Abstract: An improved user programming method and apparatus for selecting central station features of a telecommunications device such as a telephone by means of voice prompts directly to the line user is disclosed. Prerecorded messages containing specific step by step instructions are used under the control of the central programming system. With such an arrangement, the features of each programmable button on a communications line may be remotely set up or programmed by a non technical user from his or her own phone. Additionally, a voice prompt system for programming a central programming controller may also be used to answer an incoming telephone call.

Abstract: A transaction terminal having a modem for communicating transaction data to one of a plurality of available host computers, each of which host computers has an associated modem which implements a prearranged one of a standard modem connect protocol and a fast modem connect protocol. The transaction terminal stores separate host dial strings for each host computer and the host dial string includes a predefined communication command structure with a unique fast connect command associated with the fast modem connect protocol. A connect type means accesses the host dial string to determine what type of connect protocol is commanded and the transaction communication module implements the appropriate connect protocol as commanded in the host dial string.

Abstract: A dot matrix printer having a print head having a plurality of print solenoids. The print head is carried on a print head carriage driven by a carriage drive arrangement. A print timing means supplies a sequence of print timing pulses as said print head traverses a print medium. A power supply supplies a print voltage to the print solenoids in the print head. A drive pulse circuit responds to each of said print timing pulses for producing a solenoid enable pulse of a duration which varies inversely with the magnitude of said print voltage. The drive pulse circuit utilizes a dual slope integration with a first period integrating a fixed voltage for a fixed time and a second period integrating the varying print voltage for a time which varies with the magnitude of the voltage and provides automatic adjustment of the total print timing signal.

Abstract: An object-oriented programmable dedicated dialer device includes a hollow disc-shaped body having a front cover and a rear base facing and attached with one another and defining an interior cavity, a telephone number dialing mechanism disposed in the interior cavity and mounted on the rear base, and a touch sensor mounted to the hollow body and connected to the telephone number dialing mechanism. The telephone number dialing mechanism includes a microcontroller, a battery, and a sound-generating transducer. The microcontroller stores a telephone number in its memory. The touch sensor is operable in response to a user touching the touch sensor to convert the microcontroller from a deactivated to activated to cause the dialing mechanism to dial the stored telephone number. Thus, when the touch sensor is touched activating the microcontroller, the dialing mechanism begins operation to generate the plurality of DTMF tones necessary to dial the stored telephone number.

Abstract: A method for data communication between a multiplicity of devices coupled to a LAN Bus without data transmission collisions. Each device is assigned a unique device address and a unique transmit time slot based thereon. The method involves responding to each data character received in each receiving device by loading a LAN.TIMESTAMP parameter with the CUR.SYS.TIME parameter. Thus the LAN.TIMESTAMP parameter indicates the time of the last data character when an incoming data packet terminates. Packet termination is declared when the LAN Bus is quiescent for a period after the last character equal to the PKT.END.DELAY value which is preselected. The method also involves determining whether the value of CUR.SYS.TIME represents a point in the unique transmit time slot for the device and then in response to determining that CUR.SYS.TIME is within the time slot, initiating the transmission of data if available, or otherwise, setting a new LAN.TIMESTAMP value.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for operating a local terminal which includes a programmable computer so that the terminal executes a pre-arranged application program. More specifically, the present invention provides methods for operating a local terminal according to a pre-arranged application program which is created on a remote computer, then communicated by a communication channel to the local terminal where it is stored for execution.