Telephone exchange apparatus

• US 6,243,442 B1
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Takashi, Tanaka, Toshiaki, Masaki, Nobuhiro, Fujitsuka, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Loomis, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US08/994,647
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/46, 379/45, 379/50, 379/93.26, 379/156, 379/157, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/243, 379/244, 379/245
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13031 Pulse code modulation, PCM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13216 Code signals, frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13292 Time division multiplexing, TDM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13334 Key telephone systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1334 : Configuration within the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 : Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13395 : Permanent channel, leased line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 : Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/625 : Arrangements in the private branch exchange

Abstract

The emergency call such as Enhanced 911 call or the like is also originated through an exchange such as PBX (Private Branch Exchange). In this case, the identification information such as the extension number of the extension telephone terminal connected to the PBX should be transmitted to a network corresponding to the emergency call. For the extension telephone terminal, it is necessary to unhook or to capture an arbitrary line by the line key, before inputting the dial data “911”. Independent of the capture of arbitrary line, the PBX searches a vacant line connected to the network corresponding to the emergency call, captures the vacant line, transmits the identification information such as the extension number, and switches over and connects the extension telephone terminal from the line captured by the terminal to the vacant line. The identification information such as the extension number is notified, not by the DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-frequency) signal expressing data corresponding to the number of dial key, but by using a MF (Multi-frequency) signal expressing more data.

Claims

1. A telephone exchange apparatus capable of transmitting an emergency call signal carrying caller information, the apparatus comprising:

a control section for receiving an emergency call request from at least one extension telephone terminal;

a PCM highway for transmitting tone data;

a data highway for transmitting control information data; and

an interface control section, comprising

MF signal generating means for generating MF tone data in response to the control information data received from the data highway,

a control section interface for transmitting the MF tone data between the PCM highway and an external line, and

a processor for controlling the MF signal generating means and capturing the external line in response to a request from the control section;

wherein the control section controls generating emergency call data upon inputting a dial signal of the emergency call request from said extension telephone terminal, transmitting the generated emergency call data to said MF signal generating means to generate the emergency call MF tone data, sending the emergency call MF tone data generated by said MF signal generating means to said control section interface, and transmitting an emergency call MF tone signal over the external line.

2. A telephone exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exchange apparatus further comprises:

a line interface connected to an additional line capable of carrying an emergency call;

wherein the control section controls sending the emergency call MF tone data generated by said MF signal generating means to said control section interface to transmit an MF tone signal over the external line or to said line interface to transmit an MF tone signal over the additional line.

3. The telephone exchange apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein if there is no external line connected to said control section interface that is available to carry emergency call MF tone data, said transmission means transmits the emergency call MF tone data to said line interface to transmit over the additional line.

4. The telephone exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extension telephone terminal comprises display means for displaying information, said apparatus further comprising:

display controlling means for controlling the display means;

wherein the display controlling means displays a message on the display means requesting input of an extension number of a destination or an access code corresponding to capturing of the extension line, dial numbers corresponding to the inputted extension number, and the extension number of the external line when the emergency call is originated.

5. The telephone exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extension telephone terminal comprises display means for displaying information, said apparatus further comprising:

display controlling means for controlling the display means;

wherein the display controlling means displays on the display means dial numbers corresponding to an inputted extension number, and the extension number of the external line when the emergency call is originated.

6. The telephone exchange apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extension telephone terminal comprises display means for displaying information, said apparatus further comprising:

display controlling means for controlling the display means;

wherein the display controlling means displays on the display means a message requesting input of a telephone number of a destination corresponding to capturing of a telephone line, a dial number corresponding to an inputted extension number, and the extension number of the external line when the emergency call is originated.

7. A telephone exchange apparatus capable of transmitting an emergency call signal carrying caller information, the apparatus comprising:

a control section for receiving an emergency call request from at least one extension telephone terminal;

a PCM highway for transmitting tone data;

a data highway for transmitting control information data;

an interface control section, comprising

MF signal generating means for generating MF tone data in response to a signal received from the data highway,

a control section interface for transmitting the MF tone data between the PCM highway and an external line, and

a processor for controlling the MF signal generating means and capturing the external line in response to a request from the control section;

a first line interface connected to a first line for carrying an emergency call; and

a second line interface connected to a second line not for carrying the emergency call;

wherein the control section determines, upon inputting dial data from the extension telephone terminal, whether or not the dial data corresponds to a dial number for an emergency call, and if so, releases the first line if the first line is captured, captures the first line for sending MF tone data, and controls transmitting said dial data for the emergency call to the captured first line through said first line interface.

8. The telephone exchange apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

display means for displaying information; and

display control means for displaying on said displaying means the call out processing state corresponding to the input dial data when dial data for an emergency call has been input.

9. A telephone exchange apparatus capable of transmitting an emergency call signal carrying caller information, the apparatus comprising

a control section for receiving an emergency call request from at least one extension telephone terminal;

a PCM highway for transmitting tone data;

a data highway for transmitting control information data; and

an interface control section, comprising

MF signal generating means for generating MF tone data in response to a signal received from the data highway,

a control section interface for transmitting the MF tone data between the PCM highway and an external line, and

a processor for controlling the MF signal generating means and capturing the external line in response to a request from the control section;

wherein the interface control section is coupled to the PCM highway, the data highway and the external line.

10. A telephone exchange apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a transmitting and receiving interface capable of coupling to a first additional line,

a digital telephone interface capable of coupling to a second additional line,

a standard telephone interface,

a digital line interface,

a station line interface;

wherein the control section comprises

a time switch, and

a processor;

wherein the control section, the transmitting and receiving interface, the digital telephone interface, the standard telephone interface, the digital line interface, and the station line interface are capable of coupling to both the PCM highway and the data highway;

wherein the digital telephone interface communicates with the control section via both the PCM highway and the data highway in response to receiving dial data; and

wherein the standard telephone interface communicates with the control section via the PCM highway in response to receiving dial data;

wherein the control section is configured to request the interface control section to send PCM data corresponding to an MF tone signal to the time switch via the PCM highway when the control section identifies an emergency call signal; and

wherein the control section is further configured to send the PCM data to the external line via the interface control section, the first additional line via the transmitting and receiving interface, or the second additional line via the digital line interface.

11. An interface card capable of coupling to a telephone line capable of connecting to a network capable of carrying an emergency call with caller information, the interface card capable of being coupled to a data highway for transmitting control information data and a PCM highway for transmitting tone data, comprising:

MF tone generating means for generating MF tone data in response to control information data received from a controller of a telephone exchange apparatus via the data highway;

an interface for transmitting MF tone data between the PCM highway and the telephone line capable of connecting to the network; and

a processor for controlling the MF tone generating means to generate MF tone data;

wherein the interface captures the telephone line capable of connecting to the network based on a request from said controller.

12. An interface card capable of coupling to a network capable of carrying an emergency call, a data highway for transmitting control information data, and a PCM highway for transmitting tone data, comprising:

MF tone generating means for generating MF tone data in response to received data;

An interface for transmitting the MF tone data between the PCM highway and the network; and

a processor for controlling the MF tone generating means;

wherein the interface captures a line capable of connecting to the network based on a request from a PBX controller.