Method and apparatus for signaling an existing telephone communication between picture telephone apparatuses

• US 4,560,833 A
• Filed: 01/25/1984
• Issued: 12/24/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Krones AG (Krones)
• Original Assignee: KRONE GmbH
• Inventors: Weber, Jens, Czempiel, Ernst-Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): George, Keith E.
• Application Number:
  US06/573,553
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 TV, 179/2 TS, 179/2 DP, 358/85
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/038 Optical modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/09 Subscriber related equipment; Analog terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/206 User-to-user signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/337 Picturephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/00 Selecting arrangements H04Q5/00 - H04Q11/00 take precedence

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a method and an apparatus for signaling an existing picture telephone communication for picture telephone apparatuses. The picture telephone apparatus (1) includes a transmitter (2) for transmitting a short identification signal upon lifting off the handset (1a) as a picture telephone identification signal (2a) through the audio channel, a detection circuit (3) for detecting an incoming picture telephone identification signal and an indication unit (D) for an acoustical and/or optical indication.

Claims

1. A method for signaling a capability of a picture telephone communication between picture telephone subscriber equipments each including a picture telephone apparatus having a handset, said telephone subscriber equipments being interconnected via a communications path including an audio channel in such a way as to constitute a calling subscriber and a called subscriber comprising the steps of:

generating an identification signal by a picture telephone apparatus of a called subscriber in response to a received call and upon lifting the handset of the picture telephone apparatus of the called subscriber as a picture telephone identification signal;

transmitting said identification signal through an audio channel of a picture telephone transmission channel from the picture telephone apparatus of the called subscriber to a picture telephone apparatus of a calling subscriber;

receiving said identification signal by the picture telephone apparatus of said calling subscriber;

detecting said identification signal as the picture telephone identification signal of said called subscriber by the picture telephone apparatus of said calling subscriber; and

generating an indication signal upon detecting said picture telephone identification signal by the picture telephone apparatus of said calling subscriber indicating that the called subscriber has a picture telephone equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said picture telephone apparatus includes a hook switch activatable by lifting the associated handset, and wherein said generating step generates said identification signal immediately upon activation of said hook switch of the picture telephone apparatus of the called subscriber.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of limiting the duration of the generated identification signal for a time period selected such that it is terminated when the handset is in its speech condition.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including a display apparatus operatively connected to each of said picture telephone apparatuses, and wherein said indication signal generating step includes the step of activating said display apparatus in response to the detection of said identification signal.

5. An apparatus for signaling a capability of a picture telephone communication between picture telephone subscriber equipments operatively coupled to a local telephone exchange, comprising:

a picture telephone apparatus for providing outgoing calling signals and for receiving incoming calling signals;

a picture telephone terminal apparatus connected to said telephone apparatus via an audio channel;

a display apparatus connected to said picture telephone terminal apparatus via a video channel and connected to said picture telephone apparatus via a communication path;

said picture telephone apparatus comprising;

a first detection circuit for providing a first signal in response to detecting an outgoing calling signal provided by the picture telephone apparatus;

a second detection circuit for providing a second signal in response to detecting an incoming calling signal from said local telephone exchange;

a hook switch for providing a signal indication representative of said picture telephone apparatus in an off-hook condition;

a gate circuit coupled to said first and to said second detection circuits and to said hook switch for providing enabling signals in response to said signal indication and to said first and to said second signals;

a timer circuit coupled to said gate circuit and responsive to said enabling signals for providing a timing signal;

a transmitter coupled to said gate circuit and to said timer circuit for transmitting a picture telephone identification signal via said local exchange in response to said enabling signals and to said timing signal provided by said timer circuit;

a third detection circuit coupled to said picture telephone terminal apparatus and to said gate circuit for detecting said picture telephone identification signal in response to said enabling signals;

said picture telephone terminal apparatus comprising;

an opto/electrical converter for receiving signals from said local exchange;

an electrical/optical converter for transmitting signals to said local exchange; and

a multiplexer coupled to said converters for multiplexing wideband and narrowband services; and

an indicator coupled to said third detection circuit for generating an indication signal in response to said third detection circuit detecting said picture telephone identification signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said indicator is coupled to said picture telephone apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said indicator is coupled to said display apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said indicator is an optical indicator.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said indicator is an audio indicator.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said transmitter includes means for enabling it in response to said enabling signals and for disabling it in response to said timing signal from said timer circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said timing signal is generated for about one second after the start of said transmitter.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, further including means for activating the operation of said display apparatus.