Did You Know...
...that in 1800 ether was first used by partyers as a fun diversion? Sniffing the gas led to hilarious and raucous laughter as people watched each other become more and more intoxicated and silly. Several doctors independently realized the value ether would have to anesthetize surgery patients. Of those who claimed rights to the "discovery," none had a happy ending. One had a seizure and died defending his rights. Another spent his life in an asylum because he had been denied acclaim. A third became addicted to chloroform and, in a New York City jail, he soaked a cloth in the drug, severed an artery and bled to death.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6002753 | Method and apparatus for interfacing computers to exchange telephone call business information An apparatus and method is provided for exchanging telephone call information between two computers, one of which is coupled to a computerized branch exchange (CBX) which services a plurality of telephone agents, the other of which contains telephone call... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5926532 | Integrated wireless communication system A wireless communication system, for example for underwater divers, wherein the receiver portion and the transmitter portion of the system are mounted at the user's ear and mouth, respectively, by a single strap. The single strap is also used to maintain ... | 07/20/1999 |
| 5859894 | Self-diagnostic system for cellular-transceiver systems with remote-reporting capabilities A self-diagnostic system for a checking all functions of a cellular-transceiver system having a cellular-interface unit, which interface unit couples a standard telephone set to a cellular transceiver, which interface unit converts the DTMF or pulse-type ... | 01/12/1999 |
| 5854833 | Processing using DEF records A system and method for processing telephone calls and providing enhanced services is presented. The call processing system includes a network control processor for controlling the processing and routing of the calls and for providing enhanced features, a... | 12/29/1998 |
| 5825863 | Prepaid limited usage calling card The present invention provides a system that embodies an apparatus and method for enabling prepayment of telephone call charges in connection with a calling-card, the authorized called telephone number(s) being selectable by the cardholder so that the cal... | 10/20/1998 |
| 5815560 | Communication service control apparatus The present invention relates to a communication service control apparatus for controlling communication services in the public network, private network or a network such as a virtual private network not accompanied by geographical conditions or physical ... | 09/29/1998 |
| 5809120 | Telecommunications network circuit usage measurement A system and method is provided for using underused or unused local telephone company local loops to subscriber premises for providing to such premises a connection to an alternate service provider. The use of the local loop is leased to the ultimate serv... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5802123 | Clock signal reproduction circuit and data reproduction circuit A clock signal reproduction circuit including an A/D conversion circuit for converting an input RF analog signal with a restricted upper limit of a frequency band into a digital signal, a digital phase error calculation unit for digitally calculating a ph... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5801340 | Proximity sensor An improved capacitive sensor for detecting the presence of objects in a sensing region. The sensor is a multilayer structure with alternating layer of condutive and insulating materials. The sensor structure has three electrodes: a touch plate, a guard l... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5802156 | Method for billing and controlling fraud in providing pay information services A group conferencing arrangement for a counseling service permits the simultaneous connection of two or more service representatives to a call-in caller, i.e. without the need for one service representative to add-on the second service representative conf... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5793852 | Method of processing information charge discount rates for service subscribers in premium-rate service A method of processing information charge discount rates for service subscribers in a premium-rate service. Information charge discount rate data for each service subscriber is registered and a service subscriber number and a calling number are received f... | 08/11/1998 |
| 5793853 | System and method for recording billing information for a telecommunications service request A system for recording the services provided by a telecommunications network in response to a service request generates a number of individual records corresponding to the number of network elements providing telecommunications services in response to the... | 08/11/1998 |
| 5787403 | Bank-centric service platform, network and system A banking service platform is provided that enables bank-centric access and control by a customer at a remote location of financial information, products and services maintained by a bank at a central location and provides an access gateway from the bank ... | 07/28/1998 |
| 5784444 | Method and apparatus for providing personal calling identification at remote locations This invention relates to a method and apparatus for specifying alternative phone numbers to be used as Incoming Calling Line Identification (ICLID) numbers. When calling from a remote telephone station, the caller may provide personalized information inc... | 07/21/1998 |
| 5784443 | Integrated revenue domain for telecommunication networks A system and method automatically, in real-time, create and maintain records of customer use of a telecommunication network for diverse types of service and costs. Each customer use of the network is collected and tagged in a record as an event for each s... | 07/21/1998 |
| 5781622 | Two-line apparatus for telephone intercom An apparatus for providing an intercom function on a telephone, without the need for an external power supply, having DTMF or pulse capabilities including an intercom operation device arranged for connection to a DTMF or pulse telephone line and to a DTMF... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5781621 | Microcontroller with a caller identification unit A microcontroller (100) for processing caller information received from a telephone line to display on a display panel of a telecommunication device. The microcontroller (100) includes a central processing unit (160), a display control unit (110) for cont... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5778049 | Service engineering template A method and system for recording and tracking information related to telecommunication services. A centralized computer database system comprising a plurality of service engineering templates (`SETs`) is provided. Each SET is created just prior to the de... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5774535 | Telecommunication-time metering device utilizable for prepayment of information transfers between information transferring devices within a telecommunication network The present invention provides a method and apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections between first and second telecommunication devices operably associatable with the telecommunication lines of a telecommunication switching network. In ge... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5771283 | Method for delivering enhanced caller identification service in a telecommunications network A method for delivering enhanced caller identification (ID) service including geographic location information comprises initializing an originating switch with geographic identification data (GID). The GID is stored in each switch module memory, and is ac... | 06/23/1998 |
| 5764639 | System and method for providing a remote user with a virtual presence to an office A system and method for enabling a remote user to maintain a virtual presence at a corporate office and behave substantially as if the user were physically present at the corporate office. The remote user's telephone behaves as a PBX extension, and the re... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5764727 | Metallic access test extender A metallic access test extender includes an office unit and a remote unit coupled to the office unit via a digital transmission system. A voltage controlled current source is included in the office unit and a voltage controlled voltage source in the remot... | 06/09/1998 |
| 5761272 | Method of and system for performing telecommunications stress testing A method of and system for managing telecommunications system testing. The system displays a list of available originating and terminating bulk call generators. The user can graphically select the bulk call generators to be used in the test and can commun... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5757898 | Information processing and communication apparatus Devices, such as a mouse and a keyboard, a monitor of a PC, a microphone and a speaker provided on the extension board, and a sound input/output device of the sound input/output unit which is connected to the extension board are utilized as a display unit... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5757894 | Virtual foreign exchange service In a virtual implementation, intelligent processing permits use of selectively switched connections and selective billing procedures to emulate a foreign exchange service. On outgoing foreign exchange calls, a local switching system detects a predetermine... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5754634 | System and method for tracking and reporting incoming calls A method and system is disclosed for tracking call transaction data from incoming telephone calls, including attempted calls that have not been completed, made to individual predetermined subscribers during a defined time period. Information, including de... | 05/19/1998 |
| 5751800 | Screening of incoming telephone calls prior to call completion to the destination party A destination telecommunication switch receives a request to establish a call to a first party served by the switch. The request includes call type data that identifies the party originating the call request as one of a plurality of call categories. A fir... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5750941 | Ultrasonic coordinates input device The ultrasonic coordinates input device includes receivers grouped into a plurality of groups, each receiver receiving the ultrasonic waves propagated through a propagator so as to calculate the coordinates of the ultrasonic wave inputted positions on the... | 05/12/1998 |
| 5748722 | Collective-house control system employing an interface circuit for alternative mark inversion control communication A collective-house control system is provided which employs an interface circuit for alternative mark inversion (AMI) communication. The interface circuit has a data detecting unit, a controlling unit, and an AMI signal generating unit. The data detecting... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5748717 | Method and system for assigning a communication to a preferred carrier for accounting and/or communication routing purposes A method and system 11 for quickly changing a subscriber's long distance or local carrier while allowing the subscriber to maintain the same directory number. A preferred carrier code is entered into an interim carrier database 42, 43, and an indicator is... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5748908 | Automated, classified expenditure data card recording system This is an expenditure data recording system using a uniquely designed classification binary code (or its equivalent) stored within the point of sale terminal system consisting of a cash register, a credit/debit card reader, and a telecommunications line.... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5748718 | Telephone monitoring system to reduce consumer payments of telephone bill The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for a telephone management system having a CPU, rate data storage, random access memory, program storage, telephoe interface, memory bus, printer, numeric and functinal keypads, speaker and at least... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5742667 | Notification of toll free call charging status A caller who calls an 800 number is given an audible or visual indication that the call will not incur any charges for services provided on that call by the called party. If such charges will be incurred the caller is warned and may terminate or continue ... | 04/21/1998 |
| 5740233 | System and method for statistical diagnosis of the operation of an automated telephone system There is disclosed a system and method for monitoring the performance of a multi-line automated telephone system and detecting complete or intermittent faults on the incoming phone lines and in interactive applications accessed by the automated telephone ... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5740213 | Differential charge pump based phase locked loop or delay locked loop A phase locked loop includes a differential charge pump to cancel static phase error and reduce sensitivity to noise. The differential charge pump comprises two substantially identical single-ended charge pumps so that under locked condition, changes in v... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5737400 | Telecommunications system for accessing subscriber premises equipment using ring suppression A no-ring access telecommunications system is connected to a subscriber's telephone line at the demarcation point between the public switched telephone network and the telephone line or at the utility meter site on the subscriber's premises, or at a centr... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5737401 | Full coin box signalling device for use with coin telephones A coin box monitoring circuit for use in pay telephones, providing coin detection, coin volume totalization, and full coin box signaling to the telephone central office. An included coin chute assembly has three channels that cause nickels, dimes, and qua... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5734130 | Digitizing apparatus having array of hall effect sensors Digitizing apparatus comprises an array of Hall effect elements. The array includes conditioning circuitry and scanning circuitry for sensing the conditions of all Hall effect elements and determining which elements have been actuated by a user manipulate... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5734696 | Testing telecommunications equipment A system for testing telecommunications equipment located at two sites includes a set of test instruments located at each site, a local test controller located at each site for controlling the test instrument at that site, and a master test controller con... | 03/31/1998 |
| 5732128 | Method and apparatus for storing call feature data A method and apparatus for recording call features, whenever they are sactivated, at the originating and/or terminating switch, whether or not the call features activated have successful results. Many such call feature activation records are gathered toge... | 03/24/1998 |
