US3668326A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Variable multiple periodic and aperiodic announcement system
Assignee: AUDICHRON Co
•
Filing: 1970-02-11
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Granted: 1972-06-06
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Expires: 1990-02-11
Abstract
Abstract An announcing system for providing a family of recorded announcements through telephone central office equipment to one or more telephone subscriber lines. Each announcement selectively includes weather, temperature, or other periodic and aperiodic information segments. Each announcement is changeable in length from a long cycle which includes a full advertising segment to a short cycle in which a major portion or all of the advertising segment is deleted so that the time required for an announcement is shortened. The length of the announcement cycle is shortened in response to the number of subscriber lines waiting to be connected to the announcing system being in excess of the number of subscriber lines which can be connected to the announcing system by the telephone central office equipment. However, the announcing system also provides for deleting segments of an announcement which are in error without changing the length of the announcement cycle or it being apparent that the announcement segment has been deleted. The weather segment of the announcement is determined by different three digit weather codes and by changing the positions of a plurality of weather announcing heads along a weather announcing drum in response to a plurality of resistances corresponding to the three digit weather codes.
Inventors
- 👤 Ellis H Bryant Jr
- 👤 Leary W Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:21
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/487; H04M3/4872; F; F02; F02B; F02B75/00; F02B75/02; F02B2075/022; F02B2075/025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
A recorded announcement system for sequentially announcing time, temperature, weather forecast, and similar mixtures of information subject to periodic and aperiodic change to a telephone system, comprising in combination: time announcing means for delivering a periodically changing time indicating cyclically repeating recorded message; temperature announcing means for delivering an aperiodically changing temperature indicative cyclically repeating recorded message; weather forecast announcing means for delivering an aperiodically changing weather forecast cyclically repeating recorded message; control circuit means operative in response to the conclusion of recorded message delivery by a predetermined first one of said announcing means to commence the running of a first time period and to cause recorded message delivery by a predetermined second one of said announcing means to occur during said first time period; and said control circuit means further operative in response to the termination of said first time period to commence the running of a second time period and to cause recorded message delivery by the third one of said announcing means to occur during said second time period.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
172 words
A recorded announcement system for sequentially announcing time, temperature, weather forecast, and similar mixtures of information subject to periodic and aperiodic change to a telephone system, comprising in combination: time announcing means for delivering a periodically changing time indicating cyclically repeating recorded message; temperature announcing means for delivering an aperiodically changing temperature indicative cyclically repeating recorded message; weather forecast announcing means for delivering an aperiodically changing weather forecast cyclically repeating recorded message; control circuit means operative in response to the conclusion of recorded message delivery by a predetermined first one of said announcing means to commence the running of a first time period and to cause recorded message delivery by a predetermined second one of said announcing means to occur during said first time period; and said control circuit means further operative in response to the termination of said first time period to commence the running of a second time period and to cause recorded message delivery by the third one of said announcing means to occur during said second time period.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention of claim 1 and wherein said weather forecast announcing means comprises a plurality of recorded message delivery means for delivering various different recordings.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said control circuit means further comprises: selective circuit means selectively operable to omit said first time period and the recorded message delivered therein from the sequence of announcements and then operable in response to the conclusion of recorded message delivery by said first announcing means to commence the running of said second time period and to cause occurrence therein of said recorded message delivery by said third announcing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The invention of claim 1 and further including means for shortening the duration of the announcement delivered by at least one of said announcing means for a time interval in response to a signal from the telephone system indicating that the number of calls made to the announcement system has exceeded a predetermined number.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The invention of claim 1 and wherein said weather forecast announcing means comprises a plurality of reading heads moveable into and out of engagement with a recording surface, each of said reading heads being independently moveable with respect to each other to various different positions on said recording surface to broadcast different recorded messages.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
206 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein: said control circuit means comprises signal responsive means responsive to a control signal provided by said predetermined first one of said announcing means at the conclusion of the recorded message delivered thereby to produce a first output signal operative to commence the running of said first time period; first timing means operative in response to said first output signal to cause recorded message delivery by said second announcing means during said first time period and to produce a second output signal at the end of said first time period, said first time period being at least coextensive with the time required for recorded message delivery by said second predetermined one of said announcing means; second timing means opErative in response to said second output signal to cause recorded message delivery by said third announcing means during said second time period and to produce a third output signal at the end of said second time period, said second time period being at least coextensive with the time required for recorded message delivery by said third announcing means; and announcement termination means connected to be operative in response to said third output signal to signal the termination of the sequence of announcements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention of claim 6, wherein said announcement termination means is operative in response to said third output signal to cause termination of telephone subscriber circuits which were connected to receive the sequence of announcements.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The invention of claim 6, wherein said announcement termination means is additionally operative in response to said third output signal to enable waiting telephone subscriber circuits to be connected subsequent to said termination of connected subscriber circuits to receive a subsequent sequence of announcements.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-06-06 | 1975-12-06 | 1976-06-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-06-06 | 1979-12-06 | 1980-06-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-06-06 | 1983-12-06 | 1984-06-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |