System for securing access to equipment connectable to a telephone communication channel

• US 5,469,499 A
• Filed: 11/29/1993
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leif Lanning
• Original Assignee: Leif Lanning
• Inventors: Lanning, Leif
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/158,404
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 379/95, 379/246, 379/200, 379/201, 379/211, 379/212, 379/88, 379/196, 379/194
• US Class Current: 379/196
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

A system for accessing equipment connectable to a secured telephone communication channel by sensing ringing current on an access telephone communication channel. Ringing current on the secured channel is controlled such that the secured channel does not answer unless the access channel was called within a preset time period prior to calling the secured channel.

Claims

1. A system for securing access to equipment connectable to a telephone communication channel, comprising:

a first sensing means for sensing ringing current on a first access telephone communication channel,

a controlling means for controlling ringing current on a secure telephone communication channel such that the equipment connectable to the secure telephone communication channel does not answer when ringing current is present on the secure telephone communication channel,

means for disabling the controlling means in direct response to the first sensing means when ringing current is sensed on the first access telephone communication channel, and

a first maintaining means for maintaining the disabled state of the controlling means for a pre-set time period after ringing current is first sensed on the first access telephone communication channel.

2. The system for securing access of claim 1 wherein the first sensing means includes a ringer isolator in series with a bi-metallic switch.

3. The system for securing access of claim 1 wherein the means for disabling includes a single-throw normally closed relay.

4. The system for securing access of claim 3 wherein the first maintaining means includes a resistor in parallel with the single-throw normally closed relay such that the combined parallel impedance determines the pre-set time period for disablement.

5. The system for securing access of claim 3 wherein the controlling means includes:

a first circuit of a ringer isolator in series with a bi-metallic switch,

a second circuit of a single-throw normally closed relay in parallel with a resistor, and

the first circuit in series with the second circuit such that the single-throw normally closed relay disconnects the secure communication channel from the equipment connectable to the secure communication channel.

6. The system for securing access of claim 3 wherein the controlling means includes:

a first circuit of a first ringer isolator in series with a first bi-metallic switch,

a second circuit of a single-throw normally closed relay in parallel with a first resistor,

a third circuit of a double-throw normally closed relay in parallel with a second resistor,

a fourth circuit of a second ringer isolator in series with a second bi-metallic switch,

the first circuit in series with the second circuit,

the second circuit in series with the third circuit, and

the third circuit in series with the fourth circuit such that the single-throw normally closed relay and the double-throw normally closed relay disconnect the secure communication channel from the equipment connectable to the secure communication channel.

7. The system for securing access of claim 1 wherein the means for disabling includes a double-throw normally open relay in series with a pair of capacitors.

8. The system for securing access of claim 7 wherein the first maintaining means includes a resistor in parallel with the double-throw normally open relay such that the combined parallel impedance determines the pre-set time period for disablement.

9. The system for securing access of claim 7 wherein the controlling means includes an ac-dc converter.

10. The system for securing access of claim 1, further comprising:

a second access telephone communication channel,

a second sensing means for sensing ringing current on the second access telephone communication channel,

an activation means for activating and de-activating the operation of the first sensing means such that the first sensing means is activated when ringing current is sensed on the second access telephone communication channel, and

a second maintaining means for maintaining the activated state of the activation means for a pre-set period of time after ringing current is first sensed on the second access telephone communication channel.

11. The system for securing access of claim 10 wherein the second sensing means includes a ringer isolator in series with a bi-metallic switch.

12. The system for securing access of claim 10 wherein the activation means includes a single-throw normally open relay.

13. The system for securing access of claim 12 wherein the second maintaining means includes a resistor in parallel with the single-throw normally open relay such that the combined parallel impedance determines the pre-set time period for disablement.

14. A method for securing access to equipment connectable to a telephone communication channel comprising the steps of:

monitoring the presence of ringing current on an access telephone communication channel and a secure telephone communication channel,

preventing the equipment connectable to the secure telephone communication channel from answering when ringing current is present on the secure telephone communication channel if ringing current is not sensed on the access telephone communication channel,

disabling the prevention of the equipment from answering when ringing current is present on the secure telephone communication channel if ringing current is sensed on the access telephone communication channel,

maintaining the disablement for a pre-set time period after ringing current is first sensed on the access telephone communication channel, and

enabling after said pre-set time period the prevention of the equipment from answering when ringing current is present on the secure telephone communication channel.