Public switched telephone network access to public data network

A method for providing Feature Group access to the public data network comprising the steps of:

• (a) accessing the public switched telephone network from a station including a credit card authorization means including auto-dialing means connected by a station line to a first central office switch in said telephone network by auto-dialing a customer identification code (CIC) number;
• (b) connecting said first central office via a Feature Group B or Feature Group D trunk to a second central office switch in said telephone network, said second central office switch being a stored program control (SPC) switch connected to other central office switches via non-Feature Group trunks and functioning to switch non-Feature Group calls in said telephone network;
• (c) converting the CIC call to a line side number at said SPC switch under control of the stored program of said switch;
• (d) connecting the line identified by said line side number to a line side modem;
• (e) transmitting an output of said line side modem over the public data network via packet switching to a host computer means for effecting said credit card authorization.

A system for connecting selected calling stations to a predetermined destination over a public switched telephone network, said selected calling stations including credit card authorization means, said network including multiple Stored Program Control (SPC) switching means connected by trunks and trunk switching means, said SPC switching means being also connected by Common Channel Signalling (CCS) links, said SPC switching means being connected to stations by station lines, said predetermined destination comprising a station connected to one of said SPC switching means by station lines, said destination station comprising line side modem means connected to said station lines, said modem means being connected by digital communication link means to host computer means, said one SPC switching means being connected to Feature Group B or Feature Group D trunk means in said telephone network, said Feature Group trunk means being connected through said network to said selected calling stations by said selected station dialing a customer identification code (CIC) number, said one SPC switching means being programmed to convert said CIC number received over said Feature Group B or Feature Group D trunk means to a line number for said destination station, and means at said one SPC switching means for initiating a quick start signal to said modem means immediately upon said one SPC switching means receiving a CCS signal requesting said CIC connection and establishing a connection.

In a public switched communications network including Stored Program Control (SPC) switch means connected together by trunk means wherein said SPC switch means are connected to stations by station lines, the method of providing special purpose communications comprising:

• (a) providing at selected stations connected to said SPC switch means point of sale terminal devices including modem means and automatic dialing means;
• (b) providing at a destination station connected to one of said SPC switch means by station lines, line side modem means connected to said station line, said modem means being connected to host computer means via a digital communication link;
• (c) providing, between the SPC switch means connected to said selected stations and the SPC switch means connected to said destination station, Feature Group trunk means;
• (d) providing a customer identification code (CIC) number which when dialed by said automatic dialing means effects connection of the terminal device to the SPC switch means connected to said destination station;
• (e) effecting in said last named SPC switch means a number conversion from said CIC number to a number assigned to said destination station;
• and
• (f) Sending from said last named SPC switch means to said destination station a quick start signal to effect initialization of said line side modem means.