Line card that provides remote line activation and soft dialtone
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorCharles Calvin Byers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A line card apparatus which provides soft dialtone and automated remote cross-connect capability, comprising one or more line interfaces and a switching matrix which can connect a plurality of lines to the one or more line interfaces. This switching matrix is governed by a controller which can connect each of the plurality of lines to one of the line interface units, and thus, no manual intervention is required. Also, the control unit periodically scans the lines connected to it. If the control determines that there is an offhook condition on any of the lines (whether or not that line is activated), the control notifies the host switch to provide dialtone, which the controller then connects to that line.
Claims11
A line card apparatus for interfacing one or more telephone lines to a switching device, said line card including a connection to said switching device, said line card comprising:
- a plurality of telephone line connections;
- at least one line interface unit connected to said switching device connection;
- a plurality of switching means, each of said switching means being connected to one of said plurality of telephone line connections and said at least one line interface unit, for selectively interconnecting said plurality of telephone line connections and said at least one line interface unit.
A line card apparatus for interfacing a plurality of telephone lines to a switching device, said line card including a connection to a switching system, said line card comprising:
- a plurality of telephone line connections;
- at least one line interface unit connected to said switching device, said at least one line interface unit being capable of detecting an off-hook condition on a telephone line, whether or not said telephone line is activated at said switching system;
- a plurality of switching means, said plurality of switching means being connected to said plurality of telephone line connections and said at least one line interface unit, for selectively interconnecting one of said telephone line connections and said at least one line interface unit;
- and
- control means connected to said at least one line interface unit and said plurality of switching means for periodically causing each of said plurality of switching means to connect each telephone line connection to said at least one line interface unit, said at least one line interface unit informing said control means of any detected off-hook condition of one of said plurality of telephone line connections, wherein said control means includes communications means for informing said switching device to provide service to said one of said plurality of telephone lines connections.
A line card apparatus for interfacing a plurality of telephone line connections to a switching device, said line card including a connection to said switching device, said line card comprising:
- a plurality of telephone lines terminating at said plurality of telephone line connections;
- a plurality of line interface units connected to said switching device, said plurality of line interface units being capable of detecting an off-hook condition on a telephone line;
- a plurality of switching means, said plurality of switching means being connected to said plurality of telephone line connections and said plurality of line interface units, for selectively interconnecting one of said telephone line connections and one of said plurality of line interface units;
- and
- control means connected to said one of said plurality of line interface units and said plurality of switching means for testing said plurality of telephone line connections for an off-hook condition, periodically causing each of said plurality of switching means to connect each telephone line connection to said one of said plurality of line interface units, said one of said plurality of line interface units informing said control means of any detected off-hook condition of one of said plurality of telephone line connections, wherein said control means includes communications means for informing said switching device to provide service to said one of said plurality of telephone line connections, said control means causing one of said plurality of switching means to connect said one of said plurality of telephone line connections to one of said plurality of line interface units;
- said control means continuing to test the other of said plurality of telephone line connections for an off-hook condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.