Apparatus for coupling a telephone line to a telephone line subscriber device

• US 5,446,784 A
• Filed: 11/12/1993
• Issued: 08/29/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald Mactaggart
• Original Assignee: Donald Mactaggart
• Inventors: MacTaggart, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/151,412
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/93, 379/181, 379/183, 379/179, 379/180, 379/372, 379/373, 379/102, 379/104, 379/105, 379/375, 379/377, 379/380, 379/164, 379/165
• US Class Current: 379/102.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/82 Line monitoring circuits for call progress or status discrimination for detecting caller identity H04M1/573
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/02 involving a common line for all parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32704 Establishing a communication with one of a facsimile and another telecommunication apparatus sharing a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32708 Telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32717 a calling tone, e.g. CI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32732 within a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3275 Giving priority to one of the apparatus

Abstract

The telephone line has a multiple ringing patterns capacity, and the apparatus couples the telephone line to the telephone line subscriber device when a particular one of the ringing patterns is present at the telephone line. The particular ringing pattern consists of at least two ringing bursts separated by a gap which is equal to or less than a predetermined time interval. The apparatus includes logic circuitry which is set by the first burst and which, when the gap between the first burst and the second burst is equal to or less than the time interval, effects a low resistance path between an input jack and an output jack of the apparatus. The input jack is connectable to a wall socket for the telephone line, and the output jack is connectable to a socket on the telephone subscriber device. Preferably, the telephone subscriber device is a telefax machine.

Claims

1. An apparatus for connecting a multiple ringing capacity telephone line to a subscriber telephone line device set to answer after a single ringing burst and associated with a special directory number different from a primary directory number, the apparatus comprising:

an input jack connectable to a wall socket for said multiple ringing capacity telephone line;

an output means connectable to said subscriber telephone line device;

a normally open switch connecting said input jack to said output means, said switch being closed when a closing signal is supplied said input jack being disconnected from said output when said switch is open;

means connected to said output means and said switch for providing said closing signal to said switch when said subscriber telephone line device goes off-hook;

a timing capacitor;

means for discharging said timing capacitor continuously;

diode means connected to said input jack for converting and supplying DC power only from an AC ringing current at said input jack;

means connected to said diode means for charging said timing capacitor to a maximum charge value; and

means connected to said diode means, said switch and said timing capacitor for supplying said closing signal when said timing capacitor has a level of charge above a predetermined threshold when said DC power begins to be supplied, whereby a second ring, arriving within a predetermined time interval after a first ring at said input jack, will be passed through to said output means.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switch comprises a thyristor means for switching both DC and AC current.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said closing signal fed to said thyristor means from said supplying means is optically coupled.