Two-line telephone controller

A communication board operable under computer control, said communication board comprising:

• a data access arrangement for accessing multiple telephone lines each of which includes a tip and ring wire, said data access arrangement including a line select switch which switchably connects the tip and ring wires of a selectable one of said multiple telephone lines to a two-wire output of said data access arrangement;
• and
• a 2/4 converter for converting the two-wire output from said data access arrangement to four-wire communication so as to permit interface between a four-wire data communication device and the selectable one of the multiple telephone lines.

A telephone communication apparatus comprising:

• computing equipment programmed to send and to receive telephone communication over any one of multiple telephone lines using a data communication device;
• and
• a communication board connected to said computing equipment and responsive to program control from said computing equipment so as to select any one of said multiple telephone lines, said communication board being comprised by a 2/4 converter having a two-wire connection and a four-wire connection, said four-wire connection connected to a four-wire signal from the data communication device, and a data access arrangement having a line select switch interposed between the two-wire connection of said 2/4 converter and said multiple telephone lines, said line select switch operable under computer control to switchably select a two-wire signal from any one of said multiple telephone lines so as to electrically connect the selected two-wire signal from any one of said multiple telephone lines to said two-wire connection of said 2/4 converter.

A control method for controlling telephonic communications between multiple telephone lines and at least one telephone handset and at least one data communication device, said control method comprising the steps of:

• a data-communication-line-selecting step of selecting one of said multiple telephone lines as a first-selected signal for connection to said data communication device in a first preferential order which determines which of said multiple telephone lines said first-selected signal is selected from;
• and
• a handset-line-selecting step of selecting another one of said multiple telephone lines as an second-selected signal for connection to said telephone handset, wherein said handset-line-selecting step selects one of said multiple telephone lines in a second preferential order which determines which of said multiple telephone lines said second-selected signal is selected from, said second preferential order being in reversed order from said first preferential order.