System for controlling equipment within a telephone subscriber's premises using DTMF telephone tones
First Claim
1. A system for controlling a plurality of appliances at a station which is connected to a telephone switched network using DTMF telephone signals, wherein a number of appliances are TV appliances, said system comprising:
- a like plurality of internal tone control devices, each for decoding a sequence of DTMF signals, verifying if said sequence of DTMF signals coincides with a preset identification code and converting said sequence into a control signal;
a like number of receiving-switching units each associated with a TV appliance and with an associated internal tone control device, for receiving said control signal from said associated internal tone control device and for selectively coupling the associated TV appliance to a conventional TV cable network and to an optical fiber TV cable network according to said control signal;
means for connecting each of said internal tone control devices to the telephone switched network for receiving said sequence of DTMF signals and transferring it to said internal tone control devices;
means for coupling each of said receiving-switching units to the conventional TV cable network and to the optical fiber TV cable network; and
means for transmitting said control signal from said internal tone control device to the non-TV appliances for activating/deactivating the non-TV appliances with said control signal wherein said internal tone control devices comprise;
an overvoltage protection and d.c. insulation unit for receiving said sequence of DTMF signals;
a DTMF decoder connected to said overvoltage protection and insulation unit, for decoding a first and a second signal from said sequence of DTMF signals and generating a first and a second digit therefrom;
a first digit detector having a first identification code, connected to said DTMF decoder for comparing said first identification code to said first digit and producing a first digit valid signal;
a second digit decoder having a second identification code, connected to said DTMF decoder for comparing said second identification code to said second digit and producing a said second digit valid signal;
a memory unit, connected to said first digit detector for storing said first digit;
a logic unit connected to said second digit detector and to said memory unit, for determining if said sequence of said first and second digits is valid and generating said d.c. control signal; and
a delay timer unit for resetting said memory if said second digit valid signal is not produced after a predetermined time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for controlling telephone and non-telephone equipment located on the premises of a telephone subscriber is disclosed. The system includes at least one internal tone control device (ITCD), connected between a telephone outlet and the controlled equipment. The ITCD receives, decodes and validates a sequence of DTMF signals, converts it into a d.c. control signal and monitors the respective equipment with the d.c. control signal which remotely switches on/off the respective equipment. A plurality of different appliances can be operated in a "non-line of sight" mode over the telephone lines. A unique sequence of DTMF signals is associated with each ITCD. The sequence is selected such that the conventional telephone switching center is not activated by it, for avoiding interference between the system of the present invention and the conventional telephone communication. When the equipment is a TV appliance, the system may include a receiving-switching unit connected to the TV cable network and to an optical fiber TV cable, for switching the TV appliance between the two TV networks. In this case, the ITCD is connected to the telephone line and to the receiving-switching unit.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A system for controlling a plurality of appliances at a station which is connected to a telephone switched network using DTMF telephone signals, wherein a number of appliances are TV appliances, said system comprising:
-
a like plurality of internal tone control devices, each for decoding a sequence of DTMF signals, verifying if said sequence of DTMF signals coincides with a preset identification code and converting said sequence into a control signal; a like number of receiving-switching units each associated with a TV appliance and with an associated internal tone control device, for receiving said control signal from said associated internal tone control device and for selectively coupling the associated TV appliance to a conventional TV cable network and to an optical fiber TV cable network according to said control signal; means for connecting each of said internal tone control devices to the telephone switched network for receiving said sequence of DTMF signals and transferring it to said internal tone control devices; means for coupling each of said receiving-switching units to the conventional TV cable network and to the optical fiber TV cable network; and means for transmitting said control signal from said internal tone control device to the non-TV appliances for activating/deactivating the non-TV appliances with said control signal wherein said internal tone control devices comprise; an overvoltage protection and d.c. insulation unit for receiving said sequence of DTMF signals; a DTMF decoder connected to said overvoltage protection and insulation unit, for decoding a first and a second signal from said sequence of DTMF signals and generating a first and a second digit therefrom; a first digit detector having a first identification code, connected to said DTMF decoder for comparing said first identification code to said first digit and producing a first digit valid signal; a second digit decoder having a second identification code, connected to said DTMF decoder for comparing said second identification code to said second digit and producing a said second digit valid signal; a memory unit, connected to said first digit detector for storing said first digit; a logic unit connected to said second digit detector and to said memory unit, for determining if said sequence of said first and second digits is valid and generating said d.c. control signal; and a delay timer unit for resetting said memory if said second digit valid signal is not produced after a predetermined time. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A system for controlling a TV appliance at a station which is connected to a telephone switched network using DTMF telephone signals comprising:
- P1 an internal tone control device, for decoding a sequence of DTMF signals, verifying if said sequence of DTMF signals coincides with a preset, identification code and converting said sequence into a control signal;
a receiving-switching unit for receiving said control signal from said internal tone control device and for selectively coupling the TV appliance to a conventional TV cable network and to an optical fiber TV cable network according to said control signal; means for connecting said internal tone control device to the telephone switched network for receiving said sequence of DTMF signals and transferring it to said internal tone control device; and means for coupling said receiving-switching unit to the conventional TV cable network and to the optical fiber TV cable network wherein said internal tone control device comprises; an overvoltage protection and d.c. insulation unit for receiving said sequence of DTMF signals; a DTMF decoder connected to said overvoltage protection and insulation unit, for decoding a first and a second signal from said sequence of DTMF signals and generating a first and a second digit therefrom; a first digit detector having a first identification code, connected to said DTMF decoder for comparing said first identification code to said first digit and producing a first digit valid signal; a second digit detector having a second identification code, connected to said DTMF decoder for comparing said second identification code to said second digit and producing a said second digit valid signal; a memory unit, connected to said first digit detector for storing said first digit; a logic unit connected to said second digit detector and to said memory unit, for determining if said sequence of said first and second digits is valid and generating said control signal; and a delay timer unit for resetting said memory if said second digit valid signal is not produced after a predetermined time. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- P1 an internal tone control device, for decoding a sequence of DTMF signals, verifying if said sequence of DTMF signals coincides with a preset, identification code and converting said sequence into a control signal;
Specification