Patent GB-1326955-A (GB)
Title: Telephone systems
IPC: H04Q3/58
Filed: 1970-11-10
Abstract: 1326955 Automatic exchange systems WESTERN ELECTRIC CO Inc 10 Nov 1970 [10 Nov 1969] 53355/70 Heading H4K In a system having some subscribers equipped with wide-band e.g. video signalling equipment, these subscribers are connectible by appropriate operation of line keys at their substations to any one of a plurality of two-wire speech lines emanating from an exchange whereafter they can connect their wide band units to a four-wire wide band channels individually associated with the selected speech lines. Only one wide band unit may be connected to any one channel at any one time although a plurality of audio connections may be made to the one channel's associated speech line. As shown each of the 6-wire lines A, V extending to a switching network have their 2-wire audio sections A terminated in respective line circuits 14 to 15 and their 4-wire video lines V connected via cable equations which include automatic pad-switching to respective chains by video switches 10, 12 to 11, 13. These switches are arranged in chains to provide ordered priority of access to the lines for the subscribers SI, SN, the order of priority in each chain being different however. The stations have access to any line circuit. At rest i.e. with no wide band unit operative therethrough, each line circuit controls its cable equalizer over cable 301 so as to loop the video quad connected thereto. This is taken as a free indication by the switching network control i.e. an exchange, when it makes a preliminary test on a terminating wide-band call. Thereafter the exchange sends a special signal over the quad which is effective to seize the line circuit associated therewith and to switch-on the power warm-up circuits of all the wide band units associated with this line circuit, as well as to unloop the quad. Conventional ringing follows over the audio pair but since a wide band call is involved, correspondingly operated relays in the line circuit cause a special ringing signal to be applied from a source in the line circuit to tone ringers and visible signalling lamps in all the associated subscribers sets. The first subscriber to reply (by actuating the line key associated with the calling line and by going offhook) causes the ringing to be tripped, the audio and wide band channels to be cut through to his station and the warm-up circuitry in all the wide band units other than his own to be cut-off. The operation of the associated video switch as well as cutting through the video path prevents any of the other stations from breaking- in on the video channel thereafter although audio break in is still permissible. For interim call or call transfer purposes, the called subscriber operates his hold key which causes the audio and video paths to be suitably impedance terminated and the calling lamps to be flashed in all the stations. Any of the latter can then take over the connection by operating the relevant line key. Some details of the wideband unit, line circuit, video switches and cable equalizers are provided in Figs. 2-8 (not shown). They include the use of transistors for driving relays and of diodes for decoupling multipled circuits and for directional switching e.g. in respect of the different ringing signals for wideband and audio-only calls.