Catalog phone sales terminal
View Patent ↗A telephone set is modified to permit it to automatically send repetitive data associated with telephone purchases. A retailer and a customer interact to ensure that accurate data is initially stored while eliminating the necessity of repeating the same information during subsequent purchases. A removable portable device stores the same information and permits a user to make purchases from any telephone.
1. Apparatus for sending information to called stations over a telephone line, comprising:
a. a telephone set connected to said line;
b. a data interface connected to said line;
c. a card reader for reading card information and sending it to one of said called stations over said data interface;
d. data memory for storing information from one of said called stations, including said card information;
e. a key for activating said data memory to send said stored information to another of said called stations; and
f. a docking port for receiving a portable device having device memory therein and for transferring information from said data memory to said device memory.
2. A system for sending and receiving orders for goods, comprising:
a. a telephone at a customer site having a customer memory for storing and sending information;
b. a telephone at a seller site having a seller memory and a display for respectively storing information, provided by said customer and keyed in by personnel at said seller site and stored in said seller memory, confirming whether a telephone of said customer is memory equipped, and sending information stored in said seller memory to said customer memory for use during a subsequent order; and
c. a telephone network connecting said telephone at a customer site with said telephone at a seller site while an order for goods is placed.
3. A method for sending information from an apparatus to called stations over a telephone line, comprising:
connecting a telephone set of the apparatus to said line;
connecting a data interface of the apparatus to said line;
reading, by a card reader of the apparatus, card information;
sending, by the card reader, said card information to one of said called stations over said data interface;
storing, in a data memory of the apparatus, information from one of said called stations, including said card information;
activating, by a key of the apparatus, said data memory to send said stored information to another of said called stations;
receiving, by a docking port of the apparatus, a portable device having device memory therein; and
transferring, by the docking port, information from said data memory to said device memory.
4. A method for sending and receiving orders for goods, comprising:
providing a telephone having a customer memory at a customer site for storing and sending information;
storing, in a seller memory of a telephone at a seller site, information provided by said customer and keyed in by personnel at said seller site;
confirming, on a display of the telephone at the seller site, whether a telephone of said customer is memory equipped;
sending information stored in said seller memory from said telephone at the seller site to said customer memory for use during a subsequent order; and
connecting, by a telephone network, said telephone at a customer site with said telephone at a seller site while an order for goods is placed.