Method and apparatus for coupling computer work stations
First Claim
1. An apparatus for coupling a plurality of cluster work stations to a master work station over two-wire telephone lines at a central hub, each of said two-wire telephone lines having a first end connected to one of said cluster and master work stations and a second end connected to said hub, comprising:
- means in said hub for determining which of said two-wire telephone lines is coupled to said master work station, wherein said first end of any of said two-wire telephone lines could be coupled to said master work station and said master and cluster work stations can be reconfigured to couple said master work station to said first end of a different one of said two-wire telephone lines;
means in said hub for providing transmissions received from said second end of said two-wire telephone line connected to said master work station to said second end of said two-wire telephone lines connected to all of said cluster work stations; and
means in said hub for providing transmissions received from said second end of said two-wire telephone lines connected to said cluster work stations only to said second end of said two-wire telephone line connected to said master work station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for automatically and dynamically providing wiring connections at a central location coupled via ordinary phone lines to a plurality of work stations including a master work station. A central hub couples to a plurality of two wire telephone lines, each of which is coupled to an individual work station. The hub includes circuitry for monitoring transmissions to determine which of the work stations is the master. A receiver coupled to the master work station is coupled to transmitters to each of the other work stations. Receivers coupled to the remaining work stations are in turn coupled to a transmitter to the master work station.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for coupling a plurality of cluster work stations to a master work station over two-wire telephone lines at a central hub, each of said two-wire telephone lines having a first end connected to one of said cluster and master work stations and a second end connected to said hub, comprising:
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means in said hub for determining which of said two-wire telephone lines is coupled to said master work station, wherein said first end of any of said two-wire telephone lines could be coupled to said master work station and said master and cluster work stations can be reconfigured to couple said master work station to said first end of a different one of said two-wire telephone lines; means in said hub for providing transmissions received from said second end of said two-wire telephone line connected to said master work station to said second end of said two-wire telephone lines connected to all of said cluster work stations; and means in said hub for providing transmissions received from said second end of said two-wire telephone lines connected to said cluster work stations only to said second end of said two-wire telephone line connected to said master work station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23)
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9. A hub for coupling a plurality of cluster terminals to a master terminal over two-wire lines, comprising:
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a plurality of channels coupled to said terminal, each channel having a transmitter and a receiver; a master bus coupled to all of said channels; a cluster bus coupled to all of said channels; means for determining which of said channels is coupled to said master terminal; means for coupling the transmitter in the channel coupled to said master work station to said master bus and the transmitters in the remaining channels to said cluster bus; and means for coupling the receiver in said channel coupled to said master work station to said cluster bus and said receivers in said remaining channels to said master bus. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A hub for coupling a plurality of cluster work stations to a master work station over two-wire telephone lines, comprising:
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a microprocessor for controlling the operation of said hub; a timing circuit for providing clock signals in said hub; and a plurality of channels corresponding to said work stations, each channel including a high pass filter adapted to couple at a first end to a telephone line to one of said work stations, a low pass filter having a first end coupled to said telephone line and a second end adapted to couple to an external telephone exchange, a transformer having a primary winding and first and second secondary windings, said primary winding being coupled to a second end of said high pass filter, a detector having an input coupled to said first secondary winding, a master bus, said master bus being coupled to all of said channels, a cluster bus, said cluster bus being coupled to all of said channels, a first gate for coupling said detector to said master bus, said first gate having an enable input coupled to said microprocessor, a second gate for coupling said detector to said cluster bus, said second gate having an enable input coupled to said microprocessor, a multiplexer having first and second inputs coupled to said master bus and said cluster bus, respectively, said multiplexer having a select input coupled to said microprocessor for selecting one of said first and second inputs for coupling to a multiplexer output, and a third gate for coupling said multiplexer output to said second secondary winding of said transformer, said third gate having an enable input coupled to said microprocessor.
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Specification