Patent ID: 6480590
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A network access pay telephone for accessing a digital communications network as well as for conventional voice communications, comprising:(a) a lower housing structure having a coin. scanner, and escrow unit, and a payphone electronics module mounted therein, the payphone electronics module having a line receptacle for connecting an external telephone line, a coin scanner socket for electrically connecting the coin scanner, an escrow unit socket for electrically connecting the escrow unit, and an interface cable for electrically connecting an external interface, the payphone electronics module having circuitry for managing the conventional voice communications over the external telephone line in response to the coin scanner, the escrow unit, and the interface module; (b) a front-end interface having an interface socket for electrically connecting the interface cable of the payphone electronics module; (c) an upper housing structure having a handset connected to the front-end interface, a hook-switch connected to the front-end interface, and a dialpad connected to the front-end interface; (d) a network computer comprising non-volatile memory, a modem having a pass-through connection to the line receptacle of the payphone electronics module, a display, an input device, and a local interface port, the display and the input device being supported by the upper housing structure for operator access thereto; and (e) a control module connected to the local interface port and to the front-end interface, the control module also having pass-through connections between the coin scanner and the payphone electronics module and between the escrow unit and the payphone electronics module.