Telephone subscriber distribution system

• US 4,071,711 A
• Filed: 06/20/1975
• Issued: 01/31/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SR Telecom Inc. (Bonterra Energy Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Farinon Electric of Canada Ltd (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ferris, Harold A., Beaupre, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stewart, David L.
• Application Number:
  US05/588,691
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 179/15 AL, 179/15 AW, 179/15 A, 179/15 BA, 179/15 BM, 179/15 BZ, 179/41 A, 325/4, 325/39, 325/47, 325/142, 325/302, 325/324, 343/176
• US Class Current: 370/346
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

This invention relates to a multi-point information distribution system useful for telephone service, data connecting systems and other applications which permits a central station to service a plurality of outlying stations, through transmission media such as radio waves or wire cables, in privacy and using only one transmitting medium such as a first transmitting carrier frequency and one separate receiving medium such as a different receiving carrier frequency. The transmission media couples selected input connection points to selected terminating circuit devices one at a time. In accordance with the invention, the content on input connecting ports from a community dial office or other central system is time sampled at the central station which then transmits a sequentially ordered sample stream. Each terminating circuit or device is adapted to receive the content of only one time slot, and to transmit only during a coordinated and synchronized time slot. The transmissions of the terminating circuits or devices form a sequentially ordered sample stream at the central station receiver which also contains means for distributing the samples into their appropriate central connecting ports. In one embodiment, where the number of outlying terminating circuits is less than or equal to the number of ordered time slots, a separate time slot, and its associated connecting port, is dedicated to each terminating circuit. In a second embodiment, which can service a plurality of outlying terminating circuits greater than the number of ordered time slots, access between any outlying terminating circuit and any time slot is random. The second embodiment uses a traffic control logic means which polls the terminating circuits and assigns time slots to connecting ports and terminating circuits as required.

Claims

1. A multipoint information distribution system comprising a central station and a plurality of physically separated outlying stations, each outlying station comprising at least one terminating circuit whereby said system comprises a plurality of terminating circuits;

said central station comprising a plurality of connecting ports equal in number to the plurality of terminating circuits;

and means for coupling selected ones of said terminating circuits to selected ones of said connecting ports one at a time;

characterized in that said coupling means comprises

means including a multiplexer means at said central station for time sampling contents of said connecting ports in an ordered sequence during cyclically recurring time slots to provide, at an output of said multiplexer means, a first sequentially ordered sample stream;

transmission means at said central station for sending said sample stream directly and in common to each outlying station on a first medium whereby identical sample streams are sent to each outlying station;

receiving means at each outlying station adapted to receive said sample streams;

control means at each outlying station coupled to said receiving means to permit only samples in preselected time slots to be applied to selected terminating circuits at said outlying station;

transmission means at each said outlying station; and

means for providing a signal to said transmission means;

said control means comprising means for gating said transmission means only during the preselected time slots of their respective terminating circuits to thereby provide samples of said signal, whereby each outlying station transmits, on a second medium, samples of the signal provided to their respective transmission means;

said outlying stations comprising means for arranging the transmission time slots at each station relative to one another so that samples will arrive at a receiving means of the central station in a second sequentially ordered sample stream;

distributor means comprising a demultiplexer means at said central station connected to an output of said receiving means and adapted to distribute said time distributed samples into their respective connecting ports;

said central station further comprising traffic control logic (TCL) means;

said TCL being adapted to poll the outlying stations in a predetermined sequence and in an unoccupied time slot selected at random by the TCL, to determine the circuit demand status of each outlying station;

said TCL being still further adapted to provide a communications channel, in said unoccupied time slot, between a respective terminating circuit and the central station when it detects a circuit demand condition at the terminating circuit or connecting port;

and means at said terminating circuit for locking its receiver means and transmitter means onto said unoccupied time slot;

said TCL further comprising means for selecting another unoccupied time slot for further polling of the uncommitted outlying stations.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the number of time slots in each cycle is equal to or greater than the plurality of connecting ports;

and wherein each connecting port is associated with a respective one of said time slots in each cycle;

said plurality of terminating circuits being equal to the plurality of connecting ports;

a separate time slot being dedicated to each terminating circuit;

said control means being adapted to permit only samples of the signal in the respective time slots of each terminating circuit to be presented to the respective terminating circuit;

said control means being further adapted to gate the transmitter of a respective terminating circuit only during the time slot of the respective terminating circuit;

whereby each connecting port is coupled with its respective terminating circuit via its respective time slot.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the number of time slots in each cycle is less than the plurality of connecting ports;

said plurality of terminating circuits being equal to said plurality of connecting ports;

said central station further comprising traffic control logic (TCL) means;

said TCL being adapted to provide a communications channel, in a predetermined time slot, between a respective terminating circuit and the central station when it detects a circuit demand condition at the terminating circuit;

and means at said terminating circuit for locking its receiver means and transmitter means onto said predetermined time slot.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said first channel comprises a radio wave at a first frequency, and wherein said second channel comprises a radio wave at a second frequency.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said multipoint information distribution system comprises a data distribution system, each said outlying stations comprising subscriber stations having at least one data circuit, and wherein said central station comprises a base station associated with a number of data lines.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said multipoint information distribution system comprises a telephone subscriber distribution system, each said outlying station comprising subscriber stations having at least one telephone, and wherein said central station comprises a base station associated with a Community Dial Office (CDO), and wherein the number of time slots in each cycle is equal to or greater than the plurality of connecting ports;

and wherein each connecting port is associated with a respective one of said time slots in each cycle;

said plurality of terminating circuits being equal to the plurality of connecting ports;

a separate time slot being dedicated to each terminating circuit;

said control means being adapted to permit only samples of the signal in the respective time slots of each terminating circuit to be presented to the respective terminating circuit;

said control means being further adapted to gate the transmitter of a respective terminating circuit only during the time slot of the respective terminating circuit;

whereby each connecting port is coupled with its respective terminating circuit via its respective time slot.

7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said multipoint information distribution system comprises a telephone subscriber, distribution system, each said outlying station comprising subscriber stations having at least one telephone, and wherein said central station comprises a base station associated with a Community Dial Office, (CDO), and wherein the number of time slots in each cycle is less than the plurality of connecting ports;

said plurality of terminating circuits being equal to said plurality of connecting ports;

said base station further comprising traffic control logic (TCL) means;

said TCL being adapted to check the ringing status of a respective terminating circuit from the CDO;

said TCL being further adapted to provide a communications channel, in one of said time slots, between said respective terminating circuit and the CDO when it detects either ringing of the respective terminating circuit from the CDO or an OFF hook condition at said respective terminating circuit;

and means at said terminating circuit for locking its receiver means and transmitter means onto said one time slot when allocated for communications;

whereby any one of said connecting circuits is connectable to its respective terminating circuit by one of said time slots, selected at random by the TCL.

8. A rural subscriber telephone system comprising a central station and a plurality of physically separated outlying stations, each outlying station comprising at least one terminating circuit whereby said system comprises a plurality of terminating circuits;

said central station comprising a plurality of connecting ports;

and means for coupling selected ones of said terminating circuits to selected ones of said connecting ports one at a time;

characterized in that said coupling means comprises;

means at said central station for time sampling contents of said connecting ports in an ordered sequence during cyclically recurring time slots to provide, at an output of said time sampling means, a first sequentially ordered sample stream;

transmission means at said central station for sending said sample stream directly and in common to each outlying station on a first channel whereby identical sample streams are sent to each outlying station;

receiving means at each said outlying stations adapted to receive said sample streams;

control means at each said outlying stations, coupled to said receiving means to permit only samples in a preselected time slot to be applied to selected terminating circuits at said outlying stations;

transmission means at each said outlying station; and

means for providing a signal to said transmission means;

said control means comprising means for gating said transmission means only during the preselected time slots of their respective terminating circuits to thereby provide samples of said signal, whereby each outlying station transmits, on a second channel, samples of the signal provided to their respective transmission means;

said outlying stations comprising means for arranging the transmission time slots at each station relative to one another so that samples will arrive at a receiving means of said central station in a second sequentially ordered sample stream; and

distributor means at said central station connected to an output of said receiving means and adapted to distribute said time distributed samples into their respective connecting ports, and

wherein said time sampling means comprises a multiplexer means;

and wherein said distributor means comprises a demultiplexer means;

wherein said rural subscriber telephone system comprises a telephone subscriber distribution system, each said outlying stations comprising subscriber stations having at least one telephone, and wherein said central station comprises a base station associated with a Community Dial Office (CDO); and

wherein the number of time slots in each cycle is less than the plurality of connecting ports;

said plurality of terminating circuits being equal to said plurality of connecting ports;

said base station further comprising traffic control logic (TCL) means;

said TCL being adapted to check the ringing status of a respective terminating circuit from the CDO;

said TCL being further adapted to poll the outlying stations in a predetermined sequence and in an unoccupied time slot selected at random by the TCL, to determine the hook condition at each respective terminating circuit in each outlying station;

said TCL being further adapted to provide a communications channel, in one of said time slots, between said respective terminating circuit and the CDO when it detects either ringing of the respective terminating circuit from the CDO or an OFF hook condition at said respective terminating circuit;

and means at said terminating circuit for locking its receiver means and transmitter means onto said one time slot when allocated for communication;

whereby any one of said connecting circuits is connectable to its respective terminating circuit by any one of said time slots, selected at random by the TCL.

9. A system as defined in claim 8 wherein said first channel comprises a radio wave at a first frequency, and wherein said second channel comprises a radio wave at a second frequency.

10. A rural subscriber telephone system comprising a central station and a plurality of physically separated outlying stations, each outlying station comprising at least one terminating circuit whereby said system comprises a plurality of terminating circuits;

said central station comprising a plurality of connecting ports;

and means for coupling selected ones of said terminating circuits to selected ones of said connecting ports one at a time;

characterized in that said coupling means comprises;

means at said central station for time sampling contents of said connecting ports in an ordered sequence during cyclically recurring time slots to provide, at an output of said time sampling means, a first sequentially ordered sample stream;

transmission means at said central station for sending said sample stream directly and in common to each outlying station on a first channel whereby identical sample streams are sent to each outlying station;

receiving means at each said outlying stations adapted to receive said sample streams;

control means at each said outlying stations, coupled to said receiving means to permit only samples in a preselected time slot to be applied to selected terminating circuits at said outlying stations;

transmission means at each said outlying station; and

means for providing a signal to said transmission means;

said control means comprising means for gating said transmission means only during the preselected time slots of their respective terminating circuits to thereby provide samples of said signal, whereby each outlying station transmits, on a second channel, samples of the signal provided to their respective transmission means;

said outlying stations comprising means for arranging the transmission time slots at each station relative to one another so that samples will arrive at a receiving means of said central station in a second sequentially ordered sample stream; and

distributor means at said central station connected to an output of said receiving means and adapted to distribute said time distributed samples into their respective connecting ports, and

wherein said time sampling means comprises a multiplexer means;

and wherein said distributor means comprises a demultiplexer means;

wherein said rural subscriber telephone system comprises a data distribution system, each said outlying stations comprising subscriber stations having at least one data circuit, and wherein said central station comprises a base station associated with a number of data lines;

wherein the number of time slots in each cycle is less than the plurality of connecting ports and wherein the number of data lines comprises a data exchange;

said plurality of terminating circuits being equal to said plurality of connecting ports;

said base station further comprising traffic control logic (TCL) means;

said TCL being adapted to check the signalling status of a respective terminating circuit from the data exchange;

said TCL being adapted to poll the outlying stations in a predetermined sequence and in an unoccupied time slot selected at random by the TCL, to determine the circuit demand status of each outlying station;

said TCL being further adapted to provide a communications channel, in one of said time slots, between said respective terminating circuit and the data exchange when it detects either signalling of the respective terminating circuit from the data exchange or an appropriate signalling condition for said respective terminating circuit;

and means at said terminating circuit for locking its receiver means and transmitter means onto said one time slot when allocated for communications;

said TCL further comprising means for selecting another unoccupied time slot for further polling of the uncommitted outlying stations.

11. A system as defined in claim 10 wherein said first channel comprises a radio wave at a first frequency, and wherein said second channel comprises a radio wave at a second frequency.

12. A rural subscriber telephone system comprising a central station and a plurality of outlying stations located at varying distances from the central station each outlying station comprising at least one terminating circuit whereby said system comprises a plurality of terminating circuits;

said central station comprising a plurality of connecting ports;

and means for coupling selected ones of said terminating circuits to selected ones of said connecting ports one at a time;

characterized in that said coupling means comprises;

means at said central station for time sampling contents of said connecting ports in an ordered sequence during cyclically recurring time slots to provide, at an output of said time sampling means, a first sequentially ordered sample stream;

transmission means at said central station for sending said sample stream directly and in common to each outlying station on a first channel whereby identical sample streams are sent to each outlying station;

receiving means at each said outlying station adapted to receive said sample streams;

control means at each said outlying station coupled to said receiving means for gating samples in preselected time slots to selected terminating circuits as said samples arrive at said outlying station,

transmission means at each said outlying station; and

means for providing a signal to said transmission means;

said control means comprising means for gating said transmission means during the applied preselected time slots of their respective terminating circuits to thereby provide samples of said signal, whereby each outlying station transmits, on a second channel, samples of the signal provided to their respective transmission means;

said outlying stations comprising means for advancing the transmission of samples for time periods proportional to respective distances thereof from the central station, so that samples will arrive from all transmitting outlying stations at a receiving means of said central station in a second sequentially ordered sample stream;

distributor means at said central station connected to an output of said receiving means and adapted to distribute said time distributed samples into their respective connecting ports, and

wherein the number of time slots in each cycle is less than the plurality of connecting ports;

said plurality of terminating circuits being equal to said plurality of connecting ports;

said central station further comprising traffic control logic (TCL) means;

said TCL being adapted to poll the outlying stations in a predetermined sequence and in an unoccupied time slot selected at random by the TCL, to determine the circuit demand status of each outlying station;

said TCL being still further adapted to provide a communications channel, in said unoccupied time slot, between a respective terminating circuit and the central station when it detects a circuit demand condition at the terminating circuit or connecting port;

and means at said terminating circuit for locking its receiver means and transmitter means onto said unoccupied time slot;

said TCL further comprising means for selecting another unoccupied time slot for further polling of the uncommitted outlying stations.

13. A system as defined in claim 12 wherein said first channel comprises a radio wave at a first frequency, and wherein said second channel comprises a radio wave at a second frequency.

14. A system as defined in claim 12 wherein said time sampling means comprises a multiplexer means, said distributor means comprises a demultiplexer means and said second sequentially ordered sample stream is in the same sequence as said first sequentially ordered sample stream.