User-programmable paging system controller having priority-based, multiple input paging access capability for selectively activating one or more audio/visual paging output devices

• US 5,740,235 A
• Filed: 02/09/1994
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valcom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chimienti, Dennis Carl, Wagner, Randall Mark, Shafer, Terri Runyan, Lester, James William
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/194,363
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 379/56, 379/57, 379/170, 379/171, 379/172, 340/825.44, 340/825.37, 340/825.38, 340/311.1, 340/313, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/458, 455/426, 455/556
• US Class Current: 340/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal

Abstract

A paging system controller is accessible from a plurality of input devices, such as an attendant'"'"'s position, a telephone interface, telephone night bell, programmable switch devices and digital data communications devices, and is user-programmable to respond to signalling activity sourced from such accessing devices to establish a paging connection to and perform prescribed audio/visual output paging signal functions with respect to one or a plurality of paging zones served by the system. The output paging signal functions include the transmission of audio tone and voice paging signals via an audio signal path from a paging source to one or more controllably energized paging loudspeaker amplifiers, the generation of one or more alert tones to a paging zone, talkback audio signalling from the paging zone to a telephone interface, the playback of prerecorded (audio/visual) messages from either or both of audio output (e.g. loudspeaker) and visual output (e.g. silent radio) devices. Respective access inputs to which the paging system controller responds are given user-programmable priorities of access permission, with a higher priority access input always being given preference over a lower priority access input. A programmable access priority table, which may be customized by the user to assign respectively different access priority levels to respectively different classes or types of input access is stored in memory employed by the control system'"'"'s processor.

Claims

1. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and further including

a plurality of user-programmable zone switch units, a respective user-programmable zone switch unit having an input/output port the function of which is user-programmable as either an input port or an output port, and wherein

a respective user-programmable zone switch unit has a plurality of switch contacts which are selectively connectable with respect to said input/output port so as to provide an input signal path to said control unit, or an output connectivity path for a paging output device, said output connectivity path being controllably effected in accordance with a control signal supplied from said control unit.

2. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a respective user-programmable zone switch unit has a plurality of switch contacts which are selectively connectable with respect to said input/output port so as to provide an output connectivity path for an audio paging output device, said connectivity path being controllably effected in accordance with a control signal supplied from said control unit, to initiate playback of an audio message from said audio paging output device.

3. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a respective user-programmable zone switch unit has a plurality of switch contacts which are selectively connectable with respect to said input/output port, so as to provide an output connectivity path for a visual paging output device, said connectivity path being controllably effected in accordance with a control signal supplied from said control unit, to initiate playback of a visual message from said visual paging output device.

4. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

said plurality of input ports are coupled to receive paging access input signals from an attendant'"'"'s position, a telephone interface, programmable switch devices and a digital data communications device, and wherein said control unit is operative to respond to said paging access signals and to establish a paging connection to and perform prescribed audio/visual output paging signal functions with respect to plural types of paging output devices associated with one or more paging zones.

5. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said prescribed audio/visual output paging signal functions include the transmission of audio tone and voice paging signals via a direct audio path from a paging source to one or more paging loudspeakers, the generation of one or more alert tones to a paging zone, talkback audio signalling from a paging zone to a telephone interface, and the playback of prerecorded audio/visual messages from either or both of audio output and visual output devices.

24. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of said plurality of input ports is coupled to receive paging access ringing signals from a night bell.

6. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

respective ones of said plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied have respectively different priorities of access permission, and wherein said control unit is operative to give access preference to a higher priority access input signal over a lower priority access input.

7. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control unit includes a user-programmable access priority table containing a priority assignment list associating respectively different access priority levels to respectively different types of access input signals.

9. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said digitally responsive paging devices include visual message display devices which are operative to generate visual messages in response to receiving a digitally formatted paging control output signal by way of a digital communications link coupled to the digital data communications port of said control unit.

8. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

said control unit has a digital data communications port, through which digitally formatted paging control output signals may be addressably supplied to one or more digitally responsive paging devices.

10. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

said control unit has a digital data communications port, which is coupled to a digital data communications bus to which respectively addressable paging devices may be coupled, and wherein said control unit is operative to generate one or more virtual paging addresses, respectively associated with potentially available destination paging output devices, regardless of whether or not paging output devices are physically coupled with said digital data communications bus.

11. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and further including

a power interface unit which is operative to convert voltage outputs provided by an attendant subsystem to voltages required by said audio signal interface circuit and said control unit.

12. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

one of said plurality of input ports is coupled to receive audio voice and tone signals from an attendant'"'"'s position, and wherein said control unit is operative to cause said audio signal interface circuit to provide a paging signal path therethrough to one or more of said output ports in response to a paging access input signal sourced from said attendant'"'"'s position.

13. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

one of said plurality of input ports is coupled to receive audio voice and tone signals from a telephone interface, and wherein said audio signal interface circuit is operative to couple audio paging signals sourced from said telephone interface to one or more of said plurality of output ports for application to one or more paging speakers.

14. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said audio signal interface circuit is operative to provide a paging signal path therethrough to one or more of said output ports in response to a paging access input signal sourced from any of a loop start telephone interface, a ground start telephone interface, a station mode telephone interface, and a dry loop telephone interface.

15. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said audio signal interface circuit includes a page/talkback path coupled in circuit with said telephone interface, and includes a page/talkback detection circuit which is operative to enable the transmission of either page signals sourced from said telephone interface, or talkback signals sourced from a paging zone audio signal transducer coupled to an output port, in dependence upon the audio background of the paging zone containing said paging zone audio transducer.

16. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said page/talkback detection circuit includes a variable threshold comparator circuit which is operative to compare an audio signal path level representative of paging activity from said telephone interface with an adaptive paging zone background-representative threshold value, and generates a page detection output signal representative of whether or not the signal level of the audio signal path exceeds said paging zone background-representative threshold, and wherein said control unit is operative to enable the transmission over said page/talkback path of either page signals sourced from said telephone interface, or talkback signals sourced from a paging zone audio signal transducer coupled to an output port, in accordance with said page detection output signal.

17. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said audio signal interface circuit includes a first precision rectifier circuit coupled in an audio signal path from said telephone interface, and a second precision rectifier circuit coupled in a talkback path from said output port to said telephone interface, and wherein said page/talkback detection circuit has first and second inputs coupled in circuit with said first and second precision rectifier circuits, respectively.

18. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said audio signal interface circuit includes a filter circuit which is operative to prevent talkback signals which are coupled via said page/talkback path to said telephone interface from being coupled through an audio signal path to an output port.

19. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said filter circuit is operative to prevent prescribed tone signals which are coupled via said page/talkback path to said telephone interface from being coupled through an audio signal path to said output port.

20. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

said control unit includes a dual tone multifrequency signal decoder, and a supervisory control processor which is operative to monitor outputs of said dual tone multifrequency signal decoder for paging zone identification.

21. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

said control unit includes a supervisory control processor which is coupled to said output ports via multi-port latching output driver units, and which is coupled to said input ports via respective data outputs of a multi-port input buffer driver unit.

22. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said multi-port latching output driver units include zone-associated output ports coupled to respective relay driver inputs of presettable zone switch units, and output ports which provide respective control signals for controlling the operation of said audio signal interface.

23. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a respective presettable zone switch unit is user programmable to couple power to a zone speaker amplifier, or operate as a (switch closure-defined) input/output device.

25. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

said plurality of output ports are associated with paging zones served by said paging system, and wherein said control unit includes a look-up table through which a prescribed code other than a paging zone identifier, and sourced by a paging source coupled to said audio signal interface is mapped into said paging zone identifier associated with an output port by way of which paging output signals are supplied to a paging output devices.

26. A paging system control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of input ports to which paging access input signals from plural types of input devices are supplied;

a plurality of output ports from which paging output signals may be supplied to plural types of paging output devices;

an audio signal interface circuit coupled to selected ones of said input ports and being operative to condition audio paging signals for application to audio paging output devices coupled to selected ones of said plurality of output ports, and being operative to couple audio/tone signals to one of said plurality of input ports; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and selected ones of said input and output ports, and being operative to enable prescribed types of paging signals to be delivered to said output ports in accordance with paging access input signals supplied to said input ports, and wherein

said control unit includes a digital communications bus, and further including a zone expansion unit coupled to said digital communications bus, said zone expansion unit having a plurality of programmable input/output ports coupled to said digital communications bus and through which the number of paging zones served by said paging system may be expanded to a number in excess of said plurality of output ports.

27. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said digital communications bus comprises an I² C bus, having respective data and clock portions, which are operative to interface processor-sourced digital signalling clock and digital data signals with addressed ones of said programmable input/output ports.

28. A paging system control apparatus for controlling the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said multi-port input/output unit comprises a plurality of user-programmable zone switch units, a respective user-programmable zone switch unit having an input/output port the function of which is user-programmable as either an input port, said first connectivity type output port, or said second connectivity type output port, and wherein a respective user-programmable zone switch unit has a plurality of switch contacts which are selectively connectable with respect to said input/output port so as to provide an input signal path to said processor-based control unit, a first output connectivity path for application of said prescribed electrical stimulus to a paging signal amplifier device, or a second output connectivity path for a paging output device, and wherein said first output connectivity path and said second output connectivity path are controllably effected in accordance with a control signal supplied from said processor-based control unit.

29. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said second output connectivity path for a paging output device is controllably effected in accordance with a control signal supplied from said control unit so as to initiate playback of an audio message from an audio paging output device coupled thereto.

30. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said second output connectivity path for a paging output device is controllably effected in accordance with a control signal supplied from said control unit so as to initiate playback of an visual message from an visual paging output device coupled thereto.

32. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 28, and wherein said processor-based control unit is operative to respond to said paging access signals from any of said attendant access port, said telephone interface port, respective input ports of said multi-port input/output unit, and said digital data input port and to establish a paging connection to and perform prescribed audio or visual output paging signal functions with respect to plural types of paging output devices associated with one or more paging zones served by said paging system.

31. A paging system control apparatus, for controlling the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said processor-based control unit further includes a digital data input port coupled to receive digital paging access input signals from a digital data communications device.

33. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said audio signal interface circuit is operative to provide a talkback audio signalling path from a paging zone speaker to said telephone interface, and a tone signalling path from said processor-based control unit to said telephone interface.

42. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said page/talkback signalling path includes a page/talkback detection circuit which is operative to enable the transmission of either page signals sourced from said telephone interface, or talkback signals sourced from a paging zone audio signal transducer coupled to an audio output port, in dependence upon the audio background of the paging zone containing said paging zone audio transducer.

43. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 42, wherein said page/talkback detection circuit includes a variable threshold comparator circuit which is operative to compare an audio signal path level representative of paging activity from said telephone interface with an adaptive paging zone background-representative threshold value, and generates a page detection output signal representative of whether or not the signal level of the audio signal path exceeds said paging zone background-representative threshold, and wherein said processor-based control unit is operative to enable the transmission over said page/talkback path of either page signals sourced from said telephone interface, or talkback signals sourced from said paging zone audio signal transducer, in accordance with said page detection output signal.

44. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said audio signal interface circuit includes a first precision rectifier circuit coupled in an audio signal path from said telephone interface, and a second precision rectifier circuit coupled in a talkback path from said output port to said telephone interface, and wherein said page/talkback detection circuit has first and second inputs coupled in circuit with said first and second precision rectifier circuits, respectively.

45. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said audio signal interface circuit includes a hybrid duplexer filter circuit which is operative to prevent talkback signals which are coupled via said page/talkback path to said telephone interface from being coupled through an audio signal path to an audio output port.

46. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said hybrid duplexer filter circuit is operative to prevent prescribed tone signals which are coupled via said page/talkback path to said telephone interface from being coupled through an audio signal path to said audio output port.

34. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

respective ones of said plurality of input ports of said multi-port input/output unit are configured as input ports to which paging access input signals from plural input devices are supplied.

35. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said processor-based control unit is operative to respond to paging access input signals from said attendant access port, said telephone interface port and input ports of said multi-port input/output device in accordance with respectively different priorities of access permission, and wherein said control unit is operative to give access preference to a higher priority access input signal over a lower priority access input.

36. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said processor-based control unit includes a user-programmable access priority table containing a priority assignment list associating respectively different access priority levels to respectively different types of access input signals.

37. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said processor-based control unit further includes a digital data communications port, through which digitally formatted paging control output signals may be addressably supplied to one or more digitally responsive paging devices.

38. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said digitally responsive paging devices include visual message display devices which are operative to generate visual messages in response to receiving a digitally formatted paging control output signal by way of a digital communications link coupled to the digital data communications port of said processor-based control unit.

39. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said processor-based control unit has a digital data communications port, which is coupled to a digital data communications bus to which respectively addressable paging devices may be coupled, and wherein said processor-based control unit is operative to generate one or more virtual paging addresses, respectively associated with potentially available destination paging output devices, regardless of whether or not paging output devices are physically coupled with said digital data communications bus.

40. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and

further including a power interface unit which is operative to convert voltage outputs provided by an attendant subsystem to voltage values required by said audio signal interface circuit and said processor-based control unit.

41. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said audio signal interface circuit is operative to provide a paging signal path therethrough to said at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled, in response to a paging access input signal sourced from any of a loop start telephone interface, a ground start telephone interface, a station mode telephone interface, and a dry loop telephone interface.

47. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

plural ports of said multi-port input/output unit are associated with paging zones served by said paging system, and wherein said processor-based control unit includes a look-up table through which a prescribed code other than a paging zone identifier, and sourced by a paging source coupled to said audio signal interface, is mapped into said paging zone identifier associated with an output port of said multi-port input/output unit by way of which paging output signals are supplied to a paging output devices.

48. A paging system control apparatus for the operation of paging system, said paging system including paging signal amplifier devices and paging signal output devices coupled thereto, said paging system control apparatus comprising:

a multi-port input/output unit, each of respective ports of which is individually programmably configurable as one of an input port, a first connectivity type output port, and a second connectivity type output port;

an audio signal interface circuit having an attendant input port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from an attendant position and a telephone interface port coupled to receive page/tone input signals from a telephone circuit, and being operative to condition paging signals received from a selected one of said attendant input port and said telephone interface port for application to at least one audio output port to which a paging signal amplifier device of said paging system may be coupled; and

a processor-based control unit coupled to said audio signal interface circuit and said multi-port input/output unit, and being operative to cause at least one selected port of said multi-port input/output unit, which port has been programmably configured as a first connectivity type output port, to supply an enabling electrical stimulus to at least one paging signal amplifier device to which said at least one audio output port is coupled, whereby said conditioned paging signals are amplified by said paging signal amplifier device and output as paging output signals by a paging output device coupled thereto, and wherein

said processor-based control unit includes a digital communications bus, and further including a zone expansion unit coupled to said digital communications bus, said zone expansion unit having a plurality of programmable input/output ports coupled to said digital communications bus and through which the number of paging zones served by said paging system may be expanded to a number in excess of the plurality of ports of said multi-port input/output unit.

49. A paging system control apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said digital communications bus comprises an I² C bus, having respective data and clock portions, which are operative to interface processor-sourced digital signalling clock and digital data signals with addressed ones of programmable input/output ports of said zone expansion unit.