Call status recognition in a broadband private automatic branch exchange

• US 5,157,715 A
• Filed: 01/31/1991
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Fischer, Oliver, Linsenmaier, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/648,490
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 379/53, 379/54, 379/90, 379/110, 379/164, 358/85
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0066 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

In a broadband private automatic branch exchange (BB-PABX) in which a plurality of broadband terminals (BB-E1, . . . , BB-E26) are connected to a broadband switching array (BB-V) to switch video and data signals, the current call status of the system must be signaled to the terminals, so that a broadband connection may be activated. For this purpose, a message characterizing a quiescent state is supplied to one input/output (O) of the broadband switching array (BB-V) of the private automatic branch exchange and all nonswitched input/output (1, 2, . . . , 30) controlled by an associated control unit (C) are linked with the first input/output (O) so that the quiescent state message is always transmitted to all nonswitched terminals.

Claims

1. Apparatus for signaling a call status of a broadband private automatic branch exchange to a plurality of broadband terminals, said apparatus comprising:

a broadband switching array for selectively coupling video and data signals between a plurality of inputs/outputs,

a signal unit for applying a quiescent signal characteristic of a nonswitched state to a first input/output of the broadband switching array, and

a control unit connected to the switching array for causing said switching array to couple to said first input/output any nonswitched inputs/outputs not currently coupled by said broadband switching array to another of said inputs/outputs, whereby said quiescent signal is transmitted to all nonswitched broadband terminals.

2. A circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said signal unit which generates a message characteristic of a quiescent is a bit generator which generates an arbitrary, predetermined bit sequence.

3. A circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the bit generator forms part of the control unit.

4. A circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the bit generator is connected to the first input of the switching array via a data channel and a multiplexer/demultiplexer for the data channel, an audio channel, and a video channel.

5. A circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the signal unit is a sound generator or a video-signal generator.