GB2036508A

GB2036508A - Automatic apparatus for telephone dialling

Info

Publication number: GB2036508A
Application number: GB7942457A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SIME BRONDI
Current assignee: SIME BRONDI
Priority date: 1978-12-12
Filing date: 1979-12-10
Publication date: 1980-06-25
Also published as: IT7869834A0; DE2949621A1; SE7910193L; IT1108263B; DK527979A; FR2444378A1; GR66650B; JPS55102962A; LU81984A1; NL7908759A; BE880559A; ES486831A1

Abstract

A telephone dialling system generates electrical call signals corresponding to telephone numbers of respective users, and feeds said electrical signals along a telephone line. The telephone dialling system comprises a transducer (3) which is positionable manually and is arranged to read information relative to each number of said telephone numbers from a support element (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Automatic apparatus for telephone number dialling This invention relates to a telephone dialling system, in particular an apparatus for dialling a user telephone number substantially automatically.

Various types of telephone dialling system are now in use, which have superseded the telephone dialling disc, and which, relative to this latter, show a considerable time saving in dialling the telephone number of a user.

For example, telephone dialling systems are known comprising a keyboard on which a number of pushbuttons are disposed, each representing a digit between 0 and 9, and which when operated feed the required telephone number into the line.

There are aiso telephone dialling systems working on a similar principle, but provided with a display panel on which a number of users are indicated, and with a pushbutton corresponding to each one. In this case, a user is called by pushing the corresponding pushbutton, the effect of which is to activate the electronic circuits which feed into the line an electrical signal corresponding to the required number.

Other types of dialling system comprise magnetic or punch'ed cards as their input members, each relating to a respective user. In this case, a particular user is called by inserting the card into the dialling system, which reads its contents and dials the relative number for feeding into the line.

Although these known dialling systems give a considerable time saving in telephone number dialling relative to the time required when using the dialling disc, they have certain drawbacks.

In particular, although dialling systems comprising pushbuttons disposed on the display panel give maximum time saving, they are of considerable bulk as each user requires his own pushbutton together with information for identifying the user. With regard to card-type dialling systems, they can have a capacity greater than the panel type but require more time for feeding the required telephone number into the line.

The object of the present invention is to provide a telephone dialling system which obviates the aforesaid drawbacks of known dialling systems.

The present invention provides a telephone dialling system for generating electrical call signals corresponding to telephone numbers of respective users, and for feeding said electrical signals along a telephone line, comprising a transducer which is positionable manually and is arranged to read information relative to each number of said telephone numbers from a support element.

The present invention will be more apparent from the description of a preferred embodiment given hereinafter by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a functional electrical schematic diagram thereof.

This diagram shows a support element 1 which carries a plurality of tracks 2, each containing coded information relative to the telephone number of a respective user. The information contained in each track 2 can be read by scanning the track, for example from left to right, by a manually operable transducer 3.

The use of a transducer for reading information contained on support elements is known at the present time in various technical fields. For example, analogous transducers are commonly used, particularly in multiple stores, for reading the type of product sold and the price thereof, so that operations which are related to the sale, such as the transmission of information to warehouses etc., can be automatically initiated.

According to the reading system used, the tracks 2 can be magnetic, electrical (for example resistive tracks), or can consist simply of writing in an alphanumerical code or in any other system, and correspondingly the transducer 3 will be of themagneto-electrical, electrical or photoelectrical type, adapted to coperate with said tracks in order to read off the information contained thereon.

The signals supplied by the transducer 3 are fed to a processing block 4, from which they are fed to the input of a telephone 5 for transmission by this latter to the connection terminals 6 and 7 of a telephone line, not shown.

The support element 1 for the respective tracks 2, the transducer 3 and block 4 form overall a dialling apparatus for reading and automatically dialling a telephone number, the operation of which is described hereinafter.

The tracks 2 are firstly disposed on the support element 1. For example, if the transducer 3 is optical or photoelectrical, the support element 1 could be a normal sheet of paper, and the information contained on the tracks 2 could be constituted by an assembly of dashes and dots to a predetermined code.

The number of the required user is read by bringing the transducer 3 manually into contact with the track 2 corresponding to the required user. This track is then scanned to feed an electrical signal relative to the information contained on the track, to the input of the processing block 4. This signal is decoded in the block 4 and is fed to the telephone 5, for example in the form of pulses (decade system), or in the form of frequency pairs (multifrequency system). It is then converted into a common selection signal for interpretation by switching means (not shown) connected to the telephone 5 by way of said telephone line connected to the terminals 6 and 7.

From an examination of the characteristics of the present invention, it is apparent that the telephone dialling system according to the invention obviates the drawbacks of known dialling systems of the aforesaid type.

In this respect, the time required for scanning one of the tracks 2 by the transducer 3 is negligible, and substantially comparable with the time required for operating said pushbutton in the panel-type telephone dialling systems.

Furthermore, if a photoelectric transducer 3 is to be used, the support element 1 could be one of the sheets of a normal telephone directory, and thus the overall size of the support element would be very small.

Finally, it is apparent that modifications can be made to the invention without leaving the scope of the inventive idea.

Claims

1. A telephone dialling system for generating electrical cali signals corresponding to telephone numbers of respective users, and for feeding said electrical signals along a telephone line, comprising a transducer which is positionable manually and is arranged to read information relative to each number of said telephone numbers froma support element.

2. A dialling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transducer is arranged to read said information by means of an optical system.

3. A dialling system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transducer is a photoelectric transducer.

4. A dialling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information is contained on magnetic tracks, and said transducer is a magneto-electric transducer.

5. A dialling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information is contained on resistive tracks, and said transducer comprises electrical means arranged to read off said information.

6. A telephone dialling system for generating electrical call signals substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.