US 4,055,729 A · Apparatus for the direct connection of ancillary equipment to a telephone network

Abstract

Ancillary equipment including a facsimile transceiver is directly connected to a telephone network through a coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement includes a transfer relay for transferring the primary communication path to the telephone network between a telephone station set and the ancillary equipment. The transfer between the telephone station set and the ancillary equipment is controlled by a sensor which electrically senses a change from the off-hook to the on-hook state of the telephone set. The transfer is also controlled in response to the state of the ancillary equipment. The coupling arrangement also limits the signal power level coupled into the telephone network from the ancillary equipment.

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Drawings

Claims45

Dependent claims

Apparatus for direct coupling ancillary equipment to a telephone network in conjunction with a telephone station set comprising:

coupling means adapted to directly connect said telephone network to said ancillary equipment;
transfer means associated with said coupling means for transferring the primary communication connection of said telephone network from said telephone station set to said ancillary equipment;
sensor means electrically connected to said telephone set when a primary communication connection is between said telephone network and said ancillary equipment, said sensor means being responsive to an electrical signal from said telephone station set to sense a change from the off-hook to the on-hook stage of said telephone set;
and
transfer control means coupled to said sensor means and said transfer means for transferring the primary communication connection of said telephone network from said ancillary equipment to said telephone station set when said sensor means senses a change from the off-hook to the on-hook state of said telephone set.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description5,551 words

Summary1,165 words

#This invention relates to the direct connection of ancillary equipment such as fascimile transceivers to the telephone network.

#In many instances, it is necessary for various types of ancillary equipment including data terminals and facsimile transceivers to be directly connected to the switched telephone network, as contrasted with acoustic coupling, in order to satisfy certain wide band communication channel requirements. Heretofore, the telephone companies have offered various protective interface devices so as to permit the direct connection of ancillary equipment to the telephone network without any risk of harm to the network. Recently, the FCC has promulgated rules which will permit the direct connection of ancillary equipment to the telephone network without the use of the protective devices offered by the telephone companies if ancillary equipment or associated protective cicuitry satisfies certain requirements which are the subject of an FCC registration program.

#The direct connection of ancillary equipment subject to the FCC rules will present a number of problems to the users of this ancillary equipment who wish to avoid, to the extent possible, the use of telephone company supplied equipment. For example, the network protective devices presently offered by the telephone company, commonly referred to as DAA (direct access arrangements), are typically supplied in conjunction with a telephone station set having an exclusion key. The exclusion key which is associated with the cradle of the telephone set is provided to assure that return of the telephone handset to the cradle will break the telephone line connection thus excluding the ancillary equipment from connection to the telephone network and thereby assuring that the telephone set will be prepared to receive the next incoming call. In the absence of such exclusion key, it is possible to maintain a telephone line connection even though the handset is returned to the cradle if one should forget to turn the data access arrangement off so as to break the telephone line connection. On the other hand, it is desirable to utilize certain telephone company supply equipment such as, for example, a "500" type telephone set in conjunction with the ancillary equipment so as to provide a voice communication and dialing capability. Thus it is desirable to provide the exclusion function normally provided by the exclusion key in conjunction with the standard telephone set without such an exclusion key while at the same time maintaining the necessary isolation of the telephone network from the ancillary equipment.

Brief description of the drawings3 figures

#FIG. 1 is a pictorial/schematic diagram of a telephone communication system embodying the invention;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connecting mechanism of FIG. 1; and

#FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the coupler shown in block diagram form in FIG. 1.

Detailed description4,341 words

#Referring now to the system shown in FIG. 1, ancillary equipment in the for of a facsimile transceiver 10 comprises a drum 12 rotated by a motor not shown in a direction depicted by an arrow 14 so as to create a relative scanning movement between a document or copy medium carried by the drum 12 and a scanning head not shown. If the scanning head is advanced axially along the drum 12 as indicated by an arrow 16 and the drum rotates about its axis as indicated by the arrow 14, successive paths on the document or copy medium are placed in communication with suitable transducers carried by the head.

#When the transceiver 10 is operating in a transmit mode, the reading transducer such as a photodetector carried by the head detects variations in light intensity due to the reflectivity of the document as the document is scanned by the photodetector. The output from the photodetector is converted into a modulated transmisson signal at the output as depicted by line 18 and then applied to the receiving/transmitting circuitry 20. The output from the receiving/transmitting circuitry 20 as depicted by line 22 is then applied to coupler 24.

#When the transceiver 10 is operated in a receiving mode, the signals from the coupler 24 are applied at the input 22 to the receiving/transmitting circuitry. The output 28 of the receiving/transmitting circuitry is then applied to the writing transducer such as a stylus carried by the head in the transceiver 10 so as to mark on the copy medium carried by the drum 12.

Facts

Application

05/689,263Filed 24 May 1976

Granted

25 Oct 1977

Term ended

25 Oct 1994

Estimated · how

Pre-1995 term; greater of 17 years from grant or 20 years from filing when eligible. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification4 codes

H04M 11/06
Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems: simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g.…
H04N 1/00095
Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof: systems or arrangements for the…
H04M
Telephonic communication
H04N
Pictorial communication

Apparatus for the direct connection of ancillary equipment to a telephone network

Life of this patent

Apparatus for the direct connection of ancillary equipment to a telephone network

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims45

Description5,551 words

Classification4 codes

Life of this patent

Drawings

Description5,551 words