Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02375785 2001-11-30
WO 00/74352 PCT/AU00/00613
"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 pre-
recorded 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
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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;
programming means for programming said telephone assembly to
transmit a message only to one other or a plurality of designated other
telephones, and
housing means housing said telephone assembly, said housing means
having theme identification means for identifying a theme associated with said
other telephone(s).
It is preferred that the theme identification means is the shape, pattern,
ornamentation or configuration of the housing means.
It is also preferred that the communication assembly provides a phone-
based service, said theme identification means ident'rfying a theme associated
with said phone-based service.
In one preferred embodiment said programming means have been pre-
programmed to connect with one or a plurality of designated telephones
numbers providing said phone-based services. Alternatively the programming
means can be a key pad or the like programmable for transmission -of a
message to said one or a plurality of designated telephones numbers providing
said phone-based services.
In one preferred embodiment the telephone assembly includes:-
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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 pre-
programmed 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.
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3.1
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
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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
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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
5 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.
