Telephone-entry system with electronic directory

A telephone-entry system for use by a visitor to a facility having multiple individual-occupant entities, and having telephone service, and having individual telephone outlets at the individual-occupant entities respectively;

• said system comprising:
• a microphone and audio speaker, disposed for use by such visitor when seeking access, for voice communication between such visitor and an occupant of such individual-occupant entity;
• electrical communication-circuit means, interconnected with the microphone and audio speaker, for effectuating said voice communication through one of such individual telephone outlets by carrying electrical signals between (1) the microphone and speaker and (2) such telephone service;
• manually operable controls, disposed for use by such visitor;
• electronic memory means for holding directory information for such facility, particularly including names of such individual-occupant entities;
• a liquid-crystal display, disposed for viewing by such visitor, and having a display medium and a structure for containing the display medium;
• said liquid-crystal display structure comprising a face, disposed in front of the medium, for displaying the directory information;
• and
• at least one digital electronic microprocessor, electrically interconnected with and responsive to the manually operable controls, and electrically interconnected with the electrical communication-circuit means, the memory means and the liquid-crystal display, for:
• reading the directory information from the memory means,
• controlling the liquid-crystal display to exhibit the directory information,
• controlling the sequence of directory-information exhibition by the liquid-crystal display, and
• controlling the electronic communication-circuit means to initiate communication, via such telephone service, with a particular individual-occupant entity selected by such visitor from the directory information displayed by the liquid-crystal display.