Method and system for providing DC power on local telephone lines

• US 20040151305A1
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: SercoNet Limited (Yehuda Binder, MBA)
• Inventors: Hazani, Ami, Binder, Yehuda, Kofman, Semion
• Granted Patent: US 7,317,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic

Abstract

A system for providing DC power on local telephone lines, such as telephone lines in a building or office, for powering devices and circuitry associated with communications over those telephone lines, as well as other functions. Desired voltage and power levels are supplied over local telephone lines by separating the DC power component from the central office or private branch exchange with a DC blocking filter while passing all AC telephony signals. A distinct DC power is then imposed over the telephone line for powering both the telephony service as well as other loads. Conventional telephone off-hook detection is simulated for compatibility with the central office or private branch exchange. The functions required may be integrated, partially or fully within a telephone outlet.

Claims

1. A network for coupling a telephone set to a telephone service, the network comprising:

a wire pair;

a connection point for connecting the network to the telephone service;

an AC Pass/DC Stop device connected in series between said wire pair and said connection point for conducting AC telephony signals and blocking DC flow from the telephone service into said wire pair;

a power supply coupler DC coupled to said wire pair for coupling DC power into said wire pair;

a load coupler DC coupled to said wire pair for coupling DC power to a load; and

a telephone coupler for coupling a telephone set to said wire pair for conducting telephony signals between said wire pair and the telephone set.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein the load is coupled to the load coupler and is one of:

a part of the telephone set; and

a telephone line modem.

3. The network of claim 1, further comprising:

an off-hook detector couplable to the telephone set for detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone set;

an off-hook transmitter coupled to said off-hook detector and to said wire pair for supplying an off-hook indication to said wire pair in response to detection of an off-hook condition by said off-hook detector;

an off-hook receiver coupled to said wire pair for receiving the off-hook indication supplied by said off-hook transmitter; and

an off-hook simulator coupled to said off-hook receiver for supplying a simulated off-hook indication to the telephone service in response to receipt of the off-hook indication by said off-hook receiver.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the off-hook indication supplied by said off-hook transmitter is a signal composed of one or more tones.

5. The network of claim 3, wherein said off-hook indication supplied by said off-hook transmitter has a variable impedance that assumes a selected value to produce the off-hook indication.

6. The network of claim 3, wherein the off-hook indication supplied by said off-hook transmitter is a message sent over a data communication network.

7. The network of claim 6, wherein said wire pair operates as a communication medium in the data communication network.

8. A power unit device connectable in series between a telephone service interface and a wire pair of a network for connecting a telephone set to the telephone service, said device comprising:

an AC Pass/DC Stop device connectable in series between the wire pair and the interface for conducting AC telephony signals and blocking DC flow from the telephone service into the wire pair; and

a power supply coupler that is DC couplable to the wire pair to couple DC power into the wire pair.

9. The device of claim 8 integrated into one of:

a PBX;

cable modem;

set top box;

DSL modem;

VoIP MTA; and

telephone outlet.

10. An outlet comprising the power unit device of claim 8.

11. The device of claim 8 in combination with:

an off-hook receiver couplable to the wire pair for receiving an off-hook indication when the telephone set is off-hook; and

an off-hook simulator coupled to said off-hook receiver an to the interface for supplying a simulated off-hook indication to the telephone service in response to receipt of the off-hook indication by said off-hook receiver.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the off-hook indication is a signal composed of one or more tones.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein said off-hook indication has a variable impedance that assumes a selected value to produce the off-hook indication.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the off-hook indication is a message sent over a data communication network.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the data communication network uses the wire pair as a communication medium.

16. Apparatus for supplying to a telephone service an indication of an off-hook condition of a telephone set that is connected to the telephone service by a network that includes a medium that does not allow DC off-hook signaling from the telephone set directly to the telephone service, said apparatus comprising:

an off-hook receiver couplable to the wire pair for receiving an off-hook indication when the telephone set is off-hook; and

an off-hook simulator coupled to said off-hook receiver an to the interface for supplying a simulated off-hook indication to the telephone service in response to receipt of the off-hook indication by said off-hook receiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further including:

an off-hook detector couplable to the telephone set for detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone set; and

an off-hook transmitter coupled to said off-hook detector and to the wire pair for supplying an off-hook indication to the wire pair in response to detection of an off-hook condition by said off-hook detector.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the off-hook indication is a signal composed of one or more tones.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said off-hook indication has a variable impedance that assumes a selected value to produce the off-hook indication.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the off-hook indication is a message sent over a data communication network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the medium is a wire pair and the data communication network uses the wire pair as a communication medium.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 integrated into one of:

a PBX;

cable modem;

set top box;

DSL modem;

VoIP MTA; and

telephone outlet.

23. An outlet comprising the apparatus of claim 16.

24. An outlet comprising the apparatus of claim 17.

25. A telephone unit device connectable in series between a telephone set and a wire pair of a network coupled to a telephone service and carrying DC power, said device comprising means to conduct the telephone signal and to convert the DC power to allow a telephone set to be connected thereto.

26. The device of claim 25 integrated into one of:

a telephone set; and

a telephone outlet.

27. An outlet comprising the telephone unit device of claim 25.

28. The device of claim 25 in combination with:

an off-hook detector couplable to the telephone set for detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone set;

an off-hook transmitter coupled to said off-hook detector and to the wire pair for supplying an off-hook indication to the wire pair in response to detection of an off-hook condition by said off-hook detector.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the off-hook indication is a signal composed of one or more tones.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein said off-hook indication has a variable impedance that assumes a selected value to produce the off-hook indication.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the off-hook indication is a message sent over a data communication network.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the data communication network uses the wire pair as a communication medium.

33. Apparatus for supplying to a telephone service an indication of an off-hook condition of a telephone set that is connected to the telephone service by a network that includes a media that does not allow DC off-hook signaling from the telephone set directly to the telephone service, said apparatus comprising:

an off-hook detector couplable to the telephone set for detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone set;

an off-hook transmitter coupled to said off-hook detector and to the wire pair for supplying an off-hook indication to the wire pair in response to detection of an off-hook condition by said off-hook detector.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the off-hook indication is a signal composed of one or more tones.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said off-hook indication has a variable impedance that assumes a selected value to produce the simulated off-hook indication.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the off-hook indication is a message sent over a data communication network.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the medium is a wire pair and the data communication network uses the wire pair as a communication medium.

38. The apparatus of claim 33 integrated into one of:

a telephone set; and

a telephone outlet.

39. An outlet comprising the apparatus of claim 33.

40. A load coupler device connectable in series between a DC load and a wire pair of a network coupled to a telephone service and carrying DC power, said device comprising means to conduct the DC power to the DC load and to stop the telephony signal.

41. An outlet comprising the device of claim 40.

42. The outlet of claim 41 further comprising a DC connector for connecting said DC load.

43. The outlet of claim 41 wherein the DC load is integrated into said outlet.

44. The outlet of claim 41 wherein the DC load comprises a telephone line modem, and the outlet further comprises a data connector.

45. A telephone set comprising the device of claim 40, where the DC load comprises telephone set circuitry.

46. A method for carrying DC power over a wire pair of a network for coupling a telephone set to a telephone service, the network having a connection point for connecting the network to the telephone service, said method comprising:

connecting an AC Pass/DC Stop device in series between the wire pair and the connection point for conducting AC telephony signals and blocking DC flow from the telephone service into the wire pair;

DC coupling a power supply coupler to the wire pair for coupling DC power into the wire pair;

DC coupling a load coupler to the wire pair for coupling DC power to a load; and

coupling a telephone coupler to the wire pair for coupling a telephone set to the wire pair for conducting telephony signals between the wire pair and the telephone set.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising coupling to the load coupler, said load being one of:

a part of the telephone set; and

a telephone line modem.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

coupling an off-hook detector to the telephone set for detecting an off-hook condition of the telephone set;

coupling an off-hook transmitter to said off-hook detector and to said wire pair for supplying an off-hook indication to said wire pair in response to detection of an off-hook condition by said off-hook detector;

coupling an off-hook receiver to said wire pair for receiving the off-hook indication supplied by said off-hook transmitter; and

coupling an off-hook simulator to said off-hook receiver for supplying a simulated off-hook indication to the telephone service in response to receipt of the off-hook indication by said off-hook receiver.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the off-hook indication supplied by said off-hook transmitter is a signal composed of one or more tones.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein said off-hook indication supplied by said off-hook transmitter has a variable impedance that assumes a selected value to produce the off-hook indication.

51. The method of claim 48, including conveying a message over a data communication network to supply the off-hook indication.

52. The method of claim 51, including using said wire pair as a communication medium for the data communication network.