Patent ID: 8325636

Claim:
A local area network (LAN) based PBX/PABX system in a building for carrying power and serial digital data, the system comprising: first, second and third nodes interconnected by first and second distinct LAN wiring segments; and external wiring at least in part extending outside the building for full-duplex serial digital data communication, the serial digital data including time-multiplexed first and second serial digitized telephony data, and the first node being connected to said external wiring for coupling to said time-multiplexed first and second serial digitized telephony data, said first node being further connected to the first and second LAN wiring segments via first and second connectors for time multiplexing/de-multiplexing the first serial digitized telephony data on said first LAN wiring segment and the second serial digitized telephony data on the second LAN wiring segment, and the first LAN wiring segment comprising at least one twisted wire pair at least in part in a wall of the building, wherein at least one end of the first LAN wiring segment is terminated in the first connector, and the first LAN wiring segment connects only said first and second nodes in a point-to-point connection using full-duplex communication of serial digital data over said first LAN wiring segment between said two connected nodes, and the serial digital data include the first serial digitized telephony data; the second LAN wiring segment comprising at least one twisted wire pair and at least in part in a wall of a building, wherein at least one end of the wiring segment is terminated in the second connector, and wherein the second LAN wiring segment connects only said first and third nodes in a point-to-point connection using a full-duplex communication of serial digital data over said second LAN wiring segment between said two connected nodes, and wherein the serial digital data include the second serial digitized telephony data, and the second node connected to said first LAN wiring segment and coupled to a first telephone set for coupling the first serial digitized telephony data to the first telephone set, and the third node connected to said second LAN wiring segment and coupled to a second telephone set for coupling the second serial digitized telephony data to the second telephone set, wherein said first, second and third nodes are each addressable in said system.