Multiplex communications – Communication techniques for information carried in plural... – Combining or distributing information via frequency channels
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-13
2004-06-01
Cangialosi, Salvatore (Department: 2661)
Multiplex communications
Communication techniques for information carried in plural...
Combining or distributing information via frequency channels
C370S494000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06744786
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The wiring in most existing homes generally takes the form of a four-wire set, in which one pair of wires carries one telephone channel, and the other pair, if desired, carries a second channel.
Other types of buildings, such as commercial office buildings, contain similar telephone cable, which is used not only to support telephone service, as in a residence, but also to support a data network, in which computers communicate with each other. However, using the telephone cable to support the data network requires additional equipment, which may be expensive, and may require a system administrator for support.
Prior Art Device
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,540, issued on Mar. 25, 1986, to Borg, Halas, Mattes, McLear, and White and entitled “Telecommunications Systems,” discloses a controller which is interposed between an incoming telephone line and the telephones to which the incoming line provides service. The arrangement described by Borg, et al., (hereinafter, “Borg”) is shown in FIG.
1
.
As seen in
FIG. 1
, Borg's system contains a ring detector
140
for detecting a ring signal provided by the telephone central office. When a ring signal is detected, a data processor
110
is informed of the ring signal. The processor
110
actuates a ring generator
119
which issues a ring signal to all telephones connected to the controller. These telephones are indicated by the phrase “TOWARD EXTENSION TELEPHONES” located at the upper right part of FIG.
1
.
When one of these telephones answers the ring, as by going off-hook, for example, that fact is detected by a line-current detector
118
. In response, the processor
110
closes relays SHM
1
, SHM
2
(both at the upper left), and relays COM and PHM (both just below the phrase “FIG.
1
”). At this time, the off-hook-telephone is now connected to the incoming call.
The Borg arrangement provides a number of desirable features. For example, a user of the controller can store telephone numbers in a memory, labeled RAM
111
. When an incoming call is received, the processor
110
answers the call with a message starting “This is the Jones residence. Please dial your telephone number to leave a message.” When the caller enters the telephone number, the processor
110
compares the number with those in RAM
111
. If no match is found, the processor does not actuate the ring generator
119
, and the telephones controlled by the controller do not ring. The incoming call is blocked. This feature prevents receipt of unwanted telephone calls.
Moreover, “distinctive ringing” can be implemented. In addition to storing the telephone numbers as described immediately above, a user can associate data which indicates a ringing pattern with each telephone number. When an incoming call is received and the caller enters a telephone number, the processor
110
looks for the number in the RAM
111
. When the number is found, the processor
110
looks for the ring pattern associated with that number, and actuates ring generator
119
accordingly. For example, a call from Adams may result in the ring pattern of “LONG, SHORT, LONG.” “Distinctive ringing” can be used in connection with an intercom mode, which is provided by the controller. A person takes a telephone controlled by the controller off-hook. The processor detects the off-hook status, through line-current detector
118
, and waits for a signal. If the person presses the “#” key of the telephone, the processor then knows that the person wishes to place a call in intercom mode. The processor then waits for a key-press sequence, which identifies a recipient of the intercom call. When the key-press sequence is received, the processor looks up a ring sequence associated with the sequence, in RAM
111
. The processor rings all telephones with the ring sequence, thus summoning the person who has been assigned that sequence.
The controller can issue Dual-Tone, Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signals, using ADDRESS OR COMMAND SIGNAL GENERATOR
115
. These signals can be issued to either the telephone central office or the extension telephone sets. DTMF signals are those generated by the keys of a standard keypad telephone. The DTMF signaling convention is described in
Reference Data for Engineers: Radio Electronics, Computers and Communications
, E. C. Jordan, editor, 7th edition, 1985, Howard K. Sams & Co., page 38-16. Finally, the processor
110
can control a PERIPHERAL DEVICE INTERFACE
114
. In general, this INTERFACE
114
is a data port which can be used to communicate with numerous devices, such as burglar alarms, fire alarms, utility meter-reading equipment, and so on.
As indicated above, the Borg arrangement provides a number of significant advantages. Disadvantageously, however, Borg does not fully utilize the bandwidth available in the telephone lines supplied to his device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, advances are made in the prior art by a system in which two pairs of telephone cable are used to support four communication channels: two voice channels and two data channels. A controller can route data and voice calls among devices wishing to use the channels.
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Hartmann James Joseph
Stahl Thomas Anthony
Agere Systems Inc.
Cangialosi Salvatore
Gruzdkov Yuri
Mendelsohn Steve
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