CONTROLLER FOR ACCESSING SERVICES FROM MULTIPLE PROVIDERS OF SERVICES

摘要

An access controller is placed in series with a subscriber's telephone set and includes an off-hook detector (17), a ring detector (10), a central office simulator (16) and DTMF circuitry (13, 15) which cooperate with a microcontroller (19) suitably programmed to select one of a multiple providers of services by generating an access code corresponding to one of the service providers in accordance with an algorithm which provides a desired distribution of usage by the subscriber. Examples of algorithms used to select access codes include a rotating algorithm for sequencing next access codes stored in memory in a predetermined order or sequence which are rotated one after the other. Another algorithm is a time based algorithm which employs a real time clock (27) to establish preset time intervals during which each of the access codes are used. The controller can also use a random selection which selects randomly the access codes stored in memory.