Selective Signalling Apparatus With Storage Of Call Signals

Abstract

Selective calling apparatus for use in electronic equipment, such as a radio pager, for disabling an audio calling device and storing the calling information so that it can be reproduced when desired. This prevents the interruption of a person carrying the pager, such as a doctor in surgery, who does not want to be disturbed, and permits the person to receive the call at his convenience by operation of a switch. The storage or memory circuit disables the audio stage which produces the call tone and holds the signal in a decoder which responds to the code signal so that the call can be produced when the memory circuit is reset.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to electronic circuits for storing a call signal, and more particularly to such a circuit used with a pager having an audio stage and a decoder for providing a call tone, and which disables the audio stage and holds the decoder operative until the circuit is reset.

In various selective calling systems, such as radio pagers, which produce an audio call tone, it is desirable in some cases to prevent the audio call tone from sounding. For example, pagers are worn by doctors, and when the doctor is caring for a patient he does not want to be interrupted by the call tone. It is desired, however, that as soon as the doctor is in a position to receive the call, he is able to interrogate the system to determine if he has been called. In the past, the only provision to prevent the audio call tone from sounding was to turn off the pager. In such case, any message which comes in while the pager is off will be lost, and there is no indication that a call has been received.

Although recording or storage devices are known which can retain information as to a call, these have been too large to provide within a pager, which is of a size to be carried by a person, as in a pocket or on a belt. Known devices require additional equipment which consumes power and causes objectionable current drain in a small device having a self-contained battery. Also, such devices have been relatively expensive, to substantially increase the cost of the selective calling device involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a selective calling system which acts to disable an audio tone or other calling device and to store the calling information so that it can be produced upon interrogation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a memory circuit for a radio pager having a decoder for producing a calling signal in response to a particular received code signal, wherein the memory circuit requires only a small number of parts and consumes little power to hold the decoder operative to retain the calling signal until reset.

A further object of the invention is to provide a radio pager having aduio stages for producing an audio calling tone with a simple and inexpensive memory circuit operative to be set to disable the audio stages and retain the calling signal, and to be reset to enable the audio stages and apply the calling signal thereto.

In practicing the invention, a radio pager is provided which includes a decoder which responds to a calling signal including two tone provided in sequence, and which has a tone oscillator actuated by the decoder and an audio amplifier and transducer for producing an audible tone in response to the tone oscillations. The audio amplifier may also be used to amplify information signals. A memory or storing circuit is coupled to the decoder through a switch and to the audio amplifier. The memory circuit has a first portion for disabling the audio amplifier when the decoder provides an output signal, so that the tone oscillations from the decoder are not reproduced. A second portion of the memory circuit holds the decoder in a condition to continuously produce the output signal. This includes a first portion which operates without a delay so that a call is not lost, and a second portion which operates after a delay to hold the decoder operative after the audio amplifier is enabled. A reset switch coupled to the memory circuit operates the same to render the audio amplifier operative and to release the decoder after a predetermined time so that the output signal is terminated. The reset circuit is combined with a circuit which prevents storage of the decoder operation when the pager is turned on, which operation is used to provide an indication that the pager is operating properly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a paging receiver including the memory circuit of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the memory circuit of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is illustrated the signalling system of the invention as utilized in a paging receiver. The receiver includes an antenna 10, and receiver circuits 12 for amplifying and detecting signals therefrom. The receiver circuits may be of known construction, and the signals may include audio signals which appear on conductor 14 and tone signals which appear on condutor 15. Alternatively, the receiver may be used to reproduce tone signals only.

The audio signals are applied to audio amplifier 16 which may include amplifier stages 18, 20 and 22. The output of amplifier stage 22 is applied to an audio transducer 24 which may be a miniature loudspeaker for providing the audio sound required from a pager or other small radio receiver. The amplifier stages 18, 20 and 22 are selectively energized by a potential supplied from terminal 26 through regulator 28 to the amplifier stages. The regulator is controlled by a potential applied thereto from OR gate 30, as will be explained. The amplifier and regulator may be of the type described in copending application Ser. No. 151,461, filed June 9, 1971 by John R. Rezek, entitled "Controllable Audio Amplifier for Miniature Receiver Provided by a Thick Film Module Including an Integrated Circuit."

The tone output of the receiver circuits 12 on conductor 15 is applied through capacitor 32 to activate filters 34 and 36 for selecting the A and B tones, respectively. The selective code used may include a first A tone followed by a second B tone and the filters select the tones from other signals which may be present and apply the same to decoder 35. The A tone is applied to detector 38, which acts to discharbe capacitor 39, which is normally charged from the supply potential through resistor 40. At the termination of the A tone, capacitor 39 will charge to trigger inverter 42 to discharge capacitor 43 very rapidly. The negative going voltage across capacitor 43 is coupled by capacitor 44 to inverter 45, providing a low input thereto. This input will stay low until capacitors 44 and 43 charge from the supply potential through resistor 41. The low input to inverter 45 will provide a high input to AND gate 46. Tone A must be received for a predetermined time to discharge capacitor 39 to a given level and this provides protection with respect to undesired short duration signals of the frequency of tone A. The high input to AND gate 46 is delayed by the charge of capacitor 39 and the discharge of capacitor 43.

Similarly, threshold detector 48 responds to the B tone, and acts to discharge capacitor 49, which is normally charged through resistor 50. The voltage across capacitor 49 is applied through inverter 52 and OR gate 54 to the second input of AND gate 46. When the B tone is received during the time period following the A tone that a high input is applied from inverter 45 to AND gate 46, this AND gate will operate to provide a direct current potential on the output conductor 56. This is applied through resistor 58 and conductor 59 to one input of OR gate 30 of the audio amplifier 16 to turn on the regulator 28 so that the audio amplifier is rendered operative. The output on conductor 56 is also applied through inverter 57 to the input of inverter 45. This maintains the first input to AND gate 46 as long as the AND gate 46 provides an output. This will cause the AND gate 46 to remain operated as long as the B tone is received.

The output of AND gate 46 on conductor 56 is also applied to astable circuit 60 of the decoder 35. This applies an output through inverter 62 to AND gate 64 to which the output from conductor 56 is also applied. Accordingly, AND gate 64 will operate intermettently to activate tome oscillator 66, which applies tone signals through condutor 68 to the input of audio amplifier stage 20. This tone signal is amplified in stages 20 and 22 and reproduced by loudspeaker 24.

When the decoder is used in a pager for tone only operation, the decoder output on conductor 56 is also applied through resistor 70 and capacitor 71 to conductor 69 connected to the second input of OR gate 54. This will act to apply a potential to the second input of AND gate 46 for a time after the B tone terminates. Accordingly, the decoder will cause the tone oscillator 66 to operate as long as the B tone is received, and for an additional time determined by the values of resistor 70 and capacitor 71.

The decoder 35 may be in accordance with the decoder described in application Ser. No. 151,460, filed June 9, 1971 by Raymond J. Millington and John R. Rezek, entitled, "Integrated Circuit Decoder Responsive to Two Sequential Tones with Group Call Provisions."

A memory or storing circuit 75 is coupled to the audio amplifier 16 and decoder 35, and has a terminal 76 connected to the conductor 56 providing the output of decoder 35. This terminal is connected through switch 78 and conductor 79 to the base of transistor 80. The emitter of transistor 80 is connected to ground, and the collector is connected to conductor 59, which is connected to one input of the OR gate 30 of the audio amplifier 16. Accordingly, when the switch 78 is closed, and the decoder provides an output at conductor 56, this potential applied to the base of transistor 80 will render the same conducting to ground conductor 59, so that an actuating potential cannot be applied therethrough to the OR gate 30 to turn on the regulator 28. This acts to hold the audio circuit disabled when the decoder responds to the calling code.

The potential applied to conductor 79 from the decoder 35 is also applied to one input of AND gate 82. Inverter 84 normally provides a second high input to AND gate 82 so that this AND gate produces a positive output. The output is applied through conductor 85 to conductor 69 connected to the second input of OR gate 54 of the decoder 35, to hold the same operated in the absence of the B tone. This causes AND gate 46 to continue to provide the output on conductor 56, as long as switch 78 is closed and AND gate 82 produces an output.

The potential on conductor 79 of the memory circuit 75 is also applied to the input of AND gate 86. The second input to the AND gate 86 is connected to point 97, which is connected to the audio amplifier 16. Point 97 is connected within audio amplifier 16 through resistor 98 to the positive potential at terminal 26, and provides a high input so that AND gate 86 is operative to apply a potential to delay circuit 88. This acts to render transistor 90 conductive after a given delay, such as two seconds. Transistor90 provides a ground on conductor 92 which extends to the inverter 52, and this provides a high input to the OR gate 54. Accordingly, the memory circuit 75 applies a second input to OR gate 54, which is delayed with respect to the input applied thereto from conductor 69. This input applied through OR gate 54 to AND gate 46 will hold AND gate 46 operated for a period of time after the input from conductor 69 terminates.

The memory circuit has a reset switch 95 which when operated applies ground to the emitter of transistor 96, so that transistor 96 conducts and grounds point 97. This point is coupled to inverter 99, which is connected to a second input of the OR gate 30 of the audio amplifier 16. This inverter provides a high output which is applied through OR gate 30 to actuate the regulator 28 to energize the amplifier. The amplifier 16 is, therefore, turned on even though switch 78 is still closed and conductor 59 is grounded by transistor 80.

The ground potential at point 97 is also applied to the second input of AND gate 86 and to the input of inverter 87. The output of AND gate 86 therefore drops to a low level to remove the input to delay circuit 88, and the inverter 87 produces a positive output which resets the delay circuit. This immediately moves the bias to transistor 90 so that it ceases to conduct. This removes the ground on conductor 92 which latches the decoder 35. Capacitor 49 then charges through resistor 50 to provide a positive potential to the inverter 52.

When reset switch 95 is released, transistor 96 is rendered nonconducting, and point 97 returns to a high potential. This triggers one shot pulse generator 100 to produce an output which is applied to inverter 84. The inverter produces a low output for the two second period of generator 100, to remove the second input to AND gate 82. This causes the output of gate 82 to go low to remove the clamp potential applied through conductor 85 to the second input of OR gate 54. This deactivates the decoder, and the output at conductor 56 terminates to provide a low input to OR gate 30. As point 97 is at the supply potential, inverter 99 provided a low input to OR gate 30, so that both inputs are low and the regulator turns off to deenergize the amplifier 16.

The switch 78 may be part of the main operating switch for the pager, which has a plurality of positions, one to turn off the pager, a second to turn on the pager so that it receives normal calls, and a third, provided by contacts 78, which provides the memory action. Contacts 78 are opened when the pager switch is operated to the on position for receiving normal calls. This removes the potential conductors 79 and renders transistor 80 nonconducting to remove the audio clamp, so that the audio circuit operates to reproduce the audible alert tone from oscillator 66 of the decoder. This also disables AND gate 82 to remove the potential on conductor 85, but the potential on conductor 69 connected to the second input of gate 54 is held for a short time by action of capacitor 71 and resistors 70, 72 and 73. AND gate 86 is also disabled to render transistor 92 nonconducting after the delay produced by circuit 88. This causes the stored call to be reproduced by operating the pager switch to the on position, as well as by operating the momentary reset switch 95. The main pager switch can be a three position slide switch, and the reset switch can be coupled thereto so that it is operated when the slide switch operating member is depressed, for example.

The system which has been described in connection with FIG. 1 is for use in "tone operation" radio pagers. That is, in radio pagers which provide a tone to indicate to the person carrying the pager that a message is being held for him. He must go to a telephone to call his office, or some other number, to find what the message is. Radio pagers are also provided which provide "tone and voice" operation. In such pagers, an alert tone of short duration is produced followed by an audio message. In the "tone operation" pagers, it is desired to provide the alert tone for the relatively long period to insure that the person carrying the pager hears the same. Accordingly, the resistor 70 and capacitor 71 are provided to hold the decoder output on for a time after the termination of the calling code. In tone and voice pagers, it is not desired to hold the alert tone on beyond the calling code, as the voice message follows the calling code and if the alert tone is continued it will interfere with the voice message.

For the above reasons, in tone and voice radio pagers, the resistor 70 and capacitor 71 are omitted. In such pagers, capacitor 74 is connected to conductor 69 to provide a short delay after the potential on conductor 85 from the memory circuit is removed. This will hold the decoder output on conductor 56 for a short time. Also in tone and voice pagers, the reset switch 95 is not used and switch 102 is used. Switch 102 directly grounds point 97 to reset the memory circuit and terminate the ground potential on conductor 92 which latches the decoder. This makes it possible to monitor the channel in tone and voice pagers.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a circuit diagram of the memory circuit 75 of FIG. 1. The circuit provides the same functions described in connection with the block diagram of FIG. 1, and corresponding parts are given the same numbers. The input terminal 76 receives the direct current output of the decoder 35, and the connection through switch 78 and conductor 79 to transistor 80, which grounds conductor 59, is exactly the same as in FIG. 1.

Transistors 105 and 106, which are rendered conducting by the potential on conductor 79, form half of the AND gate 82 in FIG. 1. Transistor 108 forms the other half of the AND gate 82. Transistor 108, when conducting, grounds conductor 85 which provides the output of gate 82. When transistor 108 is not conducting and transistor 106 is rendered conducting by the potential on conductor 79, the positive potential is applied from the supply through transistor 106 to conductor 85, as described in connection with FIG. 1. This output is applied through conductor 69 to the OR gate 54 (FIG. 1) and is also applied to the base of transistor 96, the emitter of which is connected to ground through switch 95. Transistor 96 and switch 95 are exactly the same as in FIG. 1.

The one shot pulse generator 100 in FIG. 1 is formed by transistors 110 and 112 and the circuit elements connected thereto. Capacitor 114 controls the time duration of the pulse. Transistor 118 forms the inverter coupling the pulse generator to the second input of the AND gate 82, which is formed by transistor 108, as previously stated. During normal operation, capacitor 114 charges through resistor 115 and resistor 98, which is connected to the supply potential terminal 26. This applies a potential to the base of transistor 118 which renders the same conducting, and this grounds the base of transistor 108 so that transistor 108 is cut off. Accordingly, transistor 108 is normally off and the output on conductor 85 depends upon the conductivity of transistor 106, controlled by the potential on line 79.

When the pager is first turned on, the supply voltage will produce a pulse through capacitor 111 to the base of transistor 112 to render transistor 112 conducting. This grounds capacitor 114 so that it is discharged. This is provided so that if the pager had been turned off, and then quickly turned on again, the capacitor 114 might retain a charge. Accordingly, for a short time when the pager is first turned on, transistor 108 will be rendered conducting so that line 85 will be at ground potential and cannot latch the decoder 35. This is desired because the decoder is arranged to produce a tone when the pager is first turned on so that the person using the pager knows that it is operative. However, it is not desired to store this operation, which is not in response to a paging call. Transistor 110 will be rendered conducting to ground the base of transistor 112, so that it can conduct for only a very short period. Then capacitor 114 will charge and render transistor 118 conducting to cut off transistor 108.

The above operation makes it possible to reset the memory circuit by a momentary operation of switch 95. This grounds point 97, and when the ground is removed the potential applied acts to short capacitor 114, as described to release the latch on decoder 35.

Capacitor 120 forms the delay circuit 88 (FIG. 1) which controls the conductivity of transistor 90. Capacitor 120 is charged through resistor 121 when the potential is present on conductor 79, derived from the decoder 35. When there is no potential on conductor 79, capacitor 120 discharges through resistors 121 and 122. The second input to the AND gate 86 and the reset of the delay circuit 88 (FIG. 1) are, in effect, provided by transistors 124 and 125 which are connected from point 97 to capacitor 120. As point 97 is normally high, transistor 124 is normally conducting to hold transistor 125 cut off. This allows capacitor 120 to charge to render transistor 92 conducting when there is a potential from decoder 35 on conductor 79. As previously stated, some time will be required for capacitor 120 to charge and turn on transistor 90. Accordingly, the latch for the decoder provided by conductor 92 is delayed with respect to the latch provided by conductor 85.

When the reset switch 95 is operated and point 97 is pulled to ground potential, transistor 124 will be cut off and transistor 125 will be rendered conducting. This will discharge capacitor 120, and after the time required for the charge to drop to a predetermined level (essentially zero), transistor 90 will be turned off. This will release the latch applied through conductor 92. The latch applied through conductor 85 will not be released until reset switch 95 is released, or switch 78 is opened.

The memory circuit which has been described has been found to be highly effective to store a call when it is desired that an alert tone not be sounded. The memory circuit is of simple construction, requiring a relatively small number of components and a very small amount of space in the pager device. Since the memory circuit latches the decoder so that it stores the message, separate storage means is not required. The memory circuit requires a minimum of power which is extremely important in a small radio pager having a self-contained battery. A further saving in power can be obtained by latching the astable circuit 60 in the state which holds the tone oscillator 66 off, in the system of FIG. 1. This can be accomplished by the coupling of conductor 92 which provides a latching potential to the astable circuit. This will eliminate the current drain required by the tone oscillator during the memory period.

Claims

I claim:

1. In selective signalling apparatus including a decoder for producing an output signal in response to a particular code signal and which is adapted to be latched to maintain the output signal by the application of a latching signal thereto, and including alerting means coupled to the decoder and adapted to be operated by the output signal therefrom, and further adapted to be disabled by application of a signal thereto, the combination including:

first means coupled to the decoder for receiving the output signal therefrom,

second means coupled to said first means and to the alerting means and responsive to the decoder output signal for applying a signal to the alerting means for disabling the same,

third means coupled to said first means and to the decoder and responsive to the decoder output signal from said first means for applying a latching signal to the decoder to latch the same and thereby maintain the output signal, and

reset means coupled to said third means to reset the same and remove said latching signal.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first means includes switch means for interrupting the decoder output signal for terminating the response of said second means thereto, and for operating said third means to release the decoder.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said reset means includes switch means for operating said third means to release the decoder and to reset said third means for a further operation.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said switch means has first and second positions, with said first position of said switch means operating said third means to release the decoder, and said second position of said switch means operating said third means to reset the same.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said third means includes a first portion coupled to the decoder and having means operative without substantial delay to hold the decoder operative, and a second portion coupled to the decoder and having means operative after a given delay to hold the decoder operative.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said first means includes switch means to terminate the application of the decoder output signal to said third means, whereby said first portion releases the decoder without substantial delay, and said second portion releases the decoder after the given delay.

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said reset means is coupled to said first and second portions of said third means and operates the same to release the decoder without substantial delay.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second means includes a portion coupled to said reset means for rendering the alerting means operative.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said portion of said second means is an OR gate having first and second inputs, with means applying the decoder output signal to said first input, means for disabling said first input in response to the decoder output signal, and means coupled to said reset means and to said second input for applying a signal to said second input in response to operation of said reset means to render the alerting means operative.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said first means includes switch means for interrupting the decoder output signal for terminating the response of said second means thereto to enable said first input of said OR gate.