Computer telephony power supply method and apparatus

• US 7,013,007 B1
• Filed: 01/11/1999
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Altigen Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Altigen Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Chiu, Joseph, Liu, Leo, Chouldjian, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Briney, III, Walter F
• Application Number:
  US09/228,710
• Time in Patent Office: 2,619 Days
• Field of Search: 379/413, 379/242, 379/225, 379/376, 379/249, 379/93.05, 379/201.03, 379/67, 379/413.01, 379/418, 379/156, 379/164, 379/372, 379229-241, 379/399.01, 379322-324, 379/307, 379186-187, 379/167.01, 379/169, 379176-177, 379165-166, 379/395.01, 370/466, 713/300
• US Class Current: 379/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic

Abstract

A method for generating power signals within a telephone server coupled to a computer system via an interface bus or in-house power connector, to a maximum number of telephones, and to a telephone trunk, the computer system providing a primary voltage signal and a secondary voltage signal, includes receiving the primary voltage signal and the secondary voltage signal from the computer system, generating a ringer power signal in response to the primary voltage, generating a direct inward dialing power signal in response to the primary voltage, the direct inward dialing power signal configured to provide a first operational power signal for telephones from the maximum number of telephones receiving telephone calls directly from the telephone trunk, generating a second operational power signal in response to the primary voltage for telephones from the maximum number of telephones receiving telephone calls from other telephones from the maximum number of telephones, and generating a ringing signal in response to the ringer power signal and to the secondary voltage signal, wherein the ringer power signal powers ringers of no more than approximately one half of the maximum number of telephones at a time.

Claims

1. A method for providing power within a telephone server coupled to a computer system via an interface bus, to a maximum number of telephones, and to a telephone trunk, the computer system providing a primary voltage and a secondary voltage, the method including:

receiving the primary voltage and the secondary voltage from the computer system;

generating ringer power in response to the primary voltage;

generating direct inward dialing power in response to the primary voltage, the direct inward dialing power configured to provide a first operational voltage for a plurality of telephones from the maximum number of telephones, when the plurality of telephones receive telephone calls directly from the telephone trunk; and

generating a ringing signal in response to the ringer power and to the secondary voltage;

generating second operational voltage in response to the primary voltage for the telephones from the maximum number of telephones, when the telephones receive telephone calls from other telephones from the maximum number of telephones;

wherein the first operational voltage is greater than the second operational voltage;

wherein a peak voltage of the ringing signal is provided to no more than approximately one half of the maximum number of telephones at a time, and

wherein none of the plurality of telephones are on a common line.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an indicator light signal in response to the primary voltage,

wherein a peak voltage of the indicator light signal is provided to no more than approximately a half of the maximum number of telephones at a time.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

generating indicator light voltage in response to the primary voltage;

wherein a peak voltage of the indicator light voltage is provided to no more than approximately a quarter of the maximum number of telephones at a time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the ringing signal has a duty cycle selected from the group consisting of:

approximately 33 percent, approximately 25 percent, approximately one half.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a peak voltage of the ringing signal is provided to no more than a portion of the maximum number of telephones at a time, wherein the portion is selected from the group consisting of:

approximately one third, approximately one half, approximately one third.

6. The method of claim 1

wherein the first operational voltage is approximately twice the second operational voltage.

7. A telephone server coupled to a computer system via a computer bus, configured to provide output power and signals to a plurality of telephones, and to a telephone the computer system providing a primary voltage and a secondary voltage, the telephone server comprising:

a transformer circuit configured to receive the primary voltage and to provide first operational power in response to the primary voltage signal the first operational power configured to power a plurality of telephones that receive telephone calls from the telephone trunk; and

ringer circuitry coupled to the transformer circuit configured to receive the ringer power, to receive the second voltage, and to provide a ringing signal in response thereto;

wherein the transformer circuit is also configured to provide second operational power in response to the primary voltage, wherein the second operational power provides power to telephones that receive telephone calls from other telephones of the plurality of telephones; and

wherein the first operational power is greater than the second operational power;

wherein the ringer circuitry is configured to provide a peak voltage of the ringer power to no more than approximately one half a maximum number of telephones that may be coupled to the telephone server at a time, and

wherein none of the plurality of telephones are on a common line.

8. The telephone server of claim 7

wherein the transformer circuit is also configured to provide an indicator light power in response to the primary voltage, and

wherein indicator light circuitry is configured to provide a peak voltage of the indicator light power to no more than approximately a fraction of the maximum number of telephones, wherein the fraction is selected from the group consisting of:

one quart, one half, one third.

9. The telephone server of claim 8 wherein the indicator light circuitry is configured to provide an indicator light signal in response to the indicator light power, wherein the indicator light signal is configured to have a duty cycle of less than a percentage, wherein the percentage is selected from the group consisting of:

approximately 25 percent, approximately 33 percent.

10. The telephone server of claim 7

wherein the first operational power is approximately twice the second operational power.

11. The telephone server of claim 7 further comprising:

wherein the transformer circuit is also configured to receive an enabling signal from the computer system; and

wherein the transformer circuit is also configured to provide the first operational power in response to the enabling signal.

12. The telephone server of claim 7

wherein the first operational power is applied to a telephone when the telephone receives a DID telephone call;

and

wherein the second operational power is applied to the telephone when the telephone receives an internal telephone call.

13. A method for a telecommunications interface for providing drive voltages for a plurality of telephones coupled thereto, the telecommunications interface also coupled to a computer system, the computer system providing a first drive voltage and a second drive voltage to the telecommunications interface, the method including:

receiving an enabling signal for the telecommunications interface from the computer system;

generating a ringing drive voltage within the telecommunications interface in response to the first drive voltage and to the enabling signal, wherein a ringer circuit is configured to provide the ringing drive voltage to a subset of a maximum number of telephones that may be coupled to the telecommunications interface at one time, and wherein none of the telephones are coupled to a common line; and

generating a first operational drive voltage for a telephone from the plurality of telephones within the telecommunications interface when a call directed to the telephone is a directly dialed call from the telephone trunk

wherein the first operational drive voltage for the telephone is generated in response to the enabling signal.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising;

providing the first operational drive voltage to the telephone when the call is a directly dialed call.

15. The method of claim 13 further

wherein the first operational power is greater than the second operational power.

16. The method of claim 15

wherein a peak voltage of the indicator light drive voltage is provided to no more than a proportion of the maximum number of telephones at a time, wherein the proportion is selected from the group consisting of:

approximately one-half, approximately one quarter.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein a pea voltage of the ringing drive voltage is provided to no more than a proportion of the maximum number of telephones at a time, wherein the proportion is selected from the class consisting of:

approximately one half, approximately one-third.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a ring signal derived from the ringing drive voltage has a duty cycle of less than approximately 33 percent.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

generating a second operational drive voltage for the telephone within the telecommunications interface when the call directed to the telephone is an internally dialed call from another telephone of the plurality of telephones; and

providing the second operational drive voltage to the telephone when the call is an internally dialed call;

wherein the first operational drive voltage has a magnitude approximately twice a magnitude of the second operational drive voltage.