Telephone ringing monitoring and control system

• US 5,040,209 A
• Filed: 09/18/1989
• Issued: 08/13/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew Adler, Donald J. Sarley, Melvin B. Greenberg
• Original Assignee: Andrew Adler, Donald J. Sarley, Melvin B. Greenberg
• Inventors: Adler, Andrew, Greenberg, Melvin B., Sarley, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shehata, M.
• Application Number:
  US07/408,643
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 379/373, 379/376, 379/387, 379/165, 379/94, 379/95
• US Class Current: 379/373.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/02 providing ringing current or supervisory tones, e.g. dialling tone or busy tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/02 involving a common line for all parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 5/00 Selecting arrangements wherein two or more subscriber stations are connected by the same line to the exchange
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/902 Auto-switch for an incoming voice data, or fax telephone call, e.g. comp/fax/tel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/911 Distinctive ringing

Abstract

A control system for use in a conventional telecommunications system comprising a common telephone line to which plural telephones may be connected. The line is arranged to carry plural series of electrical ring-initiating signals, each for a respective one of plural telephone numbers serviced by the line. The control system comprises plural controllable ports and a controller. Each of the ports is associated with a respective one of the series of ring-initiating signals and is arranged to have a telephone and/or some auxiliary device, e.g., FAX machine, answering machine, computer, etc., connected thereto. The controller is coupled to the line and the controllable ports and detects an analyzes each of the plural ring-initiating signals on the line and also monitors the status of the line, e.g., if there is a "busy signal", an "on-hook signal", an "off-hook signal", or other signal on it. Depending upon line conditions the system controls the ports to which the telephones or other devices are connected, e.g., it precludes the first of the ring-initiating signals from reaching any port, analyzes those signals and thereafter diverts the remaining ring-initiating signals of any particular series to the associated port while continuing to preclude the remaining signals from reaching the other ports.

Claims

1. A control system for use in a telecommunications system, said telecommunication system comprising a common telephone line to which plural telephones may be connected, said line being arranged to carry plural series of electrical ring-initiating signals, each series of said ring-initiating signals being for a respective one of plural telephone numbers serviced by said line and being arranged to produce a respective, distinctive ringing cadence for said number by any telephone connected to said line when an incoming telephone call is directed on said line to said number, said control system comprising plural controllable ports and controller means, each of said ports being associated with a respective one of said series of ring-initiating signals and being arranged to have a telephone and/or some auxiliary device connected thereto, said controller means being coupled to said line and said controllable ports and being arranged to detect and analyze each of said plural ring-initiating signals on said line while precluding the first one of each of said series of signals from reaching each of said ports and thereafter providing ring-initiating signals of the particular series associated with the telephone number of the incoming call to the associated port and diverting said incoming call to said port while continuing to preclude all of the ring-initiating signals of each series from reaching the other ports and any telephone or other device connected thereto, said controller means causing said other ports to preclude any telephone or other device connected thereto from gaining access to said line once an incoming telephone call has been diverted to said associated port.

7. The control system of claim 1 wherein when there is no incoming telephone call on said line any telephone or device connected to any of said ports may gain access to said line, whereupon said control system causes said other ports to preclude any telephone or other device connected thereto from gaining access to said line.

8. The control system of claim 1 wherein said system monitors the electrical status of said line and controls the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if an electrical signal is provided on said line from said telecommunications system indicating that one of said telephones has been been off hook for a predetermined period of time without dialing said control system detects said condition and causes the port to which said one telephone is connected to be disconnected from said line so that any other telephone or device connected to any other port can gain access to said line for effecting an outgoing telephone call or receiving an incoming telephone call.

9. The control system of claim 1 wherein said system monitors the electrical status of said line and controls the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if an electrical signal is provided on said line from said telecommunications system indicating that one of said telephones has been been off hook for a predetermined period of time without dialing said control system detects said condition and causes the port to which said one telephone is connected to be disconnected from said line so that any other telephone or device connected to any other port can gain access to said line for effecting an outgoing telephone call or receiving an incoming telephone call.

12. The control system of claim 1 wherein said system monitors the electrical status of said line and controls the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if any telephone or device connected to any port attempts to make an outgoing telephone call and an electrical busy signal is provided on said line from said telecommunications system said control system detects said condition and causes the port to which telephone is connected to be disconnected from said line after a predetermined period of time so that any other telephone or device connected to any other port can gain access to said line for effecting an outgoing telephone call or receiving an incoming telephone call.

14. The control system of claim 8 wherein said system monitors the electrical status of said line and controls the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if any telephone or device connected to any port attempts to make an outgoing telephone call and an electrical busy signal is provided on said line from said telecommunications system said control system detects said condition and causes the port to which telephone is connected to be disconnected from said line after a predetermined period of time so that any other telephone or device connected to any other port can gain access to said line for effecting an outgoing telephone call or receiving an incoming telephone call.

16. The control system of claim 1 wherein said control means provides a signal to the associated port to which said ring-initiated signals would be diverted to cause a conventional ringing signal to be produced by the telephone connected thereto.

2. A control system for use in a telecommunications system, said telecommunications system comprising a common telephone line to which plural telephones may be connected, said line being arranged to carry plural series of electrical ring-initiating signals, each series of said ring-initiating signals being for a respective one of plural telephone numbers serviced by said line and being arranged to produce a respective, distinctive ringing cadence for said number by any telephone connected to said line when an incoming telephone call is directed on said line to said number, said control system comprising plural controllable ports and controller means, each of said ports being associated with a respective one of said series of ring-initiating signals and being arranged to have a telephone and/or some auxiliary device connected thereto, said controller means being coupled to said line and said controllable ports and being arranged to detect an analyze each of said plural ring-initiating signals on said line while precluding the first one of each of said series of signals from reaching each of said ports and thereafter providing ring-initiating signals of the particular series associated with the telephone number of the incoming call to the associated port and diverting said incoming call to said port while continuing to preclude all of the ring-initiating signals of each series from reaching the other ports and any telephone or other device connected thereto, said control system also monitoring the electrical status of said line and controlling the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if there is not incoming telephone call on said line any telephone or device connected to any of said ports may gain access to said line, whereupon when said telephone or device is activated to make an outgoing call an off-hook signal is produced, said control system operating in response to said off-hook signal to cause said other ports to preclude any telephone or other device connected thereto from gaining access to said line until an on-hook signal or an over-ride signal is detected.

3. The control system of claim 2 wherein said on-hook signal is provided automatically upon the completion of said outgoing telephone call.

4. The control system of claim 2 wherein said on-hook signal is provided manually.

5. The control system of claim 2 wherein said over-ride signal is produced at the telephone or device making the outgoing telephone call.

6. The control system of claim 5 wherein said over-ride signal is selectable to enable one or more of said telephones or devices to gain access to said line, whereupon said line acts as a party line.

10. The control system of claim 2 wherein said system monitors the electrical status of said line and controls the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if an electrical signal is provided on said line from said telecommunications system indicating that one of said telephones has been been off hook for a predetermined period of time without dialing said control system detects said condition and causes the port to which said one telephone is connected to be disconnected from said line so that any other telephone or device connected to any other port can gain access to said line for effecting an outgoing telephone call or receiving an incoming telephone call.

13. The control system of claim 2 wherein said system monitors the electrical status of said line and controls the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if any telephone or device connected to any port attempts to make an outgoing telephone call and an electrical busy signal is provided on said line from said telecommunications system said control system detects said condition and causes the port to which telephone is connected to be disconnected from said line after a predetermined period of time so that any other telephone or device connected to any other port can gain access to said line for effecting an outgoing telephone call or receiving an incoming telephone call.

11. A control system for use in a telecommunications system, said telecommunications system comprising a common telephone line to which plural telephones may be connected, said line being arranged to carry plural series of electrical ring-initiating signals, each series of said ring-initiating signals being for a respective one of plural telephone numbers serviced by said line and being arranged to produce a respective, distinctive ringing cadence for said number by any telephone connected to said line when an incoming telephone call is directed on said line to said number, said control system comprising plural controllable ports and controller means, each of said ports being associated with a respective one of said series of ring-initiating signals and being arranged to have a telephone and/or some auxiliary device connected thereto, said controller means being coupled to said line and said controllable ports and being arranged to detect an analyze each of said plural ring-initiating signals on said line while precluding the first one of each of said series of signals from reaching each of said ports and thereafter providing ring-initiating signals of the particular series associated with the telephone number of the incoming call to the associated port and diverting said incoming call to said port while continuing to preclude all of the ring-initiating signals of each series from reaching the other ports and any telephone or other device connected thereto, said control system also monitoring the electrical status of said line and controlling the operation of said ports in response thereto, whereupon if any telephone or device connected to any port attempts to make an outgoing telephone call and an electrical busy signal is provided on said line from said telecommunications system said control system detects said condition and causes the port to which telephone is connected to be disconnected from said line after a predetermined period of time so that any other telephone or device connected to any other port can gain access to said line for effecting an outgoing telephone call or receiving an incoming telephone call.

15. A control system for use in a telecommunications system, said telecommunications system comprising a common telephone line to which plural telephones may be connected, said line being arranged to carry plural series of electrical ring-initiating signals, each series of said ring-initiating signals being for a respective one of plural telephone numbers serviced by said line and being arranged to produce a respective, distinctive ringing cadence for said number by any telephone connected to said line when an incoming telephone call is directed on said line to said number, said control system comprising plural controllable ports and controller means, each of said ports being associated with a respective one of said series of ring-initiating signals and being arranged to have a a telephone and/or some auxiliary device connected thereto, said controller means being coupled to said line and said controllable ports and being arranged to detect an analyze each of said plural ring-initiating signals on said line while precluding the first one of each of said series of signals from reaching each of said ports and thereafter providing ring-initiating signals of the particular series associated with the telephone number of the incoming call to the associated port and diverting said incoming call to said port while continuing to preclude all of the ring-initiating signals of each series from reaching the other ports and any telephone or other device connected thereto, said controller means provides a signal to the associated port to which said ring-initiated signals would be diverted to cause a conventional ringing signal to be produced by the telephone connected thereto.