GB2344249A - Fast dial telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

A fast dial telephone is a telephone with a keypad specifically designed to increase the speed and efficiency of telephone dialling. In the embodiment the key pad is set out in the calculator format.

Description

FAST DIAL TELEPHONEThis invention relates to a fast dial telephone.

Telephones are well known devices which comprise a unit upon which, a receiver, microphone, means for reasonably connecting the unit to a communication services provider and a keypad are secured. Different types of telephones exist including mobile phones, cordless phones, analogue and digital phones, all of which fulfil the task of enabling communication over distances.

Telephones, however, are not efficient in the task of numerical input, hereby known as dialing, when compared to other numerical input devices.

According to the present invention there is provided a fast dial telephone comprising a unit upon which a receiver, microphone, means for reasonably connecting the unit to a communication services provider and a modified keypad are secured, the keypads modified configuration has been developed to enable the telephone user to dial faster and with more accuracy than with any existing telephone.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which :Figure one shows the modified keypad (the part of the article ringed in red.) in perspective.

Referring to the drawing, the part of the article ringed in red is used by the telephone user to dial telephone numbers with increased speed and accuracy.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1 A fast dial telephone comprising a unit upon which a receiver, microphone, means for reasonably connecting the unit to a communication services provider and a modified keypad are secured.

   2 A fast dial telephone as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the shape, configuration and function of the part of the article ringed in red in Figure one is claimed.

   Amendments to the claims have been filed as followsCLAIMS 1. A fast dial telephone comprising a unit upon which a receiver, microphone,means for connection to a communication services provider and a modifiedkeypad are secured.
2. 2. A fast dial telephone as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the shape, configurationand function of the part of figure 1 ringed with the dotted line is claimed.
3. 3. A fast dial telephone as claimed in Claim 1, where the layout of the keyboardprovides improved functionality of the telephone by enabling the operator todial telephone numbers quicker.
4. 4. The present claim is distinguished from US4891777 in the following respects: * The Keypad in US4891777 has a different keypad configuration. The'0'key is in a different place and the input keys are purportedly configured ergonomically. The aim of the invention is for the keyboard to replicate atype writer function and consequently has a different functionality to thepresent claim.

   * US48917777 relates to a multifunction keypad and not to a dedicated,telephone keypad that has the intention of improving the speed of inputtingtelephone numbers as in the present claim.

   * The intention of the present claim is to improve functionality in part byproviding uniformity of office keyboard layouts. As the keypad inUS48917777 is not uniform to office keyboard layouts, it cannot do this.
5. 5. The present claim is distinguished from US4870677 in the following respects: US4870677 is an invention providing the capability for various keyboardformats to be a provided to the telephone operator so that he can recall preprogrammed telephone numbers in order to enable speed dialing of preprogramme telephone numbers. The keypad is set up conventionally toenable normal telephone use. Mode buttons then enable the keypad to beutilised to access these pre-programmed numbers to dial them. Theconfiguration of the keypad is not set up to improve the dialingfunctionality of the telephone in the conventional sense. This is preciselythe aim of the present claim.

   US4870677 is not a dedicated, keypad that has the intention of improing the dialing functionality of the telephone by improving the speed ofinputting telephone numbers as in the present claim.

   It is not a function of US4870677 to improve conventional dialing of thetelephone by the fact that its key positions are exchangeable. The statedfunction of this is to enable high security dialing not improved dialingspeed.

   The fact that the operator may chance upon the layout of the present claimwhen exchanging key positions is irrelevant. The improvement in dialingspeed of the telephone, via this configuration, was not intended by theauthors of US4870677. They make no claim to improve conventionaldialing speed in this way. The author of the present claim, however, claimsthis very functionality.
6. 6. The present claim is distinguished from US438162 in the following respects: US438162 is a mechanical adapter that facilitates the mechanical pressingof the conventional keyboard on a telephone. The present claim is for adedicated electronic telephone keyboard in the configuration as illustratedin Figure 1.

   * US438162 is a mechanical adapter and is not a dedicated phone keyboard.

   The aim of US438162 is not to improve the speed functionality of dialingon the telephone whereas the present claim is.

   The aim of US438162 is to provide a different keyboard configuration, butnot to improve the dialing speed functionality as in the present claim.