Automatic interconnection system
First Claim
1. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first and second lines and establish an interconnection therebetween, and reset means coupled to the second line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to reset signals on the second line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the first line and then to re-seize the first line and reestablish the interconnection between the first and second lines.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein is a system for automatically providing interconnections among a plurality of telephone lines serving a subscriber station all under the control of a remote caller. An incoming call to the system is automatically answered, and the incoming line is then connected to an outgoing line either immediately or in response to tone or pulse dialing signals dialed in by the caller. Upon receipt of dial tone on the outgoing line the caller can dial out a call thereon directly from his remote calling location. If dial tone persists on either line for a predetermined time all lines are automatically disconnected. By dialing his own number on the outgoing line and then hanging up, the caller can have the system call him back on the outgoing line, after which he can dial in control signals on the outgoing line to reconnect it to either the original incoming line or another line to dial out calls thereon. By dialing in control signals the caller can add a third line in a conference connection and reset any interconnection for re-calling thereon without hanging up his phone. All interconnections are through a switched-gain repeater amplifier which is automatically controlled to accommodate the various signaling functions associated with the system. If a caller finds the system in use, he can call another incoming line to place a caller-waiting indication on the interconnection. Call-back and conference add-on can be accomplished only with tone-type dialing signals.
77 Citations
45 Claims
- 1. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first and second lines and establish an interconnection therebetween, and reset means coupled to the second line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to reset signals on the second line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the first line and then to re-seize the first line and reestablish the interconnection between the first and second lines.
- 6. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, system access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to telephone ringing signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first line, line access means coupled to the seized first line through said line interconnection means and responsive to line access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the second line and establish an interconnection between the first and second lines, and reset means coupled to the second line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to reset signals on the second line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the first line and then to re-seize the first line and reestablish the interconnection between the first and second lines.
- 12. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second and third subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second and third lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first and second lines and establish an interconnection therebetween, and line transfer means coupled to the second line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to reset signals on the second line while the second line is connected to the first line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the first line and to seize the third line and establish an interconnection between the second and third lines, said line transfer means including reset means responsive to said reset signals on the second line while the second line is connected to the third line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the third line and then to re-seize the third line and reestablish the interconnection between the second and third lines.
- 14. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second and third subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second and third lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first and second lines and establish an interconnection therebetween, first line transfer means coupled to the second line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to first reset signals on the second line while the second line is connected to the first line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the first line and to seize the third line and establish an interconnection between the second and third lines, said first line transfer means including first reset means responsive to the first reset signals on the second line while the second line is connected to the third line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the third line and then to re-seize the third line and reestablish the interconnection between the second and third lines, and second line transfer means coupled to the second line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to second reset signals on the second line while the second line is connected to the third line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the third line and to seize the first line and establish an interconnection between the first and second lines, said second line transfer means including second reset means responsive to the second reset signals on the second line while the second line is connected to the first line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the first line and then to re-seize the first line and reestablish the interconnection between the first and second lines.
- 16. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second and third subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second and third lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections thereamong, access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first and second lines and establish an interconnection therebetween, and conference circuit means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to conference signals on the first line while the first line is connected to the second line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the third line and establish a conference interconnection among the first and second and third lines, said conference circuit means including reset means responsive to the conference signals on the first line while the third line is interconnected in conference with the first and second lines for causing said line interconnection means to release only the third line.
- 20. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by two incoming subscriber lines and an outgoing subscriber line each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the incoming lines and the outgoing line and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, access means coupled to the incoming lines and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on either of the incoming lines for causing said line interconnection means to seize the outgoing line and the incoming line presenting the access signals and to establish an interconnection therebetween, and disable means coupled to said line interconnection means and to said access means and operative while the outgoing line is connected to one of the incoming lines for preventing said access means from responding to access signals on the other incoming line.
- 22. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by two subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means adapted to be coupled to each of the two subscriber lines for establishing an interconnection therebetween, said interconnection means including a two-way switched-gain repeater amplifier adapted to be coupled to each of the two lines and being operable in a normal two-way condition and in two one-way conditions, said amplifier in the normal two-way condition thereof amplifying the higher-amplitude one of two oppositely-directed signals applied simultaneously thereto and attenuating the other of said two signals, said amplifier in each of the one-way conditions thereof respectively amplifying only signals received from a corresponding one of the two lines and attenuating signals received from the other line, and amplifier control means coupled to the two lines and to said amplifier and responsive to a dial tone on either one of the two lines for switching said amplifier to the one-way condition thereof wherein it amplifies only signals received from the other line thereby to accommodate transmission of dialing signals from the other line to the one line.
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27. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by two subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means adapted to be coupled to each of the two subscriber lines for establishing an interconnection therebetween, said interconnection means including a two-way switched-gain repeater amplifier adapted to be coupled to each of the two lines and being operable in a normal two-way condition and in two one-way conditions, said amplifier in the normal two-way condition thereof amplifying the higher-amplitude one of two oppositely-directed signals applied simultaneously thereto and attenuating the other of said two signals, said amplifier in each of the one-way conditions thereof respectively amplifying only signals received from a corresponding one of the two lines and attenuating signals received from the other line, amplifier control means coupled to the two lines and to said amplifier and responsive to a dial tone on either one of the two lines for switching said amplifier to the one-way condition thereof wherein it amplifies only signals received from the other line thereby to accommodate transmission of dialing signals from the other line to the one line, access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first and second lines and establish an interconnection therebetween thereby to evoke a dial tone on the second line, said amplifier control means being responsive to the dial tone on the second line for switching said amplifier to a one-way condition thereof to accommodate the passage of dialing signals from the first line to the second line, and reset means coupled to the second line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to reset signals on the second line for causing said line interconnection means to release only the first line and then to re-seize the first line and reestablish the interconnection between the first and second lines thereby to evoke a dial tone on the first line, said amplifier control means being responsive to the dial tone on the first line for switching said amplifier to a one-way condition thereof to accommodate transmission of dialing signals from the second line to the first line.
- 28. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second and third subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second lines and responsive to interconnection signals on the first line for seizing the first and second lines and establishing an interconnection therebetween, and signaling means coupled to the third line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to telephone ringing signals on the third line while the first and second lines are interconnected for applying an audible signal to the first and second lines.
- 32. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by first and second subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the first and second lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, access means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the first line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the first and second lines and establish an interconnection therebetween, and line reset means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to a predetermined sequence of dialing-type pulses on the first line while the first and second lines are interconnected for causing said line interconnection means to release only the second line and then to re-seize the second line and reestablish the interconnection between the first and second lines.
- 37. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by two subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to the two lines and operable to seize the lines and establish an interconnection therebetween, access means coupled to one of the lines and to said line interconnection means and responsive to access signals on the one line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the one line, code control means coupled to the one line through said line interconnection means and responsive to a predetermined sequence of code signals on the one line for causing said line interconnection means to seize the other line and establish an interconnection between the two lines, and key-controlled switch means coupled to said code control means and having a locked condition and an unlocked condition, said switch means in the unlocked condition thereof permitting alteration of the predetermined sequence of code signals to which said code control means will be responsive, said switch means in the locked condition thereof preventing alteration of the predetermined sequence of code signals to which said code control means will be responsive.
- 42. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by three subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to each of the three subscriber lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, and line transfer means coupled to a first one of the subscriber lines and to said line interconnection means and responsive to transfer signals on the first line while it is connected to a second one of the subscriber lines for causing said line interconnection means to release the second line and to seize the third one of the subscriber lines and establish an interconnection between the first and third lines.
- 44. An automatic interconnection system for use at a telephone subscriber station served by three subscriber lines each connected to a telephone system central office, said interconnection system comprising line interconnection means coupled to each of the three subscriber lines and operable for seizing and releasing the lines and establishing interconnections therebetween, first line transfer means coupled to a first one of the subscriber lines and to said line interconnection means and responsive to first transfer signals on the first line while it is connected to a second one of the subscriber lines for causing said line interconnection means to release the second line and to seize the third one of the subscriber lines and establish an interconnection between the first and third lines, and second line transfer means coupled to the first line and to said line interconnection means and responsive to second transfer signals on the first line while it is connected to the third line for causing said line interconnection means to release the third line and to seize the second line and establish an interconnection between the first and second lines.
Specification