Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20020146977?dq=6356708
Timestamp: 2017-09-24 23:57:19
Document Index: 412530587

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68', 'art 68']

Patent US20020146977 - Concurrent wireless/landline interface apparatus and method - Google Patents
An apparatus for interfacing at least one landline telephone service, at least one wireless cellular-type telephone service, at least one cellular-type wireless telephone and at least one standard telephonic type communication device through standard building interior telephone cable....http://www.google.com/patents/US20020146977?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20020146977 - Concurrent wireless/landline interface apparatus and method
Publication number US20020146977 A1
Also published as US6775522, US6785517, US7089034, US7248869, US20010041533, US20040152461
Publication number 09767928, 767928, US 2002/0146977 A1, US 2002/146977 A1, US 20020146977 A1, US 20020146977A1, US 2002146977 A1, US 2002146977A1, US-A1-20020146977, US-A1-2002146977, US2002/0146977A1, US2002/146977A1, US20020146977 A1, US20020146977A1, US2002146977 A1, US2002146977A1
Inventors Louis Schornack, Carl Heitschel, Nuri Anter, Neil Beneditz, Jay Kinder
US 20020146977 A1
1. In a telephonic communication system having at least one communication device for interconnection with a telephone network via at least two communication media, the improvement comprising:
means for coupling the at least one communication device with the at least two communication media; and
means for individually determining the availability of each of the at least two communication media;
means responsive to the determining means connected to the coupling means for automatically interconnecting the at least one communication device with the telephone network via the available one of the communication media.
2. The telephonic communication system of claim 1 in which the at least one communication device is capable of direct connection with a telephone network via only one of the two communication media.
3. The telephonic communication system of claim 1 in which one of the communication media is a landline telephone service.
4. The telephonic communication system of claim 1 in which the other of the communication media is a wireless telephone service.
5. The telephonic communication system of claim 3 in which the at least on communication device is capable of direct connection with a telephone network via only the landline telephone service.
6. The telephonic communication system of claim 1 including at least two communication devices and in which the coupling means concurrently interconnects one of the communication devices with one of the communication media and the other of the communication devices with the other of the communication media.
7. In a communication system having first and second communication paths and at least one telephonic type communication device, the system being coupled to at least two communication networks for providing a first and second means of communication, said first means of communication coupled to the first communication path, and the communication system having at least one means for coupling the at least one telephonic communication type device to said first communication path, the improvement being:
means between said at least one telephonic type communication device and said coupling means for connecting said telephonic type communication device to said second communication path; and
switching means coupled to said second communication path and to said first and second means of communication for selectively coupling said second communication path to one of said first and second means of communication.
8. A communication switching system as described in claim 7 wherein said first communication system is a wireline telephone line and said second communication system is a wireless means of communication.
9. A communication switching system as described in claim 7 wherein said second communication system is a cellular means of communication.
10. In a communication system having a communication path and at least one telephonic type communication device, the communication system being coupled to a communication network for providing a means of communication, and the communication system having at least one telephonic communication type device coupled to said communication path, the improvement being:
testing means coupled to said communication path for testing the presence of any signal thereon; and
interface means coupled to said communication path and said testing means and being responsive to said testing means for coupling said communication path to said communication network.
a cellular type interface coupled between a cellular-type transceiver and a six position telephone jack coupling means with at least four positions having individual conductors coupled thereto;
a telephonic type device coupled to at least two of said individual conductors; and
means coupled between said telephonic type device and said six position telephone jack coupling means for inverting the position of at least two of said individual conductors to the position of two of the other individual conductors.
[0011]FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of a prior art cellular interface connected to a standard telephonic type communication device.
[0012]FIG. 2 is a simplified pictorial prior art diagram of a wireline telephone company central office, a customer's building having four conductor wireline telephone company cabling installed therein, and a single line telephonic type communication device connected to two of the four conductors.
[0013]FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram showing the connection of the invention and of two standard telephonic type communication devices.
[0014]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a prior art cellular interface.
[0015]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the invention.
[0016]FIG. 6A is a detailed schematic diagram of the invention.
[0018]FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the invention including the testing of the wireline telephone company's lines during initialization.
[0019]FIG. 8 is a state diagram showing the operation of the invention as controlled by software.
The invention shown in FIG. 4 interfaces a cellular telephone 212 to a telephonic device 108 and it allows the telephonic device 108 to access communications via the cellular telephone 212. The invention connects to a cellular telephone 212 via a cellular telephone interface 204. The cellular telephone interface 204 is the actual physical connection which interfaces the cellular telephone 212 to the invention, and also connects to a telephonic device 108 via 208 the telco line interface. All the necessary information and power to the cellular telephone is received and/or supplied through the cellular telephone interface 204.
Once power is applied to the invention, communication is established between the cellular telephone 212 and the CPU interface 201. It uses a microprocessor, preferably an Intel 8051 type, to perform all its operations such as initializing the cellular telephone 212, setting all of the control signals (I/O s) to their initial states for a ringer circuit 203, and a receive and transmit circuit 206. The software is written in 8051 assembly language. All functions of the unit is controlled by CPU interface 201. The CPU interface 201 communicates with the cellular telephone 212 via 204 and controls the necessary hardware on board. This initializing is started by the Watchdog Timer & Reset circuit 200 which is the circuit that jump starts the operation of all the intelligence embedded into the system, it will restart the operation of all the intelligence if it detects an improper state of the external hardware and/or internal timing sequences. During initialization, the CPU interface 201 sets all the necessary I/Os of the microprocessor to their default conditions required by the external hardware to function properly. The telephone interface 208 is preferably an FCC part 68 compatible RJ-11. At this point, if the telephonic device 108 connected to the telephone interface 208 were to be taken offhook a precision standard dial tone would be received by the telephonic device.
Onhook offhook detect circuit 207 will report this condition of the telephonic device 108 to the CPU interface 201. Once CPU interface 201 acknowledges the offhook condition it will generate a precision dial tone and inject it to receive and transmit circuitry 206. It interfaces the receive and transmit signals from the telephonic device 108 to the receive and transmit circuitry of the cellular telephone 212 in order to notify the telephonic device 108, that it can initiate dialing activity.
Second, the calling party hangs up. This is usually referred to as the local hang up. In this case the CPU unit 201 is informed by the onhook & offhook detection circuit 207 that the telephonic device 108 has been hung up. The CPU interface 201 will in turn relay this message by sending an appropriate “end of call” message that is valid for the particular cellular telephone 212.
The Fatal Error State 801 is state where the system has determined that a non- recoverable error condition exists. In this state 801, the system must be turned off and/or reset. This state 801 may be potentially entered from any state capable of detecting a fatal error condition.
A ring signal detection circuit 440, shown in block form in FIG. 5, detects the presence of a ring signal voltage or current on communication path 1, originating in the central office, and it provides an isolated logic level to the microcontroller indicating the occurrence of a ringing event. As shown in detail in FIG. 6G, the components of the Ring Signal Detection Circuit 440 consists of resistors 30-34, a capacitor 35, an opto-isolator 36, and comparator 37. The circuit functions as follows: The Central Office ringing signal is coupled from communication path 1 via R1 through current limiting resistor 31, DC blocking capacitor 35, the bi-directional LED (terminals 1&2) of 36, and returning via T1. Application of the ringing signal to 36 causes the LED to illuminate forcing the associated phototransistor to conduct. The conducting phototransistor places a ground at the inverting input of comparator 37 pin 9 forcing the output of 37 pin 8 to a logic high (+5 VDC). The termination of the central office ringing signal cuts off the LED illumination of 36, forcing the phototransistor into a non-conducting state, and placing +5 VDC on pin 9 of 37 via pull-up resistor 30. This condition results in a logic low (GROUND) output from pin 8 of 37. The logic states indicating the presence/absence of ringing signals are conveyed to microprocessor U3 input P3.4 for processing by the microprocessor software.
A ringer detection circuit 450, shown in block form in FIG. 5, tests to determine if a Part 68 telephonic device has been connected to communication path 2. Testing is accomplished by placing a test ringing signal on the path and observing the presence of current flow in the path due to the signal and a connected Part 68 device. The presence or absence of the Part 68 device is transmitted to the microcontroller as a logic signal. As shown in detail in FIG. 6H, the ringer detection circuit 450 consists of resistors 38-46, clamp diodes 47 and 48, a comparator 49, a solid state relay 50 and a transistor 51. The circuit functions as follows: A test ringing signal is generated by block 203, described previously, and applied to the communication path 2. If an on-hook, Part 68 telephonic device is connected to the path, the ringing signal forces current to flow through resistor 46, solid state relay 50, to the connected Part 68 device and the ringer signal generator 203 via CR. Solid state relay 50 is closed and shunts 43 & 44 due to a U3 P3.2 microcontroller signal applied through 40, 41 and 51. A voltage develops across 46 due to the ringer current flow and is applied to the inverting input (pin 2) of comparator 49 via resistor 45 and clamp diodes 47 & 48. The application of voltage to 49 forces the device output at pin 1 to a logic low state (GROUND). The output of comparator 49 pin 1 is input to the microprocessor U3 at input P3.5 for processing. Removal of the ringing signal, or the lack of an on-hook Part 68 device connected to the path, forces 49 to a logic high state (+5 VDC).
A call hold circuit 470, shown in block form in FIG. 5, continues loop current flow through the normal communication path 1 while the Part 68 telephonic type device is disconnected from the normal communication path 1 and connected to cellular interface. As shown in detail in FIG. 61, the call hold circuit consists of resistors 52 and 53, a transistor 54, a diode 55, and a relay 56. Microprocessor U3 generates a logic high (+5 VDC) at P2.0. This signal is applied to transistor 54, via current limiting resistor 52, forcing 54 to conduct. Conducting transistor 54 causes current to flow through the armature coil of relay 56, closing the associated contacts. The contact closure forces loop current from communication path 1 to flow through terminating resistor 53 via L1 & R1. With communication path 1 terminated in this manner, the Part 68 telephonic device may be connected to cellular interface without terminating a call in progress on communication path 1. A logic low (GROUND) at U3 P2.0 terminates the relay 56 closure condition.
US7130609 * May 20, 2004 Oct 31, 2006 Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corp. Wireless backup telephone device and associated support system
U.S. Classification 455/3.05, 455/74.1
International Classification H04M1/723, H04M1/725, H04M3/428, H04W84/14
Cooperative Classification H04M1/725, H04M2203/1091, H04W84/14, H04M3/428, H04M1/723, H04M3/4283
European Classification H04M1/723, H04W84/14, H04M1/725, H04M3/428