Distributed processing telephone switching system
First Claim
1. A telephone switch system for receiving requests for calls on incoming telephone lines and placing the requested calls on outgoing telephone lines, said system comprising:
- a first plurality of coupler circuits adapted for connection to a respective first plurality of telephone lines;
a second plurality of coupler circuits adapted for connection to a respective second plurality of telephone lines;
matrix crosspoint switching means having a plurality of rows and columns wherein each column is connected to a respective coupler circuit in said first plurality of coupler circuits, wherein each row is connected to a respective coupler circuit in said second plurality of coupler circuits, said switching means including selectively actuable means for selectively interconnecting individual column and row matrix crosspoints;
coupler controller means, including a first microprocessor for monitoring and controlling said first and second pluralities of coupler circuits;
switch controller means, including a second microprocessor for selectively actuating and de-actuating said selectively actuable means at said matrix crosspoint switching means to establish, break and identify all connections between coupler circuits in said first plurality of coupler circuits and coupler circuits in said second plurality of coupler circuits via said switching means;
tone controller means, including a third microprocessor, selectively assignable to plural individual coupler circuits simultaneously for;
decoding DTMF signals received at each of said first plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned;
supplying a ready tone on command to each of said first plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned;
detecting the presence of dial tone at each of said second plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned; and
providing outgoing DTMF coded signals to each of said second plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned;
master controller means, including an interrupt driven fourth microprocessor, for coordinating operation of said coupler controller means, said switch controller means and said tone controller means to process individual telephone calls through said telephone switching system;
communications bus means commonly interconnecting said master controller means with said tone controller means, said coupler controller means and said switch controller means for transmitting commands, data and control signals; and
least cost routing processor means exclusively connected to said master controller means for;
receiving information signals concerning each requested call through said switching system from said master controller means;
determining the least cost route for placing the requested call; and
controlling the master controller means to in turn control the tone controller means, the switch controller means and the coupler controller means to place the requested call.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone switching system and method eliminates the need for high speed computers by employing a master controller having its own microprocessor to coordinate and control a tone controller, a switch controller, and a coupler controller, each of which has its own microprocessors and performs independent parts of the overall system control function. The master controller microprocessor interacts with each other controller microprocessor via a communication bus to segment the control functions into small independent operations which may be performed simultaneously. System call handling capacity can be increased by adding modular controller units to service added telephone lines. A solid state fully protected voice coupler is protected against voltage and current surges while meeting all relevant FCC specifications for connection to any voice transmitting and receiving equipment.
45 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A telephone switch system for receiving requests for calls on incoming telephone lines and placing the requested calls on outgoing telephone lines, said system comprising:
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a first plurality of coupler circuits adapted for connection to a respective first plurality of telephone lines; a second plurality of coupler circuits adapted for connection to a respective second plurality of telephone lines; matrix crosspoint switching means having a plurality of rows and columns wherein each column is connected to a respective coupler circuit in said first plurality of coupler circuits, wherein each row is connected to a respective coupler circuit in said second plurality of coupler circuits, said switching means including selectively actuable means for selectively interconnecting individual column and row matrix crosspoints; coupler controller means, including a first microprocessor for monitoring and controlling said first and second pluralities of coupler circuits; switch controller means, including a second microprocessor for selectively actuating and de-actuating said selectively actuable means at said matrix crosspoint switching means to establish, break and identify all connections between coupler circuits in said first plurality of coupler circuits and coupler circuits in said second plurality of coupler circuits via said switching means; tone controller means, including a third microprocessor, selectively assignable to plural individual coupler circuits simultaneously for;
decoding DTMF signals received at each of said first plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned;
supplying a ready tone on command to each of said first plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned;
detecting the presence of dial tone at each of said second plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned; and
providing outgoing DTMF coded signals to each of said second plurality of coupler circuits to which said tone controller means is assigned;master controller means, including an interrupt driven fourth microprocessor, for coordinating operation of said coupler controller means, said switch controller means and said tone controller means to process individual telephone calls through said telephone switching system; communications bus means commonly interconnecting said master controller means with said tone controller means, said coupler controller means and said switch controller means for transmitting commands, data and control signals; and least cost routing processor means exclusively connected to said master controller means for;
receiving information signals concerning each requested call through said switching system from said master controller means;
determining the least cost route for placing the requested call; and
controlling the master controller means to in turn control the tone controller means, the switch controller means and the coupler controller means to place the requested call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A telephone switching system for receiving requests for calls in incoming telephone lines and, after determining that the requested calls are valid, placing the requested calls on outgoing telephone lines by connecting incoming and outgoing telephone lines, wherein at least first, second and third pluralities of related procedures are performed in receiving call requests and placing the requested call, said system comprising:
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first microprocessor means for controlling said first plurality of related procedures; second microprocessor means, physically and operationally independent of said first microprocessor means, for controlling said second plurality of related procedures; third microprocessor means, physically and operationally independent of said first and second microprocessor means, for controlling said third plurality of related procedures; master controller means including interrupt driven fourth microprocessor means for controlling and coordinating operation of said first, second and third microprocessor means to process individual call request and call placements; and a common bus interconnecting the first, second and third microprocessor means. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A voice coupler circuit for use in a telephone switching system, said circuit for coupling first and second telephone lines carrying variable level audio signals comprising:
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a balanced audio transformer having a telephone line side winding and an audio circuit side winding; means for sampling the audio signal appearing across the telephone line responsive to produce a control signal having an amplitude which varies as a function of the level of the sampled audio signal; and variable impedance means connected in circuit with the telephone line side winding responsive to control the signal for varying the impedance of said variable impedance means as the sampled signal level varies to thereby control the level of said audio signal into said transformer. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. In a telephone switching system, the method of receiving requests for calls on incoming telephone lines and, after determining that the call requests are valid, placing the requested calls on available outgoing telephone lines, said method including the steps of:
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performing a first plurality of related procedures, under the control of a first microprocessor, to control the operation of coupler circuits connected to said incoming and outgoing telephone lines; performing a second plurality of related procedures, under the control of a second microprocessor which is independent of said first microprocessor, to control the operation of a matrix crosspoint switch which selectively interconnects incoming and outgoing telephone lines; performing a third plurality of related procedures, under the control of a third microprocessor which is independent of said first and second microprocessors, to control the reception and detection of call request signals received on incoming telephone lines, and to control the generation of call placement signals and application of said call placement signals to said outgoing telephone lines; controlling and coordinating operation of said first, second and third microprocessor with an interrupt driven master control microprocessor; connecting the first, second and third microprocessors to the master control microprocessor over common bus means to process individual call requests and call placements. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. In a telephone switching system, the method of receiving requests for calls on incoming telephone lines and, after determining that the call requests are valid, placing the request calls on available outgoing telephone lines, said method including the steps of:
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detecting an incoming call-indicative ring signal at one of plural coupler controllers and responding by providing a first interrupt signal from said one coupler controller to a master controller; in response to receiving said first interrupt signal at said master controller, interrupting a main program performed at a master controller microprocessor and polling said plural control couplers to determine the identity of said one coupler controller; selecting an available tone controller from plural tone controllers and assigning the selected tone controller to the incoming call; placing the call-receiving incoming telephone line on which said call-indicative ring signal was received in an off-hook condition and removing said first interrupt signal from said master controller; connecting the call-receiving incoming line to the selected tone controller; resuming the main program at the master controller microprocessor while effecting signalling between a user of the call-receiving incoming line and the selected tone controller to obtain call data concerning the requested call; in response to completion of call data entry into the selected tone controller by the user via said call-receiving incoming telephone line, providing a second interrupt signal to said master controller from said selected tone controller; in response to receiving said second interrupt signal at said master controller, interrupting said main program and supplying the entered call data to a request validation and lowest cost call routing further processor from the selected tone controller only via the master controller; upon validation of the call request and selection of the lowest cost call route at said further processor, breaking the connection between the selected tone controller and the call-receiving telephone line, and establishing a connection between the selected tone controller and an available outgoing telephone line through a second of said coupler circuits which is associated with that available outgoing line; and transmitting call-dialing signals from said selected tone controller to said available outgoing telephone line via said second coupler circuit. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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Specification