Dedicated line eliminator for facsimile/telephone systems

A method for directing incoming calls from s single input telephone line to either a facsimile machine or a telephone having a connection to said telephone line, wherein said incoming calls include a "ring" signal followed by either facsimile data or voice data depending on the intended destination, the steps of said method comprising:

• detecting said "ring" signal of an incoming call;
• electrically disconnecting said facsimile machine from said input telephone line without affecting the connection of the telephone to the telephone line, said step of electrically disconnecting being responsive to detection of said "ring" signal, an incoming call on telephone line causing said telephone to "ring" and providing an opportunity for person in the vicinity of the telephone to answer said incoming call by bringing said telephone to an off-hook state;
• determining whether said incoming call, upon being answered, includes facsimile data by detecting handshake signals;
• electrically reconnecting said facsimile machine to said input telephone line if said predetermined period has elapsed and said incoming call remains unanswered or in response to detecting said handshake signals after said incoming call in answered, wherein said reconnecting step includes:
• generating simulated "ring" signals to said facsimile machine, thereby activating said facsimile machine to answer said simulated "ring" signals and receive said incoming facsimile data.

A method for directing incoming calls from a single telephone line to either a data device or a telephone, said data device being of the type utilizing handshake signals to establish a connection, incoming calls including a "ring" signal followed by either data or voice information depending on the intended destination, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a normal connection between said telephone and said telephone line;
• providing an electrical connection between said data device and said telephone line;
• in response to a "ring" signal on said telephone line, electrically disconnecting said data device therefrom;
• and
• upon an incoming call remaining unanswered for a predefined period of time or in response to the appearance of handshake signals on the telephone line, performing the following additional steps:
• reconnecting said data device to said telephone line;
• and
• providing a simulated "ring" signal to said data device so that it may answer the same in its usual manner and receive data coming in on said telephone line.