US 4,456,925 AGranted

Television/telephone system with automatic dialing

AssigneeZenith Radio Corporation

InventorsPeter C. Skerlos, Thomas J. Zato, Frank C. Templin

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Abstract

A television receiver incorporating telephone interface circuitry permitting the viewer to remotely place outgoing calls by recalling a selected number from memory is disclosed. An infrared link is used for remotely answering incoming calls, initiating outgoing calls and programming a nonvolatile memory with a plurality of preferred telephone numbers for future use. The nonvolatile memory circuit is accessed by means of a microcomputer in response to user-initiated, remotely generated commands. The television receiver's display performs a user interactive function in displaying television/telephone mode operation information, the contents of user-accessed locations in the nonvolatile memory and the telephone number being stored in memory during the programming mode of operation. The microcomputer controls not only the telephone mode of operation of the system, but also television operation in generating digital tune words in response to a channel number entry and providing these tune words to an indirect frequency synthesis type of television receiver tuner. The contents of the nonvolatile memory may be updated, or changed, as desired by user selection of appropriate controls followed by entry of the new telephone number which is presented on the video display as it is entered for user verification. The video display is then cleared upon return to the television mode of operation or upon television receiver turn-off.

Claims18

Dependent claims

In a television/telephone system for receiving a transmitted composite video signal having a video component and an audio component in a first mode of operation, said television receiver including a video display, audio signal processing circuitry including audio amplifier-speaker means and a tuner for selectively tuning said television receiver from a currently tuned channel to a desired channel, and for communicating by telephone in a second mode of operation wherein audio communication by means of a telephone line coupled to said television/telephone system may be initiated or responded to with incoming audio signals provided to said audio signal processing circuitry and audio amplifier-speaker means and outgoing audio signals provided to said telephone line by a microphone means responsive to acoustic signals provided thereto, an automatic telephone dialing system comprising:

remotely located mode selection means responsive to user inputs for generating a mode control signal representing said second mode of operation of said television/telephone system;
first remotely located control means responsive to said mode selection means and having a plurality of selectable keys for generating a first plurality of control signals representing channel numbers in said first mode of operation and a second plurality of control signals representing alphanumeric telephone number characters in said second mode of operation;
nonvolatile memory means having a plurality of accessible storage locations, each one capable of storing for later recall said channel numbers and said alphanumeric telephone number characters;
signal processing means responsive to said first and second plurality of control signals and coupled to said telephone line, said tuner and said nonvolatile memory means for generating and providing to said nonvolatile memory means for storage therein digitial tune words representing the channel number of a selected channel and digital dialing words representing a selected telephone number in said first and second modes of operation, respectively;
and
second remotely located control means for generating storage and recall commands and providing said commands to said signal processing means for respectively storing in and recalling from said nonvolatile memory means said digital tune words and said digital dialing words and providing said words respectively to said tuner and said telephone line.

3 more elements

In a television receiver including a video display for presenting a received composite video signal thereon, audio amplifier-speaker means for generating an audio output in response to a received audio component of said composite video signal and a tuner including a microcomputer responsive to remotely generated tune signals for tuning said television receiver to a designated television channel and for presenting on said video display a selected channel number in a first mode of operation of said television receiver, said television receiver further including telephone interface means for coupling said television receiver to a telephone line in a second mode of operation wherein telephone communication may be initiated by placing an outgoing call or responded to by answering an incoming call, a method for automatically dialing a designated telephone number comprising:

remotely generating a function control signal;
providing said function control signal to said microcomputer for controlling said video display in presenting user-directed instructions thereon;
remotely generating binary signals representing the alphanumeric characters of said designated telephone number;
providing said binary signals to said microcomputer for processing therein;
transferring said binary signals from said microcomputer to a nonvolatile memory means for storage therein in accordance with said instructions;
remotely generating an operating mode control signal;
providing said operating mode control signal to said microcomputer for operating said television receiver in said second mode of operation;
reading said binary signals from said nonvolatile memory means;
and
providing said binary signals to said telephone line in automatically dialing said designated telephone number.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/432,464Filed 4 Oct 1982
Granted: 26 Jun 1984
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04M 11/00
Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
H04M 1/2745
With provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time , e.g. using toothed disc: using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
H04M 1/27495
Using static electronic memories, e.g. chips: implemented by means of discrete electronic components, i.e. neither programmable nor…
H04M 1/27467
Using static electronic memories, e.g. chips: methods of retrieving data