Telephone call duration timer

Claim 3

The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said timing means includes a timing capacitor and a plurality of different size resistors, means for charging said capacitor prior to the actuation of said second relay, means to start discharging said capacitor through a selected one of said resistors after the actuation of said second relay, and solid state circuit means for sensing when said capacitor is discharged to provide a timing signal to render said actuating means operable.

Claim 4

The invention in accordance with claim 1, wherein said system further comprises disabling means for momentarily interrupting the current to the coil of said first relay after said first audio alert signal is applied on said telephone line, thereby preventing additional audio alert signals from being applied to said telephone lines until another timing signal is applied to said actuating means.

Claim 5

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said timing means provides recurring timing signals at second preselected time intervals following said first audio alert signal, and wherein said actuating means further responds to said recurring timing signals for controlling said telephone coupler unit to apply recurring audio alert signals to said telephone line at said second preselected time intervals throughout the remainder of the call, and disabling means for momentarily interrupting the current to the coil of said first relay after each audio alert signal is applied to said telephone line, thereby preventing additional audio alert signals from being applied until after the next timing signal is applied to said actuating means.

Claim 6

A telephone system located at the site of a subscriber''s telephone for monitoring the usage of a telephone line by said subscriber''s telephone, said system comprising: a telephone coupler unit including an audio signal generator, and a band elimination filter, said telephone coupler unit being adapted to be placed in a standby condition when the receiver of said subscriber''s telephone is lifted off its cradle to place a call on the telephone line; and a call duration timer including a sensing circuit connected to said telephone coupler unit and providing an output at the instant said telephone coupler unit is placed in a standby condition, a timing means including a controller therefor, said timing means initiated into operation by said sensing circuit output to provide a timing signAl when said telephone receiver has been off its cradle for an initial time period preselected by said controller, and an actuation circuit effective in response to said timing signal to actuate said telephone coupler unit to connect said band elimination filter to said telephone line and to simultaneously apply an audio signal from said audio signal generator to said telephone line between said band elimination filter and said subscriber''s telephone, whereby said band elimination filter is effective to restrict the audio signal on said telephone line so that it is only heard on the subscriber''s telephone.

Claim 7

A telephone system located at the site of a subscriber''s telephone for monitoring the usage of a telephone line by said subscriber''s telephone, said system comprising: a telephone coupler unit including an audio signal generator, and a band elimination filter, said telephone coupler unit being adapted to be placed in a standby condition when the receiver of said subscriber''s telephone is lifted off its cradle to place a call on the telephone line; and a call duration timer including a sensing circuit connected to said telephone coupler unit and providing an output at the instant said telephone coupler unit is placed in a standby condition, a timing means including a controller therefor, said timing means initiated into operation by said sensing circuit output to provide a timing signAl when said telephone receiver has been off its cradle for an initial time period preselected by said controller, and an actuation circuit effective in response to said timing signal to actuate said telephone coupler unit to connect said band elimination filter to said telephone line and to simultaneously apply an audio signal from said audio signal generator to said telephone line between said band elimination filter and said subscriber''s telephone, whereby said band elimination filter is effective to restrict the audio signal on said telephone line so that it is only heard on the subscriber''s telephone.

Claim 8

A telephone system located at the site of a local telephone for alerting the user of the local telephone that the usage of a telephone line by the local telephone has exceeded a preselected time period, said system comprising: a telephone coupler unit associated with the local telephone, said telephone coupler unit including audio alert signal generating means and capable of being controlled to apply audio alert signals to said telephone line, and said telephone coupler unit including signal transmission control means and capable of being controlled to connect said signal transmission control means to said telephone line, said telephone coupler unit adapted to be placed in a standby condition when the receiver of the local telephone is lifted off of its cradle, sensing means electrically connected to said telephone coupler unit and providing an output at the instant said telephone line is placed in use by lifting the receiver of the local telephone off its cradle, timing means coupled to be initiated into operation by the output of said sensing means and providing a first timing signal when said telephone line has been in continuous use for said preselected time period, and providing recurring timing signals at preselected timing intervals thereafter, and actuating means effective in response to said first and recurring timing signals for controlling said telephone coupler unit to connect said signal transmission control means to said telephone line and to cause said telephone coupler unit to apply a first audio alert signal and thereafter recurring audio alert signals from said audio alert signal generating means to said telephone line between said signal transmission control means and said local telephone, whereby said signal transmission control means is effective to restrict the audio alert signals applied on the telephone line so that they are only heard on the local telephone.

Claim 9

A telephone system located at the site of a local telephone for alerting the user of the local telephone that the usage of a telephone line by the local telephone has exceeded a preselected time period, said system comprising: a telephone coupler unit associated with the local telephone, said telephone coupler unit including audio alert signal generating means and capable of being controlled to apply audio alert signals to said telephone line, and said telephone coupler unit including signal transmission control means and capable of being controlled to connect said signal transmission control means to said telephone line, said telephone coupler unit adapted to be placed in a standby condition when the receiver of the local telephone is lifted off of its cradle, sensing means electrically connected to said telephone coupler unit and providing an output at the instant said telephone line is placed in use by lifting the receiver of the local telephone off its cradle, timing means coupled to be initiated into operation by the output of said sensing means and providing a first timing signal when said telephone line has been in continuous use for said preselected time period, and providing recurring timing signals at preselected timing intervals thereafter, and actuating means effective in response to said first and recurring timing signals for controlling said telephone coupler unit to connect said signal transmission control means to said telephone line and to cause said telephone coupler unit to apply a first audio alert signal and thereafter recurring audio alert signals from said audio alert signal generating means to said telephone line between said signal transmission control means and said local telephone, whereby said signal transmission control means is effective to restrict the audio alert signals applied on the telephone line so that they are only heard on the local telephone.

Claim 10

A telephone system located at the site of a subscriber for alerting the user of the local telephone at the site of the subscriber that the usage of a telephone line by the local telephone has exceeded a predetermined time period, said system comprising: a telephone coupler unit including an audio signal generator, and a band elimination filter, said telephone coupler unit being adapted to be placed in a standby condition when the receiver of the local telephone is lifted off its cradle to place a call on the telephone line, and a call duration timer including a sensing circuit connected to said telephone coupler unit and providing an output when the receiver of said local telephone has been lifted off its cradle, a timing circuit comprising a first plurality of timing elements and a second plurality of timing elements, a first timing switch settable to render operable a selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements, a second timing switch settable to render operable a selected timing element of said second plurality of timing elements, said timing circuit having the selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements initiated into operation by the output of said sensing circuit and having the selected timing element of said second plurality of timing elements initiated into cyclical operation at the end of the period defined by the selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements, said timing circuit providing a first output timing signal when the usage of the telephone line by the lifting of the local telephone receiver off its cradle continues for the period defined by the selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements and providing a recurring output timing signal at the end of each of the recurring timing intervals defined by the selected timing element of said second plurality of timing elements, and an actuation circuit for actuating said telephone coupler unit to connect said band elimination filter to said telephone line and to apply an audio alert signal from said audio signal generator to said telephone line between said band elimination filter and said local telephone in response to said first output timing signal and each of the following recurring output timing signals, whereby said band elimination filter is effective to restrict the audio alert signals applied on said telephone line so that they are only heard on the local telephone.

Claim 11

A telephone system located at the site of a subscriber for alerting the user of the local telephone at the site of the subscriber that the usage of a telephone line by the local telephone has exceeded a predetermined time period, said system comprising: a telephone coupler unit including an audio signal generator, and a band elimination filter, said telephone coupler unit being adapted to be placed in a standby condition when the receiver of the local telephone is lifted off its cradle to place a call on the telephone line, and a call duration timer including a sensing circuit connected to said telephone coupler unit and providing an output when the receiver of said local telephone has been lifted off its cradle, a timing circuit comprising a first plurality of timing elements and a second plurality of timing elements, a first timing switch settable to render operable a selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements, a second timing switch settable to render operable a selected timing element of said second plurality of timing elements, said timing circuit having the selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements initiated into operation by the output of said sensing circuit and having the selected timing element of said second plurality of timing elements initiated into cyclical operation at the end of the period defined by the selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements, said timing circuit providing a first output timing signal when the usage of the telephone line by the lifting of the local telephone receiver off its cradle continues for the period defined by the selected timing element of said first plurality of timing elements and providing a recurring output timing signal at the end of each of the recurring timing intervals defined by the selected timing element of said second plurality of timing elements, and an actuation circuit for actuating said telephone coupler unit to connect said band elimination filter to said telephone line and to apply an audio alert signal from said audio signal generator to said telephone line between said band elimination filter and said local telephone in response to said first output timing signal and each of the following recurring output timing signals, whereby said band elimination filter is effective to restrict the audio alert signals applied on said telephone line so that they are only heard on the local telephone.

Claim 12

A telephone installation located at the site of a subscriber for monitoring the usage of a telephone line by said subscriber''s telephone instrument, said installation comprising: a telephone line for coupling the subscriber''s telephone instrument to a central office, a telephone coupler unit associated with said subscriber''s telephone instrument and said telephone line, said telephone coupler unit including audio signal generating means, relay means for controlling the impressing of an audio signal generated by said audio signal generating means on the telephone line, and filter means arranged to be connected to said telephone line by said relay means to pass an audio signal impressed on the telephone line to the subscriber''s telephone instrument and block said audio signal from passing to the central office, a call duration timer device including a sensing circuit electrically connected to said telephone coupler unit for sensing and providing an output at the instant the receiver of the subscriber''s telephone instrument is lifted off its cradle, circuit means including timing circuit means initiated into operation by said sensing circuit output and providing timing signals for actuating said relay means, said timing circuit means having a first manually settable time switch for selecting an initial time period when a first timing signal is provided by said timing circuit means for actuating said relay means and having a second manually settable time switch for selecting the time interval at which recurring timing signals are thereafter provided by said timing circuit means for actuating said relay means, and said relay means when actuated providing for controlling the connecting of said filter means to said telephone line and the impressing of an audio signal generated by said audio signal generating means on said telephone line between said filter means and said subscriber''s telephone instrument.

Claim 13

A telephone installation located at the site of a subscriber for monitoring the usage of a telephone line by said subscriber''s telephone instrument, said installation comprising: a telephone line for coupling the subscriber''s telephone instrument to a central office, a telephone coupler unit associated with said subscriber''s telephone instrument and said telephone line, said telephone coupler unit including audio signal generating means, relay means for controlling the impressing of an audio signal generated by said audio signal generating means on the telephone line, and filter means arranged to be connected to said telephone line by said relay means to pass an audio signal impressed on the telephone line to the subscriber''s telephone instrument and block said audio signal from passing to the central office, a call duration timer device including a sensing circuit electrically connected to said telephone coupler unit for sensing and providing an output at the instant the receiver of the subscriber''s telephone instrument is lifted off its cradle, circuit means including timing circuit means initiated into operation by said sensing circuit output and providing timing signals for actuating said relay means, said timing circuit means having a first manually settable time switch for selecting an initial time period when a first timing signal is provided by said timing circuit means for actuating said relay means and having a second manually settable time switch for selecting the time interval at which recurring timing signals are thereafter provided by said timing circuit means for actuating said relay means, and said relay means when actuated providing for controlling the connecting of said filter means to said telephone line and the impressing of an audio signal generated by said audio signal generating means on said telephone line between said filter means and said subscriber''s telephone instrument.