Call progress capability for a switched channel data service unit
AssigneeIntegrated Network Corporation
InventorsDaniel M. Joffe, Charles R. Eberle, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A means is provided within an interface to data terminal equipment for obtaining call progress information. The call progress information provides relevant data as to the progress of a call initiated by the data terminal equipment. The interface is designed to be used in a portion of the telephone network that lacks byte alignment. Such portions of the telephone network do not currently receive call progress tones. The interface is preferably a data service unit that includes a receiving means processor and a display means. The data service unit interprets signals sent from the DDA/OCU that encode the progress or absence of call progress tones sent from the destination node of an initiated call.
Claims28
In a telephone network, a method of obtaining call progress information for a call placed from a first node to a destination node wherein the first node lacks byte alignment, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a bit sequence of digitally encoded tones from the network that indicates progress of the call;
- (b) issuing a first type of signal whenever there is an absence of digitally encoded tone in the sequence;
- (c) issuing a second type of signal whenever there is digitally encoded tone present in the sequence;
- and
- (d) interpreting a resulting sequence of first type signals and second type signals to discern call progress information.
In a telephone network, an interface for interfacing data terminal equipment with a portion of the telephone network that lacks byte alignment, comprising:
- (a) a receiver for receiving signals from the telephone network including signals that encode call progress information;
- (b) a processor for processing received status signals to determine their significance;
- and
- (c) a display for displaying the call progress information derived from the status signals by the processor.
A switched channel data service unit, comprising a processing means for receiving a sequence of digital signals that are not byte aligned from a switching machine, wherein the sequence of digital signals originate in response to a call placed by the switched data service unit and for analyzing said sequence of signals to derive call progress information.
In a telephone system having a digital voice network that includes a DDA/OCU unit, a switched channel data service unit coupled to data terminal equipment and the DDA/OCU unit, comprising:
- (a) a signal receiving means for receiving a sequence of signals from the DDA/OCU, wherein said sequence of signals is generated by the DDA/OCU unit in response to monitored digitally encoded tones produced from the network when a call is placed to a called party node;
- (b) a processor for processing the sequence of signals to discern call progress information concerning initiated calls;
- and
- (c) a calling party node for receiving call progress information from the processor and acting accordingly.
A method of providing call progress information to a user of data terminal equipment that is interfaced to a telephone network and that lacks byte alignment, comprising the steps of:
- (a) initiating a call from the data terminal equipment to a calling party node;
- (b) monitoring signals generated from the network to produce a sequence of digital signals that characterize the response of the called party node to the call;
- and
- (c) interpreting the sequence of digital signals to generate call progress information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.