Abstract: This device is designed so that although voice of the opposite party will be amplified when telephone 1 on the side of the device is first placed on-hook during a telephone conversation, amplification will not occur if the opposite party places his or her phone on-hook first during a telephone conversation or if the user places telephone 1 on-hook before the opposite party picks up the telephone. The structure, which is shown in FIG. 1 such that during a telephone conversation between telephone 1 and telephone 12, when telephone 1 is placed on-hook first, the on-hook status is detected by means of the photocouplers PC-1 or PC-2, and the voice of the opposite party at telephone 12 is amplified by means of contacts y1-1 and y1-2, which are in the make position, line transformer 2, amplifier 3 and speaker 4.

Abstract: A telephone device for selective mounting on a substantially horizontal or substantially vertical surface includes a housing having a top panel, and a base portion which is adapted to be alternatively mounted on a substantially horizontal and vertical surface. The base portion includes a first base member fixed on the housing, and a wedge-shaped second base member removably coupleable to the first base member. The first base member has two mutually inclined surface portions which are inclined relative to each other and which intersect and meet at an angle A, each of the two mutually inclined surface portions has substantially the same dimensions, and the mutually inclined surface portions meet at an apex which faces away from the top panel of the housing.

Abstract: A system of telephone answering devices includes a master telephone answering device (MTAD) and at least one (and often a plurality) of extension telephone answering devices (ETADs). If a telephone call is answered by someone, others nearby may be paged through the ETADs from any telephone. The ETADs can be temporarily disarmed so that they do not respond to tone codes that might otherwise activate them. When activated, the ETADs transmit back to the caller noticeably different ringback signals to indicate that the activated ETAD is responding to the caller's commands. For telephone utilities offering a distinctive ring service, the ETADs may respond to distinctive rings corresponding to the ETADs by usurping the function of and disabling the MTAD and by subsequently answering the telephone call.

Abstract: An automatic telephone calling system that characterizes the responses from telephone subscribers' telephone stations to placed calls from the system. The system comprises communication lines which enable the system to place a call to a subscriber's station, to receive the response thereto, and exchange information therebetween. Operator stations enable operators of the calling system to communicate, via a respective communication line, with a subscriber's station upon an operable connection of the line to the subscriber's station and to the operator station. A call processor places calls to subscribers' stations and operably connects and disconnects each communication line to a respective subscriber's station and to a respective operator station. A trunk processor characterizes the response from a respective subscriber's station to a placed call and determines whether a response characterized as a voice signal is delivered by an answering machine.

Abstract: Speech signals appearing at the receiving and transmitting paths of a speakerphone which operates under voice switching, are received at a control circuit. The control circuit issues a control signal which assumes a first level in the event that a signal at the receiving path exceeds a signal at the transmitting path and which assumes a second level if the signal at the receiving path falls below the signal at the transmitting path. Communication loss is inserted in both the receiving and transmitting paths in response to the first level of the control signal, and is eliminated therefrom in response to the second level of the control signal.

Abstract: Pay telephone coin opening cover assemblies which include portions of the pay telephone and a mask fashioned to cover the coin return opening. The mask includes a structural element or elements which cooperate with coin return opening structure and existing interior portions of the pay telephone structure to secure against the opening a face plate which is attractive and unobtrusive in appearance. The invention allows a conventional pay telephone to be recycled into a coinless pay telephone which is attractive in appearance, friendly to the user, and cost competitive.

Abstract: A method of administering a sequence of locations to which calls placed to a subscriber's personal telephone number may be routed for personal communication service by a) storing pre-defined mnemonic audible tags for association with telephone numbers prior to any interactions with the subscriber, b) offering the subscriber a choice of the pre-defined mnemonic audible tags by speaking them to him, c) receiving an indication of the mnemonic audible tag selected by the subscriber, d) receiving signals indicating a telephone number supplied by the subscriber and e) storing the received telephone number information in association with the selected mnemonic audible tag. The mnemonic audible tags are then used in place of their respective associated telephone numbers in administering the sequence of locations. A mnemonic audible tag is a meaningful word indicative of the actual location, person, or service, e.g.

Abstract: The utility of 800 service telephone calls is enhanced by associating an 800 service telephone number with a number of different prefixes other than the prefix of one. In this way the caller may control to a certain degree certain aspects in the processing of an associated 800 service call. For example, a caller may specify a grade of service or the routing for the associated 800 service call.

Abstract: A method and data processing system are disclosed for placing a telephone call. In one embodiment, the invention, in response to user designation of a party and input of a CALL command, searches an electronic calendar database for information describing the scheduled location of the designated party and places a call to the scheduled location of the designated party. In another embodiment, the invention, in response to user selection of an electronic calendar event and input of a CALL command, searches an electronic calendar database for information describing the scheduled location of the event and places a call to the scheduled location of the event. In either embodiment, the invention may search an electronic directory database for a telephone number associated with the scheduled location of the designated party or event.

Abstract: A subscriber line interface circuit is provided that includes an output stage having a pair of differential transconductance amplifiers to drive the tip and ring lines of a telephone exchange. The output stage includes circuitry that advantageously reduces the power dissipated within the integrated circuit when the subscriber loop impedance is relatively low. As a result, heat generation within the integrated circuit is reduced. Circuit reliability may therefore be enhanced and fabrication and packaging costs may be reduced. In one embodiment, an off-chip resistor is coupled from an output line of the ring line amplifier to the negative voltage rail. When the loop impedance is low, a relatively large voltage drop is established across the resistor which therefore absorbs a greater percentage of the loop current. Since the resistor is provided off-chip and diverts current that would otherwise flow through the ring-line amplifier, the overall heat dissipated within the integrated circuit is reduced.

Abstract: Apparatus for reducing the risk of undesirable drifting of the parameters, so-called bursting, of an adaptive echo filter which is coupled between a receiving branch and a transmitting branch included in a four-wire loop. A difference signal (E) which contains no echo from the receiving branch is generated in the transmitting branch in a known manner. The apparatus includes an adaptive predictor filter which is coupled between the transmitting branch and the receiving branch and which functions to generate a compensation signal from the difference signal (E) when transmitting narrowband signals from a near-end. The compensating signal is subtracted from a signal which appears in the receiving branch and the predictor filter is updated in a manner to minimize the correlation between the difference signal (E) and the input signal (X') of the echo filter.

Abstract: A switched telecommunications system including voice messaging and also including an interactive voice processor (IVP) connectable to subscriber lines, a LAN connected via one data network to switches in the system and to operating components for effecting the voice messaging associated therewith and to a second business functions data network, an adjunct processor connected to receive data representative of special services ordered by subscribers and also connected to the IVP and LAN, a control processor connected to the LAN for accessing the first and second data networks and associated databases, where the adjunct processor is responsive to data representative of the special services ordered and provides input signals to the IVP and LAN, the IVP being responsive to signals from the second adjunct processor initiating connection to the service requesting subscriber line to deliver a voice message confirmation of the installation of the service, and wherein the control processor accesses and displays data re

Abstract: A DTMF signal receiving apparatus includes a DTMF signal receiver; and a DTMF signal judging circuit. The DTMF signal receiver includes an input section for receiving an input signal from an external apparatus; a plurality of first band-pass filters connected to the input section; a plurality of second band-pass filters connected to the input section; and an output section connected to the plurality of the first band-pass filters and the plurality of the second band-pass filters, for outputting a code based on a plurality of outputs from the plurality of the first band-pass filters and the plurality of the second band-pass filters.

Abstract: In a ringing signal control circuit for controlling supply of a ringing signal from a ringing signal generator to a subscriber's line in response to a call signal destined thereto, a switching element is repeatedly switched to connect the ringing signal generator to the subscriber's line under control of a switching signal from a switch controller. In order to suppress a surge voltage due to connection and disconnection of the subscriber's line for the ringing signal generator, a memory stores a time data signal representative of a transition time from a reference voltage level to an optimum voltage level for the subscriber's line. The optimum voltage level is the level at which the connection and disconnection can be carried out without generation of the surge voltage. A voltage comparator compares the ringing signal with the reference voltage to produce a coincident signal.

Abstract: A telecommunications protocol development environment which enables a user to define a separate finite state machine for each port or channel provided by a programmable telecommunications switch. Protocols for various telecommunications applications and software layers may be developed.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus, associated with a telecommunications line, includes a unique dual input/dual output prescribed audio actuating signal responsive circuit. The responsive circuit pursuant to a detection of the prescribed signal, in combination with a second signal pursuant to a detection by line pickup detection circuit of an off-hook condition of the telecommunications line, effecting production of an actuating output signal. The actuating signal upon suitable application, effecting an operational function of a suitably coupled associated electrical device. The associated device may be one of a number of electrical devices. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, this device is designated to be a time-day-date-stamp marker signal outputting device. The marker signal may then be recorded by a suitable recording device or, alternatively, not recorded but simply used as an audible time-day-date announcement clock.

Abstract: A method of improving the sensitivity and speech immunity of a receiver in conjunction with DTMF-reception is disclosed. The number of zero-crossings of the input signal are counted during one of a number of measuring intervals in real time at frequencies which occur in the low frequency group and the high frequency group of a DTMF-signal. At the end of each of the measuring intervals, the number of zero-crossings in a current measuring interval is compared for each frequency group, with a corresponding number of zero crossing in a number of nearest preceding measuring intervals, and the magnitude of any difference is established. The input signal is treated as a DTMF-signal when the difference is at most equal to a permitted limit value.

Abstract: A transformed current sensing relay with reduced AC impedance of the operating coil is accomplished by adding a shorted secondary winding to an otherwise conventional current sensing reed relay. The shorted secondary winding is preferably implemented with a copper tube over the existing coil and inside the magnetic circuit. This transformed current sensing relay is particularly advantageous for the line current sensing function in switched network communications equipment such as high speed modems, where the transformed relay exhibits substantially lower impedance at high frequencies than the conventional current sensing relay. This transformed current sensing relay allows for the elimination of bypass capacitors and results in significant cost and space savings. Moreover, the transformer nature of the transformed current sensing relay allows for the elimination of suppression resistors from the interface resulting in additional cost and space savings.

Abstract: The single transformer generally used in a duplex coupler for coupling local telecommunication equipment, such as a modem, to a telephone line may be replaced by a number of transformers or other suitable forms of DC isolation device which then enables each transformer and its associated circuit network to be specifically tailored to optimize the operation of the coupler system. The transmit output path 3 is connected to a transformer 2 having a center-tapped secondary winding 11 which is connected across the communication line 4. A second transformer 5 has its primary winding connected between the center-tap and the line 4, and its secondary winding coupled to the receive input 6. By optimizing each transformer the intermodulation products and other unwanted products are reduced. The coupler system may be miniaturized and the line matching components incorporated in or selected by a specific line cord designed to match the network characteristics.

Abstract: An arrangement where display control data which has been developed off-line, and which specifies the content and sequence of the display screens required to lead a customer through activation of a plurality of telephone features, is received and stored by an analog display station either at an initialization or a feature update of the station. The display control data is used by the station to communicate information relating to a particular feature to a user via the station display. The user inputs, e.g., keystrokes, received after each display screen, are stored by the station, and after the sequence has been completed, all such stored user inputs are rapidly transmitted to the switching system to effect the particular feature. Significantly, the switching system telephone feature software is not involved until after all stored user inputs are transmitted. Therefore, there is no need to modify existing software as long as the user inputs are not changed.