Apparatus and method for coupling an automated attendant to a telecommunications system

• US 6,337,906 B1
• Filed: 05/23/1997
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microlog Corporation
• Original Assignee: Microlog Corporation
• Inventors: Bugash, Robert S., Heidenreich, James H., Potts, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/862,390
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 379/308, 379/225, 379/260-265, 379/271, 379/274, 379/309, 379/388.04, 379/398, 379/399.01, 379/236, 379/156, 379/164, 379/165, 379/171, 379/412, 370/262
• US Class Current: 379/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

An apparatus and method for coupling an automated attendant to a telecommunications system. The apparatus includes a switching device which establishes connection between a plurality of trunk lines of an existing telecommunications system and a plurality of ports of an automated attendant. A switching device of the apparatus is controllable to establish communication between any of the trunk lines and any of a plurality of station line ports that are adapted to be coupled to a plurality of telephone stations, respectively. The apparatus substantially isolates either the switching network or the automated attendant from the AC audio portion of a telecommunications signal based on whether the automated attendant or the switching network is handling the telecommunications signal, and is capable of monitoring the status of the trunk and stations lines to detect for an on-hook condition.

Claims

1. A telecommunications apparatus, adaptable to be coupled to a telecommunication signal processing apparatus, for establishing bi-directional communication between at least one incoming line and at least one station line, comprising:

an input port adapted to be directly coupled to a first one of the at least one incoming line so as to receive a communication signal being transmitted thereon, the communication signal having an AC component and a DC component;

a switching apparatus, coupled to the input port and being adapted to establish bi-directional communication between the first incoming line and any of the at least one station line in response to a control signal provided by the processing apparatus; and

a coupling device which is adaptable to substantially isolate the switching apparatus from at least the AC component of the communication signal when the processing apparatus is receiving the AC component, and which is adaptable to input the AC component into the switching apparatus so as to enable the switching apparatus to establish said bi-directional communication while substantially isolating the processing apparatus from the AC component and enabling the processing apparatus to receive and monitor the DC component.

2. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus includes an input port, and the coupling device comprises a switch and a capacitive element, the switch being adapted to couple the capacitive element across the input port of the switching apparatus to substantially isolate the switching apparatus from the AC component while enabling the processing apparatus to receive the AC component, and being adapted to couple the capacitive element across the input port of the processing apparatus to substantially isolate the processing apparatus from the AC component while enabling the AC component to be input to the switching apparatus.

3. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus is adaptable to discontinue establishing the bi-directional communication in response to a signal from the processing apparatus indicating an absence of the DC component of the communication signal.

4. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of input ports, each of which is adapted to be directly coupled to one of a plurality of incoming lines so as to receive a respective communication signal being transmitted thereon, each communication signal having an AC component and a DC component, and wherein:

the switching apparatus is adapted to establish bi-directional communication between each of the incoming lines and any one of a plurality of station lines in response to control signals provided by the processing apparatus; and

when the communication signal is being transmitted on any of the incoming lines, the coupling device is adaptable to substantially isolate the switching apparatus from at least the AC component of that communication signal when the processing apparatus is receiving the AC component of that communication signal, and is adaptable to input the AC component of that communication signal into the switching apparatus while substantially isolating the processing apparatus from the AC component of that communication signal so as to enable the switching apparatus to establish said bi-directional communication between the incoming line on which that communication signal is being transmitted and said any one of the station lines while enabling the processing apparatus to receive and monitor the DC component of that communication signal.

5. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus is adapted to establish bi-directional communication between any of the at least one incoming line and a site remote from the telecommunications apparatus via any other of the at least one incoming line.

6. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a bypass switching device which is adapted to establish bi-directional communication between each of the at least one incoming line and a respective at least one station line while substantially isolating the processing apparatus and the switching apparatus from any communication signal being transmitted on the at least one incoming line.

7. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching apparatus is adaptable to establish control communication between one of the at least one station line and the processing apparatus so that the processing apparatus is controllable via the one station line.

8. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telecommunications apparatus comprises the processing apparatus, and the processing apparatus further comprises an identification device adaptable to evaluate identification information present in the signal identifying an origin of the signal.

9. A telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a port that is adaptable to be coupled to a signal broadcasting device, and wherein the switching apparatus is adaptable to couple any of the at least one station line to the port so as to establish communication between the any station line and the signal broadcasting device.

10. A coupling device, adaptable for use in a telecommunications system comprising a processing apparatus having an input port adapted to be directly coupled to an incoming line so as to receive a communication signal having an AC component and a DC component being transmitted thereon, and a switching apparatus, adapted to establish bi-directional communication between the incoming line and any of at least one station line in response to a control signal provided by the processing apparatus, the coupling device comprising:

a capacitive element; and

a switch, adapted to couple the capacitive element across the input port of the switching apparatus to substantially isolate the switching apparatus from the AC component while enabling the processing apparatus to receive the AC component, and adapted to couple the capacitive element across the input port of the processing apparatus to substantially isolate the processing apparatus from the AC component while enabling the AC component to be input to the switching apparatus and enabling the processing apparatus to monitor the DC component.

11. A coupling device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the telecommunications system includes a coupling transformer having a first winding having input terminals and a second winding coupled across the input port of the switching apparatus, and wherein the switch is adapted to couple the capacitive element across the input port of the switching apparatus by coupling the capacitive element across the input terminals of the coupling transformer.

12. A coupling device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the switch functions to couple the capacitive element alternately to the input port of the processing apparatus and the input port of the switching apparatus based on a control signal received from the telecommunications system.

13. A method for using a telecommunications apparatus, comprising a switching apparatus and communication signal processing apparatus, to establish bi-directional communication between at least one incoming line coupled to the telecommunications apparatus and at least one station line coupled to the telecommunications apparatus and a communication station, comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication signal being transmitted on a first of the at least one incoming line, the communication signal having an AC component and a DC component;

substantially isolating the switching apparatus from at least the AC component of the communication signal when the processing apparatus is receiving the AC component; and

establishing bi-directional communication between the first incoming line and any of the at least one station line in response to a control signal provided by the processing apparatus while substantially isolating the processing apparatus from the AC component and enabling the processing apparatus to receive and monitor the DC component.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the isolating step comprises the step of coupling a capacitive element across the input port of the switching apparatus to substantially isolate the switching apparatus from the AC component while enabling the processing apparatus to receive the AC component; and

the communication establishing step comprises the step of coupling the capacitive element across the input port of the processing apparatus to substantially isolate the processing apparatus from the AC component while enabling the AC component to be input to the switching apparatus.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of discontinuing establishing the bi-directional communication in response to a signal from the processing apparatus indicating an absence of the DC component of the communication signal.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of establishing bi-directional communication between any of the at least one incoming line and a site remote from the telecommunications apparatus via any other of the at least one incoming line.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of essentially isolating the switching apparatus and signal processing apparatus from the communication signal while establishing bi-directional communication between each of the at least one incoming line and a respective at least one station line.

18. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of establishing control communication between one of the at least one station line and the processing apparatus so that the processing apparatus is controllable via the one station line.

19. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of coupling any of the at least one station line to an output port so as to establish communication between the any station line and a signal broadcasting device coupled to the output port.

20. A switching apparatus for use in a telecommunications system comprising a telecommunications signal processing apparatus adapted to be coupled to a plurality of incoming lines and a plurality of station lines, said switching apparatus comprising:

a plurality of incoming line ports, each adapted to be coupled to one of the incoming lines so as to receive a telecommunication signal being transmitted thereon, the telecommunication signal having an AC component and a DC component;

a plurality of station line ports, each adapted to be coupled to one of the station lines; and

a switch which is adapted to operate in a first mode, which is adapted to establish communication of said AC component of said telecommunication signal between the incoming lines and the telecommunication signal processing apparatus, and in a second mode, which is adapted to establish communication of said AC component of said telecommunication signal between the incoming lines and the station lines while preventing communication of said AC component of said telecommunication signal between the incoming lines and the telecommunication signal processing apparatus, while allowing communication of said DC component of said telecommunication signal between the incoming lines and the telecommunication signal processing apparatus.

21. A switching apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein:

the telecommunication signal processing apparatus includes an automated attendant; and

the switch is adapted to establish communication between the incoming lines and the automated attendant during the first mode, and is adapted to establish communication between the incoming lines and the station lines while preventing communication between the incoming lines and the automated attendant during the second mode.

22. A method for using a telecommunication signal processing apparatus in a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of telecommunication lines which are coupled to the telecommunication signal processing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

coupling a capacitive element across the input port of the telecommunication signal processing apparatus coupled to one of the telecommunication lines on which a telecommunication signal is propagating to essentially isolate the telecommunication signal processing apparatus from an AC component of the telecommunication signal while allowing a DC component of the signal to be received by the telecommunication signal processing apparatus; and

removing the capacitive element from across the input port to enable the telecommunication signal processing apparatus to receive the AC component of the telecommunication signal.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the coupling step couples the capacitive element across the input port such that the telecommunication signal processing apparatus receives the DC components.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

the telecommunication signal processing apparatus includes an automated attendant; and

the coupling step couples the capacitive element across the input port of the automated attendant and the removing step removes the capacitive element from across the input port of the automated attendant.

25. A method for coupling a telecommunication signal processing apparatus to a telecommunication system having a plurality of incoming lines for carrying a telecommunication signal having an AC component and a DC component, and a plurality of outgoing lines, comprising the steps of:

establishing communication between the incoming lines and the telecommunication signal processing apparatus during a first state of the telecommunication signal processing apparatus; and

establishing communication between the incoming lines and the outgoing lines while preventing communication of said AC component and allowing communication of said DC component of said telecommunication signal between the incoming lines and the telecommunication signal processing apparatus during a second state of the telecommunication signal processing apparatus.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein:

the telecommunication signal processing apparatus includes an automated attendant; and

the first communication establishing step establishes communication between the incoming lines and the automated attendant during the first state, and the second communication establishing step establishes communication between the incoming lines and the outgoing lines while preventing communication between the incoming lines and the automated attendant during the second state.