Apparatus for enhancing the use of electromechanical key telephone systems
First Claim
1. Apparatus for enhancing an electromechanical key telephone system having a plurality of stations connected to a plurality of central office (CO) lines through a key service unit (KSU), comprising:
- a main control unit (MCU), means establishing a direct communication link between said MCU and each telephone station for effecting its addressing by said MCU which is constructed and arranged to intercept incoming calls on the CO lines before such calls reach the KSU for exercising detection and control of said incoming calls, and a station control unit (SCU) operatively associated with each station and positioned between the telephone station and the KSU, the SCU'"'"'s being constructed and arranged to address said MCU and to be addressed by said MCU.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to apparatus for use with a telephone system having a plurality of stations each of which becomes active when the station goes off-hook and one of a plurality of keys at the station is actuated for selecting one of a plurality of outside central office (CO) lines connected to the stations through a key service unit (KSU). The apparatus of the present invention comprises a station control unit (SCU) associated with each station for connecting the same to the KSU; and a main control unit (MCU) by which the KSU is connected to the outside CO lines. The MCU comprises a microprocessor operated central control; and a multistate line control unit (LCU) operatively associated with each outside CO line for connecting each station in parallel to the selected CO line and/or to the central control in accordance with the state of the LCU operatively associated with the selected CO line. The present invention provides for effecting addressing between the MCU and the SCU'"'"'s and for controlling the state of the LCU'"'"'s as a consequence of such addressing when the MCU is operative such that the MCU manages connections of the system to the CO lines and signalling between the stations according to a predetermined plan contained in the control unit. With the arrangement described above, the MCU intercepts and controls internal dialing from the stations of the system selectively controlling, for example, access of the stations, or individuals using the system, to the CO lines.
-
Citations
48 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for enhancing an electromechanical key telephone system having a plurality of stations connected to a plurality of central office (CO) lines through a key service unit (KSU), comprising:
- a main control unit (MCU), means establishing a direct communication link between said MCU and each telephone station for effecting its addressing by said MCU which is constructed and arranged to intercept incoming calls on the CO lines before such calls reach the KSU for exercising detection and control of said incoming calls, and a station control unit (SCU) operatively associated with each station and positioned between the telephone station and the KSU, the SCU'"'"'s being constructed and arranged to address said MCU and to be addressed by said MCU.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
13. Apparatus for use with a telephone system having a plurality of stations each of which becomes active when the station goes off-hook and one of a plurality of keys at the station is actuated for selecting one of a plurality of outside central office (CO) lines connected to the stations through a key service unit (KSU), said apparatus comprising:
-
(a) a station control unit (SCU) associated with each station for connecting the same to the KSU; (b) a main control unit (MCU) for connection between the KSU and the outside CO lines, said MCU having a computer-based central control, and a multistate line control unit (LCU) operatively associated with each outside CO line for connecting each station in parallel to the selected CO line and/or to the central control in accordance with the state of the LCU operatively associated with the selected CO line; and (c) means for effecting addressing between the MCU and the SCU'"'"'s and for controlling the state of the LCU'"'"'s as a consequence of such addressing when the MCU is operative such that the MCU manages connections of the system to the CO lines and signalling between the stations according to a predetermined plan contained in the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A line control unit (LCU) for connecting the tip and ring wires of an outside central office (CO) line to the inside tip and ring wires at the CO side of a key service unit (KSU) of an electrical mechanical key telehone system, said LCU comprising:
-
(a) a ring detector circuit connected across the outside tip and ring wires for detecting an incoming call thereon; (b) a selectively adjustable signal path for connecting the outside tip and ring wires to the inside tip and ring wires; (c) a selectively operable internal-external switch in said signal path; and (d) means for selectively opening and closing said internal-external switch independently of detection of an incoming call by said ring detector circuit. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. A main control unit (MCU) for connecting the tip and ring wires of an outside central office (CO) line to the inside tip and ring wires at the CO side of a key service unit (KSU) of an electromechanical key telephone system, comprising:
-
(a) a line control unit (LCU) having first and second states that respectively disconnects and connects the inside tip and ring wires to the outside tip and ring wires; (b) a hook detector circuit responsive to an offhook state of a telephone set connected to the tip and ring wires of the KSU for producing an off-hook detect signal; (c) means responsive to an off-hook detect signal produced by the hook detect circuit for maintaining the LCU in its first state until a predetermined condition is met and then switching the LCU to its second state. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
-
-
45. Apparatus for use with a telephone system having a plurality of outside central office (CO) lines comprising:
-
(a) a main control unit (MCU) that includes a line control unit (LCU) associated with each outside CO line for interconnecting the same to a respective one of a plurality of inside CO lines, the state of an LCU establishing the nature of the connection between the asociated outside CO line and the inside CO line interconnected thereto; (b) a plurality of telephone stations each having a plurality of individually actuatable line selector keys respectively associated with said plurality of inside CO lines; (c) a key service unit (KSU) connected to said inside CO lines and having a cable associated with each telephone station, each cable having a conductor connected to one of the inside CO lines whereby each inside CO line is physically present in the cable; (d) a station control unit (SCU) associated with each telephone station for connecting the latter to different ones of said cables, each SCU being constructed an arranged to generate an address signal in response to actuation of one of the selector keys of the telephone station with which the SCU is associated; and (e) said MCU being constructed and arranged to receive address signals from the SCU'"'"'s which are transmitted via the conductors in said cables. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
-
Specification