Patent ID: 6434225
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A communication support system adapted to connect a telephone unit through a transmission path of a communication control device to a telephone network and adapted to connect a data processing device through the communication control device to the telephone network, comprising:a switching unit connecting the telephone unit through the transmission path to the telephone network when the switching unit is set in a first state, and disconnecting the telephone unit from the telephone network by cutting off the transmission path when the switching unit is set in a second state; a ringer detection unit detecting a ringer signal from the telephone network; a determination unit determining, in response to the detection of the ringer signal by the ringer detection unit, whether the switching unit is to be set in one of the first state and the second state in accordance with first switching control data stored in the data processing device; a switching control unit controlling setting of the switching unit in one of the first state and the second state in response to a received control signal, indicative of the determination, sent by the determination unit; and a timer starting counting from a time of the detection of the ringer signal by the ringer detection unit, and outputting a time-out notification after the timer count from the time of the detection exceeds a predetermined time, wherein, when the switching control unit does not receive the control signal from the determination unit of the data processing device before the timer exceeds a predetermined time and outputs a time-out notification, the switching control unit controls the switching unit so that the switching unit is set in the first state to connect the telephone unit through the transmission path to the telephone network.