US 6,289,100 B1Granted

Communications station having hall effect device for controlling hookswitch operations

AssigneeHubbell Incorporated

InventorsDavid T. Ritter, Charles M. Farmer

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Abstract

A communications station for use in a distributed audio system having two Hall-effect integrated circuits mounted on a printed circuit hook switch board, the hook switch board mounted within a handset cradle of the communications station. The Hall-effect integrated circuits place the communications station on-hook or off-hook, depending on the amount of ambient magnetic flux. The ambient magnetic flux varies with the presence or absence of a handset in the cradle. Thus, if a handset containing a magnet is in the cradle, and the applied magnetic flux is greater than the predetermined flux necessary to affect the Hall-effect integrated circuit, the communications station will go on-hook. When the handset and the resultant flux is removed from the cradle, the Hall-effect integrated circuit will change state and the communications station will go off-hook. Two unipolar Hall-effect integrated circuits are opposedly attached to the switch hook board in order for one of the circuits to change state when a magnetic flux of sufficient level is applied.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A communications station for use in a voice communication system having at least one communications line comprising:

a handset having a microphone, a speaker and a magnet for providing magnetic flux about said handset;
and
a base unit connected to said communications line and said handset and operable to receive signals from said microphone for transmission to said communications line and to transmit signals from said communications line to said speaker, said base unit having a handset cradle in which said handset can be placed, a Hall-effect device mounted on a circuit board in said base unit, and a hook switch device connected to said communications line, said circuit board being disposed within said base unit and with respect to said handset cradle to locate said Hall-effect device substantially opposite said magnet when said handset is placed in said handset cradle, said Hall-effect device being operable to generate an output signal when said handset is placed in said handset cradle and said Hall-effect device is proximal to said magnet and affected by said magnetic tlux from said magnet, said hook switch device being operable in response to said output signal to place said communications station on-hook with respect to said communications line;
wherein said circuit board and said Hall-effect device are sealed using at least one of a plurality of methods comprising electrostatically applying a coating of a protective material, spraying a coating of a protective material, laminating and placing said circuit board and said Hall-effect device in a contained having seals and interface connectors.

1 more element

A communications station for use in a voice communication system having at least one party line for connecting the communications station to other communications stations sharing said party line comprising:

a handset having a microphone, a speaker and a magnet for providing magnetic flux about said handset;
and
a base unit connected to said at least one party line and said handset and operable to receive signals from said microphone for transmission to said other communication stations and transmit signals from said at least one party line to said speaker, said base unit having a headset cradle in which said handset can be placed, a Hall-effect device mounted on said base unit, and a hook switch device connected to said at least one party line, said Hall-effect device being desposed with respect to said handset cradle to locate said Hall-effect device substantially opposite said magnet when said handset is placed in said handset cradle, said Hall-effect device being operable to generate an output signal when said handset is placed in said handset cradle and said Hall-effect device is placed proximally with respect to said magnet and affected by said magnetic flux from said magnet, said hook switch device being operable in response to said output signal to place said communications station on-hook with respect to said at least one party line;
wherein said communications system comprises a page line connected to said communications stations and to said other communications stations sharing said page line, a plurality of party lines and a line switch device to select one of said plurality of party lines, said page line being used to communicate which of said plurality of party lines to select, said hook switch device being operable in response to said output signal to place said communications station on-hook with respect to said selected party line.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.