US3920912A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hotel pbx electronic message billing arrangement
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1974-07-05
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Granted: 1975-11-18
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Expires: 1994-07-05
Abstract
Abstract An arrangement for electronically recording and displaying charges for calls made from station lines of a hotel or motel PBX is disclosed which eliminates the use of the prior art banks of electromechanical message registers. An electronic memory unit is accessed when a call is made and the number of the calling station is entered into a trunk memory word. When the central office sends message charging pulses to the PBX, the trunk word is accessed and the station number is read out. The station number then addresses the memory and the message count accruing in a memory byte assigned to the station word is incremented. Thereafter, the hotel clerk by dialing a prefix code and the station line number may obtain a display of the message count or dollar charges accruing for the station.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold Peter Anderson
- 👤 Carl Calvin Nielson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:38
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A message billing arrangement for a private branch exchange having a plurality of stations and central office trunks equipped to receive message billing signals from a remote central office comprising storage means having a memory word for each of said stations and a memory word for each of said trunks, means for entering into one of said trunk memory words the number of one of said stations using one of said trunks on a central office call, means for periodically scanning said trunks to detect when said one of said trunks receives one of said message billing signals, and means responsive to said scanning means detecting one of said signals for transferring to the one of said station memory words identified by the contents of said one of said trunk words an accruable count indication.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A message billing arrangement for a private branch exchange having a plurality of stations and central office trunks equipped to receive message billing signals from a remote central office comprising storage means having a memory word for each of said stations and a memory word for each of said trunks, means for entering into one of said trunk memory words the number of one of said stations using one of said trunks on a central office call, means for periodically scanning said trunks to detect when said one of said trunks receives one of said message billing signals, and means responsive to said scanning means detecting one of said signals for transferring to the one of said station memory words identified by the contents of said one of said trunk words an accruable count indication.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A message billing arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising means for selectively accessing said memory word for any of said stations, and means for displaying the count accruing in said memory word.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A message billing arrangement according to claim 2 wherein said selectively accessing means includes means responsive to a transmitted prefix digit accompanying a dialed station number for accessing the station memory word corresponding to said station number.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
144 words
A message billing arrangement for a private branch exchange having a plurality of stations, a plurality of central office trunks equipped to receive message billing signals from a remote central office, and a common control unit in which the numbers of calling stations and trunks seized for use are temporarily registered, comprising electronic memory means, means for obtaining said line and trunk numbers from said common control unit, means controlled by said trunk number in said obtaining means for addressing a corresponding word in said memory means, means for entering in said memory word the number of the station making a central office call, and means responsive to the receipt of one of said message billing signals by one of said trunks for entering a message count indication into a byte of said memory means identified by said station number in said memory word.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
144 words
A message billing arrangement for a private branch exchange having a plurality of stations, a plurality of central office trunks equipped to receive message billing signals from a remote central office, and a common control unit in which the numbers of calling stations and trunks seized for use are temporarily registered, comprising electronic memory means, means for obtaining said line and trunk numbers from said common control unit, means controlled by said trunk number in said obtaining means for addressing a corresponding word in said memory means, means for entering in said memory word the number of the station making a central office call, and means responsive to the receipt of one of said message billing signals by one of said trunks for entering a message count indication into a byte of said memory means identified by said station number in said memory word.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A message billing arrangement according to claim 4 further comprising display means and means responsive to the dialing of a station number accompanied by a predetermined digit for activating said display means to display said station number and said message count indication entered in said memory byte.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
157 words
A message charge recording and display applique arrangement for a common control PBX having a plurality of station lines and trunks comprising an electronic memory means having a storage word for each of said trunks and a storage byte for each of said station lines, scanning means for normally scanning said trunks to detect the receipt of a central office message charging signal by one of said trunks, means connected to said common control for registering the number of a station line and the number of said one of said trunks assigned thereto by said PBX, means for writing said line number registered in said registering means in a word of said electronic memory allocated to said trunk number registered in said registering means, and means controlled by said scanning means for reading said memory word allocated to said trunk number and for incrementing said storage byte allocated to said line number registered in said registering means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
157 words
A message charge recording and display applique arrangement for a common control PBX having a plurality of station lines and trunks comprising an electronic memory means having a storage word for each of said trunks and a storage byte for each of said station lines, scanning means for normally scanning said trunks to detect the receipt of a central office message charging signal by one of said trunks, means connected to said common control for registering the number of a station line and the number of said one of said trunks assigned thereto by said PBX, means for writing said line number registered in said registering means in a word of said electronic memory allocated to said trunk number registered in said registering means, and means controlled by said scanning means for reading said memory word allocated to said trunk number and for incrementing said storage byte allocated to said line number registered in said registering means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
An arrangement according to claim 6 further comprising display means, and means connected to said common control and responsive to the dialing of a predetermined code for connecting said electronic memory means to said display means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-17 | 1979-05-19 | 1979-11-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-17 | 1983-05-19 | 1983-11-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-17 | 1987-05-19 | 1987-11-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |