Claims
- 1. A telephone switching system for interconnecting plural telephone lines, said system comprising:
- A. port means that connect to each telephone line, each said port means transferring, to and from its corresponding telephone line, information in the form of supervisory signals representing telephone line conditions and other signals representing intelligence,
- B. port storage means for storing a plurality of port status information items representing different conditions for each said port means and its corresponding telephone line,
- C. port event processing means connected to said port storage means for altering certain of said port status information items in said port storage means in response to other port storage status information items,
- D. switching means connected to each said port means and to said port storage means for establishing selectively signal paths that transfer the supervisory signals between said port storage means and each said port means thereby to control the operation of each said port means and signal paths that transfer the other signals between selected ones of said port means, and
- E. call processing means connected to control said switching means and further connected to said port storage means for altering port status information in said port storage means in response to other port status information in accordance with a predetermined sequence of call progression steps thereby to control the operation of said port event processing means.
- 2. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 1 wherein the supervisory signals correspond to sense supervisory information and control supervisory information and said port storage means includes:
- i. means for storing the sense supervisory information, and
- ii. means for storing the control supervisory information, and
- each said port means includes:
- i. monitoring means responsive to conditions on the telephone line for generating sense supervisory signals, and
- ii. control means for transferring signals onto the telephone line in response to control supervisory information signals, and
- said switching means includes:
- i. sense data path means for transferring sense supervisory signals to said means for storing sense supervisory information for each said port means in response to conditions on the corresponding telephone line, and
- ii. control data path means for conveying, from said means for storing control supervisory information to each said port means, control supervisory signals that control said port means control means.
- 3. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 2 wherein said port event processing means includes:
- i. timing means for generating a sequence of timing signals,
- ii. transfer control means connected to said timing means and to said port storage means for selectively transferring port status information to and from said port storage means, and
- iii. processing means connected to said timing means, said transfer control means and said port storage means for processing port status information that includes the sense supervisory information and control supervisory information, said processing occurring for each said port means in a sequence established by the timing signals from said timing means.
- 4. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 3 wherein said system includes a plurality of port means organized into at least one port group means, and wherein:
- said port storage means includes:
- i. storage means that store port status information for transfer as plural parallel signals, and
- ii. conversion means connected to said timing means, said storage means and said switching means for converting parallel signals received from said storage means into serial signals for transfer to said switching means, and
- said switching means includes
- i. means connected to said conversion means for combining the other signals representing intelligence and the control supervisory signals in serial form from said conversion means for transfer to each said port means.
- 5. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 4 wherein said switching means also includes, for each said port group means:
- i. receiver means connected to said combining means, and
- ii. routing means connected to said timing means, said receiver means and each said port means in said port group means for routing the control supervisory signals to corresponding ones of the port means, and
- each said port means includes means for performing control functions in response to the control supervisory signals received from said routing means.
- 6. A telephone switching means as recited in claim 5 wherein said switching means further includes a plurality of switching circuit means each connected to a plurality of said port group means and each said switching circuit means includes means for combining the other signals representing intelligence and control supervisory signals for transfer to corresponding ones of said port group means connected thereto.
- 7. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 6 wherein said port storage means transfers signals in parallel form and wherein said port storage means includes:
- i. means for generating at least one sense supervisory signal, and
- ii. means connected to said timing means and to said supervisory signal generating means for transferring these said sense supervisory signals from each port means to said switching means in a time sequence, and
- said switching means includes, for each said port group means:
- i. receiving means connected to each said port means in each said port group means for transmitting binary signals in serial form representing the sense supervisory signals from each said port and the other signals representing intelligence from each said port means in response to signals received from said port means, and
- ii. separation means connected to at least one of said receiving means for separating the signals representing intelligence and the sense supervisory signals, and
- said port storage means includes conversion means connected to said separation means, said timing means and said port storage means for transferring sense supervisory signals in parallel to said sense supervisory information storage means in said port storage means in response to the timing signals and the sense supervisory signals received serially from said separation means.
- 8. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 7 wherein said call processing means establishes parameters for controlling the operation of said port event processing means wherein:
- said call processing means includes means for transferring the parameters to said port storage means,
- said port storage means includes a parameter storage for storing the parameters from said call processing means independently for each said port means, and
- said port event processing means further includes processor control means connected to said transfer control means and said processing means for receiving, independently for each said port means, the parameters thereby to control the operation of said processing means.
- 9. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 8 wherein the parameters transferred from said call processing means to said port storage means include commands to identify one of a plurality of processing functions and wherein said processing means in said port event processing means includes means for performing a first processing function, said port event processing means further including:
- i. means connected to said timing means and to said port storage means for performing a second processing function and,
- ii. selection means connected to said timing and control means and to said port storage means for selectively activating either of said function performing means in response to the commands retrieved from said port storage means.
- 10. A telephone switching as recited in claim 9 wherein at least one said port means includes ringing means responsive to first control supervisory signals for transmitting a ringing signal onto the line, and said call processing means is adapted to transfer to said port storage means parameters including a ringing command and wherein one of said processing means in said port event processing means controls ringing functions, said ringing functions processing means including:
- a. ringing signal generating means for generating the first control supervisory signals for transfer to a said port means thereby to control ringing, and
- b. ring trip means for transferring to said port storage means status information indicating that the line being rung has been answered in response to sense supervisory signals from the port means, said call processing means responding to said ring trip means by progressing to another call progression state.
- 11. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 10 wherein a telephone line connected to a port means includes first and second conductors and said call processing means transfers to said port storage means parameters identifying which of the first and second telephone conductors is to receive the ringing signal and ring phasing information as other parameters with the ringing command, said ringing signal generating means in said ringing functions processing means including:
- A. ringing control logic means for generating the first control supervisory signals,
- B. ring phase selection means responsive to the phasing information for phasing parameters for controlling the ringing signal timing, and
- C. control register means responsive to the conductor identification parameters for identifying to said ringing control logic means the conductor over which the ringing signal is to be transferred, said ringing control logic means generating second control supervisory signals for identifying the conductor in said port means and including means responsive to the second control supervisory signals for selectively routing the ringing signal to the identified one of said first and second conductors of the telephone line.
- 12. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 9 wherein one of said port event processing means includes a supervisory signal processing means, and said parameters transmitted to said storage means include timing information, said supervisory signal processing means including:
- A. sense supervisory signal means,
- B. control supervisory signal transmitting means; and
- C. timing means for generating timing signals in response to the timing parameters, said sense supervisory signal means and control supervisory signal transmitting means being responsive to said timing means.
- 13. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 12 wherein first sense supervisory signals from said port means may include perturbations, said sense supervisory signal means including filter means for generating a supervisory input signal in response to processing of a succession of said sense supervisory signals.
- 14. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 13 wherein said port storage means includes means for recording successive input values of said filtered supervisory input signals, and said filter means includes means for altering the contents of said storage means, said filter means responding to the input values in said storage areas for generating the supervisory input signal.
- 15. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 12 wherein said timing means includes first and second timers and means for controlling the operation of said first and second timers in response to the timing parameters.
- 16. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 15 wherein said processing means in said port event processing means includes other function processing means for performing other functions, said system additionally comprising means for connecting said first and second timers to said other function processing means in said port event processing means.
- 17. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 14 wherein said port storage means includes a seizure signal storage area and said sense supervisory signal means includes means for transferring to said port storage means a seizure signal in response to the supervisory input signals.
- 18. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 17 wherein said port storage means includes a release control storage means that receives release timing information from said call processing means and the supervisory input signals indicate whether the corresponding telephone line is characterized by an on-hook or an off-hook condition, said port event processing means further including release timing means connected to said sense supervisory signal means and release control storage means for generating a release signal when the supervisory signals indicate an on-hook condition for a predetermined time interval after the telphone line is seized.
- 19. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 9 wherein said call processing means can initiate as a call progression step a send digits function wherein specified digits are transferred to a said port means, said port means including means for converting control supervisory signals from said port storage means into a sequence of signals that are transmitted onto the line and that correspond to the specified digits, and said port storage means including digit storage means for storing the digits from said call processing means and wherein one of said processing means in said port event processing means is a send digits processing means that generates control supervisory signals in response to the digits and that includes:
- i. send digit transfer means connected to said timing means and said port storage means for retrieving from said digit storage means all the specified digits in response to certain of the timing signals, and
- ii. digit encoding means connected to said send digit transfer means and said timing means for generating the control supervisory signals in response to the digits in said port storage means and others of the timing signals.
- 20. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 19 wherein said port storage means includes pulse count storage means for storing a dial pulse count for each digit in a telephone number in sequence and digit count storage means for storing a digit count that identifies the position of each digit in sequence and wherein said send digit transfer means includes:
- a. digit register means connected to said digit storage means in said port storage means and said timing means for receiving information from said digit storage means in response to the certain timing signals,
- b. digit counting means connected to said port storage means, said digit encoding means and said timing means for altering a digit count from said digit count storage means each time a digit is transmitted,
- c. pulse counting means connected to said digit register means, said digit counting means and said digit encoding means for altering a digit value for a selected digit in said digit register means in response to the digit information signals, and
- d. means connected to said pulse counting means, said digit counting means and said timing means for transferring to said control supervisory information storage means in said port storage means first control supervisory signals that correspond to the signals to be transferred onto the telephone line for each successive digit.
- 21. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 9 wherein said call processing means can initiate as a call progression step a receive digits function wherein digits are transferred from a said port means to said port storage means, said port means converts incoming signals representing digits in a telephone number into sense supervisory signals, and said port storage means includes digit storage means for storing the digits and wherein one of said processing means in said port event processing means includes a receive digits processing means that includes:
- i. digit decoding means connected to said timing means and to said sense supervisory signal storage means in said port storage means for generating digit information signals in response to the port status information and certain of the timing signals, and
- ii. digit transfer means connected to said timing means, said port storage means and said decoding means for transferring to said digit storage means in said port storage means all the digits in the telephone number in response to the digit information signals and others of the timing signals.
- 22. A telephone switching system as recited in claim 21 wherein said port means converts signals representing an incoming telephone number into sense supervisory signals and wherein said port storage means includes pulse count storage means for storing a pulse count for each digit in the telephone number in sequence and digit count storage means for storing a digit count that identifies the position of each digit in sequence and wherein said digit transfer means includes:
- a. digit register means connected to said digit storage means in said port storage means and said timing means for receiving information from said digit storage means in response to the certain timing signals,
- b. digit counting means connected to said port storage means, said digit decoding means and said timing means for altering a digit count from said digit count storage means in response to the digit information signals,
- c. pulse counting means connected to said digit register means, said digit counting means and said digit decoding means for altering a digit value for a selected digit in said digit register means in response to the digit information signals, and
- d. means connected to said pulse counting means, said digit counting means and said timing means for transferring to said digit storage means in said port storage means the number of dial pulses in each successive digit in response to the other timing signals.
- 23. A control system for a telephone switching system that interconnects a plurality of telephone lines each connected to a port, each port transferring, to and from its connected telephone line, information in the form of supervisory signals representing telephone line conditions and other signals representing intelligence, said control system comprising:
- A. port storage means for storing a plurality of port status information items representing different conditions for each port and its connected line;
- B. port event processing means connected to said port storage means for altering certain of said port status information items in said port storage means in response to other port storage status information items; and
- C. call processing means connected to said port storage means for altering port status information in said port storage means in response to other port status information in accordance with a predetermined sequence of call progression steps thereby to control the operation of said port event processing means.
- 24. A control system as recited in claim 23 wherein the supervisory signals correspond to sense supervisory information and control supervisory information, each port including monitoring means responsive to conditions on its connected telephone line for generating sense supervisory signals and port control means for transferring signals onto the telephone line in response to control supervisory information signals, said port storage means including means for storing the sense supervisory information, and means for storing the control supervisory information and said control system further including:
- A. sense data path means for transferring sense supervisory signals to said means for storing sense supervisory information for each port in response to conditions on the corresponding telephone line, and
- B. control data path means for conveying, from said means for storing control supervisory information to each port, control supervisory signals that control the port control means.
- 25. A control system as recited in claim 24 wherein said port event processing means includes:
- A. timing means for generating a sequence of timing signals,
- B. transfer control means connected to said timing means and to said port storage means for selectively transferring port status information to and from said port storage means, and
- C. processing means connected to said timing means, said transfer control means and said port storage means for processing port status information that includes the sense supervisory information and control supervisory information, said processing occurring for each port in a sequence established by the timing signals from said timing means.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 290,531, filed Aug. 6, 1981, which in turn is a continuation of Ser. No. 924,883, filed July 14, 1978, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 864,401, filed Dec. 27, 1977, all now abandoned.
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Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
290531 |
Aug 1981 |
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Parent |
924883 |
Jul 1978 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
864401 |
Dec 1977 |
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