COMMUNICATION ASSEMBLY

Abstract: A communication assembly (10) is disclosed which includes: a telephone assembly having means (11) to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, and programming means (16, 17) for programming the telephone assembly to transmit a message only to one other or a plurality of designated other telephones.

Description: "COMMUNICATION ASSEMBLY" Technical Field This invention relates to a communication assembly. The invention has particular but not exclusive application to a communication assembly which is suitable for use as a gift or greeting and which enables a phone call to be made to a selected telephone number. Background of Invention It is known for greeting cards to include a phone number which, when phoned by the person receiving the greeting card, plays a message prerecorded by the person sending the greeting card. Summary of Invention The present invention aims to provide an alternative to known communication assemblies and methods of providing a phone-based services. In one aspect this invention resides broadly in a method of providing a phone-based service including:- programming a telephone assembly having means to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, to transmit a message only to one or a plurality of designated other telephones from which the phone-based services are available, and providing a programmed telephone assembly to a prospective user of the phone-based services, the telephone assembly being housed in housing means having theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with the phone-based services. As used herein the expression "theme identification" is to be construed broadly as referring to the identification of a theme. "Theme" in this context is to be considered in it's normal dictionary meaning as a subject or attribute that members of a group or category have in common. "Theme identification means" is to be construed as meaning any means by which the subject or attibute held in common is/are identified. Exemplary of such means are shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration. Thus for example, the pattern of a portion of a musical score identifies the theme "Music" - as does the shape or configuration of a housing shaped as a base clef etc. It is preferred that the theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of said housing means. It is also preferred that said housing means is star-shaped, said theme is astrology and said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services, or that said housing means has a sexual shape, said theme is a sexual theme and said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services. This invention in another aspect resides broadly in a communication assembly including:- a telephone assembly having means to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, and programming means for programming the telephone assembly to transmit a message only to one other or a plurality of designated other telephones. It is preferred that the communication assembly includes housing means housing the telephone assembly, the housing means having theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with the other telephone(s). It is further preferred that the theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of the housing means. In one preferred embodiment the telephone assembly includes:- connection actuating means for actuating telephone connection to the other telephone(s), and disconnection means for disconnecting telephone connection with the other telephone(s). It is preferred that the telephone assembly cannot receive incoming telephone calls. In one preferred embodiment the housing means is heart-shaped and the theme is love, ie St Valentine's day. In this embodiment the programming means is preferably a key pad or the like programmable to transmit a message to only the telephone having the number first indexed on the key pad. Alternatively the housing means may be star-shaped and the theme is astrology. In this embodiment the programming means have been preprogrammed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services. In another embodiment the housing means has a sexual shape and the theme is a sexual theme. In this embodiment the programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services. It is preferred that the programming means is a key pad or the like programmable for transmission of a message to the one or plurality of designated telephones numbers providing the astrology or sexually related services. Description of Drawings In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:- FIG 1 is a schematic block diagram of the communication assembly of the present invention; FIGS 2A and 2B are front and rear plan views of a first embodiment of the invention having a St Valentine's day theme, and FIGS 3A and 3B are front and rear plan views of a second embodiment of the invention having an astrology theme. Description of Preferred Embodiment of Invention As can be seen in FIG 1 , communication assembly 10 includes a telephone assembly having means 11 to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, and programming means 16,17 for programming the telephone assembly to transmit a message only to one other or a plurality of designated other telephones. As seen in FIGS 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B, communication assembly 10 includes housing means housing the telephone assembly. The housing has theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with the other telephone (s). The theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of the housing means. FIGS 2A and 2B illustrate a love heart tele-greeting phone assembly 21. Housing 18 is heart-shaped and the theme is love, for example St Valentine's day. In this embodiment the programming means is a key pad 17 recessed beneath a hinged cover 18. Key pad 17 is programmable to transmit a message to only the telephone having the number first indexed on the key pad. When programming is complete, operation of key 19 (or a combination of the hash/star keys on a standard telephone digital dial pad) will store the number in non-erasable non-writeable memory. Alternatively, FIGS 3A and 3B illustrate an astrology tele-greeting phone assembly 22. Housing 19 star-shaped and the theme is astrology. In this embodiment the programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services. In this embodiment the programming means is a key pad 17 recessed beneath a hinged cover 18. Key pad 17 is programmable to transmit a message to one or to a number of designated telephones numbers providing the astrology services. When programming is complete operation of key 19 (or a combination of the hash/star keys on a standard telephone digital dial pad) will store the numbers in non-erasable non-writeable memory. Other themes are possible in accordance with the invention. Thus in an embodiment not illustrated, the housing means has a sexual shape and the theme is a sexual theme. In this embodiment the programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services. As seen in the drawings, telephone assembly 10 includes connection actuating means 12 for actuating telephone connection to the other telephone(s), and disconnection means 13 for disconnecting telephone connection with the other telephone(s). Telephone assembly 10 also includes a microphone 14, earpiece 15 and phone cord and jack 20. The telephone assembly can be designed so as not to be capable of receiving incoming telephone calls. In use, the love heart tele-greeting phone assembly 21 is purchased as a gift. The purchaser programs his/her own telephone number into the novelty phone by means of key pad 17, operates button 19 to store the phone number (and only that number) non-eraseably in memory, and gives the novelty greeting phone to another person. The gift thus constitutes a personal greeting enabling the receiver to make phone calls directly to the giver simply by operating connect button 13. Alternatively in use, the astrology tele-greeting phone assembly 22 (or a sex tele-greeting phone assembly not shown) is purchased as a gift. The gift can be purchased from a store or manufacturer who also provides or is associated with organisations or individuals who provide phone based astrology (or sex-related) services. The phone numbers of such phone-based services are non-eraseably preprogrammed into programming means 16. The purchaser can give the novelty greeting phone to a another person. The gift thus constitutes a personal greeting enabling the receiver to make phone calls directly to preselected phone-based services simply by selecting the chosen service phone number and operating connect button 13. It will of course be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Claims: Claims:- 1. A method of providing a phone-based service including:- programming a telephone assembly having means to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, to transmit a message only to one or a plurality of designated other telephones from which said phone-based services are available, and providing a programmed telephone assembly to a prospective user of said phone-based services, said telephone assembly being housed in housing means having theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with said phone-based services. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of said housing means. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein:- said housing means is star-shaped, said theme is astrology and said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services, or said housing means has a sexual shape, said theme is a sexual theme and said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services. 4. A communication assembly including:- a telephone assembly having means to receive and transmit a message to another telephone, and programming means for programming said telephone assembly to transmit a message only to one other or a plurality of designated other telephones. 5. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 4, and including housing means housing said telephone assembly, said housing means having theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with said other telephone (s). 6. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said theme identification means is the shape, pattern, ornamentation or configuration of said housing means. 7. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said telephone assembly includes:- connection actuating means for actuating telephone connection to said other telephone(s), and disconnection means for disconnecting telephone connection with said other telephone(s). 8. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said telephone assembly cannot receive incoming telephone calls. 9. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said housing means is heart-shaped and said theme is love. 10. A communication assembly as claimed in clai; ι 9, wherein said programming means is a key pad or the like programmable to transmit a message to only the telephone having the number first indexed on said key pad. 11. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said housing means is star-shaped and said theme is astrology. 12. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing astrology services. 13. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said housing means has a sexual shape and said theme is a sexual theme. 14. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said programming means have been pre-programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing sexually related services. 15. A communication assembly as claimed in claim 12 or claim 14, wherein said programming means is a key pad or the like programmable for transmission of a message to said one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing said services.

Inventors: GIFFORD KINGSLEY, GIFFORD, KINGSLEY
Applicants: GIFFORD KINGSLEY, KMR KONCEPTS PTY LTD, GIFFORD, KINGSLEY
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H04M1
IPC codes: H04M1