EP0067268A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hook flash actuated telephone control device
Assignee: GTI Corp
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Filing: 1982-01-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-01-11
Abstract
Abstract A hook flash actuated telephone control device that is connected into a subscriber's telephone line (2 and 2') to permit a user to place an existing call on hold by selectively activating the hook switch (3 and 3') of his telephone (1) according to a particular sequence. The control device includes a comparator (6) which senses the line voltage and produces an output signal, the level of which is dependent upon whether or not the telephone handset is in an on-hook or off-hook condition. A timer (16) and control logic (18) are interconnected so as to be triggered by the output signal of the comparator. If the telephone handset is in an off-hook condition and the hook switch flash signal sequence is completed within a first particular predetermined time as measured by the timer, a corresponding signal is generated by the control logic to energize a hold circuit (22), whereby to place the telephone circuits in a hold condition. Audio signal generating means (24 and 26) are also energized in order to provide the user with a tone to indicate that the telephone circuits are rendered in a hold condition. Accordingly, the user may return the handset to the telephone cradle without disconnecting the existing caller. A second timer (20) is interconnected with the control logic (18) to automatically cause the user's telephone circuits to be reset in order to receive new incoming calls, should the user inadvertently place his telephone circuits in a hold condition for longer than a second predetermined time as measured by the second timer. To resume an existing telephone call, the user merely raises the handset from the cradle of his telephone or any extension thereof, whereby the line voltage changes and the hold circuit is subsequently and automatically deenergized.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffrey D. Stein
- 👤 John M. Mccool
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 12:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/428; H04M3/4283; H04M1/00; H04M1/26; H04M1/53
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
For a telephone (1), an apparatus for controlling the operation of said telephone, said telephone having hook switches (3 and 3') interfaced with transmission lines (5 and 5'), so that hook flash signals can be transmitted thereover, said telephone control apparatus being responsive to a particular sequence of hook switch generated hook flash signals in order to activate a hold circuit (22) for placing an existing call in a hold condition, said control apparatus being characterized by: a signal detector (6) connected to said transmission lines for detecting whether the hook switches of said telephone are in either of a depressed or released condition, said detector providing an output signal (SWHOOK), the level of which being dependent upon the condition of said hook switches, and control logic (18) connected between said signal detector and said hold circuit, said control logic being driven in response to the output signal of said detector when the hook switches of said telephone are in a depressed condition for particular intervals of time, said control logic providing an output control signal (HOLD) to activate said hold circuit and thereby place an existing call in a hold condition upon the completion of said particular sequence of hook flash signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
203 words
For a telephone (1), an apparatus for controlling the operation of said telephone, said telephone having hook switches (3 and 3') interfaced with transmission lines (5 and 5'), so that hook flash signals can be transmitted thereover, said telephone control apparatus being responsive to a particular sequence of hook switch generated hook flash signals in order to activate a hold circuit (22) for placing an existing call in a hold condition, said control apparatus being characterized by: a signal detector (6) connected to said transmission lines for detecting whether the hook switches of said telephone are in either of a depressed or released condition, said detector providing an output signal (SWHOOK), the level of which being dependent upon the condition of said hook switches, and control logic (18) connected between said signal detector and said hold circuit, said control logic being driven in response to the output signal of said detector when the hook switches of said telephone are in a depressed condition for particular intervals of time, said control logic providing an output control signal (HOLD) to activate said hold circuit and thereby place an existing call in a hold condition upon the completion of said particular sequence of hook flash signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said telephone includes TIP and RING conductors (2 and 2') having said hook switches (3 and 3') connected therein, said transmission lines (5 and 5') being connected to said TIP and RING conductors, so as to receive the hook flash signals generated by said hook switches.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said control logic (18) includes means (56 and 70) by which to count the number of hook flash signals transmitted over said transmission lines (5 and 5'), said control logic providing said output control signal (HOLD) to activate said hold circuit (22) after the number of hook flash signals counted is equivalent to the number of hook flash signals which form the particular sequence thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
89 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 3, wherein said signal counting means includes at least first and second flip-flops (56 and 70) interconnected with one another, said first flip-flop (70) receiving and storing an indication of a first hook flash signal (74), said first flip-flop activating said second flip-flop (56) when said first flip-flop receives an indication of a second hook flash signal (76), said second flip-flop producing a corresponding signal to thereby enable said output control signal (HOLD) to be provided for actuating said hold circuit (22).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 3, further characterized by a timer (20) interconnected with said control logic (18), said timer being actuated upon the completion of the particular sequence of hook flash signals, said timer producing an output signal after a predetermined period of time in order to cause said counting means (56) to restart the hook flash signal count thereof and said control logic to disable said hold circuit (22) in the event that said control circuit has not been earlier disabled.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 3, further characterized by a timer (16) interconnected with said control logic (18), said timer being actuated by a first hook flash signal, said timer producing an output signal (4SEC) after a predetermined time in order to cause said counting means (56 and 70) to restart the hook flash signal count thereof in the event that the particular sequence of hook flash signals is not completed within said predetermined time.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 1, further characterized by indicating means (24, 26) connected to said control logic (18) for receiving said output control signal (TONE) therefrom, said indicating means providing an audible signal to said transmission lines (5 and 5') in order to provide an indication thereon that said hold circuit is actuated and an existing call is being placed in a hold condition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 1, further characterized by delay means (8) interconnected between said signal detector (6) and said control logic (18), said delay means acting to prevent the transmission of a hook flash signal to said control logic when the length of said hook flash signal is less than a predetermined time, said predetermined time corresponding to the minimum time in which a hook flash signal can be generated whereby to correspond with the particular sequence thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
101 words
The telephone control apparatus recited in claim 1, further characterized by a timer (14) interconnected with said detecting means (6) and responsive to the length of said hook flash signals when said hook switches (3 and 3') are in a depressed condition, said timer supplying a signal (FLASH-DELAY) to said control logic (18) for preventing the activation of said hold circuit (22) when the length of said hook flash signal is greater than a predetermined time, said predetermined time corresponding to the maximum time in which a hook flash signal can be generated whereby to correspond with the particular sequence thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a telephone network including at least one telephone (1) having hook switches (3 and 3') for generating hook flash signals and a telephone control device (22) adapted to be selectively activated by a particular and predetermined sequence of at least two user actuated hook flash signals to thereby control a function of said telephone, a control circuit (100) interconnected between said hook switches and said telephone control device and responsive to the user actuated hook flash signals, said control circuit being characterized by: counting means (56 and 70) for counting the number of user actuated hook flash signals, said counting means supplying an output signal to activate said telephone control device when the number of hook flash signals counted corresponds to a predetermined number thereof,
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
126 words
In a telephone network including at least one telephone (1) having hook switches (3 and 3') for generating hook flash signals and a telephone control device (22) adapted to be selectively activated by a particular and predetermined sequence of at least two user actuated hook flash signals to thereby control a function of said telephone, a control circuit (100) interconnected between said hook switches and said telephone control device and responsive to the user actuated hook flash signals, said control circuit being characterized by: counting means (56 and 70) for counting the number of user actuated hook flash signals, said counting means supplying an output signal to activate said telephone control device when the number of hook flash signals counted corresponds to a predetermined number thereof,
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
63 words
a first timer (16) to measure the interval of time by which to complete the actuation of first and second hook flash signals, said first timer connected to said counting means to supply a signal (4SEC) to said counting means to cause the count thereof to be restarted when the interval measured by said first timer is larger than a predetermined time, and
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
63 words
a first timer (16) to measure the interval of time by which to complete the actuation of first and second hook flash signals, said first timer connected to said counting means to supply a signal (4SEC) to said counting means to cause the count thereof to be restarted when the interval measured by said first timer is larger than a predetermined time, and
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
a second timer (8 or 14) responsive to the length of each of said first and second hook flash signals, said second timer interconnected with said telephone control device to prevent the activation of said control device when the length of a hook flash signal is either less than or greater than respective predetermined times.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
a second timer (8 or 14) responsive to the length of each of said first and second hook flash signals, said second timer interconnected with said telephone control device to prevent the activation of said control device when the length of a hook flash signal is either less than or greater than respective predetermined times.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
89 words
The telephone network recited in claim 10, wherein said control circuit is further characterized by an additional timer (20) selectively activated upon the completion of said predetermined sequence of hook flash signals so as to measure the time occurring thereafter, said additional timer connected to said counting means (56) to supply a signal to said counting means and thereby cause the count thereof to be restarted and said telephone control device (22) to be deactivated when the time measured by said additional timer is larger than a predetermined time.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
109 words
-The telephone network recited in claim 10, wherein said control circuit is further characterized by an additional timer (10) that is responsive to the depressed and released positions of said hook switches, said additional timer interconnected with said telephone control device (22) to supply an output signal (ENABLE) for preventing the activation of said control device in the event that said hook switches have been in a released position for less than a predetermined time before the occurrence of said particular sequence of user actuated hook flash signals, said additional timer preventing the inadvertent activation of said control device as the result of bouncing or accidentally reciprocating hook switches.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
75 words
The telephone network recited in claim 10, wherein said second timer is characterized by a signal delay (8) connected between said hook switches (3 and 3') and said first timer (16), said delay being responsive to the length of said hook flash signals in order to prevent the transmission of said hook flash signals to said first timer in the event that the length of a hook flash signal is less than a predetermined time.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
76 words
The telephone network recited in claim 10, wherein said second timer (14) is responsive to the length of said hook flash signals, said second timer connected to supply an output signal (FLASH-DELAY) to said telephone control device (22) and to said counting means (56 and 70) for inhibiting both the count of said counting means and the activation of said control device when the length of a hook flash signal is greater than a predetermined time.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
64 words
The telephone network recited in claim 10, wherein said telephone control device includes a hold circuit (22) connected between said control circuit (100) and said telephone (1), said hold circuit adapted to be selectively activated in order to place circuits of said telephone in a hold condition when the particular sequence of user actuated hook flash signals has been completed within a predetermined time.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
103 words
The telephone network recited in claim 10, wherein said counting means (56 and 70) includes at least first and second flip-flops interconnected with one another in said control circuit (100), said first flip-flop (70) receiving an input signal that is indicative of the generation of a first hook flash signal, said first flip-flop supplying an output signal to activate said second flip-flop (56) when said first flip-flop receives another input signal that is indicative of the generation of a second hook flash signal, and said second flip-flop supplying an output signal (HOLD) to thereby cause the activation of said telephone control device (22).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
85 words
The telephone network recited in claim 10, further comprising indicating means (24 and 26) connected between said control circuit (100) and said telephone (1), said control circuit supplying an output signal to energize said indicating means when the particular sequence of user actuated hook flash signals has been completed for activating said telephone control device (22), said indicating means supplying an audible output signal (TONE) to said telephone to thereby indicate to a user thereof that said particular hook flash signal sequence has been completed.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
172 words
A telephone control device including a hold circuit (22) adapted to be selectively activated by a particular sequence of user actuated hook flash telephone signals for placing an associated telephone (1) on hold, so that the telephone handset can be returned to its cradle without disconnecting an existing call, said telephone having TIP and RING transmission lines (2 and 2') connected to a central telephone office and hook switches (3 and 3') respectively connected within said transmission lines for generating hook flash signals thereover, said control device connected to the telephone at said TIP and RING transmission lines and being characterized by: signal detectors (e.g. 8, 14, 16, 56 and 70) being responsive to both the number of hook flash signals generated within a predetermined time and the length of each of said hook flash signals, said detectors providing output signals (e.g. HOLD) to selectively activate said hold circuit and thereby place said telephone on hold when the length and number of hook flash signals generated correspond with the particular sequence thereof.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
172 words
A telephone control device including a hold circuit (22) adapted to be selectively activated by a particular sequence of user actuated hook flash telephone signals for placing an associated telephone (1) on hold, so that the telephone handset can be returned to its cradle without disconnecting an existing call, said telephone having TIP and RING transmission lines (2 and 2') connected to a central telephone office and hook switches (3 and 3') respectively connected within said transmission lines for generating hook flash signals thereover, said control device connected to the telephone at said TIP and RING transmission lines and being characterized by: signal detectors (e.g. 8, 14, 16, 56 and 70) being responsive to both the number of hook flash signals generated within a predetermined time and the length of each of said hook flash signals, said detectors providing output signals (e.g. HOLD) to selectively activate said hold circuit and thereby place said telephone on hold when the length and number of hook flash signals generated correspond with the particular sequence thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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