Patent ID: 6016339
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A telecommunications network comprising:a plurality of switching units each connected by respective consumer lines to a multiplicity of consumer premises to provide telephony service,each switching unit including means to provide a first consumer alert signal to cause operation of alerting devices in consumer's premises,at least one of the switching units being responsive to signals through the network from at least one other switching unit to effect a connection to the consumer's premises to permit signalling between service providers and customer premises without causing operation of alerting devices electrically connected in parallel with the consumer line, andmeans for effecting a non-alerting network connection to the consumer's premises wherein an activation signal having at least one frequency component is supplied to activate apparatus in the consumer's premises, the activation signal being cadenced as a plurality of predetermined duration pulses to indicate to the activated apparatus whether one of a tone response and a loop response is to be forwarded to the network.