Abstract: The apparatus of the invention (a) monitors a subscriber line for the presence of DTMF tones, (b) intercepts DTMF tones by transmitting a set of DTMF harmonics onto the subscriber line, (c) detects the intercepted DTMF tones and records them or the digits they represent, (d) analyzes the intercepted digits to determine whether a long distance number has been dialed, and (e) if a long distance call has been dialed, transmits onto the subscriber line a DTMF signal which includes the intercepted DTMF signal plus a service provider access code DTMF signal inserted before it. According to a presently preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a voltage sensor which detects a drop in voltage whenever a phone connected to the same subscriber line as the apparatus goes off-hook. The voltage detector turns the apparatus “ON” when an off-hook condition is detected.

Abstract: The invention provides a distributed processing system having a host processor and one or more object oriented processors which are embodied as discrete components and as a collection of components on a single ASIC chip. A high level command language and a communications bus system are also provided both for use with discrete components and as an integral part of an ASIC chip. The ASIC chips are premanufactured to operate identically to a corresponding collection of discrete components. A distributed processing system is developed by coupling a collection of discrete object oriented processors and a host processor to a bus and writing a command language script to define the functionality of the system. After the system is designed and tested using discrete components, a suitable premanufactured ASIC or collection of ASICs is chosen and coupled to a host processor. The high level command language script permits the host processor and the ASIC system to perform identically to the discrete component system.

Abstract: An object oriented processor array includes a library of functional objects which are instantiated by commands through a system object and which communicate via a high level language. According to the invention, communication is based on an "event-reaction" model. According to the event-reaction model, when a processor object has a message to send, it generates a data event which is registered with the target recipient of the message (usually the host). The target reacts to the event by allowing a variable amount of I/O exchange between the processor object and the target prior to an acknowledgement of the data event. According to one embodiment, until the data event is acknowledged, no other data event may be sent to the target. According to another embodiment, a fixed number of data events may be pending simultaneously.

Abstract: Distributed processing systems having a host processor and at least one object oriented processor are disclosed. An object oriented processor according to the invention has a communications interface, an intelligent message handler, and a task-specific functionality. The communications interface is coupled to a host processor via a message based communications link. A high level command language is provided which is easily implemented in a host processor program. The command language includes subsets of commands which are understood by different object oriented processors having different functionality. According to one embodiment, the object oriented processor includes support for a broad array of input and output devices. The command language includes high level commands for initializing, reading from and/or writing to the peripherals supported by the object oriented processor.

Abstract: Distributed processing systems having a host processor and at least one object oriented processor are disclosed. An object oriented processor according to the invention has a communications interface, an intelligent message handler, and a task-specific functionality. The communications interface is coupled to a host processor via a message based communications link. A high level command language is provided which is easily implemented in a host processor program. The command language includes subsets of commands which are understood by different object oriented processors having different functionality. According to one embodiment, the object oriented processor includes support for a broad array of input and output devices. The command language includes high level commands for initializing, reading from and/or writing to the peripherals supported by the object oriented processor.