Telephone controlled lock release arrangement
First Claim
1. A lobby-apartment communication and lobby door lock control system comprising:
- means for establishing a voice communication path from a lobby telephone over a communication line and a telephone central office to an apartment telephone;
lock control means, andmeans responsive to a receipt of coded signals by said establishing means for providing a switched signaling path independent of said central office and between said apartment telephone and said control means; and
said control means comprising means responsive to a receipt of authorization signals from said apartment telephone via said switched signaling path for generating a control signal to effect an opening of a lobby door lock.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Circuitry is disclosed for the automatic dial-up of an apartment telephone from a lobby telephone to provide voice communication therebetween via a central switching office and for controlling the establishment of a switched signaling path through a switching network independent of the central office and then the unlocking of the lobby door over that switched path. The circuitry includes a trunk circuit for connecting the lobby telephone set to the central office and service circuits for detecting and processing call on/off-hook and ring signals as well as lobby door lock release signals from the called apartment. Distinctive tone bursts are applied by a service circuit through the switched path to notify the called apartment dweller of a lobby originated call.
30 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A lobby-apartment communication and lobby door lock control system comprising:
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means for establishing a voice communication path from a lobby telephone over a communication line and a telephone central office to an apartment telephone; lock control means, and means responsive to a receipt of coded signals by said establishing means for providing a switched signaling path independent of said central office and between said apartment telephone and said control means; and said control means comprising means responsive to a receipt of authorization signals from said apartment telephone via said switched signaling path for generating a control signal to effect an opening of a lobby door lock. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for controlling communication and signaling between a plurality of lobbies and a plurality of apartments comprising:
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means activatable for establishing a voice communication path from any one of said lobbies over a communication line and a central office to any one of said apartments; a preference circuit connectable to each of said lobbies for providing an ordered preference to enable service request signals from said lobbies to effect an activation of said establishing means; logic means; means responsive to a receipt of coded signals from said estblishing means for providing a switched communication path independent of said central office and between said one of said apartments and said logic means; and said logic means comprising means responsive to a receipt of authorization signals from said one of said apartments via said switched signaling path for generating a control signal to effect an opening of a door lock for a preferred requesting one of said lobbies.
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23. A circuit for controlling a lock mechanism comprising:
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circuit means having a first termination connectable to a first communication station and a second termination connectable through a telephone switching office to establish a call connection between said first station and a selected one of a plurality of other communication stations; logic means connectable to said lock mechanism and actuatable in response to a prescribed release signal from said selected one of said other stations for generating a signal to effect an actuation of said mechanism; and switching network means connected to said circuit means and operated in response to path selection signals sent thereto from said first station for establishing a switched signaling path independent of said switching office and via which said prescribed release signal is transmitted between said selected one of said other stations and said logic means. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An arrangement for controlling a door lock mechanism in the lobby of an apartment building wherein said building includes a lobby telephone and a plurality of apartment telephones having lines connectable to a telephone central office, comprising:
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circuit means connectable between said lobby telephone and the central office for controlling the establishment of a voice path connection switched via said office to a selected one of said apartment telephones; receiving means coupled to said circuit means for detecting coded signals generated from any one of said telephones; switching means connectable to said apartment telephones for selectively establishing a switched signaling path separate and independent of said office between said receiving means and said one of said apartment telephones in response to a detection by said receiving means of coded signals generated from said lobby telephone; and logic means responsive to a receipt in said receiving means of a predetermined digit generated from said selected one of said apartment telephones over said switched path for generating a control signal to effect a release of said door lock mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. An arrangement for sending a lock mechanism release signal comprising:
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a lock controlled access location equipped with a lock mechanism and a telephone set for requesting release of said lock mechanism; a plurality of authorizing telephone sets; and a telephone central office for establishing a switched voice path connection between said requesting set and one of said authorizing sets in response to a sending of telephone directory digits of said one of said authorizing sets from said requesting set; service circuit means for detecting signaling states of said authorizing sets; switching network means responsive to a sending from said requesting telephone set of a predetermined set of prefix digits assigned to said one of said authorizing sets for selectively establishing a switched signaling path separate and independent of said central office and over which a predetermined lock release signal generated from said one of said authorizing sets is sent to said service circuit means; and logic circuit means coupled to said service circuit means and to said lock mechanism for recognizing said predetermined lock release signal detected by said service circuit means to effect an opening of said lock mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification