Abstract: An inductive pen (16) repetitively transmits pulses of an oscillatory signal having a characteristic frequency. Pen state information, such as pen tip contact switch information, are encoded by a number of techniques. These techniques include pulse width modulation or pulse position modulation, so as to convey pen state information to a digitizing tablet in a manner that does not adversely affect pen position determinations. The pen state information may also be encoded on the oscillating signal by Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), Phase Shift Keying (PSK), or Amplitude Modulation (AM). A digitizer tablet (10) includes circuitry for detecting the transmitted pen state information, the circuitry accommodating the selected modulation scheme. The tablet is responsive to the transmitted pulses for placing tablet circuitry in a low-power consumption state between pulses so as to conserve tablet power.

Abstract: A telephone apparatus includes an extension telephone for receiving data from a card, a timepiece unit, and a control unit for alarming a coincidence between time data included in the data received from the extension telephone and time data of the timepiece unit. The control unit performs a display on the basis of display data included in the data received by the extension telephone.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for anchoring each end of an armored telephone cord and restraint cable assembly to both the telephone housing and the associated handset. With respect to the handset, a removable anchor is positioned intermediate the receiver and transmitter ends along the hand-grip portion, the inside walls of the hand-grip being provided with a ledge or other means for transmitting longitudinal pulling forces along the restraint cable as a shear force along the peripheral sidewalls of the hand-grip portion.The housing anchor is specifically adapted for elbow type public telephones, and utilizes an elbow with the extremity of the armored telephone cord and restraint cable assembly and the cable stop fitted into the elbow generally parallel with the sidewall of the housing.

Abstract: A digitizer tablet (10) having an array of conductors that define a sensing plane (12) for sensing an electromagnetic signal generated by a pointing device (16) disposed external to the plane. The tablet includes circuitry, coupled to the array of conductors, for determining a magnitude of an electrical signal or signals induced within the array of conductors by the pointing device. The tablet also includes a data processor (30) that is responsive to the determined magnitude for accurately estimating both a position and an angular orientation of the pointing device relative to a coordinate system associated with the sensing plane. The array of conductors is comprised of an x-axis sensor array (14a) and a y-axis sensor array (14b). Each sensor array includes a plurality of differentially interconnected and overlapping coil pairs. Each coil of a coil pair includes a major loop having auxiliary loops coupled to each end thereof for compensating for unmeasured magnetic fields beyond an end of the coil.

Abstract: A telephone service payment system having portable electronic devices (J) for transmitting a coded sequence (SQ), also involves specialized vocal host computers (SDS) and at least one affiliated computer (OA), along with a management computer (OGC). Such a telephone service payment system is used in conjunction with the placing of bets by telephone.

Abstract: A method and system for testing a mobile communication system which includes a base station radio unit for making a line connection with an arbitrary one of a plurality of mobile stations, a line control unit which is coupled to the base station radio unit, and a pseudo mobile station which is coupled to the line control unit via a monitoring control line.

Abstract: A communication console station links a plurality of communication resources (101, 103, and 105) for use by an operator. Incoming calls are placed in an incoming-call queue (207), calls on hold are placed in a holding queue (209), and all available communication resources are placed in a resource queue (211) The operator presses a single button (303, 305, or 307) to obtain the top resource from the associated queue (207, 209, or 211), which lists resources according to a predetermined priority.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for telephone call answer supervision, capable of detecting the completion of both national and international calls, which employ different answer confirmation formats, and provide confirmation that a placed call has been answered if least one of the following conditions occurs: 1) a tone of a given frequency, transmitted on the transmit line of a telephone, is detected as received back on the receive line; and 2) audio activity having a non-repetitive cadence is detected on both the transmit and receive lines of the telephone. Also provided is an autonomous pay telephone, such as a mobile telephone, which includes an arrangement for determining and accessing a call rate, per unit of time, for a call placed to a given telephone number, a display for displaying, in real-time as the call progresses, charges for a completed call as well as an accounting arrangement for storing charges accessed for each completed call.

Abstract: A loopback conductor arrangement for a digitizer grid employs rotation sequencing of the conductors. The conductors in each of the X- and Y-directions are looped back and forth in a parallel, spaced relationship across the active grid area so as to provide a plurality of crossing conductor segments, with the positions of selected conductors (e.g., alternate conductors) in each successive loop shifting in sequential positions by a constant offset with respect to the other conductors in those loops.

Abstract: A line powered telephoe is disclosed in which the telephone is not powered from a separate external source. The improved pay telephone is powered solely by loop current available on the telephone line from the central office. A rechargeable battery is provided to store excess loop current to enable operation of the pay telephone when not off-hook to the central office. Power consumption by components of the telephone is minimized by shutting down unnecessary functions on a selective basis to ensure that sufficient excess loop current is available to recharge the battery. In addition, an improved switched-capacitor circuit is disclosed to enable storage of electricity at a voltage potential higher than the off-hook line voltage to enable firing of standard high voltage relays for coin collection and coin return.

Abstract: A protective cover is disclosed for coin operated telephones which includes a coin box for storage of coins and a coin return opening for providing the user with a refund of unused coins. The protective cover is constructed of heavy gauge protective steel plate and is dimensioned to extend across the entire width of the telephone while providing limited, but sufficient access to the coin return opening of the telephone by including a relatively small opening to provide such access. A door which blocks the opening in the steel plate is pivotally mounted to the rear surface of the plate and is dimensioned to pivot rearwardly when returned coins are retrieved by the user, thus preventing stuffing of the coin return area.

Abstract: A signal distribution and communication arrangement controls the broadcast of different types of signals through speakers located in various zones. The arrangement includes an audio receiver circuit which responds to a music signal from an external music source, and an associated threshold detection circuit which provides a music mute function. Further, a page interface circuit, responds to a page signal generated from a telephone handset, which generates a paging control signal and serves as a power source to the telephone handset; and a doorbell interface circuit responds to any of a plurality of doorbell signal sources at differing locations by generating a doorbell control signal and activating a corresponding door bell tone sequence which identifies the location of the doorbell signal source. Finally, a control circuit, responds to these various circuits by selecting which of the corresponding signals should be broadcast by the speakers.

Abstract: A telephone system and method of operation are disclosed which use a microprocessor control system (10), a speech generator (34) and speech memory (46) to interact with a calling party placing a long distance phone call. The telephone receives a billing account number from the calling party through a keypad (24). The telephone determines the validity of the billing account number and, if the billing account number is valid, a communication path is established through a telephone line interface (38). Valid billing account numbers are stored in the telephone for a predetermined period of time. The stored numbers are polled prior to the validation process to determine if an entered number has already been validated. In this manner, a calling party making multiple calls with the same billing account number need only wait for his account number to be verified once.

Abstract: A digitizer for determining coordinate value of a point designated on a given two-dimensional coordinate plane. A pointing instrument is manually operable to designate a point on the given two-dimensional coordinate plane of a tablet. The tablet includes a flat sensor defining the given two-dimensional coordinate plane and operative for transmitting magnetic signal between the flat sensor and the pointing instrument disposed thereon to detect the designated point to thereby produce a detection signal, and a shielding plate disposed under the flat sensor to magnetically shield the flat sensor. The shielding plate is composed of silicon steel containing 4.0 to 7.0 weight % of silicon. A processing circuit is connected to the flat sensor for processing the detection signal to determine the coordinate value of the designated point.

Abstract: A key telephone system having an off-hook announcing function comprises a main unit and a plurality of standard key telephone sets each connected to the main unit. In the system, the main unit includes a plurality of digital telephone interface circuits connected to the key telephone sets and also a voice addition circuit. When one telephone set issues an off-hook announcement to another telephone set, the voice addition circuit adds together the voice signals received from the telephone sets and transmits the resultant added voice signal to yet another telephone set to provide to that telephone set an off-hook announcement.

Abstract: A method for exchanging a buzz signal between two different subsets attendant to a keyphone system with a buzzer pair table is disclosed. The buzzer pair table has information associated with pairs of any one subset and its corresponding other subset to be called by said buzz signal, and the subsets each have a buzzer key producing the buzz signal.

Abstract: A wireless coordinate reading system composed of: a plurality of sense lines disposed in parallel with one another and equispaced from one another in a coordinate detecting direction; first and second excitation lines each composed of a plurality of conductors connected together in series and arranged in a zigzag pattern, the conductors being disposed in parallel with one another and equispaced from one another and extending in a direction to intersect the sense lines at right angles thereto; an excitation signal generating circuit for producing an AC signal; an excitation selecting circuit connected for connecting a selected one or the excitation lines to the excitation signal generating circuit; a scanning circuit connected for selecting successive ones of the sense lines in sequence; a wireless coordinate indicator containing components forming a resonator constructed to resonate with the AC signal generated by the excitation signal generating circuit, the indicator being positionable relative to the sense

Abstract: In an interactive display system, a transmitter is provided for transmitting a periodic signal to a plurality of receivers through the air. One or more phase differences are measured between the receiving at pairs of receivers. These phase differences control the coordinates of a locator on a display screen. Separate measured phase differences control the positions along different coordinate axes independently.

Abstract: A battery powered oscillator in a freely movable pointer drives a coil and a divider. A grid of spaced conductors in a base unit is inductively coupled to the coil. A conductive plate that lies parallel to the conductor grid capacitively couples the signal from the divider to a phase locked loop to provide a reference signal that has a constant phase in relation to the oscillator. Detection circuitry uses the signals induced in selected grid conductors and the phase reference signal to determine the location of the pointer relative to the conductors. As an alternative to the phase locked loop, the signal induced in an idle reference conductor can be combined with the capacitively coupled reference signal to aid in demodulating the induced signals. As an alternative to an oscillator in the pointer, the coil may be driven by a signal capacitively coupled from the base unit.

Abstract: An access and test apparatus for subscriber and central office cable pairs connected to associated socket pairs in a main frame in which the apparatus includes a body member and pairs of connecting terminals extending from the body member for receipt in the socket pairs and first and second switch means in the body member for selectively interconnecting the connecting terminals and, therefore, sockets and cable pairs to first and second access terminals, as well as to selectively provide short circuit and open circuit conditions to the connecting terminals and, hence, sockets and cable pairs.