Network access pay telephone, conversion, and method

A kit for converting an existing pay telephone to a network access pay telephone for accessing a digital communications network as well as for conventional voice communications, the existing pay telephone comprising a lower housing structure having a coin scanner, and escrow unit, and a payphone electronics module mounted therein, the payphone electronics module having a line receptacle for connecting an external telephone line, a coin scanner socket for electrically connecting the coin scanner, an escrow unit socket for electrically connecting the escrow unit, and an interface cable for electrically connecting an external interface, the payphone electronics module having circuitry for managing the conventional voice communications over the external telephone line in response to the coin scanner, the escrow unit, and the external interface, the kit comprising:

• (a) an upper housing structure comprising a front-end interface having an interface socket for electrically connecting the interface cable of the payphone electronics module, a handset connected to the front-end interface, a hook-switch connected to the front-end interface, and a dialpad connected to the front-end interface;
• (b) a network computer comprising non-volatile memory, a modem having a pass-through connection for connecting to the line receptacle of the payphone electronics module, a display, an input device, and a local interface port, the display and the input device being supported by the upper housing structure for operator access thereto;
• and
• (c) a control module connected to the local interface port and to the front-end interface, the control module also having pass-through connections for connecting between the coin scanner and the payphone electronics module and between the escrow unit and the payphone electronics module.

A method for converting an existing pay telephone to a network access pay telephone for accessing a digital communications network as well as for conventional voice communications, the existing pay telephone comprising a lower housing structure having a coin scanner, and escrow unit, and a payphone electronics module mounted therein, the payphone electronics module having a payphone line receptacle for connecting an external telephone line, a coin scanner socket for electrically connecting the coin scanner, an escrow unit socket for electrically connecting the escrow unit, and an interface cable connected to an interface module, the payphone electronics module having circuitry for managing the conventional voice communications over the external telephone line in response to the coin scanner, the escrow unit, and the external interface, the method comprising:

• (a) providing an upper housing structure comprising a front-end interface having an interface socket, a handset connected to the front-end interface, a hook-switch connected to the front-end interface, and a dialpad connected to the front-end interface;
• (b) providing a network computer comprising non-volatile memory, a modem having a modem line connection, a display, an input device, and a local interface port;
• (c) mounting the display and the input device to the upper housing structure for operator access thereto;
• (d) providing a control module having respective coin scanner and escrow unit pass-through connections;
• (e) electrically connecting the coin scanner to the control module and to the coin scanner socket of the payphone electronics module for passing signals from the coin scanner to the network computer and to the payphone electronics module;
• (f) electrically connecting the escrow unit to the control module and to the escrow unit socket of the payphone electronics module for selectively activating the escrow unit in response to the network computer and the payphone electronics module;
• (g) electrically connecting the interface cable of the payphone electronics module to the interface socket of the front-end interface for signaling the payphone electronics module in response to the hook switch and the dialpad, and for bidirectionally signaling between the handset and the payphone electronics module;
• (h) electrically connecting the control module to the local interface port of the network computer and to the front-end interface for signaling the network computer in response to the hook switch;
• (i) connecting the modem line connection to the payphone line receptacle of the payphone electronics module;
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• (j) latching the upper housing structure to the lower housing structure.