Lawrence D. Weiss - New York NY Joseph C. Kawan - Hollywood CA Leslie Roth - Plainview NY Jim R. Vollmer - Los Angeles CA Morris L. Tucci - Van Nuys CA Melvin M. Takata - Hermosa Beach CA Alfred S. Samulon - Malibu CA Dilip J. Parekh - Los Angeles CA Sarkis A. Meguerdijian - Glendale CA Harvey Marks - Canoga Park CA Shan Lee - Hacienda Heights CA Douglas W. Caruthers - Redondo CA Leo Ahlin - Rexdale, CA Leslie Moss - Los Angeles CA Kenneth Krieger - Northport NY Carol A. Medine - Los Angeles CA Truc Nguyen - Cerritos CA Marjorie Engber - New York NY Edward Chin - Dix Hills NY Lucilla K. Warren - Los Angeles CA Joseph P. Randolph - Winchester MA Robert Haddock - New York NY
Assignee:
Transaction Technology, Inc. - Santa Monica CA
International Classification:
H04M 1100
US Classification:
379 98
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a telephone configured as a programmable microcomputer (telephone-computer) which operates in most circumstances through a standard telephone 12-key keypad input. The telephone-computer includes telephone electronics and a microprocessor unit operated in conjunction with other computer elements, including memory devices, and a programmable gate array (PGA) chip and enhanced integrity features, and has the overall appearance of a telephone. The PGA has the capability of being reconfigured to accommodate various types of softwares 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 reconfigure the PGA to format the microcomputer necessary to conform to the software format used by the service bureaus.