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US4058680A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Telephone message timing system
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1976-12-06
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Granted: 1977-11-15
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Expires: 1996-12-06
Abstract
Abstract A timing arrangement for use with a telephone switching system having automatic message accounting equipment at a recording center to adjust apparent call duration times to compensate for delays caused by the temporary storage of call data at remote telephone offices. Cycling, counting apparatus is provided at each of the remote telephone offices to generate sequential time interval data representative of successive time intervals. Logic apparatus combines the time interval data with telephone office trunk random answer and disconnect event data to form a plurality of first data words in a buffer store. Transmitting apparatus responds to command of the recording center by transmitting a block of first data words from the buffer store followed by a final data word identifying the current time interval data to the recording center. At the recording center, a comparison of the time interval data in each received first data word with the final data word generates delay times utilized for adjusting the apparent time of day of the answer and disconnect events to compensate for delays encountered in transmitting the event data.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Bartlett Curtis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 16:55
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/10; H04M15/12; H04M15/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
148 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system, storage means for temporarily storing call data and timing means for determining the delay time of said call data in said storage means comprising means for generating a continuous series of periodic signals, means for counting said signals and for generating successive time interval data representative of particular signal counts, means responsive to the introduction of said call data in said storage means for combining said call data and first particular time interval data to form a first data word in said storage means, means responsive to the subsequent readout from said storage means of said first data word for generating a second data word including second particular time interval data, and means for comparing said first and second particular time interval data of said first and second data words, respectively, for generating delay signals indicative of said delay time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
148 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system, storage means for temporarily storing call data and timing means for determining the delay time of said call data in said storage means comprising means for generating a continuous series of periodic signals, means for counting said signals and for generating successive time interval data representative of particular signal counts, means responsive to the introduction of said call data in said storage means for combining said call data and first particular time interval data to form a first data word in said storage means, means responsive to the subsequent readout from said storage means of said first data word for generating a second data word including second particular time interval data, and means for comparing said first and second particular time interval data of said first and second data words, respectively, for generating delay signals indicative of said delay time.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
The combination as claimed in claim 1, said timing means also comprising means for determining the actual occurrence time of said introduction of said call data in said storage means comprising means for generating actual time-of-day signals and means for comparing said delay signals and said actual time-of-day signals for generating signals indicative of said actual occurrence time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
150 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system, storage means for temporarily storing call data, and timing means for determining the delay time of said call data in said storage means comprising means for generating a continuous series of periodic signals, means for cyclically counting said signals and for generating successive time interval data representative of particular signal counts, means for indicating the time of the introduction of call data in said storage means within a counting cycle comprising means for combining said call data and first particular means for combining said call data and first particular time interval data to form a first data word in said storage means, and means for indicating the time of the readout of said first data word from said storage means within a counting cycle comprising means responsive to said readout for generating a second data word including second particular time interval data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
150 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system, storage means for temporarily storing call data, and timing means for determining the delay time of said call data in said storage means comprising means for generating a continuous series of periodic signals, means for cyclically counting said signals and for generating successive time interval data representative of particular signal counts, means for indicating the time of the introduction of call data in said storage means within a counting cycle comprising means for combining said call data and first particular means for combining said call data and first particular time interval data to form a first data word in said storage means, and means for indicating the time of the readout of said first data word from said storage means within a counting cycle comprising means responsive to said readout for generating a second data word including second particular time interval data.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
131 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system wherein call data is temporarily stored in a storage means, timing means for determining the delay time of said call data in said storage means comprising means for continuously generating timing data representative of successive time intervals with successive timing cycles, means responsive to the entry of call data in said storage means for indicating the time of said entry within a timing cycle comprising means for combining said call data and first timing data to form a first data word in said storage means, and means responsive to the readout of said first data word from said storage means for indicating the time of said readout within a timing cycle comprising means for generating a second data word including subsequent timing data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
131 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system wherein call data is temporarily stored in a storage means, timing means for determining the delay time of said call data in said storage means comprising means for continuously generating timing data representative of successive time intervals with successive timing cycles, means responsive to the entry of call data in said storage means for indicating the time of said entry within a timing cycle comprising means for combining said call data and first timing data to form a first data word in said storage means, and means responsive to the readout of said first data word from said storage means for indicating the time of said readout within a timing cycle comprising means for generating a second data word including subsequent timing data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
In the combination as claimed in claim 4, said timing means also comprising arithmetic means for comparing said first and said subsequent timing data of said first and second data words, respectively, and for generating first time signals indicative of said delay time.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
In the combination as claimed in claim 5, said timing means also comprising clock means for generating second time signals indicative of the actual time of day for comparison with said first time signals to determine the actual time of day of the occurrence of said entry of said call data in said storage means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
157 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system wherein call data are temporarily stored in a storage means, timing means for marking the delay times of call data in said storage means comprising means for generating a continuous series of periodic signals, means for cyclically counting said signals and for generating successive time interval data representative of particular signal counts, means responsive to the entries of call data in said storage means for indicating the times of said entries within a counting cycle comprising means for combining each call data entry and particular successive time interval data to form a plurality of first data words in said storage means, and means responsive to the readout of the last of said plurality of first data words from said storage means for indicating the time of said readout within a counting cycle comprising means responsive to said readout for generating a second data word including final time interval data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
157 words
In combination in a telephone call billing system wherein call data are temporarily stored in a storage means, timing means for marking the delay times of call data in said storage means comprising means for generating a continuous series of periodic signals, means for cyclically counting said signals and for generating successive time interval data representative of particular signal counts, means responsive to the entries of call data in said storage means for indicating the times of said entries within a counting cycle comprising means for combining each call data entry and particular successive time interval data to form a plurality of first data words in said storage means, and means responsive to the readout of the last of said plurality of first data words from said storage means for indicating the time of said readout within a counting cycle comprising means responsive to said readout for generating a second data word including final time interval data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
131 words
In a telephone call billing system having a buffer memory for temporarily storing call data prior to transmission to a recording center, in combination, means for generating periodic signals, means for counting said signals in recurring cycles and for generating timing data representative of the occurrence time of said periodic signals within a counting cycle, means responsive to the entry of said call data in said memory for combining said call data and particular first timing data to form a first data word in said memory, means responsive to subsequent interrogate signals from said recording center for causing the readout of said first data word from said memory, and means responsive to said readout of said first data word for generating a second data word including subsequent particular second timing data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
131 words
In a telephone call billing system having a buffer memory for temporarily storing call data prior to transmission to a recording center, in combination, means for generating periodic signals, means for counting said signals in recurring cycles and for generating timing data representative of the occurrence time of said periodic signals within a counting cycle, means responsive to the entry of said call data in said memory for combining said call data and particular first timing data to form a first data word in said memory, means responsive to subsequent interrogate signals from said recording center for causing the readout of said first data word from said memory, and means responsive to said readout of said first data word for generating a second data word including subsequent particular second timing data.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
67 words
In a telephone call billing system, the combination as claimed in claim 8 also comprising means for transmitting said first and said second data words to said recording center and means at said recording center for comparing said first and second timing data of said first and second data words, respectively, for generating delay signals indicative of the delay of said call data in said buffer memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
63 words
In a telephone call billing system, the combination as claimed in claim 9 also comprising means at said recording center for determining the actual occurrence time of said entry of said call data in said memory comprising means for generating actual time-of-day signals and means for comparing said delay signals and said time-of-day signals for generating signals indicative of said actual occurrence time.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
182 words
A timing system for determining at a first location the time of occurrence of an event at a second location where event data identifying said event is temporarily stored in a memory at said second location, comprising at said second location means for generating periodic signals, means for counting said periodic signals in recurring cycles and for generating timing data representative of the occurrence time of said periodic signals within a counting cycle, means responsive to the occurrence of said event for combining said event data and particular first timing data to form a first data word in said memory, means responsive to the readout of said first data word from said memory for generating a second data word including subsequent second timing data, and means for transmitting signals representing said first and second data words to said first location, said system further comprising at said first location means for comparing said first and second timing data of said first and second data words, respectively, for generating delay signals indicative of the temporary storage time of said event data in said memory.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
182 words
A timing system for determining at a first location the time of occurrence of an event at a second location where event data identifying said event is temporarily stored in a memory at said second location, comprising at said second location means for generating periodic signals, means for counting said periodic signals in recurring cycles and for generating timing data representative of the occurrence time of said periodic signals within a counting cycle, means responsive to the occurrence of said event for combining said event data and particular first timing data to form a first data word in said memory, means responsive to the readout of said first data word from said memory for generating a second data word including subsequent second timing data, and means for transmitting signals representing said first and second data words to said first location, said system further comprising at said first location means for comparing said first and second timing data of said first and second data words, respectively, for generating delay signals indicative of the temporary storage time of said event data in said memory.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
A timing system as claimed in claim 11 also comprising at said first location means for generating actual time-of-day signals and means for comparing said time-of-day signals and said delay signals for generating signals indicative of the actual time-of-day occurrence of said event at said second location.
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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) | 1980-11-14 | 1981-05-16 | 1981-11-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-11-14 | 1985-05-16 | 1985-11-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-11-14 | 1989-05-16 | 1989-11-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |