Abstract: A disposable absorbent article worn about the lower torso of a wearer includes at least one pair of side panels connecting a first waist region to a second waist region forming a waist opening and a pair of leg openings. Each side panel includes a waist region, a hip region and a leg region wherein the waist region, the hip region and the leg region differs structurally, functionally and visually to provide an improved initial fit and sustained fit while exhibiting a garment-like appearance.

Abstract: This invention provides a communication apparatus, which suppresses abrupt changes of a current and voltage generated in a communication line upon connecting an external telephone to the communication line, and a control method thereof. To accomplish this, in a communication apparatus of this invention, when an off-hook state of an external telephone is detected upon connecting the external telephone to a communication line, an SOC captures a line using a first line capture means having an impedance lower than the external telephone side, and then switches an H-relay to connect the external telephone to the communication line. Furthermore, the SOC temporarily switches a line capture state to a second line capture means having an impedance higher than the first line capture means after the H-relay is switched and before the line is released.

Abstract: A telephony distribution system includes a plurality of terminals with two connection points (16A), each for one pair of conductors (17A) forming part of a telephony distribution installation, and, for each of those terminals (16A), a short-circuit manager (25) including a substitution current source (26), a switch (27) and control means (28-31) for causing the switch (27) normally to assume a position in which its output terminal (34) is connected to an input terminal (32) itself connected to a pair of conductors (13, 15) providing a telephone line and to cause the switch (27). In the event of a short-circuit between the two connection points of the terminal (16A) concerned, to assume a second position in which that terminal is connected to the auxiliary current source (26).

Abstract: A flexible data outlet includes a housing configured for placement in an operating area of a user, such as on a wall adjacent to a user's work space. User interface circuitry in the housing provides an interface to user equipment located in the user operating area, including a user telephone device and a user data device such as a personal computer. The user interface circuitry includes a link-layer interface to the user data device. Both wired and wireless user connections are supported. Premises interface circuitry in the housing provides an interface to premises equipment located generally outside the user operating area. The premises equipment includes data processing equipment and telephone communications equipment providing access to a public telephone network. Bridge circuitry in the housing provides communications connections between the user interface circuitry and the premises interface circuitry in a flexible manner, enabling the provision of a variety of information services to the user.

Abstract: A controller selectively connecting and disconnecting extensions from a telephone line includes a plurality of extension connector ports selectively connected to a communication device and a plurality of relay switches. Each relay switch has three terminals and a toggle movable between connecting the first and second terminals and connecting the first and third terminals. Each first terminal is connected to a respective extension connector port. A processor is connected to an outside telephone line. Entry of a predetermined command code prevents use of the communication device connected to selective toggles. A plurality of tone detector modules each generate a command signal controlling the processor to connect a respective extension to the outside telephone line. A plurality of tone location identifiers are each activated upon receipt of a control signal from the respective tone detector module for generating a unique signal by which the processor distinguishes the extension connector ports.

Abstract: A circuit for closing a relay when an active AC voltage connected to one of the contacts of the relay is approximately zero volts includes a monitoring circuit that monitors the active AC voltage and outputs a phase-shifted voltage that crosses zero volts at predetermined times before the active AC voltage traverses zero volts. A pulse generating circuit initiates a pulse when the phase-shifted voltage enters a predefined voltage region and terminates the pulse when the voltage exits that region. An input signal is strobed onto the control input of the relay by the pulse so that the relay changes state coincident with the zero crossing of the active AC voltage.

Abstract: A method of repeating a non-voice signal such as a dual tone, multiple frequency (DTMF) signal, by inserting a delay sequence of data values into an output data sequence of data values, a portion of the output data sequence following the delay sequence being the same as a corresponding portion of an input sequence of decoded data obtained from a low bit-rate speech decoder. The input sequence has at least one distorted non-voice sequence. The method provides for inserting a substantially undistorted non-voice sequence into the output sequence, the undistorted sequence being at least of substantially the same length as the distorted sequence, a portion of the output sequence following the undistorted sequence being the same as a corresponding portion of the input sequence, and the output sequence being substantially free of the distorted non-voice signal.

Abstract: An authentication system and method uses information on a position of a card as determined, for example, by detecting a position of a user's cell phone and the position of a card reader determined from card reader identification data. If the card is used in a card reader located near the user's cell phone, and the usual card authorizations are approved, it is determined that the card use is authorized. The position information thus serves as an additional level of security against a lost or stolen card.

Abstract: A ring trip detector circuit and method for use with a plurality of subscriber line interface circuits each having at least one telephone unit connected to it, having a ring generator for feeding a ringing voltage to the subscriber line interface circuits, and which detects when at least one of the subscriber units goes off-hook. The voltage level of the ringing voltage is compared with a predetermined level so as to detect when any one of the ringing subscriber telephone units goes off-hook. Thereafter, each of the plurality of subscriber line interface circuits is sequentially disconnected from the ring generator, and reconnected only in the absence of an off-hook condition in the disconnected subscriber telephone unit. The ringing voltage thereby remains fed to all ringing subscriber lines for which all connected equipment is on-hook.

Abstract: A circuit for determining connection status of a phone line shared by multiple telecommunications devices, such as modems and phones, is provided. The phone line includes respective tip and ring lines. The circuit comprises a first transistor stage coupled to receive a signal indicative of a voltage difference between the respective tip and ring lines. The first transistor stage is configured to supply an output signal having a predetermined time response. The circuit further comprises a second transistor stage coupled to the first transistor stage and configured to supply an output signal having a slow time response relative to the output signal from the first transistor stage.

Abstract: A system and method of limiting power consumption in a telecommunications equipment coupled between a plurality of far end subscriber lines and a plurality of near end subscriber lines are provided. The method includes monitoring and determining a number of ringing subscriber lines, comparing the number of ringing subscriber lines to a predetermined ringing threshold, monitoring and determining a number of off-hook subscriber lines, comparing the number of off-hook subscriber lines to a predetermined off-hook threshold, and blocking further ringing and/or off-hook subscriber lines in response to the number of ringing and/or off-hook subscriber lines reaching or exceeding the respective predetermined ringing and off-hook thresholds.

Abstract: A telephone switching system 10 comprises a plurality of physical ports 20, and switches removable terminals based on predetermined connection information, wherein such connection information is arranged to be capable of being stored and rewritten in a RAM 60 by inputting from the terminal. When a physical port connecting to a terminal interface 30 is reconnected from a first terminal to a second terminal, a CPU 40 rewrites the connection information stored in the RAM 60 so that an extension number the user desires is stored for the physical port reconnected with the terminal.

Abstract: A telephone apparatus comprises a first audio input device, a second audio input device, a first audio output device, and a second audio output device. The telephone apparatus is operative to couple the first audio input device and the first audio output device to a first telephone line. In response to a first signal, the coupling between the first audio input device and the first telephone line is modified, and the second audio input device and the second audio output device are coupled to a second telephone line.

Abstract: Digital data is encoded into a series of analog waveforms, called symbol waveforms, created as the result of interference of sinusoidal wave interference patterns. Each of these symbol waveforms is an encoded version of N-bits of data. These encoded symbol waveforms is an encoded version which are very different, in both appearance and in propagation properties, from traditional voltage state signaling or pulse codes. The encoded symbol waveforms are formed by generating and superimposing a set of analog sinusoidal waves, where the gain and phase shift of each wave is computed so as to provide, in combination, a unique interference pattern that can be recognized, via signal processing techniques, by a detector and then decoded. The symbol waveforms are computed so that successive symbol waveforms seam together to form a smooth continuous AC analog signal that does not itself generate interference frequencies, can be bandpass filtered, and is suitable for long distance propagation.

Abstract: An improved dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) signal detector which uses the Goertzel DFT algorithm and which utilizes variable or differing frame widths that are frequency dependent for improved detection and reduced error. The DTMF detector includes a codec receiver which receives signals from the transmission media, and a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the codec. The DSP receives the digital samples and preferably applies the Goertzel DFT algorithm using differing frame lengths according to the present invention. The DTMF detector utilizes a different frame width for different tones of the possible tone frequencies according to the present invention. Thus the calculation uses a different frame length N for different ones of the uncorrelated frequencies, wherein the different frame lengths comprise at least a subset N of the number of digital samples. The different frame lengths N are designed to optimally align the calculated frequency spectrum at each of the different uncorrelated frequencies.

Abstract: A subscriber line control device utilizes a scan input table and a last look table. The scan input table stores respective current line states of a plurality of analog subscriber lines. The last look table stores respective preceding line states of the plurality of analog subscriber lines and information for validating or invalidating a timer device. A valid timer device corresponds to when a monitoring process is required. The scan input table is compared with the last look table at every predetermined cycle. When they do not match, it is judged whether the line state has changed or if the timer device is validated. Based on the judging result, an analog subscriber line control is performed according to an instruction specified by a call processing unit. The analog subscriber control is any of a call origination monitor, a dial pulse monitor, and an on-hook and off-hook (HIT) monitor.

Abstract: In a telephone system, several telephone terminals are connected to a single telephone line including several telephone interface circuits (6, 7, 8), each interface circuit being energized by ringing signals appearing on the line and being arranged between the telephone line (3) and one of the telephone terminals (13, 14, 15, 16), the ring of which is disconnected from the line. Each interface circuit comprises a circuit (26) for counting ringing signals and picking up the line, this first circuit receiving at the input the ringing signals appearing on the line (L1-L2) during a telephone call, and counting a predetermined number of these ringing signals, then picking up the line by a relay (27) at the moment the last ringing signal counted stops. The system is powered only by the signals on the telephone line.

Abstract: A subscriber line card arrangement, in which each of eight subscriber lines is interfaced by a respective high voltage analog circuit, followed by a low voltage circuit for producing essential analog functions including over-sampled analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion. A single CMOS digital signal processor (DSP) is multiplexed between each of the eight channels to perform digitial signal processing of the telephone signals in each channel. Silicon usage for the high voltage functions is reduced as is the amount of bipolar analog circuitry. Digital hardware is saved by multiplexing the DSP. The invention is useful in central offices and PABX's.

Abstract: A transmission chip for a telephone subscriber's instrument can be used in a variety of modes, some of which involve use with other chips. Depending on which mode is in force, different amplifiers are used. Thus for plain ordinary telephone (POT) service, amplifiers 30,35 and 43 are used, for loudspeaking mode amplifiers 30, 35 and 43 are used, for handsfree use amplifiers 35, 43 and 46 are used, while for VF "dialling" amplifier 46 is used. To save power, the control block (42) detects the mode in which the set is operating and, via a control bus, operates electronic switches to disable the amplifiers not needed.