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Title: Data access system wherein subscriber terminals gain access to a data bank by telephone lines
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. A data retrieval system for enabling subscribers to retrieve and display selected text data, comprising in combination a data bank, a plurality of text barge-in telephone lines on which text data from said data bank is circulated, said text data including text identifying signals, a subscription barge-in telephone line on which subscription data for a multiplicity of subscribers is circulated, said subscription data identifying subscriber terminals which have subscribed to the text data and the text data to which they have subscribed, and a multiplicity of subscriber terminals, each of which includes data processor means, memory means and display means, said data processor means under control of instructions stored in said memory means determining the information to be displayed by said display means, each one of said subscriber terminals further including means for transferring subscription data for said one subscriber terminal only from said subscription barge-in telephone line to a first portion of said memory means, means for comparing selected text identifying signals on at least one of said text barge-in telephone lines and said subscription data; and means for selectively causing the text data on said one text barge-in telephone line to be displayed when said means for comparing indicates that said one subscriber terminal has subscribed thereto. 2. A data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein each subscriber terminal comprises a basic terminal including said data processor and a second portion of said memory means in which are stored program instructions for controlling the display, at least one application module physically and electrically detachable from said basic terminal and including a third portion of said memory means having stored therein program instructions defining the function of the terminal, and a communications module for connecting said terminal to any of said text and subscription barge-in telephone lines. 3. A data retrieval system according to claim 2, wherein said first portion of said memory means which stores the subscription data appearing on said subscription barge-in line comprises an EAROM. 4. A data retrieval system according to claim 3, wherein each of said basic terminals has a unique identifier code permanently stored in a fourth portion of said memory means, said subscription data identifying the terminals which have subscribed to the text data by said identifier codes. 5. A data retrieval system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in a special text barge-in telephone line data identifying the services available for subscription is circulated, and wherein each of said subscriber terminals further includes means for causing the data appearing on said special text barge-in telephone line to be displayed by said display means. 6. For use in a data retrieval system which includes a plurality of text barge-in telephone lines on which text data from a data bank is circulated, a subscriber terminal capable of serving a plurality of preselected separate basic operating functions, comprising display means, data processor means, memory means having stored therein program instructions for operating such data processor means, said program instructions including display instructions for controlling said display means and operating instructions for controlling the basic operating function of the terminal, said display means displaying text data under control of said display instructions and said data processor means, means for transferring preselected subscription data to a first portion of said memory means, means for comparing the stored subscription data in said memory means with identifier signals accompanying said text data to provide an indication whether the terminal has subscribed to said text data, and means for selectively causing the text data on at least one of said text barge-in telephone lines to be displayed when said comparing means indicates that the terminal has subscribed to said text data. 7. A subscriber terminal according to claim 6, wherein said subscriber terminal comprises a basic terminal including said data processor means and a second portion of said memory means in which are stored said display instructions, at least one application module physically and electrically detachable from said basic terminal and including a third portion of said memory means having stored therein said operating instructions, and a communications module for connecting said terminal to any of said barge-in telephone lines. 8. A subscriber terminal according to claim 7 wherein the first portion of said memory means comprises an EAROM. 9. A subscriber terminal according to claim 8, wherein said basic terminal has a unique identifier code permanently stored in said memory means, said subscription data including the identifier codes of selected subscriber terminals and text identifying signals. 10. A method of retrieving data from a data bank wherein the retrieved data is transmitted via telephone lines and displayed at a terminal, comprising calling from a terminal a subscription barge-in telephone line on which subscription data from said data bank for a multiplicity of subscribers is circulated, storing at said terminal the subscription data corresponding to that terminal that is circulated on said subscription barge-in telephone line, thereafter calling from said terminal a text barge-in telephone line on which text data from said data bank is circulated, comparing an identifying code accompanying the text data appearing on said text barge-in telephone line with the subscription data stored in the terminal, and displaying said text data when the aforesaid comparison indicates that there is a predetermined correlation between said identifying code and said stored subscription data signifying that said terminal has subscribed to said text data. Other info: Inventors: Kirschner, Wallace (Trumbull, CT, US) Haskel, Lawrence M. (Danbury, CT, US) Application Number: 947699 Filing Date: 1978-09-29 Publication_date: 1981-02-24 Assignee: Alpex Computer Corp. (Danbury, CT) Primary Class(es): 707/104.1 379/93.25, 707/9 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Springborn, Harvey E. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Darby & Darby |
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