Method and apparatus for selectively generating control signals in a telephone system
AssigneeVoice Technologies Group, Inc.
InventorsDavid M. Straitiff, Robert R. Drzewiecki
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Abstract
An improvement to a telephone system (10) having a first signal generator (21) which outputs a control signal only when it receives a certain request signal generated by the telephone system's client telephone (12). The invention contemplates a method and apparatus to generate a desired control signal when a request signal incapable of activating the first signal generator is produced by a client telephone (12).
Claims14
In a telephone system comprising a request means capable of outputting a request signal to a plurality of logic means, a first logic means, a first signal generator for selectively generating a desired control signal, a first device located at a first destination, and a second device located at a second destination, said first and second devices adapted to utilize said control signal;
- said first logic means specially configured to receive said request signal and to enable said first signal generator to produce said control signal only when said received request signal is a request for said first signal generator to output said control signal to said first destination, the improvement comprising:
- a second signal generator for selectively generating said control signal;
- and
- a second logic means specially configured to receive said request signal and to enable said second signal generator to output said control signal only when said received request signal is a request for said first signal generator to output said control signal to said second destination.
A method of operating a telephone system, comprising the steps of:
- providing said telephone system with a first signal generator adapted to output a control signal;
- providing said telephone system with a first logic means adapted to control the output of said control signal by said first signal generator;
- providing said telephone system with a first device at a first destination, said first device configured to utilize said control signal;
- providing said telephone system with a second signal generator adapted to output said control signal;
- providing said telephone system with a second logic means adapted to control the output of said control signal by said second signal generator;
- providing said telephone system with a second device at a second destination, said second device configured to utilize said control signal;
- providing said telephone system with a request means adapted to output a request signal to said first and second logic means;
- said first logic means causing said first signal generator to selectively output said control signal only when said request signal is a request for said first signal generator to output said control signal to said first destination;
- and
- said second logic means causing said second signal generator to selectively output said control signal only when said request signal is a request for said first signal generator to output said control signal to said second destination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.