Abstract: A universal bed-rail clip for clipping one of a one-piece telephone and a supporting bracket for such a one-piece telephone onto a horizontal rail of bed-rail assembly, the universal bed-rail clip comprising top and bottom sides being joined together by a joining side and defining, opposite the joining side, an opening for receiving the horizontal rail, the universal bed-rail clip being substantially U-shaped in cross-section, at least one of the top and bottom sides being flexible between open and closed positions, wherein the open position permits passage of the horizontal rail through the opening into an interior of the universal bed-rail clip and fixation means for attaching the universal bed-rail clip to the one of a one-piece telephone and supporting bracket.

Abstract: This invention discloses a telephone network interface enclosure comprising a telephone company compartment and a telephone subscriber compartment. Disposed within the telephone company compartment is a metal grounding strip. There is a network termination module disposed within the telephone network interface enclosure. The network termination module is partially disposed in both the telephone company compartment and the telephone subscriber compartment. The network termination module contains a protector element, subscriber terminals and a means for grounding. The subscriber terminals are located in the telephone subscriber compartment. The means for grounding is located in the telephone company compartment. and is connected to the metal grounding strip.

Abstract: An administration system for a switched telephone network which includes an attendant station for receiving service requests, a Service Order Processing (SOP) system for creating and distributing service orders for processing by downstream processing systems, and Adjunct Processor (AP) having storage for storing data including Living Unit (LU) data, network facility data and Telephone Number (TN) data, the foregoing system being used to perform the steps of receiving a request for service at the attendant station, determining the reason for the request and customer information, using the customer information to determine from the AP the facility and services available, selecting a TN from the AP, determining if the service request is eligible for handling by the AP, if not eligible issuing a service order and processing it in the current fashion, if eligible initiating processing by the AP, determining in the AP whether Work and Force Administration (WFA) action is necessary, and if so, preparing and dispatch

Abstract: A substantially-universal detector (FIG. 2) of far-end call disconnect-indicative tones detects the foreseeable forms of tone-based signalling of remote-end call disconnect that are likely to be employed anywhere in the world, without reconfiguration or reprogramming for different tones or countries. Implemented in the digital signal processor (DSP 30) of port circuits (14, 20) of switching systems (11) or adjunct processors (12), the detector determines parameters (204) of signals carried by the call to the near end and uses them, along with already-present linear predictive coding (LPC) predictor coefficients (202) and indications of energy (203) in the signals, in a multivariate classification (230) of call progress tones from other tones. When presence of any call progress tones is thus detected substantially without interruption for a predetermined minimum time in the received signals, the call is considered (240) to have been disconnected at the far end.

Abstract: Call setup time is reduced by automatically (1) identifying the type of signaling used by a caller to communicate with a central office, and (2) providing an indication of the signaling type to telephone switches or databases that will participate in routing and processing the telephone call. Dual Tone Multifrequency (DTMF) detectors located at a central office of a local exchange carrier detect whether a caller is using DTMF signaling. The local central office includes this information in a signaling message provided, for example, to interexchange carriers and other service providers which will use DTMF signaling during and after call setup. In this manner, the need to query the caller for this information is eliminated.

Abstract: A call detection control apparatus includes individual call detecting circuits, a common call detecting circuit, switching circuits, and a power supply circuit. The individual call detecting circuits individually detect call signals, which originate from telephone subscriber lines. The common call detecting circuit commonly detects call signals, which originate from the respective telephone subscriber lines. The switching circuits switch the respective telephone subscriber lines from the common call detecting circuit to the respective individual call detecting circuit when the common call detecting circuit detects an call signal from one of the respective telephone subscriber lines. The power supply circuit supplies operating power to each of the individual call detecting circuits upon interlocking with an operation of a corresponding one of the switching circuits.

Abstract: A telephony controller for controlling a private automatic branch exchange (PABX) is disclosed that utilizes a single functionality command protocol to reduce the data traffic on a computer network or the like used to control a PABX. The telephony controller includes a functionality command converter, a communication layer for communicating with computer terminals on the computer network, and a PABX interface for communicating with the PABX. The single functionality command protocol uses a generic command format for a number of function commands that are converted by the functionality command converter into the PABX commands corresponding to the vendor specific PABX. The functionality converter generates the PABX commands to implement a function command and monitors the PABX to determine whether the command has been implemented.

Abstract: An echo cancellation device usable in telephone connections affected by phase-roll is described. The canceller calculates the echo path propagation delay and produces an estimate of the echo signal by digitally filtering the signal originated by the far-end talker. The echo estimate is then subtracted from the actual echo to eliminate listening disturbances. The filter used is of the FIR type with adaptive coefficients updated iteratively by adding algebraically, to the values which they had upon the preceding iteration, a correction term proportional to the estimate error. The frequency of the coefficient updating iterations is a multiple of the rate f.sub.c of acquisition of the voice and echo samples by the canceller.

Abstract: To initialize a remote control device for use in a particular installation, initialization parameters are entered relating to the relationship between user input codes and equipment to be controlled. In the preferred embodiment involving video recorder equipment, the initialization procedure concerns the video channels available to the recorder and remote control codes associated with the operation of the recorder. Using a receive-only modem on the device attached to a phone jack, initialization is performed by dialing up a remote location with a touch tone phone. At the remote end a computer sends selected audio response signals to the telephone receiver requesting that the user key in information using the touch tone pad. The computer then transmits the appropriate signals to the memory of the remote device to initialize it.

Abstract: A communication unit connectable in parallel with other communication equipment to a two-wire telephone line communicates through the telephone line and a detector detects a voltage across the two-wire telephone line. A command unit commands communication by the communication unit and a controller controls the communication by the communication unit according to the detection by the detector and the command by the command unit.

Abstract: A telephone long distance service is provided using speaker verification to determine whether a user is a valid user or an impostor. The user claims an identity by offering some form of identification, typically by entering a calling card number on the phone's touch-tone keypad or by a magnetic strip on the card which is read by the telephone. Unrestricted, extemporaneous speech of a group of customers are digitized, analyzed in accordance with a PCM circuit, and characterized as a non-parametric set of speech feature vectors. The extemporaneous speech of the long distance telephone service user claiming the identity of a service customer via his card number is digitized and analyzed in a like manner.

Abstract: A communication headset is provided which includes two curved housings that rotate with respect to one another to allow the headset to be held firmly in place over one ear of the user. One housing supports a microphone boom which has a free end positionable adjacent to the users mouth and the other houses a receiver element for producing sound from electrical signals. Feedback between the receiver and the microphone is reduced by an elastomer friction hinge between the two housings. The receiver element is encapsulated by elastomer to further reduce feedback and to protect the receiver element from physical shock.

Abstract: A telephone switching apparatus includes a line network to which first and second telephones are connected and a hands-free trunk whose input and output terminals are connected to the line network. The line network is controlled such that voices from the first and second telephones are transmitted to the second and first telephones, respectively, through the hands-free trunk. A call transfer apparatus includes an outside-line interface to which first and second outside lines are connected and an adjusting unit for comparing the volumes of voices from the first and second outside lines and adjusting the volumes of the voices in accordance with the results of the comparison. The voices input from the first and second outside lines and adjusted in volume are transmitted to the second and first outside lines, respectively.

Abstract: An echo canceller arrangement (1) receives data x(i) which are likely to generate an echo r(i), and data y(i)+r(i) affected by the echo. An echo synthesizer (50) forms a replica r'(i) of the echo r(i) on the basis of a series of data delayed by delay elements 70.sub.1 . . . 70.sub.N and weighted by weight factors c.sub.k, where k=1, . . . , N. An arithmetic element (85) determines the factors c.sub.k according to:c.sub.k (i+1)=c.sub.k (i)+d.multidot.c.sub.k (i).multidot.sign[x(i-k).multidot.e(i)] where d<1.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for distributing news items to the users of a computerized voice mail system. The news items are stored on disk. A news item memory table is stored in active memory. The news items memory table has (a) message descriptors of a limited number of the latest news items and (b) time stamps showing the newest news item not referenced in said shadow table and the last time a news item not listed in the shadow table was changed. Each time a user interrogates an assigned mailbox, the system checks the news item memory table to determine if any items have been added or deleted since the last time the particular mailbox was interrogated. If there are new bulletins, these are read into the mailbox and if some items already in the mailbox have been obsoleted, the obsoleted items are deleted from the mailbox.

Abstract: A mobile telephone rack includes a rack body for holding a mobile telephone, a support and a plug rod securing the rack body to the socket for cigarette-lighter on a motor vehicle's instrument board, and a cigarette lighting socket connected to the socket for cigarette lighter through contacts on the plug rod, the support consisting of a bottom supporting rod having radial teeth meshed with respective radial teeth on the plug rod and fixed at the desired angle by a screw bolt and a top supporting rod having a bottom end revolvably fastened to the bottom supporting rod by a tightening up screw and a top end connected to the rack body by a steering rod, the steering rod having radial teeth meshed with respective radial teeth on the top supporting rod and fixed at the desired angle by a screw bolt.

Abstract: A telephone system which, when a call terminating subscriber which should receive a call from a call originating subscriber is not at the location of his telephone, a location registration unit is accessed so as to call the telephone nearest to the call terminating subscriber, wherein, even when the registration in the location registration unit is not correct, the location information source is referred to deduce the correct location of the call terminating subscriber. This location information source contains various types of sensor information and schedule management information showing the whereabouts of the call terminating subscriber.

Abstract: It is herein recognized that in an audio signal processing system, a DRAM chip for storing digitized audio signals and selected to include at least one inoperative memory location, is acceptable for use as a storage medium in that no noticeable error is produced on playback of the recorded signal due to the sampling rate of the audio signal and due to the relatively low rate of defects allowed. Furthermore, the use of a less-than-perfect DRAM chip for storing audio information is acceptable due to the substantially non-critical nature of audio signals, as opposed to the extremely critical nature of computer data.

Abstract: A proactive call services system serving as a new node or switching network within a closed subsystem is disclosed. Remote monitors provide information necessary to allow the provision of enhanced services to the closed subsystem, which may be a telephone operator position system (TOPS) switch of a public switched network (PSN). The proactive call services system includes a network interface, voice interface, call processing platform (CPP), link platform and monitors integrated with the PSN. The system gathers information as the TOPS switch processes a call, and with this information offers additional proactive call services to the caller.

Abstract: An interconnect bracket which mechanically and electrically connects an auxiliary device to a main unit. Very few additional parts are required and the auxiliary device is user installable with minimal tools. The interconnect bracket provides the electrical connection by employing traces which run the length of the bracket. The interconnect bracket attaches to the bottom surface of the main unit and is configured to fit within receiving recess slots such that the bracket is substantially flush with the bottom surface of the main unit. As a result, no visible connectors or cables are necessary. The interconnect bracket is lightweight and contains guides which assist in the installation of the auxiliary device. The interconnect bracket provides a means of connection which enables the auxiliary device to separate from the main unit when subjected to forces such as would be experienced if the coupled units were dropped. This reduces the potential for damage to the components of the main unit and auxiliary device.