Voice/data digital, duplex link

• US 4,549,290 A
• Filed: 06/10/1983
• Issued: 10/22/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baxter Travenol Laboratories Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.), British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Baxter Travenol Laboratories Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Bell, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): ORSINO JR, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US06/503,033
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 179/170.2, 179/170.6, 370/24, 370/27, 370/29, 370/32
• US Class Current: 370/283
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1461 Suppression of signals in the return path, i.e. bidirectional control circuits

Abstract

A full duplex link for sending and receiving digital voice/data signals over a line pair and which incorporates a sample and hold circuit in the receiving portion of the link which is triggered by each change of state of the transmitted signal from the link so that transients resulting from such transmitted signals will not interfere with signals received by the link over the line pair.

Claims

1. Link apparatus connected to one end of a pair of communication lines for simultaneously sending and receiving digital data over the lines, the link apparatus comprising:

a transmitting circuit for generating digital signal pulses and for transmitting them over the pair of communication lines and including means for detecting each change of state of said digital signal pulses and for generating a control signal pulse at each such change of state,

a receiving circuit for receiving data signals generated by an external source and transmitted over the communication lines to the link apparatus, the receiving circuit comprising means for discriminating between data signals received over the communication lines and the digital signal pulses generated by the transmitting circuit and for outputting said data signals, controllable switch means supplied with the control signal pulse for interrupting the outputting of said data signals by the discriminating means in response to the control pulse, and storage means for storing the value of the last received data signal from the external source prior to the interruption by the switch means, and wherein the switch means is connected in series between the discriminating means and the storage means.

2. Link apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the control pulse has a predetermined duration and wherein the switch means interrupts the received data signal only for the duration of the control pulse.

3. Link apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the duration of the control pulse does not exceed 250 nanoseconds.

4. Link apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for removing the direct current component of the received data signal.

5. Link apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a Manchester coder/decoder connected to the transmitting and receiving circuits for encoding data for transmission by the transmitting circuit and for decoding data signals received by the receiving circuit.

10. Link apparatus as recited in claims 1, 5 or 6 wherein the transmitted and received data represents, in part, voice data.

6. Link apparatus for simultaneously sending and receiving coded data over a pair of communication lines, the apparatus being comprised of a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit, and wherein the

transmitting circuit includes data encoding means, hold timing circuit means, supplied with the encoded data to be transmitted, for generating a storage control signal at selected times when encoded data is present, means for coupling the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit to the pair of communication lines and wherein

the receiving circuit includes balance network means for receiving encoded data from the pair of communication lines and for screening out signals transmitted by the transmitting circuit, storage means responsive to the storage control signal for storing the signal screened by the balance network for the duration of said control signal, detector means for taking the difference of the output of the storage means and the average direct current component thereof, and data decoder means for decoding said difference.

7. Link apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein the hold timing circuit means generates a storage control signal at every edge of the encoded data waveform.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein the duration of said storage control signal does not exceed 250 nanoseconds.

9. Link apparatus as recited in claim 6 further comprising means for ensuring coincidence between the operation of the storage means and the change of state of the transmission signal.