WO2001011791A1

WO2001011791A1 - Telecommunications switching apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2001011791A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/021610
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yong Seok Cho; Stephen Shireman; David L. Shavnore
Original assignee: Maxon Electronics Corporation Of America, Inc.
Priority date: 1999-08-06
Filing date: 2000-08-07
Publication date: 2001-02-15
Also published as: AU6529200A

Abstract

A telecommunications switching apparatus (10) for selectively connecting an incoming call from a telecommunications network (12) to a particular telecommunications device (14, 16) connected to the switching apparatus without ringing other telecommunications devices that are also connected to the same switching apparatus as a function of information accompanying the incoming call.

Description

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SWITCHING APPARATUS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to telecommunications devices, and more particularly to a telecommunications switching apparatus for selectively connecting an incoming call to a particular telecommunications device connected to the switching apparatus without ringing other telecommunications devices that are also connected to the same switching apparatus as a function of information accompanying the incoming call.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Many telephone subscribers desire to connect several telecommunications devices such as phones, facsimile machines, and modem-equipped computers to the same telephone line or wireless service to avoid paying for multiple services. To this end, telecommunications switches that couple multiple telecommunications devices to a single phone line have been developed. Unfortunately, however, these prior art switches cannot determine to which telecommunications device an incoming call should be connected, and therefore, merely ring or attempt to connect with all the telecommunications devices. This is not desirable because if an incoming call is directed to a facsimile machine, there is no need to ring a telephone, and in fact it is undesirable to do so, especially at night. Also, if the two telecommunications devices answer calls automatically, such as answering machines and/orfacsimile machines, the prior art does not provide for control of which machine will connect to the call.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of telecommunications devices. More particularly, the present invention provides a telecommunications switching apparatus for selectively connecting an incoming call to a particular telecommunications device connected to the switching apparatus without ringing other telecommunications devices that are also connected to the same switching apparatus as a function of information accompanying the incoming call. The telecommunications switching apparatus of the present invention broadly includes an input for receiving an incoming call and information accompanying the incoming call; a first port for coupling with a first telecommunications device; a second port for coupling with a second telecommunications device; and switching circuitry operably coupled with the input, the first port, and the second port for analyzing the information accompanying the incoming call, determining to which one of the first and second ports the incoming call should be connected as a function of the information accompanying the incoming call, and connecting the call to the appropriate port.

The input is preferably a wireless transceiver configured for receiving wireless calls from a wireless telecommunications network and the first and second telecommunications devices are preferably plain old telephone system (POTS) devices.

The switching apparatus of the present invention therefore also serves as a wireless local loop for interfacing POTS devices with a wireless telecommunications network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figure 1 which is a schematic diagram of a switching apparatus coupled between a telecommunications provider and a pair of telecommunications devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to Fig. 1 , a telecommunications switching apparatus 10 constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The switching apparatus is configured to receive incoming calls from a telecommunications network 12 and to selectively connect an incoming call to one of a plurality of telecommunications devices 14, 16 connected to the switching apparatus without ringing other telecommunications devices that are also connected to the same switching apparatus as a function of information accompanying the incoming call.

The telecommunications network 12 may be any conventional network such as a landline or wireless telecommunications network, wide area network, local area network, internet, or intranet. For example, the network may be a digital cellular system or the digital, PCS, CDMA wireless network owned and operated by Sprint Spectrum L.P., a multipoint, multichannel distribution service known as Sprint PCS. The telecommunications devices 14, 16 may be any communication device that is operable to send and receive communications over a wireless, landline or satellite communication network such as a wireless phone, a landline phone, a computer modem, a fax machine, a teleconferencing unit, a cordless phone, a combination landline/wireless phone, etc. However, the preferred telecommunications devices are POTS devices such as phones, facsimile machines and answering machines.

The switching apparatus 10 broadly includes an input 18, a pair of first and second ports 20, 22, and switching circuitry broadly referred to by the numeral 24 coupled therebetween. The components of the switching apparatus may be housed in a suitable enclosure 25 and/or mounted to a circuit board as a matter of design choice.

The 18 input is operable for receiving incoming calls and information accompanying the incoming calls from the telecommunications network 12. In preferred forms, the input includes a wireless transceiver having an antenna coupled therewith such as the ones manufactured by Maxon, Qualcomm or Motorola for use in the digital, PCS, CDMA wireless network described above.

The information accompanying the incoming calls is preferably out-of-band signaling generated by the wireless telecommunications network 12 that is transmitted to the wireless transceiver. For example, the information may include out-of-band signaling that identifies if an incoming call is destined for a facsimile machine rather than a telephone, or vice versa. The information may also be transmitted by the telecommunications network via in-band signaling. For example, in-band signaling information may be used to switch lines during a call.

The first and second ports 20, 22 couple the switching apparatus with the telecommunications devices 14, 16. The ports are preferably conventional female-type couplers such as RJ-11 jacks operable for coupling with corresponding male-type jacks connected to the telecommunications devices.

The switching circuitry 24 is operably coupled with the input 18, the first port 20, and the second port 22 and is operable for selectively connecting an incoming call to a particular telecommunications device 14 or 16 connected to the switching apparatus without ringing other telecommunications devices that are also connected to the same switching apparatus as a function of information accompanying the incoming call. The preferred switching circuitry broadly includes a processor 26, a subscriber loop interface circuit 28, and a switching device 30. The processor 26 is coupled with the wireless transceiver 18 and the subscriber loop interface circuit 28 via control lines and is configured for analyzing information accompanying the incoming call and for determining to which of the first and second telecommunications devices 14, 16 the incoming call should be connected as a function of the information as described below. The processor may be a stand-alone device that is coupled with the wireless transceiver as illustrated in Fig. 1 or may be an integral component of the wireless transceiver. In the preferred embodiment, the processor is a Model 80C186EC (Intel design) processor, manufactured as an integral component of the QUALCOMM MSM2300 wireless transceiver. The subscriber loop interface circuit 28 is coupled with the wireless transceiver 18 for interfacing the transceiver with the first and second POTS telecommunications devices 14, 16. The subscriber loop interface circuit permits the switching apparatus to operate as a wireless local loop so that the POTS devices are connected to tip and ring wires even though they transmit/receive calls from a wireless network rather than a landline network. One subscriber loop interface circuit that may be used with the present invention is the model L8560A/C low-power subscriber loop interface circuit manufactured by Lucent Technologies.

The switching device 30 is coupled with the processor via control lines and is coupled between the subscriber loop interface circuit 28 and the first and second ports 20, 22 via tip and ring wires. The switching device is operable for selectively connecting incoming calls to one of the first and second ports under the control of the processor 26 as described in more detail below. The switching device may include any conventional switching components such as relays or semi conductor switches and may include other electronic components such as transistor-type drivers. The switching device may be a stand-alone device that is coupled with the subscriber loop interface circuit as illustrated in Fig. 1 or may be an integral component of the subscriber loop interface circuit.

In operation, the processor 26 is first programmed or configured to connect incoming calls to the ports 20, 22 in a prescribed manner as a function of the information accompanying the calls. For example, the processor may be configured to connect all incoming calls that are accompanied by information that indicates that the calls are destined for a facsimile machine to the first port 20 and to connect all incoming calls that are accompanied by information that indicates that the calls are destined for a telephone to the second port 22. The processor may be configured in this manner during manufacture, during set-up by an end user, or by automatically detecting the type of telecommunications device attached to each port.

The telecommunications devices 14, 16 are then coupled with the switching apparatus 10 by plugging jacks connected with the devices into the ports 20, 22 in a conventional manner. Each telecommunications device is connected to a port. The port can be designated during the configuration of the processor. For example, if the processor has been programmed to connect all incoming calls that are destined for a facsimile machine to the first port, a facsimile machine must be plugged into the first port. Or, the port designation can be indicated by the end user. Or, the type of telecommunications device can be automatically detected.

Once the switching apparatus 10 has been configured and the telecommunications devices have been coupled therewith, incoming calls are received and analyzed by the wireless transceiver 18 and processor 26. Specifically, the wireless transceiver and antenna receive an incoming call and then trigger the processor before the transceiver causes the components coupled therewith to go off-hook. The processor then analyzes the information accompanying the incoming call to determine what type of call (e.g., voice, data, facsimile) is being received.

When the processor 26 determines the type of incoming call, it signals the switching device 30 to connect to the appropriate port 20 or 22. For example, if the processor determines that an incoming call is destined for a facsimile machine, it signals the switching device to connect to the first port 20, which has been coupled with a facsimile machine 14 in the example described above.

The wireless transceiver 18 next connects the incoming call to the subscriber loop interface circuit 28, which in turn transfers the call to the appropriate telecommunications device through the port that has been selected by the switching device. The call is then answered in a conventional manner, for example, when a user takes the phone off-hook or when the facsimile machine automatically answers the call. The off-hook condition is detected by the subscriber loop interface circuit, which then signals the wireless transceiver to pass the incoming call to the selected telecommunications device.

The switching apparatus 10 of the present invention therefore connects an incoming call to a particular telecommunications device as a function of information accompanying the call without ringing other devices coupled with the switching apparatus. This provides an advantage over prior art devices in that calls are directed only to the appropriate telecommunications device so as to avoid unwanted ringing or connection attempts.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. For one example, although the switching apparatus of the present invention is preferably implemented in connection with a wireless telecommunications network as a part of a wireless local loop, it may also be implemented in connection with conventional landline communications networks.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A telecommunications switching apparatus for connecting an incoming call to a telecommunications device as a function of information accompanying the incoming call, the apparatus comprising: an input for receiving the incoming call and the information accompanying the incoming call; a first port for coupling with a first telecommunications device; a second port for coupling with a second telecommunications device; and switching circuitry operably coupled between the input, the first port, and the second port for analyzing the information accompanying the incoming call, determining to which one of the first and second ports the incoming call should be connected as a function of the information, and connecting the call to the determined one of the first and second ports.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the incoming call is transmitted from a wireless telecommunications network, the input including a wireless transceiver.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first and second telecommunications devices are POTS devices.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, the switching circuitry including: a processor coupled with the wireless transceiver for analyzing the information accompanying the incoming call and for determining to which of the first and second telecommunications devices the incoming call should be connected as a function of the information accompanying the incoming call; a subscriber loop interface coupled with the wireless transceiver for interfacing the wireless transceiver with the first and second telecommunications devices; and a switching device controlled by the processor and coupled between the subscriber loop interface and the first and second ports for connecting the incoming call to one of the first and second ports under the control of the processor.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, the first and second telecommunications devices each being a POTS device selected from the group consisting of a phone, a facsimile machine, a modem, and an answering machine.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, the switching device including a relay.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, the switching device including a semi conductor switch.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the information accompanying the incoming call includes out-of-band signaling transmitted by the wireless telecommunications network.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the information accompanying the incoming call includes in-band signaling transmitted by the wireless telecommunications network.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, the switching circuitry further including an interface for permitting a user of one of the first and second telecommunications devices to provide switching instructions to the processor via one of the first and second telecommunications devices.

11. A telecommunications switching apparatus for connecting an incoming wireless call to one of a plurality of telecommunications devices as a function of information accompanying the incoming call, the apparatus comprising: a wireless transceiver for receiving the incoming call and the information accompanying the incoming call; a first port for coupling with a first POTS telecommunications device; a second port for coupling with a second POTS telecommunications device; and switching circuitry operably coupled between the wireless transceiver, the first port, and the second port, the switching circuitry including - a processor coupled with the wireless transceiver for analyzing the information accompanying the incoming call and for determining to which of the first and second telecommunications devices the incoming call should be connected as a function of the information accompanying the incoming call; a subscriber loop interface coupled with the wireless transceiver for interfacing the wireless transceiver with the first and second telecommunications devices; and a switching device controlled by the processor and coupled between the subscriber loop interface and the first and second ports for connecting the incoming call to one of the first and second ports under the control of the processor.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 10, the first and second POTS telecommunications devices each being a device selected from the group consisting of a phone, a facsimile machine, a modem, and an answering machine.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 , the switching device including a relay.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 , the switching device including a semi conductor switch.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the information accompanying the incoming call includes out-of-band signaling transmitted by the wireless telecommunications network.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the information accompanying the incoming call includes in-band signaling transmitted by the wireless telecommunications network.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11 , the switching circuitry further including an interface for permitting a user of one of the first and second telecommunications devices to provide switching instructions to the processor via one of the first and second telecommunications devices.