Two-way voice & digital data analyzer for telephones

A telephone switch adapted to be interposed between a telephone line and a digital data machine and a voice phone, the switch comprising:

• means adapted to be coupled to the telephone line for receiving an incoming message or sending an outgoing message;
• means for analyzing signals of the incoming message to determine whether the signals are digital data signals or voice signals;
• means including an electronic speech synthesizer adapted to generate from digital, compressed speech information signals first and second voice messages;
• means for intermittently applying the voice messages to the phone line;
• control means operatively coupled with the analyzing means and the speech synthesizer for directing the incoming message to the digital data machine or the voice phone after a voice message has been sent and in response to whether the analyzing means determined that digital data signals or voice signals form the incoming message;
• means for monitoring when the digital data machine or voice phone becomes active in preparation for sending an outgoing message;
• means responsive to the monitoring means for connecting the active data machine or voice phone to the telephone line;
• means for determining when the active machine or phone becomes inactive;
• means responsive to the determining means for disconnecting the machine or phone from the telephone line after it has become inactive;
• and
• line manager means adapted to be operatively coupled with the means for directing the incoming message for preventing a voice phone connected with the telephone line upstream of the directing means from communicating with the telephone line when the data machine communicates with the line;
• the directing means includes control means for generating first, second and third control signals and for applying the control signals to the line manager means;
• and
• wherein the line manager means includes means responsive to the first signal for generating at the upstream voice phone in audible tone communicating phone status information to a user of the phone, means responsive to the second control signal for disconnecting the upstream phone from the line when the data machine is connected with the line, and means responsive to the third control signal for connecting the upstream phone with the line.

A method for automatically receiving and second over a communication line incoming and outgoing digital data signals or voice signals and, depending on the type of signal, connecting the line to a digital data machine or a voice phone, the method comprising, for incoming signals, the steps of receiving ringing signals;

• sending an electronically synthesized first speech message;
• maintaining silence for a predetermined length of time to permit the caller to take the prompted action;
• substantially continuously monitoring the incoming signals for periodicity;
• further sending an electronically generated second voice message to the caller prompting the caller to send a spoken message;
• and electronically analyzing said incoming signals for a response signal;
• and, directing said incoming signals to the digital data machine when periodicity in the incoming signals is detected or to the voice phone if they are voice signals;
• and, for outgoing signals, the steps of monitoring when either the phone or digital data machine becomes active;
• connecting the active one to the communication line;
• and monitoring when the active one becomes inactive.

A switch for use in a two-way communication system over a communication line between a sender and a receiver for receiving, sending and distinguishing between and appropriately handling incoming and outgoing digital data signals and voice signals, the switch being adapted for connection to at least one data machine device for handling the digital data signals and at least two voice phone devices for handling the voice signals, the switch comprising a signal processing unit adapted to be operatively coupled with the line and including means for electronically generating an outgoing voice message and for sending the voice message over the line to the sender, the message requesting the sender to provide a spoken message, means for detecting a response from the sender to the outgoing voice message, and means responsive to the response for directing the response to an appropriate one of the devices;

• means for sensing when one of the devices is being used to send outgoing signals and means responsive to the sensing means for connecting the one device which is being used with the line so that outgoing signals can b sent;
• line manager means for preventing the connection to the line of the other device while outgoing signals are being sent;
• and said line manager means is further adapted to be interposed between the upstream voice phone device and the communication line and operatively coupled with said signal processing unit for appropriately connecting and disconnecting at least one of the voice phone devices which is connected to the line upstream of said signal processing unit, said line manager means including means for connecting the upstream voice phone device with the telephone line when the data machine device is disconnected from the line, and means for disconnecting the upstream voice phone device from the line when the data machine is connected thereto.