hinged cover 18.
• Key pad 17 is programmable to transmit a message to only the telephone having the number first indexed on the key pad.
• operation of key 19 or a combination of the hash/star keys on a standard telephone digital dial pad
• FIGS 3A and 3B illustrate an astrology tele-greeting phone assembly 22.
• Housing 19 star-shaped and the theme is astrology.
• the programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services.
• the programming means is a key pad 17 recessed beneath a hinged cover 18. Key pad 17 is programmable to transmit a message to one or to a number of designated telephones numbers providing the astrology services.
• programming is complete operation of key 19 (or a combination of the hash/star keys on a standard telephone digital dial pad) will store the numbers in non-erasable non-writeable memory.
• the housing means has a sexual shape and the theme is a sexual theme.
• the programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services.
• telephone assembly 10 includes connection actuating means 12 for actuating telephone connection to the other telephone(s), and disconnection means 13 for disconnecting telephone connection with the other telephone(s).
• Telephone assembly 10 also includes a microphone 14, earpiece 15 and phone cord and jack 20.
• the telephone assembly can be designed so as not to be capable of receiving incoming telephone calls.
• the love heart tele-greeting phone assembly 21 is purchased as a gift.
• the purchaser programs his/her own telephone number into the novelty phone by means of key pad 17, operates button 19 to store the phone number (and only that number) non-eraseably in memory, and gives the novelty greeting phone to another person.
• the gift thus constitutes a personal greeting enabling the receiver to make phone calls directly to the giver simply by operating connect button 13.
• the astrology tele-greeting phone assembly 22 (or a sex tele-greeting phone assembly not shown) is purchased as a gift.
• the gift can be purchased from a store or manufacturer who also provides or is associated with organisations or individuals who provide phone based astrology (or sex-related) services.
• the phone numbers of such phone-based services are non-eraseably preprogrammed into programming means 16.
• the purchaser can give the novelty greeting phone to a another person.
• the gift thus constitutes a personal greeting enabling the receiver to make phone calls directly to preselected phone-based services simply by selecting the chosen service phone number and operating connect button 13.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=3814922

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1999
  • 1999-06-01 AU AUPQ0724A patent/AUPQ072499A0/en not_active Abandoned
• 2000
  • 2000-05-30 WO PCT/AU2000/000613 patent/WO2000074352A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-05-30 EP EP00929124A patent/EP1183850A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-05-30 CA CA002375785A patent/CA2375785A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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