Did You Know...
...that one person who claimed to be the inventor of the television is Russian emigre Vladimir Zworykin? In 1929 David Sarnoff, founder of RCA, asked Zworykin what it would take to develop TV for commercial use. He said: a year and a half and $100,000. In reality, it took 20 years and $50 million! Before his death in 1982 at the age of 92, Zworykin said of his invention: "The technique is wonderful. It is beyond my expectations. But the programs! I would never let my children even come close to this thing."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7567658 | Method to verify designation of pay telephone with an interexchange carrier The method to verify designation of pay telephone with an exchange carrier determines receipt of private pay telephone designation for a private pay telephone (PPT) by an interexchange carrier (IXC). The PPT is programmed with at least one telephone number to an IXC... | 07/28/2009 |
| 7409049 | Network-based securing of added-value services against automated connections A network-based verification of call connections is provided between a telecommunications subscriber terminal and a telecommunications service device selected by a service call number. This verification provides a way of enabling secure protection against an undesir... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7397907 | Multi-function general purpose transceiver The present invention is generally directed to a system and associated method for communicating information to a predetermined location. The system includes a transmitter disposed at a first location and configured to transmit a signal containing an instruction code... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7296004 | Electronic bill payment system with merchant identification A computer implemented system and method for payment remittance receives a payor's payment information, processes this payment information, other than a received zip code, to identify an eleven digit zip code for a payee. The system and method then accesses a databa... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7263388 | Charging system for portable equipment A wall (103 in FIG. 1) is erected perpendicularly to a floor (101), and a charger body (105) in which a primary side coil (201) and a power feed portion (203) are included is mounted on the wall (103). An induction co... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7187928 | Call delivery systems for roaming prepaid subscribers The invention provides systems and methods that operate to provide seamless roaming to a prepaid subscriber in as many markets as possible. To that end, the systems of the invention include a location register (LR) that can determine the type, or class, of serving m... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7133509 | Method and system for charging a set activation fee for pay telephone usage A set activation fee pay telephone permits a telephone customer to place a telephone call from a pay telephone if the customer presents valid billing information, and charges the customer a fixed fee for the call, plus any other applicable network charges. The set a... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7119517 | Method for recycling secondary battery A method features the steps of determining whether a secondary battery collected from a user is reusable when being handed over again to the user after being recharged, by performing a simple inspection on a site where the battery is received and returned to the use... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7116768 | Collect callback In an implementation of collect callback, a call-in service establishes a communication link with a caller and initiates a collect callback option for the caller. A switch receives callback data from the call-in service and utilizes the callback data to establish a ... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7110744 | Communication and proximity authorization systems A proximity service unit for providing at least one predetermined service for use with multiple types of wireless devices. The proximity service unit includes a multiple channel wireless transceiver, a proximity unit validation assembly, and a legacy activation unit... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7104383 | Validator with removable flash memory A banknote validator includes a banknote processing channel, a series of sensors located along the channel for scanning a banknote as it moves past the sensors, a central processing unit for controlling the operation of the validator and receiving and processing the... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7092947 | Browser on test equipment A portable telecommunication test set, such as a telephone line butt set, with a web browser incorporated therein. A standard HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language) or WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) browser may be incorporated within the portable test set, allowing... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7092500 | Remote telephony receiver A method for implementing a remote receiver connected to a telephony network can include a call authorizer that can access remote receiver specific information, wherein the remote receiver specific information can include an authorization requirement. The call autho... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7088808 | Network access pay telephone and conversion kit A kit for converting an existing pay telephone to additionally provide computer network access includes an upper housing unit that latches to a lower housing of the existing telephone, and a network adapter unit which includes a network computer and a control module... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7050554 | Payment to charities with prepaid card The balance or a portion of the balance associated with a prepaid card with or without a microcircuit is paid into a balance portion collection server, as a donations to charities, after setting up a call between a terminal and the server and after confirmation of t... | 05/23/2006 |
| 6959972 | Tri-action hinge and latching mechanism for a door panel A hinge assembly allows an access panel to be pivotally coupled to a cabinet, even though the cabinet includes a top cover that overlaps an upper edge of the panel. To open the access panel, a latch is actuated to first release a lower edge of the panel. The hinge a... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6957090 | Hands-free car kit The hands-free car kit allows a mobile handset to enter and exit privacy mode without the user having to press a privacy button. The simple act of picking up the mobile handset out of its cradle switches the hands-free car kit from hands-free mode to privacy mode. W... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6850607 | Intelligent vending system and method An intelligent vending system such as a pay telephone provides local/remote diagnostics, fraud prevention, capability of facilitating local coin overtime operation, complete cash box accounting, and detailed reporting. Information regarding each transaction is recor... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6822422 | Battery recycle system A battery recycle system includes a vending machine for vending secondary batteries. The vending machine has therein a telecommunication terminal connected to a server provided in a secondary battery for receiving information of minimum quality of a typical used sec... | 11/23/2004 |
| 6775365 | Directed call return service A method of providing a call return service wherein a first party, at a first customer premises equipment device, requests a service session with a first party service provider and enters an address for a second party, is provided. The service session signals a seco... | 08/10/2004 |
| 6721400 | Power and telecommunications access vending machine A vending machine for dispensing telecommunications access is disclosed. A customer interested in using the telecommunications access makes a payment into the payment processing unit which forwards the payment information to the central control unit. The central con... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6697472 | System and method therefor of preventing fraud on pay phone credit/debit calling card authorization To prevent fraud perpetrators from using a public pay telephone to illicitly collect account numbers, authorization codes or personal identification numbers from an unsuspecting user of the telephone, the instant invention disables the keypad of the telep... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6480590 | Network access pay telephone, conversion, and method A kit for converting an existing pay telephone to additionally provide computer network access includes an upper housing unit that latches to a lower housing of the existing telephone, and a network adapter unit which includes a network computer and a con... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6466658 | Power and telecommunications access vending machine A vending machine for dispensing telecommunications access is disclosed. A customer interested in using the telecommunications access makes a payment into the payment processing unit which forwards the payment information to the central control unit. The ... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6442260 | Method and system for transmitting information to a telecommunication terminal Method and system for presenting the price of a telecommunication connection on the telecommunication terminal of the committer of the telecommunication connection in a telecommunication system comprising a telephone exchange, a telecommunication terminal... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6415025 | Pay phone call completion method and apparatus A method for permitting multiple calls in a toll telecommunications network from a pay telephone comprising the steps of 1) receiving a first call in said toll telecommunications network from said pay telephone, 2) determining the identity of a single car... | 07/02/2002 |
| 6335970 | Automatic coin collection device for a payphone provided with no coin collection signal An automatic coin collection device for a payphone provided with no coin collection signal is disclosed, which has a solenoid to be activated to collect coins so as to start to count time and begin telephone communication. A call tone detector is connecte... | 01/01/2002 |
| 6320946 | Information payphone A payphone or coin-operated telephone that functions as an information transmittal device that dispenses user-selected information audibly to the user via the speaker in the payphone handset. A variety of information is stored in an information storage un... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6320945 | Line-powered pay telephone A pay telephone unit is disclosed that derives all operating power from the tip and ring conductors of the telephone line without the need for a battery. All data is stored in nonvolatile memory requiring no power for data retention, even when disconnecte... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6317496 | Telephone keypad guard This invention is a guard for preventing the vandalism of the keypad of a telephone. If the telephone is a pay telephone, the invention further prevents, thus preventing entry into the telephone money box from the upper housing area. The telephone guard, ... | 11/13/2001 |
| 6314169 | Power and telecommunications access vending machine A vending machine for dispensing power and telecommunications access is disclosed. The vending machine has an optional switchable power circuit that receives power from a power source and delivers the power to the customer's equipment via a power connecto... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6301344 | Intelligent public telephone system and method An intelligent pay telephone provides local/remote diagnostics, fraudulent call prevention, capability of facilitating local coin overtime operation, complete cash box accounting, and call detail reporting. Information regarding each call placed from the ... | 10/09/2001 |
| 6289088 | Pay phone call completion method and apparatus A method for permitting multiple calls in a toll telecommunications network from a pay telephone comprising the steps of 1) receiving a first call in said toll telecommunications network from said pay telephone, 2) determining, the identity of a single ca... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6278768 | Portable fixture for simulating and testing payphones Disclosed is a portable fixture which can be employed in simulating and testing the various functions of a conventional payphone. In general terms, the fixture includes an umbilical cord which can be removably connected to a payphone's motherboard. The fi... | 08/21/2001 |
| 6263058 | Charge information method The invention relates to a method of providing charge information and to a service control unit (SCP) for carrying out the method. During the establishment of a call from a calling subscriber (A) to a called subscriber (B), the service control unit (SCP) ... | 07/17/2001 |
| 6233327 | Multi-function general purpose transceiver The present invention is generally directed to a system and associated method for communicating information to a predetermined location. The system includes a transmitter disposed at a first location and configured to transmit a signal containing an instr... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6222915 | Method for providing telecommunications-based services One variant from a large number of possible services and/or service combinations is made available to the customer via a dialogue of human-machine interaction: a variant which the customer needs to solve his/her problem or to comply with his/her service r... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6163603 | Coin escrow apparatus with relay switch contact simulator A coin escrow apparatus for use with a pay telephone includes a housing defining a coin hopper, a coin acceptance chute, and a coin return chute. The apparatus also includes a door mounted within the housing for selective movement between an escrow positi... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6154532 | Charge minimizing callback system A device and method minimize telephone charges by not answering the destination telephone when an incoming call is detected. Preconnection information such as dialed number identification system (DNIS) information, phone type information digits, and autom... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6104792 | Method of providing call charge information as well as service control facility, subscriber terminal exchange, terminal, and communication network The invention concerns a method of informing a subscriber in a communication network about the charge for a desired connection, and a service control facility (SCP), a subscriber switching facility, a terminal (TA) and a communication network for carrying... | 08/15/2000 |
