Telecommunications system for accessing subscriber premises equipment using ring suppression
First Claim
1. A method of accessing one of a telephone and a data communication device from a remote data communication system via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
- operating a switching device connected to said telephone line to open circuit said telephone line between said telecommunications network and said telephone;
receiving a first ring signal and caller identification data from said network, said caller identification data corresponding to said remote data communication system and being generated after said first ring signal, said telephone being prevented from receiving said first ring signal by said switching device;
determining from said caller identification data to which one of said telephone and said data communication device said call is directed;
operating said switching device to complete a circuit in said telephone line between said telecommunications network and said telephone if said call is directed to said telephone;
receiving a second ring signal from said network, said second ring signal being provided to said telephone line via said switching device; and
regenerating said caller identification data to supply said caller identification data to said telephone line after said second ring signal if said call is directed to said telephone.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A no-ring access telecommunications system is connected to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone line at the demarcation point between the public switched telephone network and the telephone line or at the utility meter site on the subscriber'"'"'s premises, or at a central office. The telecommunications system comprises a processor, and a normally open switch which is selectively closed by the processor to connect the telephone line to another line servicing subscriber telecommunications equipment connected in parallel thereto. The telecommunications system is programmable to suppress the first power ring signal of an incoming call on the telephone line from a remote host system. The ring signal is analyzed for Caller ID, distinctive ringing or other special tone. If a valid Caller ID, distinctive ring signal or other special tone is provided, the switch is closed. The Caller ID is regenerated on the line servicing the subscriber telecommunications equipment. The subscriber telecommunications equipment is configured to monitor the line servicing it and to establish a connection with the host system or calling party when an incoming call is directed to it. The telecommunications system monitors the same line for an off-hook signal and can interrupt a data call to service a voice call. The telecommunications system is also programmable to remotely control an appliance via signals on a power line, or utility meters via a radio frequency transceiver, in response to a request by a host system via the telephone line.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of accessing one of a telephone and a data communication device from a remote data communication system via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
-
operating a switching device connected to said telephone line to open circuit said telephone line between said telecommunications network and said telephone; receiving a first ring signal and caller identification data from said network, said caller identification data corresponding to said remote data communication system and being generated after said first ring signal, said telephone being prevented from receiving said first ring signal by said switching device; determining from said caller identification data to which one of said telephone and said data communication device said call is directed; operating said switching device to complete a circuit in said telephone line between said telecommunications network and said telephone if said call is directed to said telephone; receiving a second ring signal from said network, said second ring signal being provided to said telephone line via said switching device; and regenerating said caller identification data to supply said caller identification data to said telephone line after said second ring signal if said call is directed to said telephone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of accessing one of a telephone and a data communication device from a remote data communication system via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
-
operating a switching device connected to said telephone line to open circuit said telephone line between said network and said telephone; receiving one of a first ring signal and a second ring signal from said network, said first ring signal characterized by a distinctive ringing pattern corresponding to said remote data communication system, said second ring signal being accompanied by a caller identification number corresponding to said remote data communication system, said telephone being prevented from receiving said first ring signal and said second ring signal by said switching device; determining, if said first ring signal is received, whether said first ring signal corresponds to one of a plurality of distinctive ring patterns stored in a memory device and said call is directed to said data communication device; determining, if said second ring signal is received, whether said caller identification number corresponds to one of a plurality of caller identification numbers stored in said memory device and said call is directed to said data communication device; operating said switching device to close circuit said telephone line between said network and said telephone if said call is a voice call to be directed to said telephone; and operating said switching device to close circuit said telephone line between said telephone and said network if said call is a data call to be directed to said data communication device, said data communication device being connected to said telephone line. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. Apparatus for allowing one of a plurality of remote data communication systems to access a telephone or a data communication device via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:
-
a memory device for storing data relating to ring signals and caller identification numbers corresponding to said plurality of remote data communication systems; an incoming signal detection circuit connected to said network and to said telephone line for detecting a call from said remote data communication system; a processor connected to said incoming signal detection circuit and to said memory device for processing a first ring signal received from said network to determine whether said first ring signal corresponds to one of said ring signals stored in said memory device, and, if said first ring signal does not correspond to one of said ring signals stored in said memory device, to determine whether a caller identification number received from said network after said first ring signal corresponds to one of said call identification numbers stored in said memory device; and a switching device connected to said telephone line and operable in response to said processor, said processor being programmable to operate said switching device to open circuit said telephone line between said network and said telephone at least until after said first ring signal. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
-
22. A method of accessing one of a telephone and a data communication device from a remote data communication system via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a first ring signal and caller identification data from said network, said caller identification data corresponding to said remote data communication system and being generated after said first ring signal, said telephone being prevented from receiving said first ring signal; determining from said caller identification data to which one of said telephone and said data communication device said call is directed; receiving a second ring signal from said network; and generating said caller identification data to supply said caller identification data to said telephone line after said second ring signal if said call is a voice call to be directed to said telephone.
-
-
23. Apparatus for allowing one of a plurality of remote data communication systems to access a telephone or a data communication device via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:
-
a memory device for storing data relating to ring signals and caller identification numbers corresponding to said plurality of remote data communication systems; an incoming signal detection circuit connected to said network and to said telephone line for detecting a call from said remote data communication system; a processor connected to said incoming signal detection circuit and to said memory device for processing a first ring signal received from said network to determine whether said first ring signal corresponds to one of said ring signals stored in said memory device, and, if said first ring signal does not correspond to one of said ring signals stored in said memory device, to determine whether a caller identification number received from said network after said first ring signal corresponds to one of said call identification numbers stored in said memory device, said processor being programmable to prevent said telephone from receiving said first ring signal and to generate said caller identification number received from said network on said telephone line after a second signal received from said network when said call is a voice call to be directed to said telephone.
-
-
24. A method of accessing one of a telephone and a data communication device from a remote data communication system via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
-
operating a switching device connected to said telephone line to open circuit said telephone line between said network and said telephone; receiving one of a first ring signal and a second ring signal from said network, said first ring signal characterized by a distinctive ringing pattern corresponding to said remote data communication system, said second ring signal being accompanied by a caller identification number corresponding to said remote data communication system and generated after said first ring signal, said telephone being prevented from receiving said first ring signal and said second ring signal by said switching device; determining, if said first ring signal is received, whether said first ring signal corresponds to one of a plurality of distinctive ring patterns stored in a memory device and said call is directed to said data communication device; determining, if said second ring signal is received, whether said caller identification number corresponds to one of a plurality of caller identification numbers stored in said memory device and said call is directed to said data communication device; operating said switching device to close circuit said telephone line between said telephone and said network if said call is directed to said data communication device, said data communication device being connected to said telephone line; receiving device identification data from said remote data communication system; generating a control signal for said data communication device, said control signal comprising said device identification data; monitoring said telephone line using said data communication device, said data communication device being operable to determine whether said device identification data is valid for said data communication device; and operating said data communication device to communicate with said remote data communication system via said telephone line if said device identification data is valid.
-
-
25. A method of accessing one of a telephone and a data communication device from a remote data communication system via a telephone line extending to a subscriber'"'"'s premises from a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
-
operating a switching device connected to said telephone line to open circuit said telephone line between said network and said telephone; receiving one of a first ring signal and a second ring signal from said network, said first ring signal characterized by a distinctive ringing pattern corresponding to said remote data communication system, said second ring signal being accompanied by a caller identification number corresponding to said remote data communication system and generated after said first ring signal, said telephone being prevented from receiving said first ring signal and said second ring signal by said switching device; determining, if said first ring signal is received, whether said first ring signal corresponds to one of a plurality of distinctive ring patterns stored in a memory device and said call is directed to said data communication device; determining, if said second ring signal is received, whether said caller identification number corresponds to one of a plurality of caller identification numbers stored in said memory device and said call is directed to said data communication device; maintaining said telephone line as an open circuit between said telephone and said network using said switching device when said first signal is received; receiving device identification data from said remote data communication system; and generating a control signal for said data communication device in response to said first ring signal, said control signal comprising said device identification data.
-
Specification