Abstract: In one embodiment, an answer supervision detection unit is disposed intermediate a tandem switch and the public switched network. Typically, the public switched network is two or four wire E & M lines or T1 lines. The E & M lines carry answer supervision information signals. The answer supervision detection unit monitors the E & M lines, detects the information signals, converts those information signals into coded answer supervision signals, and applies those coded signals to loop start lines that extend from the answer supervision detection unit to the tandem switch, the central office owned by the regional Bell operating system and the customer owned pay telephone. Intermediate the pay telephone and the central office is a decoder that senses the coded answer supervision signals (typically the A,B,C and D signals of the DTMF phone) and generates pseudo-answer supervision or strictly control signals to the customer owned pay telephone.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for minimizing the peak load usage in electrical systems having multiple electrical power loads when each load is provided electrical power from an electrical source and including first switch means disposed in the power supply to each individual load, operator means to selectively open and close the first switch means, control means to selectively control the operator means, real time clock means to supply real time to the control means where the control means is adapted to actuate and deactuate each operator means at a preselected time to correspondingly open and close the first switch means associated with the operator means where the control means prevents simultaneous actuation of more than one operator means within a selected time interval, power outage detector means in cooperative association with the power source means to detect a power interruption at the power source means, second control means actuated upon resumption of power after interruption including input means, where th