Abstract: A general purpose computer test interface is used to test various types of computers having differing input/output characteristics. The interface comprises a control unit which is responsive to messages from a controlling host computer to generate a unique set of type control signals for each computer type to be tested. Interfce control logic circuits combine the type control signals with bus control signals from a target computer under test to adapt the interface for communication with each of the different types of targets defined by the type control signals.

Abstract: A method and an arrangement are disclosed for forwarding a customer order received from a requesting customer line to a vendor data link. For use with a telecommunications switching system, the order entry arrangement includes a customer signal receiver for receiving customer signals from a requesting customer line and a processor for sending the orders received from the receiver to the vendor data link. The processor normally controls the operation of the switching network of the switching system but also sends received customer orders and the identity of the requesting line to a vendor data link in response to a customer entered order entry request code. Optional vendor identification information may be entered by the customer for selecting a desired vendor. Customer identification information may also be entered by the customer for billing and order security purposes. After the order is received, the order entry arrangement returns an order confirmation signal to the requesting line.

Abstract: An arrangement for allowing a subscriber to select telephone features from the subscriber terminal is disclosed. The subscriber terminal includes a touch screen display and a customer premises computer. The terminal in response to a touching of the appropriate area of the screen, displays a list of all possible telephone features available to this subscriber terminal together with an indication of currently subscribed features. By touching the screen in the appropriate areas, the subscriber may select features to be added or deleted. The information regarding the subscriber selection is transmitted to the central office to which the terminal is connected. The central office maintains a set of software packages corresponding to each of the possible combinations of features to be selected by a subscriber and in response to information from the terminal defining a new set of features, the central office transmits the appropriate software package to the terminal.

Abstract: An electronic circuit board electrically connected to other circuits of a data processing system by means of a bus, may be removed and re-inserted in the system without the necessity of disabling other circuits connected to the bus. A latch actuated switch provides a control signal in anticipation of circuit board removal. The control signal activates a finite state machine which seizes control of the bus after completion of any current bus communications and stops the generation of clock pulses normally required in bus communications. When contact is physically broken between the board and its corresponding connector, the finite state machine restores the bus clock pulses and relinquishes control of the bus. When a board is to be inserted in an open connector, contact between the board and the connector is sensed by the finite state machine which causes the bus to be seized and the bus clock pulses to be temporarily inhibited.

Abstract: A telecommunication system providing centrex services, and having an attendant position serving users from diverse customer locations. Users at a satellite customer location connected to one exchange and employing ISDN terminals are provided with access to an attendant position at a main customer location connected to another exchange. ISDN messages from users at the satellite location requesting attendant services are recognized at the exchange associated with the satellite location and transmitted as analog flash signals via an analog signaling trunk to the exchange to which the attendant is connected. The exchange receiving the flash signals interpret the signals as requests for attendant services and provides the necessary connections to the attendant's position.

Abstract: In a telecommunication switching system, incoming calls of various call types directed to a group of associated subscriber terminals are queued by call type and distributed on a priority basis. A separate queue is created for each call type and a table is provided which defines a number of priority levels and the call types to be served in each priority level. A priority frequency array is used for each of the terminals to assure that each terminal serves calls at the various priority levels with a prescribed frequency. When calls of different types but having the same priority level are waiting to be served, the oldest call will be selected on the basis of a time-of-day stamp recorded with each call on queue.

Abstract: A time-division switching system including first and second control units operating in accordance with a generic program is disclosed. After a new generic program is stored in the second control unit, the first control unit still operating in response to the old generic program initiates the performance of a test sequence by the second control unit. The first control unit times the execution of the test sequence. When the test sequence is not completed within a predetermined period of time or when test results generated by the test sequence do not match expected test results, a failure message is generated. Alternatively, when the test sequence is completed within the predetermined period of time and test results match the expected test results, a success message is generated.

Abstract: In a multiprocessor system, processors are connected to an interconnecting bus by means of bus interface circuits which comprise an address buffer in addition to data buffers. The interconnecting bus, in addition to a destination address and data also carries an originating address identifying the processor transmitting the data. In the event of a receive buffer overload condition in the receiving bus interface circuit, a negative acknowledge signal is transmitted on the bus and the originating address is queued in the address buffer. When the buffer overflow condition has been relieved, a retransmission request is sent to the first processor identified in the address buffer and its message is received. This procedure will be repeated for each processor identified in the address buffer.

Abstract: In the disclosed system, the operation of a target computer is monitored by a terminal controller connected to one or more of the computer's input/output ports. The controller can send data on one of the computer's ports and simultaneously record and monitor computer response at several of the computer's input/output ports. Two data queues are provided for each monitored port and received data is stored in a first queue, referred to as a spooler queue, and may be searched for a specified character string before it is transferred to the second queue called the demux queue. Received information, in addition to being searched for a specified character string, is also examined for message type and a message type designation is added to each data word or message transferred to the demux queue. From the demux queue the data is transferred to different storage files depending upon the message type designation.

Abstract: A power supply circuit for use with telecommunication subscriber lines provides a substantially constant power output over one range of load impedances and a substantially constant voltage output over a range of load impedances greater than a critical impedance. The circuit employs a transformer which includes a sense winding for sensing output voltage across the load. For load impedances below the critical value, the current into the primary of the transformer is controlled by means of a current sensing device sensing the amount of primary current. However, for load impedances greater than the critical impedance the output of the sense winding controls and current to the primary is reduced to avoid the output voltage from rising substantially even in the event of an open circuit load condition. In one embodiment, a supervisory circuit provides a signal indicative of the on-hook and off-hook states of the subscriber line by sensing primary current flow.

Abstract: In a telecommunication switching system adapted for handling call signaling information and data in packet format, a number of protocol handlers (150) are interconnected by means of a local area network (171,173). A variable number of spares may be available for each group of protocol handlers as defined by a ratio table (400) stored in the memory of the systems control processor (100). The ratio table may be changed from time to time to redefine the ratio of spares to actives for each group. In response to a request to activate an additional protocol handler in a group, the ratio table is consulted and an error message is generated if the activation of an additional protocol handler causes the specified ratio to be exceeded.

Abstract: A keyboard for use with a terminal in a telephone operator assistance system is disclosed. The keyboard has a numeric array of keys that is surrounded on three sides by separate arrays of specialized function keys. The keyboard is arranged so that the most common keying sequence consists of the operation of a function key in the array to the left of the numeric array, the operation of keys in the numeric array, and the operation of a function key in the array to the right of the numeric array. This keyboard arrangement has been found experimentally to reduce operator work time. In addition, the keyboard contains a main array including alphabetic keys and miscellaneous function keys, and arrays of function keys to the left of and in back of the main array. The function keys are grouped in different arrays according to the type of function being performed, and the relationship of that function to the operation of keys in the numeric array.

Abstract: The reliability of a distributed processing system is enhanced through the use of a highly reliable data communication system. Each node of such a system is connected to the other nodes by a local data network, including duplicated data network media, such as coaxial cables. Each node includes a maintenance processor for controlling which of the duplicate network media is active and which is standby. Regular inter-node data packets are transmitted over the active network medium. Control data packets to the maintenance processor are sent from a control node over the standby network medium. The maintenance processor can also totally stop transmission of data from the associated node to both data network media.

Abstract: An arrangement for supplying electrical power from a telecommunication central office to a remote network termination employs the wires of a two-wire digital subscriber loop in parallel using earth ground as a return path. At the central office, two power supplies separately provide power to the two wires of the loop in parallel and the current supplied by the two power supplies is added at the remote interface by means of a center-tapped transformer coil which is part of the transformer used for the transmission of digitally encoded voice and data signals. A DC-to-DC converter connected to the center tap provides the required power to the interface circuitry. The DC-to-DC converter is grounded to earth ground through a low-pass filter which is designed to block higher frequency noise signals.

Abstract: A semi-automatic directory assistance system uses a directory assistance computer to help an operator at an operator position terminal find the requested directory number. The control processor, a module control unit, of a module of the system controls the establishment of part of the connection from a subscriber requesting operator assistance to the operator position. The operator at the operator position communicates with the directory assistance computer to find the requested number. After the requested number has been found, the computer sends a message to the control processor. In response to that message, the control processor causes an audio response unit to generate a directory assistance message corresponding to the desired number and causes the response unit to be connected to the subscriber.

Abstract: Apparatus for adjusting the tilt angle of a flat display panel, such as a plasma panel, includes a strut and a rotatable stop member engaging one end of the strut. The strut has one end pivotally attached to a vertically extending support member which supports the display panel housing by means of a hinge attached to the back wall of the housing. The other end of the strut extends through an elongated slot extending generally in the vertical direction in the back wall of the housing and engages the rotatable stop member mounted on the back wall opposite the slot. The stop member has a smooth surface and a frictional surface provided with a number of detents. A lever attached to a shaft portion of the rotatable stop member extending below the bottom wall of the housing facilitates rotation of the stop to a position in which the strut is in sliding engagement with the smooth surface, allowing free adjustment of the tilt angle of the panel.

Abstract: An operator or agent position, for use by a telephone assistance operator or an agent of a business, communicates with the circuit and packet switching network of a telecommunication switching system using an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) B-channel and D-channel. The switching network is connected to customers, positions, data communication paths to data bases, and a data path to a control processor of the system. The B-channel is connected through a circuit switching network to a customer. The D-channel is connected through a packet switching network to the control processor and to data bases. Advantageously, the positions can be located remotely from the switching network because only a single integrated facility is required to transmit the integrated voice and data signal between a position and the network. Advantageously, a variety of data bases can be rapidly and efficiently accessed by a position.

Abstract: An operator or agent position, for use by a telephone assistance operator or an agent of a business, communicates with the circuit and packet switching network of a telecommunication switching system using an Integrated Devices Digital Network (ISDN) B-channel and D-channel. The switching network is connected to customers, positions, data communication paths to data bases, and a data path to control processor of the system. The B-channel is connected through a circuit switching network to a customer. The D-channel is connected through a packet switching network to the control processor and to data bases. Advantageously, the positions can be located remotely from the switching network because only a single integrated facility is required to transmit the integrated voice and data signal between a position and the network. Advantageously, a variety of data bases can be rapidly and efficiently accessed by a position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for flexibly interconnecting the nodes of a local data network to achieve reliable internodal data transmission while minimizing the extra data processing load on the host processors of each node. An interface processor is provided at each node which controls transmission and reception of data packets and the communication of data from and to the location in node storage associated with the program processes which generate and receive the data. Different protocols are provided for different types of messages and are controlled by the interface processor in order to provide high reliability data transmission where needed. Destination addresses are associated with each data packet to provide flexible routing of data.