Method and apparatus for interfacing a drive-thru intercom system with a telephone system

• US 6,760,419 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E.F. Bavis & Associates
• Original Assignee: EF Bavis & Associates Incorporated (E.F. Bavis & Associates)
• Inventors: Brown, Michael E., Rensing, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/689,024
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 379/159, 379/160, 379/164, 379/165, 379/166, 379/167.04, 379/167.14, 379/399.01, 379/413.04, 379/194, 379/195, 379/198, 379/199, 370/276, 370/278, 370/282, 370/296, 370/359
• US Class Current: 379/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A method and system for interconnecting a telephone system and an intercom system. In one exemplary embodiment, telephone switchgear is connected to a telephone interface which provides separate voice transmit and receive channels. For example, an E&M tie line module can be utilized, which also includes E&M signaling connections for signaling an incoming intercom call to a telephone and for signaling an outgoing telephone call to an intercom. In this exemplary embodiment, an interface circuit is also provided to allow for signal level adjustment along the transmit and receive channels, such that the signal gain of the telephone system can differ from the signal gain of the intercom system. The interface circuit can include a controller which controls a switching device for selectively allowing communication along the transmit and receive channels during periods when communication is desired. In the embodiment, a dual tone multi frequency receiver can be utilized in conjunction with the controller to allow for remote control of the signal gain levels. The intercom system can include an exterior intercom station, such as found in the drive-thru lane of a business, with a mounted speaker and microphone to allow for hands-free communication by a customer. Other interior intercom stations may be connected, if desired, via an intercom switching device, which can communicate to the controller via a serial communication circuit.

Claims

1. An integrated telephone and intercom system, comprising:

a plurality of telephone stations, each station having a telephone transmitter and telephone receiver;

a private branch exchange switchgear circuit tying the stations with one another and with a central office telephone line of a public telephone company, wherein the private branch exchange switchgear circuit includes a single transmit/receive communication connection;

an intercom station including an intercom speaker and an intercom microphone;

a telephone interface comprising an E&

M tie trunk module in communication with the telephone switchgear circuit, wherein the E&

M tie trunk module includes a connection for communication with the single transmit/receive communication connection of the switchgear circuit and wherein the E&

M tie trunk module includes a transmit output for a voice transmit signal and a receive input for a voice receive signal, wherein the transmit output is separate from the receive input such that the E&

M tie trunk module separates the transmit and receive connection of the switchgear circuit such that transmit and receive paths are not connected, wherein the E&

M tie trunk module further includes a mouth signaling connection port for initiating calls from the telephone stations and an ear signaling connection port for initiating calls from the intercom station;

intercom circuitry having a transmit input, a transmit output in communication with the intercom speaker, a receive output, and a receive input in communication with the intercom microphone; and

an interface circuit connecting the transmit output of the E&

M tie trunk module to the transmit input of the intercom circuitry over a transmit path, and separately connecting the receive input of the E&

M tie trunk module to the receive output of the intercom circuitry over a separate receive path, the interface circuit comprising a signal level adjustment circuit configured to adjust audio signal levels communicated between the intercom circuitry and the E&

M tie trunk module, the interface circuit further including signal isolation circuitry configured to isolate the transmit path and the receive path wherein the system provides full duplex communication between each telephone station and the intercom station.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface circuit further comprises:

a switching device configured to selectively connect the transmit output and the transmit input.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the interface circuit further comprises:

a switching device configured to selectively connect the receive input and the receive output.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the interface circuit further comprises:

a controller in communication with the switching device to provide switching signals thereto.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the telephone interface further comprises a call signal input and a call signal output.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface circuit comprises a telephone call detection circuit in communication with a signaling output on the telephone interface.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal level adjustment circuit comprises a potentiometer.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface circuit comprises a dual tone multi-frequency receiver.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an interior intercom station; and

an intercom switching circuit in communication with the interface circuit and the interior intercom station.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface circuit further comprises:

output circuitry in communication with the ear signaling connection port on the telephone interface.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intercom station comprises a call button in communication with the interface circuit.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intercom station further comprises a call button in communication with the interface circuit, wherein the telephone interface signaling ports are in communication with the interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit further comprises at least one switching device configured to selectively connect the receive input of the telephone interface with the receive output of the intercom circuitry and to selectively connect the transmit output of the telephone interface with the transmit input of the intercom circuitry, and wherein the interface circuit further comprises a controller in communication with the switching device to provide switching signals thereto.

13. An integrated telephone and intercom system, comprising:

a telephone station having a telephone transmitter and telephone receiver;

a private branch exchange switching circuit in communication with the telephone station and tying the station to a central office telephone line from a public telephone company, the switchgear circuit including a single transmit/receive communication connection;

a private branch exchange telephone interface in communication with the private branch exchange switching circuit, wherein the telephone interface includes a connection for communication with the single transmit/receive communication connection of the switching circuit, and wherein the telephone interface includes a transmit output for a voice transmit signal and a receive input for a voice receive signal, wherein the transmit output is separate from the receive input;

an intercom station including an intercom speaker and an intercom microphone; and

an interface circuit connecting the private branch exchange telephone interface with the intercom station, the interface circuit having separate transmit and receive channels so as to provide full duplex communication between the telephone station and the intercom station the interface circuit further including signal isolation circuitry configured to isolate the transmit channel and the receive channel, the interface circuit further comprising a signal level adjustment circuit configured to allow separate adjustment of audio signal levels on the transmit channel and the receive channel.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the private branch exchange telephone interface comprises an E&

M tie line module.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the interface circuit comprises a switching device to selectively interconnect the telephone station and the intercom station, and a controller to control the switching device.

16. An interface circuit for connecting a telephone system with a drive-thru intercom system, the circuit comprising:

a voice transmit channel for carrying voice signals from a telephone system to an intercom system;

a voice receive channel for carrying voice signals from an intercom system to a telephone system, wherein the voice receive channel is separate from the voice transmit channel so as to provide full duplex communication;

a switching device located along at least one of the voice transmit and voice receive channels;

a first gain adjustment circuit configured to allow for gain adjustment of the voice transmit channel;

a second gain adjustment circuit configured to allow for gain adjustment of the voice receive channel;

a first transformer coupling configured to provide adjustment of the voice transmit channel to the appropriate levels required for the connected telephone and intercom systems;

a second transformer coupling configured to provide adjustment of the voice receive channel to the appropriate levels required for the connected telephone and intercom systems; and

a control circuit in communication with the switching device and configured to selectively apply signals to the switching device to selectively connect and disconnect the telephone system and the intercom system.

17. The interface circuit as recited in claim 16, wherein the switching device comprises a relay switch.

18. The interface circuit as recited in claim 16, wherein the gain adjustment circuits comprise potentiometers.

19. The interface circuit as recited in claim 16, wherein the controller is also in communication with the gain adjustment circuits to adjust signals transmitted along the voice transmit and voice receive channels.

20. The interface circuit as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a call detection circuit configured to receive a telephone call input signal from a telephone interface device; and

call output circuitry configured to provide an intercom call output signal to a telephone interface device.

21. The interface circuit as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

a serial communication circuit in communication with the controller and providing communication between the controller and an intercom switching device.

22. A method for connecting a telephone system with an intercom system, comprising:

accessing a private branch exchange telephone switching device including a single transmit/receive communication channel;

connecting a private branch exchange interface device to the single transmit/receive communication channel of the private branch exchange telephone switching device, wherein the private branch exchange interface device comprises an E&

M tie trunk module configured to separate the single transmit/receive communication connection into separated transmit and receive channels;

connecting the E&

M tie trunk module to an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is configured to isolate each of the transmit and receive channels between a telephone system and an intercom system, and wherein the interface circuit is configured to adjust the gains of the transmit and receive channels;

accessing a full duplex drive-thru intercom station; and

connecting the interface circuit to the full duplex drive-thru intercom station.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein private branch exchange interface device is connected to the interface circuit by the steps of:

connecting a signaling conductor between the private branch exchange interface device and the interface circuit;

connecting a voice transmit conductor between the private branch exchange interface device and the interface circuit; and

connecting a voice receive conductor between the private branch exchange interface device and the interface circuit.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the intercom station is connected to the interface circuit by the steps of:

connecting a signaling conductor between the intercom station and the interface circuit;

connecting a voice transmit conductor between the intercom station and the interface circuit; and

connecting a voice receive conductor between the intercom station and the interface circuit.

25. A method of interconnecting an intercom system with a telephone system, comprising:

determining whether an intercom call signal has been received from an intercom station;

if an intercom call signal has been received, causing the generation of an output signal in order to produce a call indicator at a telephone station;

determining whether a telephone call signal has been received in response to a condition of the telephone station; and

if a telephone call signal has been received, providing a switch output signal to a switching device to close a voice transmission channel interconnecting the telephone station and the intercom station, wherein the output signal is provided to an E signal input of an E&

M tie line module and wherein the telephone call signal comprises an M signal output of an E&

M tie line module.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the switching device comprises a relay device.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

determining whether a level adjustment signal has been received; and

if a level adjustment signal has been received, providing a control signal to a level adjustment circuit in order to adjust voice transmission signals on the voice transmission channel.