Telemetry access arrangement
First Claim
1. A telephone switching system comprising:
- a switching network for interconnecting a multiplicity of telecommunications trunks and another multiplicity of analog customer lines;
at least one of said trunks connectable to a utility data accessing device for accessing a customer premises device; and
processor means operative under the control of a program for translating a class of service of said at least one of said trunks, and responsive to said translating, for establishing a connection through said network without transmitting ringing signals to an analog customer line.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for accessing customer meters and for controlling customer devices over a telephone line. A suppressed ringing connection is established over a customer line between a central office and customer station equipment. The connection is between a data accessing device such as a meter reading controller and a customer premises device such as a meter interface unit. Signals are exchanged over the connection between these two units without alerting the customer via a ringing signal and without changing the supervisory state of the customer'"'"'s station equipment from on-hook. The connection can also be used for controlling devices such as air conditioning units, in order, for example, to avoid overloads in a power distribution system. The voice switching network of the central office is used for making the connection between the meter control unit and the meter interface unit. Advantageously, this arrangement can allow a large number of utility meters and controlling devices to be accessed remotely using existing telephone plant.
106 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A telephone switching system comprising:
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a switching network for interconnecting a multiplicity of telecommunications trunks and another multiplicity of analog customer lines; at least one of said trunks connectable to a utility data accessing device for accessing a customer premises device; and processor means operative under the control of a program for translating a class of service of said at least one of said trunks, and responsive to said translating, for establishing a connection through said network without transmitting ringing signals to an analog customer line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of accessing a customer premises device from a data accessing device via a telecommunications switching system said telecommunications switching system comprising a voice band signal switching network for switchably interconnecting multiplicities of inlets and multiplicities of outlets, said inlets for connection to interoffice telecommunications trunks, said outlets for connection to analog customer lines, the method comprising:
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determing that a class of service for an inlet connected to said data accessing device is a class of service requiring establishment of a suppressed ringing connection; establishing a suppressed ringing connection from said inlet to an outlet of said voice band signal switching network for connecting said data accessing device to an analog customer line connected to station equipment of a customer; and transmitting signals over said suppressed ringing connection for accessing said customer premises device over said analog line from said data accessing device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of accessing a customer premises device from a data accessing device via a telecommunications switching system, said telecommunications switching system comprising a switching network for switchably interconnecting multiplicities of inlets and multiplicities of outlets, said inlets for connection to interoffice telecommunications trunks, said outlets for connection to customer lines, the method comprising:
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determining that a class of service for an inlet connected to said data accessing device is a class of service requiring establishment of a suppressed ringing connection; establishing a suppressed ringing connection from said inlet to an outlet of said switching network for connecting said data accessing device to a customer line connected to station equipment of a customer; and transmitting signals over said suppressed ringing connection for accessing said customer premises device over said customer line from said data accessing device.
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Specification