Method and apparatus for sending a data message to a selected station during a silent interval between ringing
AssigneeAT&T Bell Laboratories
InventorCarolyn A. Doughty
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating data messages and a ringing circuit for generating ringing signals to a selected station, method and apparatus are disclosed for sending a data message to a selected station during a silent interval between ringing signals. The apparatus includes a detector and a sender. Responsive to a first ringing signal, the detector generates a status signal representative of the silent interval between ringing signals. During the silent interval, the sender sends to the selected station a frequency shift keyed signal representative of the data message.
Claims23
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating a data message and a ringing circuit for transmitting a first and a second ringing signal to a selected one of said stations, said first and second ringing signals having a silent interval therebetween, apparatus for sending a data message to a selected station during the silent interval between ringing signals while the apparatus remains connected to the ringing circuit;
- comprising:
- detector means connectable to said ringing circuit and responsive to said first ringing signal for generating a status signal representative of said silent interval between said first and second ringing signals;
- and
- sender means responsive to said status signal for sending to said selected station a signal representative of said data message during said silent interval.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating a data message and a ringing circuit for transmitting a first and a second ringing signal to a selected one of said stations, said first and second ringing signals having a silent interval therebetween, apparatus for sending a data message to a selected station during the silent interval between ringing signals;
- comprising:
- detector means responsive to said first ringing signal for generating a status signal representative of said silent interval between said first and second ringing signals;
- sender means responsive to said status signal for sending to said selected station a first frequency shift keyed signal representative of said data message during said silent interval;
- and
- means responsive to said first frequency shift keyed signal for generating a second frequency shift keyed signal having a voltage level equivalent in magnitude and opposite in polarity to that of said first frequency shift keyed signal.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating a data message, said data message including unit identification and special service information, and also having a plurality of ringing circuits each for generating intermittent ringing signals separated by silent intervals to a selected one of said stations;
- apparatus for sending a data message to a selected station during a silent interval between intermittent ringing signals while the apparatus remains connected to the ringing circuit for generating ringing signals to the selected station;
- comprising:
- a plurality of units each connectable to an associated one of said ringing circuits for detecting a silent interval between the intermittent ringing signals from the associated ringing circuit;
- and
- controller means responsive to said unit identification for selecting one of said plurality of units to receive said special service information;
- said selected unit comprising means for sending said special service information to said selected station during the silent interval between the intermittent ringing signals from the associated ringing circuit.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating special service information and also having a ringing circuit for transmitting to a selected one of said stations intermittent ringing signals separated by silent intervals, a method for sending special service information to a selected station during a silent interval between intermittent ringing signals while the ringing circuit remains connected for transmitting the intermittent ringing signals to the selected station;
- comprising the steps of:
- detecting a first one of said ringing signals to said selected station;
- detecting a first one of said silent intervals after said first ringing signal;
- and
- sending a signal representative of said special service information to said selected station during said first silent interval.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating special service information and also having a ringing circuit for transmitting to a selected one of said stations intermittent ringing signals separated by silent intervals, a method for sending special service information to a selected station during a silent interval between intermittent ringing signals;
- comprising the steps of:
- detecting a first one of said ringing signals to said selected station;
- detecting a first one of said silent intervals after said first ringing signal;
- sending a signal representative of said special service information to said selected station during said first silent interval;
- waiting a first special time interval after said first ringing signal;
- confirming the continuance of said first silent interval after said first special time interval;
- and
- sending a signal representative of said special service information to said selected station during said first silent interval after confirming the continuance of said first silent interval.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating special service information and also having a ringing circuit for transmitting to a selected one of said stations intermittent ringing signals separated by silent intervals, a method for displaying special service information at a selected station during a silent interval between intermittent ringing signals while the ringing circuit remains connected for transmitting the intermittent ringing signals to the selected station;
- comprising the steps of:
- sending a signal representative of said special service information to said selected station during an interval of said silent intervals separating said ringing signals;
- receiving said representative signal at said selected station during said silent interval;
- and
- displaying said special service information at said selected station during said silent interval.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating special service information and also having a ringing circuit for transmitting to a selected one of said stations intermittent ringing signals separated by silent intervals, a method for displaying special service information at a selected station during a silent interval between intermittent ringing signals;
- comprising the steps of:
- detecting a first one of said ringing signals to said selected station;
- detecting a first one of said silent intervals after said first ringing signal;
- waiting a special time interval after said first ringing signal;
- confirming the continuance of said first silent interval after said special time interval;
- sending a signal representative of said special service information to said selected station during said first silent interval after confirming the continuance of said first silent interval;
- receiving said representative signal at said selected station during said silent interval;
- and
- displaying said special service information at said selected station during said silent interval.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a plurality of stations and having a central processor for generating special service information and also having a ringing circuit for transmitting intermittent ringing signals separated by silent intervals to a selected one of said stations, apparatus for displaying special service information at a selected station during a silent interval between intermittent ringing signals while the apparatus remains coupled to the ringing circuit;
- comprising:
- means coupled to said ringing circuit for sending a signal representative of said special service information to said selected station during an interval of said silent intervals separating said ringing signals;
- means for receiving said representative signal at said selected station during said silent interval;
- and
- means for displaying said special service information at said selected station during said silent interval.
For use with a telephone switching system serving a pluality of stations and having a central processor for generating special service information and also having a ringing circuit for transmitting intermittent ringing signals separated by silent intervals to a selected one of said stations, apparatus for displaying special service information at a selected station during a silent interval between intermittent ringing signals, comprising:
- means for detecting a first one of said ringing signals to said selected station;
- means for detecting said first silent interval after said first ringing signal;
- means for waiting a special time interval after said first ringing signal;
- means for confirming the continuance of said first silent interval after said special time interval;
- means for sending a signal representative of said data message to said selected station during said first silent interval after confirming the continuance of said first silent interval;
- means for receiving said representative signal at said selected station during said silent interval;
- and
- means for displaying said special service information at said selected station during said silent interval.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.