The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 05, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 16, 1994
Joseph C Kawan, Hollywood, CA (US);
Melvin M Takata, Hermosa Beach, CA (US);
Alfred S Samulon, Malibu, CA (US);
Dilip J Parekh, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Harvey Marks, Canoga Park, CA (US);
Douglas W Caruthers, Marina Del Rey, CA (US);
Carol A Medine, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Truc Nguyen, Cerritos, CA (US);
Lucilla Warren, Santa Barbara, CA (US);
Leslie Moss, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Sarkis A Merguidijian, Glendale, CA (US);
Morris L Tucci, Van Nuys, CA (US);
Shan Lee, Hacienda Heights, CA (US);
Jim Vollmer, Culver City, CA (US);
Leo Ahlin, Etobicoke, CA;
Lawrence D Weiss, Skaneateles, NY (US);
Leslie Roth, Planview, NY (US);
Kenneth Krieger, Northport, NY (US);
Marjorie Engber, New York, NY (US);
Edward Chin, Long Island City, NY (US);
Robert Haddock, New York, NY (US);
Transaction Technology, Inc., Santa Monica, CA (US);
Abstract
A telephone configures as a programmable microcomputer (telephone-computer) which operates in most circumstances through a standard telephone 12-key keypad input. The telephone-computer has the overall appearance of a telephone and includes telephone electronics and a microprocessor unit operated in conjunction with other computer elements, including memory devices, a programmable gate array (PGA) chip which can be initially programmed and then fixed, and enhanced integrity features. The PGA has the capability of being configured to accommodate various types of software which require different hardware Configuration, but without actually reconfiguring the hardware. The telephone-computer delivers data processing capabilities and services through an ordinary telephone instrument via conventional telephone lines with a network host computer which communicates with a vast panoply of service bureaus. Specifically, operating software is downloaded to the telephone-computer by the network host computer to format the microcomputer to conform to the software format used by the service bureaus.