Telephone care system with telephone line-checking

Claim 1

A system for communication by telephone wires of information concerning the circumstances of a subscriber, the system comprising: (a) timing means for timing a predetermined interval of time from a beginning point established by a timer reset signal input and providing an expiration signal output upon the expiration of the predetermined interval of time; (b) line-seizing means for connecting a communication output to the telephone wires; (c) off-hook detector means connected to the telephone wires for sending an off-hook signal when a telephone circuit is in an off-hook condition; (d) dialing means for dialing a telephone number over the communicator output; (e) control means, connected to the timing means, line-seizing means, the off-hook detector means, and the dialing means, for (i) providing a timer reset signal to the timing means on receippt of an off-hook signal from the off-hook detector means when the line-seizing means has not been activated, and (ii) on activation by an expiration signal from the timing means or other specified occurrence, entering an alarm state, activating the line-seizing means and the dialing means, and sending a predetermined message over the communicator output; (f) line-checking means, connected to the line-seizing means and the off-hook detector means, (i) for periodically activating the line-seizing means, (ii) for sending a bad-line signal in the event that the off-hook detector means does not provide an off-hook signal when the line-seizing means has been activated, and (iii) for increasing the frequency of activation of the line-seizing means when the control means is not in an alarm state, in the event that an off-hook signal is not provided by the off-hook detector means on activation of the line-seizing means.

Claim 2

A system for communication by telephone wires of information concerning the circumstances of a subscriber, the system comprising: (a) timing means for timing a predetermined interval of time from a beginning point established by a timer reset signal input and providing an expiration signal output upon the expiration of the predetermined interval of time; (b) line-seizing means for connecting a communication output to the telephone wires; (c) off-hook detector means connected to the telephone wires for sending an off-hook signal when a telephone circuit is in an off-hook condition; (d) dialing means for dialing a telephone number over the communicator output; (e) control means, connected to the timing means, line-seizing means, the off-hook detector means, and the dialing means, for (i) providing a timer reset signal to the timing means on receippt of an off-hook signal from the off-hook detector means when the line-seizing means has not been activated, and (ii) on activation by an expiration signal from the timing means or other specified occurrence, entering an alarm state, activating the line-seizing means and the dialing means, and sending a predetermined message over the communicator output; (f) line-checking means, connected to the line-seizing means and the off-hook detector means, (i) for periodically activating the line-seizing means, (ii) for sending a bad-line signal in the event that the off-hook detector means does not provide an off-hook signal when the line-seizing means has been activated, and (iii) for increasing the frequency of activation of the line-seizing means when the control means is not in an alarm state, in the event that an off-hook signal is not provided by the off-hook detector means on activation of the line-seizing means.