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EP0134693A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Payphone
Assignee: RATHDOWN INDUSTRIES Ltd
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Filing: 1984-07-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-07-30
Abstract
Abstract A portable payphone includes housing 10 containing coin receipt and internal validation mechanisms. A display 16 provides the credited time for the coin entered and decrements as the call progresses. This credited time is calculated internally by detecting dialled number information from keyboard 12 and using this to access an internal memory. The accessed information is used to compute the time available from a knowledge of the coin value and time of day also provided internally, without intervention from the telephone exchange.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald Ivor Fewings
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 20:38
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M17/00; H04M17/02; H04M17/023
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
1 . A payphone characterised by: display means (16) for displaying information pertaining to a telephone call, credit means (34, 38) for receiving an item for use as payment for a call, validator means (25 - 28) for determining the validity of the item received, and decremental calculation means (80, 84; 150) for determining the remaining time period of credit available for the connected call during call progress, for display by the display means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
74 words
1 . A payphone characterised by: display means (16) for displaying information pertaining to a telephone call, credit means (34, 38) for receiving an item for use as payment for a call, validator means (25 - 28) for determining the validity of the item received, and decremental calculation means (80, 84; 150) for determining the remaining time period of credit available for the connected call during call progress, for display by the display means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the calculating means includes updating means (87, 88, 90) operable to provide a decremental time display updated at a first rate during call progress when the remaining time exceeds a predetermined time period and at a second and more rapid update rate when the remaining time is below said predetermined period.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, including manually operable means (17) for initiating the commencement of the call and compensation means (83) for decrementing the remaining credit by a period equivalent to the delay between the caller operating the manually operable means and actual call connection.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the calculating means includes memory means (76) for storing charge rate information relating to telephone numbers, detector means (75) for detecting number called, access means (75a) for accessing the memory to determine the charge rate pertinent to the detected number, whereby the time credit period can be determined without intervention from the telephone exchange.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the calculating means includes time of day determining means (78) for modifying the charge rate if the charge is dependent on the time of day.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
81 words
A payphone as claimed in any preceding claim, including means for designating a predetermined unit charge (73) which is of a value less than that assigned to the credit item received, means for determining (72) the number of whole charge units available for that item and retention means (74) for retaining any credit remainder less than a whole charge unit for possible future use, whereby the number of whole charge units credited is used for time calculation by said calculation means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 6, wherein adder means (71) are provided to take into account any credit remainder held in said retention means on receipt of a further credit item during call progress, to determine if additional whole credit units have accrued.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A payphone as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the credit means includes holding means (32) for temporarily holding a further credit item received after call commencement and said calculating means including means (70) for crediting additional time to the decrementing time display for said temporarily held item.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 8, including collection means (38, 44) for automatically collecting the temporarily held item when the earlier calculated credit time period expires, and refund means (43) for automatically returning the temporarily held item should the call terminate prior to expiry of the earlier calculated credit time period.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
1 0. A payphone as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, including inhibit means (27) operable by said holding means to prevent retention of any further item during the period that an item is held by said holding means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A payphone as claimed in any preceding claim including means (95, 96) for generating user prompts for display in said display means to assist operation by the user.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the generator means includes means (95) for generating a first signal pertaining to requesting coin entry and means (96) for generating a second display signal pertaining to requesting number dialling.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
63 words
A payphone as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the credit means is configured to receive coins and including coin storage means (42) for receiving a plurality of coins, counting means (97) for counting the number of coins stored and means (98). for indicating on the display means when the coin storage means is deemed to be full, to discourage further coin entry.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A payphone as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the counter means includes access means (19/12) configured to allow the current coin total to be displayed to an authorised user.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
A payphone as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein key operable switch means (19) are provided to override the payphone operation to allow calls to be made without credit item receipt.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
42 words
A payphone as claimed in any preceding claim including a lightweight housing (10) with an integral coin credit item collection box (42) to allow user portability and further including tilt detector means (64) for interrupting call operation to discourage fraudulent coin return.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
A payphone as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the detector means includes holding means (75) for retaining generated number information and the accessing means includes address generating means (100) for accessing the memory.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
A payphone as claimed in claim 17 wherein the memory is a RAM (101) configured to be both written into and read in response to keyboard generated instructions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
A payphone as claimed in claim 17 or 18 wherein the address generating means is configured to provide memory addressing based on exchange codes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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