Telemetry access arrangement

• US 5,243,644 A
• Filed: 08/31/1992
• Issued: 09/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc., BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Garland, Stuart M., Schull, Jerome W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/938,740
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 379/104, 379/105-107, 379/102, 379/92, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.03
• US Class Current: 379/106.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

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.

Claims

1. 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:

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 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;

wherein said establishing comprises

determining whether said station equipment is connected via a subscriber loop carrier, and, if so, sending a brief spurt of ringing signal over said connection for enabling said subscriber loop carrier to establish a connection to said station equipment without transmitting a substantial ringing signal to said station equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining comprises determining a length of said brief spurt for said station equipment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said determining a length comprises determining a type of subscriber loop carrier used for accessing staid station equipment.

4. 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;

wherein one of said customer lines is connected to customer premises equipment through a subscriber loop carrier and wherein said processor means is further operative under the control of a program for sending a brief spurt of ringing signal over said connection to said one customer line for enabling said subscriber loop carrier to establish a connection to said one customer equipment.

5. A method of accessing a customer premises device from a data accessing device via a telecommunications a switching system comprising a voice band signal switching network for interconnecting multiplicities of telecommunications trunks and analog customer lines, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between said data accessing device and a central office service unit;

establishing a connection over an interoffice trunk from said central office service unit to said switching network;

establishing a suppressed ringing connection from said trunk through said switching network to an analog customer line connected to a meter interface unit of station equipment of a customer, said meter interface unit connected to a controllable device;

accessing said controllable device via tone signals transmitted over said connection to said meter interface unit, said accessing comprising controlling said controllable device over said connection;

making a billing record for said suppressed ringing connection in essentially the same manner as making a billing record for a voice call;

detecting an off-hook signal on said suppressed ringing connection; and

responsive to said detecting an off-hook signal, disconnecting said suppressed ringing connection;

wherein said establishing a suppressed ringing connection comprises determining whether said station equipment is connected via a subscriber loop carrier, and, if so, sending a brief spurt of ringing signal over said connection for enabling said subscriber loop carrier to establish a connection to said station equipment, wherein said determining comprises determining a length of said brief spurt for a subscriber loop carrier connection to said station equipment.

6. A method of accessing a customer premises device, connected to a customer'"'"'s station equipment, by a telecommunications switching system comprising:

determining whether a requested call connection to said station equipment is a suppressed ringing call connection;

responsive to determining that said requested call connection is a suppressed ringing call connection, determining whether said station equipment is connectable to said switching system via a subscriber loop carrier unit; and

if said station equipment is connectable via a subscriber loop carrier unit, setting up a connection from said switching system to said subscriber loop carrier unit;

sending a brief spurt of ringing signal over said connection from said switching system; and

responsive to receiving said brief spurt of ringing signal, extending said connection from said switching system via said subscriber loop carrier unit to said station equipment without transmitting a ringing signal to said station equipment.