Telephone station set

• US 4,922,490 A
• Filed: 08/08/1988
• Issued: 05/01/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.), Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blakley, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Application Number:
  US07/230,281
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 370/62, 370/110.1, 379/67, 379/88, 379/142, 379/215, 379/217, 379/374
• US Class Current: 370/271
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/253 Telephone sets using digital voice transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/091 Indication of kind/number of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/171 Number indicating signals (no dial signals)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/375 Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/377 Recorded announcement

Abstract

A communication station capable of transmitting audible speech represented by speech signals received on the line during the on-hook state. A calling party name may be spoken at the station without requiring the call to be answered. The station is also usable, while on-hook, for receiving voice messages, e.g., emergency warnings, transmitted from a central office or customer premises switch.

Claims

1. An ISDN speakerphone station set connectable to a digital subscriber line comprising first and second B-channels and a D-channel, said station set comprising

switch-hook means having on-hook and off-hook states,

splitter/combiner means for digitally interfacing said first and second B-channels and said D-channel of said line with a first B-channel path, a second B-channel path, and a D-channel path, respectively,

a first coder/decorder for converting between digital voice signals, received from said first B-channel via said splitter/combiner means and said first B-channel path, and analog voice signals,

a second coder/decoder for converting between digital voice signals, received from said second B-channel via said splitter/combiner means and said second B-channel path, and analog voice signals,

a station set speaker,

speaker switch means having a first position for connecting said first coder/decoder with said speaker and having a second position for connecting said second coder/decoder with said speaker, and

station set controller means responsive to receipt, during the on-hook state of said switch-hook means, of a message from said D-channel via said splitter/combiner means and said D-channel path for placing said speaker switch means in said second position to couple a voice announcement on said second B-channel via said splitter/combiner means and said second coder/decoder to said speaker.

2. A station set in accordance with claim 1 wherein said station set controller means is responsive to receipt of said message for transmitting an acknowledgment via said D-channel path and said splitter/combiner means to said D-channel.

3. A station set in accordance with claim 1 wherein said station set controller means is responsive to the on-hook state of said switch-hook means for transmitting answer signaling via said D-channel path and said splitter/combiner means to said D-channel, and, after transmitting said answer signaling, selectively placing said speaker switch means in said first position to couple voice on said first B-channel via said splitter/combiner means and said first coder/decoder to said speaker.

4. A station set in accordance with claim 3 further comprising

voice/data switch means having a first position for connecting said second B-channel path to said second coder/decoder and having a second position for connecting said second B-channel path to a data terminal,

wherein said station set controller means is responsive to receipt of said message for placing said voice/data switch means in said first position to couple said voice announcement on said second B-channel via said splitter/combiner means and said second B-channel path to said second coder/decoder.