Telephone dialing system

Claim 1

An apparatus for reading a digitally encoded telephone number on a member which contains no electronic circuitry and automatically dialing that telephone number, said apparatus comprising: (a) reading means containing all of the electronic circuitry necessary for reading the digitally encoded telephone number and which telephone number is comprised of digits representing a local telephone number and area code digits, (b) means for storing an area code of the telephone from which the telephone number is being dialed, (c) comparator means operatively connected to said means for storing and to the means for reading to determine if the area code of such telephone number is a local area code and not to be dialed or not a local area code and is to be dialed, (d) processor means connected to the comparator means for determining if the telephone area code is to be disregarded in the dialing of the telephone number and thereafter initiating a dialing of such telephone number or is to be included in the telephone number to be dialed and thereafter initiating a dialing of the area code and the telephone number, and (e) means for connecting said processor means to a telephone set to enable the sending of a dialing signal for the dialed telephone number to a telephone central station.

Claim 2

An apparatus for reading a digitally encoded telephone number on a member which contains no electronic circuitry and automatically dialing that telephone number, said apparatus comprising: (a) reading means containing all of the electronic circuitry necessary for reading the digitally encoded telephone number and which telephone number is comprised of digits representing a local telephone number and area code digits, (b) means for storing an area code of the telephone from which the telephone number is being dialed, (c) comparator means operatively connected to said means for storing and to the means for reading to determine if the area code of such telephone number is a local area code and not to be dialed or not a local area code and is to be dialed, (d) processor means connected to the comparator means for determining if the telephone area code is to be disregarded in the dialing of the telephone number and thereafter initiating a dialing of such telephone number or is to be included in the telephone number to be dialed and thereafter initiating a dialing of the area code and the telephone number, and (e) means for connecting said processor means to a telephone set to enable the sending of a dialing signal for the dialed telephone number to a telephone central station.

Claim 10

A system for reading a digitally encoded telephone number on a calling card which contains no electronic circuitry and automatically dailing that telephone number, said system comprising: (a) a calling card of the type routinely dispensed to parties and which contains personal or business information about the person dispensing the calling card, said calling card being comprised of: (1) a substrate, (2) personal identification information on said substrate and including the name and address of the party whom the calling card identifies, (3) digitally encoded sensed information also on said substrate, said digitally encoded information representing the telephone number of the party whom the calling card identifies and which is capable of being read by responsive reading equipment and generating a dialing signal for automatically dialing the telephone number of the party whom the calling card identifies, (b) reading means containing all of the electronic circuitry necessary for reading the digitally encoded telephone number and which telephone number is comprised of digits representing a local telephone number and area code digits, (c) means for storing an area code of the telephone from which the telephone number is being dialed, (d) comparator means operatively connected to said means for storing and to the means for reading to determine if the area code of such telephone number is a local area code and not to be dialed or not a local area code and is to be dialed, (e) means associated with said comparator means for determining if the number read by the reading means was accurately read, (f) processor means connected to the comparator means for determining if the telephone area code is to be disregarded in the dialing of the telephone number and thereafter initiating a dialing of such telephone number or is to be included in the telephone number to be dialed and thereafter initiating a dialing of the area code and the telephone number, and (g) means for connecting said processor means to a telephone set to enable the sending of a dialing signal for the dialed telephone number to a telephone central station.

Claim 11

A system for reading a digitally encoded telephone number on a calling card which contains no electronic circuitry and automatically dailing that telephone number, said system comprising: (a) a calling card of the type routinely dispensed to parties and which contains personal or business information about the person dispensing the calling card, said calling card being comprised of: (1) a substrate, (2) personal identification information on said substrate and including the name and address of the party whom the calling card identifies, (3) digitally encoded sensed information also on said substrate, said digitally encoded information representing the telephone number of the party whom the calling card identifies and which is capable of being read by responsive reading equipment and generating a dialing signal for automatically dialing the telephone number of the party whom the calling card identifies, (b) reading means containing all of the electronic circuitry necessary for reading the digitally encoded telephone number and which telephone number is comprised of digits representing a local telephone number and area code digits, (c) means for storing an area code of the telephone from which the telephone number is being dialed, (d) comparator means operatively connected to said means for storing and to the means for reading to determine if the area code of such telephone number is a local area code and not to be dialed or not a local area code and is to be dialed, (e) means associated with said comparator means for determining if the number read by the reading means was accurately read, (f) processor means connected to the comparator means for determining if the telephone area code is to be disregarded in the dialing of the telephone number and thereafter initiating a dialing of such telephone number or is to be included in the telephone number to be dialed and thereafter initiating a dialing of the area code and the telephone number, and (g) means for connecting said processor means to a telephone set to enable the sending of a dialing signal for the dialed telephone number to a telephone central station.

Claim 12

The system of further characterized in that a manually operable input means is provided to introduce the area code of an area of use for said system in the means for storing.

Claim 13

The system of further characterized in that a manually operable input means is provided to introduce the area code of an area of use for said system in the means for storing.