US 4,791,666 A · Automatic intercept system interface for electromechanical telephone central office

Abstract

A method and apparatus for connecting an electromechanical telephone central office having a step-by-step or cross bar type switching equipment to a remotely located automatic intercept message system. The terminating sleeve leads of a plurality of subscriber telephone numbers are connected to a scanner circuit. The sleeve leads correlate to preassigned telephone numbers and are continuously scanned for seizure. Upon detection of a service request to a disconnected or changed telephone number, the scanner seizes an outgoing trunk to a distant automatic intercept message playback system. When the outgoing trunk has been seized and a connection made to the AIS, a multifrequency spill of the telephone number which has been changed or disconnected is provided to the AIS, which in response provides an appropriate intercept message back over the trunk and is connected to the calling party. The system is microprocessor controlled, and contains a data base associating sleeve numbers with telephone numbers which form the multifrequency spill. The system makes changed number referral automatic and obviates the use of operators for providing operator number identification. A conventional DTMF telephone is employed for programming the telephone numbers and sleeve leads.

Claims36

Dependent claims

Apparatus for connecting an electromechanical central office to a remotely located automatic intercept system (AIS) configured for receiving intercepted telephone calls and for providing an intercept message, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of sleeve leads, said sleeve leads being associated with a plurality of called numbers for which an intercept message is to be delivered when a calling party calls one of said called numbers;
means for continuously scanning said sleeve leads for an incoming call to one of said called numbers and for detecting a seizure condition on a particular one of said sleeve leads receiving said incoming call;
means responsive to a seizure detected by said scanning means for connecting an intercept trunk to said incoming call, said intercept trunk being connected to a facility having an AIS;
and
means for transmitting said called number to said AIS to cause said AIS to play back an intercept message corresponding to said called number,
whereby the AIS plays back an intercept message via said intercept trunk to the calling party.

3 more elements

In an elecromechanical central office, apparatus for connecting an incoming call intended for a number for which an intercept message is indicated to a remotely located automatic intercept system (AIS) configured for receiving intercepted telephone calls and for providing an intercept message, comprising:

terminal means for providing a point of termination for a plurality of sleeve leads, said sleeve leads being associated with a plurality of called numbers for which an intercept message is to be delivered when a calling party calls one of said called numbers;
trunk scanning means for continuously scanning said sleeve leads connected to said terminal means for an active sleeve indicative of an incoming call on an incoming trunk to a particular one of said called numbers for providing a service request signal in response to detection of said active sleeve;
busy means responsive to said service request signal for making all of said telephone numbers busy with the exception of said incoming call on said incoming trunk;
programmable memory means for storing sleeve lead numbers in association with said plurality of called numbers for which an intercept message is to be delivered when a calling party calls;
means responsive to said service request signal for recalling a telephone number associated with a sleeve lead number associated with said active sleeve from said memory means;
means responsive to said service request signal for seizing an intercept trunk connected to a remote AIS facilty;
switching means for switching the audio path of incoming trunk to said intercept trunk;
means for providing a multifrequency spill of signals corresponding to said telephone number retrieved by said recalling means onto said audio path and to said remote AIS;
and
disonnect means for disconnecting the audio path of said incoming trunk from said intercept trunk, for making all busy sleeves idle, and for releasing said intercept trunk in response to completion of delivery of an intercept message by said remote AIS.

7 more elements

In an electromechanical central office, apparatus for connecting an incoming call intended for a number for which an intercept message is indicated to a remotely located automatic intercept system (AIS) configured for receiving intercepted telephone calls and for providing an intercept message, comprising:

terminal means for providing a point of termination for a plurality of sleeve leads being associated with a plurality of called numbers for which an intercept message is to be delivered when a calling party calls one of said called numbers;
a plurality of trunk scanner circuits, each of said trunk scanner circuits being connected to detect an active sleeve indicative of an incoming call on an incoming trunk and for providing a sleeve signal;
multiplexing means for multiplexing a plurality of sleeve signals from said plurality of said trunk scanner circuits;
a programmed microcomputer for scanning said plurality of sleeve signals being provided by said multiplexer means and being responsive to provide a service request signal in response to detection of an active sleeve;
busy means repsonsive to said service request signal for making all sleeves connected to said terminal means busy with the exception of said incoming call on said incoming trunk;
programmable memory means for storing sleeve lead numbers in association with said plurality of called numbers for which an intercept message is to be believed when a calling party calls;
means for programming said memory means with telephone numbers corresponding to said plurality of called numbers for which an intercept message is to be delivered when a calling party calls;
said programmed microcomputer being operative for recalling and providing a telephone number associated with a sleeve lead number associated with said active sleeve from said memory means;
said programmed microcomputer being operative for seizing an intercept trunk connected to a remote AIS facility;
switching means for switching the audio path of said incoming trunk to said intercept trunk;
multifrequency signal generating means responsive to a recalled telephone number provided by said programmed microcomputer for generating multifrequency signals corresponding to said recalled telephone number onto said audio path and to said remote AIS;
and
disconnect means for disconnecting the audio path of said incoming trunk from said intercept trunk, for making all busy sleeves idle, and for releasing said intercept trunk in response to completion of delivery of an intercept message by said remote AIS.

10 more elements

Apparatus for connecting an electromechanical central office for operating with remote office test line (ROTL) and centralized automatic reporting on trunk (CAROT) equipment, comprising:

means for receiving a sleeve lead corresponding to a predetermined telephone number corresponding to an incoming call from CAROT equipment;
means for continuously scanning said sleeve lead for an incoming call to said predetermined telephone number and for detecting a seizure condition on said sleeve lead receiving said incoming call;
means responsive to a seizure detected by said scanning means for connecting said incoming call to an outgoing trunk to be tested;
means for connecting ROTL equipment to said outgoing trunk;
and
constant current means connected to said outgoing trunk in response to connection of said ROTL equipment for providing a balanced high impedance current source to said outgoing trunk so as to minimize loading,
whereby the outgoing trunk may be tested by the CAROT system without disturbing network transmission line parameters.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic intercept system interface for electromechanical telephone central office

Life of this patent

Automatic intercept system interface for electromechanical telephone central office

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36