Telephone communication system over a single telephone line

• US 7,106,721 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: SercoNet Limited (Yehuda Binder, MBA)
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): QURESHI, AFSAR M
• Application Number:
  US09/594,765
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: 370/357, 370/360, 370/463, 370/466, 370/485, 370/488, 370/497, 370/535, 370/536, 370/537, 370/538, 370/542, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/419, 370/420, 370/421, 370/430, 370/350, 370/493, 370/494, 379/93.01, 379/93.07
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/068 using time division multiplex techniques; integrated services digital networks H04Q11/0428
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/025 Time division multiplex systems, e.g. loop systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13082 Power supply via phantom line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1323 Party line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13298 Local loop systems, access network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1332 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13334 Key telephone systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

An improved telephone system over a single telephone line within a residence or other building is disclosed, supporting exchange features and enabling easy expansion for multiple external lines. The existing telephone wiring is used as the medium for a local data communication network, carrying multiple voice channels. In each outlet, one or more voice channels are converted into a standard telephone-line interface. Life-line functionality is facilitated by using the lower band of the spectrum isolated from the data communication network, and a dedicated connector in the outlet provides access to this band. External telephone feeders are converted to digital form for interfacing to the in-home data communication network.

Claims

1. For use with first and second wiring segments, each segment having at least two conductors and each segment carrying a signal composed of a plurality of time-domain multiplexed digitized voice channels, at least the first wiring segment being local area network wiring in a building, a module for coupling a telephone device to said wiring segments, the module comprising:

first and second modems each couplable to a respective one of said first and second wiring segments, said first modem being operative to communicate with at least one interchangeable modem in the building over the first wiring segment and said second modem being couplable to the second wiring segment to couple to the signal carried over the second wiring segment;

selective means coupled to said first and second modems and operative to select one voice channel;

a subscriber line interface coupled to said selective means and operative to convert said one voice channel to a first analog telephone signal; and

a first telephone connector coupled to said subscriber line interface and operative to couple the telephone device to said first analog telephone signal.

2. The module according to claim 1, wherein said the second wiring segment is a telephone wiring.

3. The module according to claim 1, wherein the module is dimensioned to be mountable in an outlet cavity in a wall.

4. The module according to claim 1, wherein the module is at least in part housed within an outlet.

5. The module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said wiring segments concurrently carries a frequency domain multiplexed second analog telephone signal in a telephone band, and the module further comprises:

a frequency selective means couplable to the wiring and operative to isolate said second analog telephone signal; and

a second telephone connector coupled to said frequency selective means and operative to couple a telephone device to said second analog telephone signal.

6. The module according to claim 1, wherein the multiplexed digitized voice channels carry Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) signals.

7. The module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said wiring segments further carries data signals, and the module further comprises a data connector operative to couple a data unit to the data signals.

8. The module according to claim 1, wherein said selective means are operative to pass at least one voice channel between said first and second modems.