Modular automatic telephone switching system
First Claim
1. A modular automatic telephone switching system for serving one or more central office lines from a central office and one or more local stations comprising:
- one or more master switching units corresponding in number to the number of central office lines to be served by the system and associated with said central office lines on a one for one basis; and
whereineach master switching unit comprises;
a central office port;
a main port;
station port means for connection to local station apparatus;
the station port means corresponding in number to the number of local stations served by the telephone switching system;
switching means for selectively interconnecting said central office port, said main port, and said station port means;
interconnecting means for selectively interconnecting said station port means; and
control means for controlling said switching means and said interconnecting means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A modular switching system for terminating and originating calls between central office subscriber lines and local stations provides the appearance of a business environment to an establishment served by one or more central office lines and as few as one local station. Central office lines may comprise standard subscriber lines or PBX trunks. The switching system includes one or more master switching units (102, 112) equal in number to the central office lines which are seved by the system; and a plurality of station switching subsystems (120, 130) corresponding in number to the local stations served by the switching system. Each master switching unit includes a main port for connection to a telephone answering device (TAD). A TAD comprises a manual attendant'"'"'s module and/or an automatic telephone answering set to provide a recorded audio announcement (OGM) which advises a calling party how to proceed to complete a call to a particular local station served by the called central office number. In response to subsequent DTMF call signalling information received from the associated central office subscriber line, the mast switching module disconnects the TAD from the central office line; and connects the calling central office line to a local station defined by the received call signalling information.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A modular automatic telephone switching system for serving one or more central office lines from a central office and one or more local stations comprising:
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one or more master switching units corresponding in number to the number of central office lines to be served by the system and associated with said central office lines on a one for one basis; and
whereineach master switching unit comprises; a central office port; a main port; station port means for connection to local station apparatus;
the station port means corresponding in number to the number of local stations served by the telephone switching system;switching means for selectively interconnecting said central office port, said main port, and said station port means; interconnecting means for selectively interconnecting said station port means; and control means for controlling said switching means and said interconnecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification