Private branch exchange automatic number identification system

Claim 1

IN A TELEPHONE SYSTEM, A CENTRAL OFFICE, A PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE, A PLURALITY OF STATIONS CONNECTABLE THROUGH SAID PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE TO SAID CENTRAL OFFICE, SCANNING MEANS AT SAID PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE RESPONSIVE TO AN OUTGOING SERVICE REQUEST FROM ONE OF SAID STATIONS FOR GENERATING A START SIGNAL, IDENTIFICATION STORAGE MEANS AT SAID PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SWITCHING MATRICES FOR STORING DATA INDIVIDDUAL TO SAID STATIONS, GATING MEANS AT SAID PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE COUPLED TO SAID IDENTIFICATION STORAGE MEANS, CONTROL MEANS AT SAID PRAVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE RESPONSIVE TO SAID START SIGNAL FOR TRANSMITTING AN IDENTIFICATION SIGNAL SIMULTANEOUSLY OVER TWO PATHS, THE FIRST OF SAID PATHS INCLUDING SAID GATING MEANS AND THE SECOND OF SAID PATHS INCLUDING SAID MATRICES, SAID PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE, SAID CONTROL MEANS AND SAID GATING MEANS, CHECKING MEANS WITHIN SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR SIGNALING SAID CENTRAL OFFICE IF SAID DATA HAS BEEN STORED IN SAID MATRICES IN RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF SAID IDENTIFICATION SIGNAL OVER SAID SECOND PATH, AND DATA READOUT MEANS AT SAID PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE RESPONSIVE TO A COMMAND SIGNAL FROM SAID CENTRAL OFFICE FOR SEQUENTIALLY READING OUT SAID DATA FROM SAID MATRICES AND TRANSMITTING SAID DATA TO SAID CENTRAL OFFICE.