Abstract: A connection apparatus for a public network switching system includes line ports connected to user terminals and trunk ports connected to Internet lines, a switching unit having diverging ports connected to the trunk ports and converging ports connected to the line ports. A control unit receives a request signal from a user terminal and establishes connections between one of the diverging ports and the converging ports which correspond to Internet lines specified by the request signal. The public network switching system connects the one diverging port to the user terminal and connects a line port and a trunk port.

Abstract: A key telephone system including (a) at least three telephones, and (b) a key telephone unit connected to the three telephones through at least three communication lines including at least one public switched line, the key telephone unit including (b1) at least three connection ports to each of which each of the telephones is connected through the communication lines, each of the connection ports having a predetermined number, (b2) a first unit which informs a first telephone of numbers of vacant connection ports and a number of the connection port to which a second telephone making a call to the first telephone is connected, when the first telephone makes a call, and (b3) a controller which connects the first telephone to one of the second telephone and a third telephone, based on the numbers of vacant connection ports and the number of the connection port to which the second telephone is connected.

Abstract: When a call from a subscriber telephone set 81 is received via a telephone switch 74 and a metallic subscriber line 72 in a subscriber terminal 51, an xDSL home unit 60 generates an electronic mail indicative of the call reception with a metallic subscriber line 72 used as an xDSL line 72 for feeding the electronic mail thus generated via the xDSL line 72, an xDSL station side unit 104 and an internet NW to an internet provider 105 and thence transmitting the mail via an internet NW to a portable telephone radio base station 106 and also to a portable telephone set 107. When a reception request is provided from the portable telephone set 107, the xDSL home unit 60 feeds the call from the subscriber telephone set 81 via the xDSL line 72, an xDSL station side unit 104, the internet NW to the internet provider 105 for transmission of the call via the internet NW to a portable telephone radio base station 106 and also to the portable telephone set 107.

Abstract: A telephone 241 transmits an answer-phone-startup request to a portable telephone position storing unit 25. Then the portable telephone position storing unit 25 turns on an answer-phone-startup information for the telephone 241. When a telephone 24N originates a call to telephone 241, exchange 22N inquires of the portable telephone position storing unit 25 whether or not the answer-phone-startup information is turned on for the telephone 241. If the answer-phone-startup information is turned on for the telephone 241, the exchange establishes a connection from telephone 24N to an Internet answer phone-transferring function unit 21N to store a message in unit 21N. When the telephone 241 transmits an answer phone reproducing request, the exchange 221 establishes a connection from an Internet answer phone-transferring function unit 211 to the telephone 241. The unit 211 broadcasts a request packet to the other units 212 . . . 21N through the Internet.

Abstract: The invention provides a time-division switch and a time-division switching method by which a multi-frame signal of an arbitrary bit length can be outputted to or inputted from an arbitrary time slot. The time-division switching method is applied to weitchably connect time slots between different highways in time-division multiplex communication. The switch includes an external memory to which data from input time slots may be dropped, and from which data may be inserted into output time slots. Fixed data such as tone data may also be inserted into time slots. Dropping and insertion may be performed to replace existing time slot data or to fill new time slots.

Abstract: A key telephone system including (a) at least three telephones, and (b) a key telephone unit connected to the three telephones through at least three communication lines including at least one public switched line, the key telephone unit including (b1) at least three connection ports to each of which each of the telephones is connected through the communication lines, each of the connection ports having a predetermined number, (b2) a first unit which informs a first telephone of numbers of vacant connection ports and a number of the connection port to which a second telephone making a call to the first telephone is connected, when the first telephone makes a call, and (b3) a controller which connects the first telephone to one of the second telephone and a third telephone, based on the numbers of vacant connection ports and the number of the connection port to which the second telephone is connected.

Abstract: When a call from a subscriber telephone set 81 is received via a telephone switch 74 and a metallic subscriber line 72 in a subscriber terminal 51, an xDSL home unit 60 generates an electronic mail indicative of the call reception with a metallic subscriber line 72 used as an xDSL line 72 for feeding the electronic mail thus generated via the xDSL line 72, an xDSL station side unit 104 and an internet NW to an internet provider 105 and thence transmitting the mail via an internet NW to a portable telephone radio base station 106 and also to a portable telephone set 107. When a reception request is provided from the portable telephone set 107, the xDSL home unit 60 feeds the call from the subscriber telephone set 81 via the xDSL line 72, an xDSL station side unit 104, the internet NW to the internet provider 105 for transmission of the call via the internet NW to a portable telephone radio base station 106 and also to the portable telephone set 107.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to pay a toll without stopping a car and without providing a special lane for electronic payment, thereby reducing a traffic jam. The toll payment system comprises a portable telephone on a car, a base station connected with the portable telephone, a server connected with the base station. The server comprises a first memory for storing a location of the base station, a second memory for storing a unit price for each section along the highway and data identifying a contractor or contracted car, a driving route identification unit for identifying a driving route on the basis of the location stored in the first memory and a base station connected under a certain manner, a toll calculation, and a charging unit.

Abstract: Telephone call fee notifying system and apparatus for informing a calling subscriber of a fee for telephoning a destination before talking starts. When the calling subscriber dials a special number, this special number is recognized by a charging information request recognizing unit, a telephone call fee for a connection destination is calculated in response to subsequently transmitted dialing by means of a charging calculation unit and a calculated telephone call fee is informed to the calling subscriber in the form of a speech by means of a charging information speech outputting unit. Listening to the speech, the calling subscriber decides whether a circuit connection is to be done or not and when the circuit connection is determined, an operation therefor is carried out to establish a connection to the desired connection destination.