Method and apparatus for off-hook management of plural subscriber premises devices connected to same telephone line
AssigneeHubbell Incorporated
InventorDmitry Levitan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An off-hook management telecommunication system comprising a DTMF detector, an encoder and a microprocessor located within a channel unit. The system allows the user to depress a selected sequence of keys during a line connection which indicate to the microprocessor to hold the line off-hook, via signaling to a central office, despite the fact that the telephone is being returned to an on-hook position. The line is held off-hook for a predetermined amount of time to allow the user to switch telephones.
Claims13
A channel unit in a digital loop carrier, the channel unit being coupled to at least one telephone via a subscriber line, the at least one telephony device being operable to generate tones, the channel unit comprising:
- a tone detector coupled to said subscriber line, said tone detector being operable to detect tones transmitted via said subscriber line to produce an output corresponding to an off-hook control signal;
- a processing device coupled to said tone detector and programmable to receive said output of said tone detector, to evaluate said output to determine if said tones corresponding thereto represent said off-hook control signal, said off-hook control signal using at least one of a preselected order, a preselected number and preselected ones of said tones, said processing device being operable to maintain said subscriber line off-hook for a selected period of time if said output indicates said off-hook control signal, and maintain said telephony device off-hook and on-hook in accordance with when a subscriber line requests and terminates, respectively, a connection via said subscriber line using said telephony device, if said programmable device determines that said tone is not said off-hook sequence tone.
A method for off-hook management on a subscriber line in a digital loop carrier, comprising the steps of:
- detecting tones transmitted from a telephony device via said subscriber line;
- maintaining said subscriber line off-hook for a selected period of time despite a user returning said telephony device to an on-hook position if said tones comprise an off-hook control signal;
- and
- operating said subscriber line in one of an off-hook state and an on-hook state in response to said user operation of said telephony device if said programmable device determines said tones do not comprise said off-hook control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.