Electronic-signaling device for interconnection with telephone system interfacing devices

Claim 1

An electronic-signaling device for sequentially transmitting a plurality of messages indicating the occurrence of a predetermined condition over a telephone line to a plurality of receiving stations comprising, a supervisory circuit having a source of power therein, said supervisory circuit having a normally inactive condition and an active condition to which said supervisory circuit is adapted to be energized upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition, an electric motor connected to said supervisory circuit and energizable in response to energization of said supervisory circuit to said active condition, a transmission circuit for transmitting information over a telephone line to said plurality of receiving stations upon energization of said supervisory circuit to said active condition, said transmission circuit including a tone transmission channel connectable with the telephone line for sequentially transmitting a plurality of pulsing sequences thereto each of which correspond to the telephone number of one of said plurality of receiving stations and an Audio transmission channel connectable with the telephone line for sequentially transmitting a plurality of messages to the telephone line each of which corresponds to a message desired to be transmitted to one of said plurality of receiving stations upon the occurrence of said predetermined condition, said audio transmission channel being further operable to direct a stop signal to deenergize said supervisory circuit to said inactive condition after said plurality of messages have been transmitted thereby, information carrying means associated with said transmission circuit and adapted to be driven by said electric motor, said information carrying means including first and second signal tracks each of which has prerecorded information thereon, said first track being associated with said tone transmission channel and having a generally continuous signal thereon, said generally continuous signal including a portion thereof for effecting seizure of the telephone line, a plurality of pulsing sequences incorporated therein with the pulses of each sequence corresponding to the digits of the telephone number of one of said plurality of receiving stations and an interrupted portion located between two of said pulsing sequences for releasing the telephone line to enable said telephone line to be seized to transmit another of said plurality of messages to another of said plurality of receiving stations, said second track being associated with said audio transmission channel and having a plurality of messages thereon each of which corresponds to the message desired to be directed to one of said plurality of receiving stations and a stop signal thereon for effecting deenergization of said supervisory circuit to said inactive condition, said stop signal being sequentially disposed after said plurality of messages, reading means for sensing said prerecorded information on said information carrying means in response to actuation of said electric motor and transmitting said information on said first track to said tone transmission channel and said information on said second track to said audio transmission channel, first circuit means connectable to said telephone line and coupled to said audio transmission channel for transmitting said messages to the telephone line, said first circuit means including second circuit means having a normally inactive condition and an active condition for effecting seizure of the telephone line, third circuit means adapted to be connected to the telephone line and coupled to said tone transmission channel, said third circuit means being operable to effect energization of said second circuit means to said active condition to effect seizure of the telephone line in response to said tone transmission channel receiving said portion of said continuous signal for effecting seizure of the telephone line and being operably to effect energization of said second circuit means to said inactive condition to release a seized telephone line in response to said tone transmission channel receiving said interrupted portion of said continuous signal to enable the telephone line to be seized to transmit another of said plurality of messages to another of said plurality of receiving stations, and holding circuit means coupled between said audio transmission channel and said supervisory circuit to effect deenergization of said supervisory circuit to said inactive condition in response to said audio transmission channel transmitting said stop signal thereto after said plurality of messages have been sequentially directed to said plurality of receiving stations to thereby stop said electric motor.