SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING TELEPHONY AND DATA SERVICES

• US 20130251114A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Humphrey, Leslie Derek
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/738 Interface circuits for coupling substations to external telephone lines H04M1/78 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/82 Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination for detecting caller identity H04M1/573
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing

Abstract

A telephone on-hook/off-hook state communication system. The system includes a first part, for example in the form of an In-Line Analog POTS presentation Adapter, which is operable to interconnect between a telephone apparatus and a pair of conductors, and a second part operable to interconnect between the pair of conductors and a telephone adapter unit, the first part including a variable impedance and means for changing the impedance of the variable impedance such that a property of the impedance at a predetermined frequency (f) greater than zero changes in response to the telephone apparatus transitioning between an on-hook state and an off-hook state, the second part including a detector for detecting the change in the impedance of the variable impedance of the first part via the pair of conductors.

Claims

5. The system of claim 1 further including a reverse power feed arrangement for transmitting power over the pair of conductors from a user'"'"'s residence to an item of equipment located within a part of an access network external to the user'"'"'s premises.

8. An interface device for use in the system of claim 1 as the first part thereof, the interface device being operable to interconnect between a telephone apparatus and a pair of conductors to which a second part of the system of any one of the preceding claims may be connected, the second part being operable to interconnect between the pair of conductors and an analog telephone adapter unit, the interface device including a variable impedance and means for changing the impedance, of the variable impedance, at a predetermined frequency greater than zero, by an amount which is detectable by the second part, the change in impedance being effected in response to the telephone apparatus transitioning between an on-hook state and an off-hook state.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone adapter unit is located within a user modem device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the telephone adapter unit is located within a network modem device which is located in an aggregation point and forms part of an access network.

9. A telephone adapter device, which device is suitable for use in the system of claim 1 as the second part thereof, the telephone adapter device being operable to connect to a pair of conductors which in turn may be connected, when in use, to an interface device forming a first part of the system of claim 1, the interface device being in turn connectable to a telephone apparatus, the interface device including a variable impedance and a controller for changing the impedance of the variable impedance such that its magnitude at a predetermined frequency greater than zero varies in response to the telephone apparatus transitioning between an on-hook state and an off-hook state, the telephone adapter device including a telephone adapter unit for converting Plain Old Telephone Service signals into corresponding digital signals suitable for transmission over a digital connection and a detector for detecting the change in impedance of the variable impedance of the first part via the pair of conductors and for determining that such a detected change in impedance corresponds to a telephone apparatus connected to the pair of conductors changing its state between an on-hook state and an off-hook state.

10. A method of communicating the on-hook/off-hook state of a telephone apparatus over a pair of conductors between a first part operable to interconnect between the telephone apparatus and the pair of conductors and a second part operable to interconnect between the pair of conductors and a telephone adapter unit, the method comprising changing the impedance of a variable impedance in the first part such that a property of the impedance at a predetermined frequency greater than zero changes in response to the telephone apparatus transitioning between an on-hook state and an off-hook state, and detecting the change in the impedance of the variable impedance of the first part via the pair of conductors at the second part.