EP0416803A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus and method for encoding telephone ringing signals
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1990-08-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-08-29
Abstract
Abstract A telephone signaling apparatus (108,109) and method provides pleasant and quickly distinguishable call destination information and call origin information signals within the same audible ringing pattern. The ring pattern is partitioned into two segments, with the first segment used to provide the call destination information and the second segment used to provide the call origin information. Within the first segment, call destination information is encoded by time division multiplexing different audio frequencies into fixed subsegments interrelated as part of a melodic contour pattern. Within the second segment, call origin information is encoded by varying the number of occurrences of a single frequency audio signal pulse which is syncopated to the melodic contour pattern provided by the different audio frequencies in the first segment.
Inventors
- 👤 Joel S. Angiolillo-Bent
- 👤 Linda A. Roberts
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 00:41
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M19/00; H04M19/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S379/00; Y10S379/911
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A communication system including a control unit (109), a plurality of stations (108,112) connected thereto, each station having a capability of communicating with other stations in the system, and means for dividing an active ring interval (301) of an audible ringing signal into a first segment (302) and a second segment (310), CHARACTERIZED BY means (100-102) for generating during said first segment one of multiple groups of first encoded audible tone signals, each group providing information for specifying the destination of a received call, and means (100-102) for generating during said second segment one of a group of second encoded audible tone signals, each signal of the group providing information for specifying the origin of the received call.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A communication system including a control unit (109), a plurality of stations (108,112) connected thereto, each station having a capability of communicating with other stations in the system, and means for dividing an active ring interval (301) of an audible ringing signal into a first segment (302) and a second segment (310), CHARACTERIZED BY means (100-102) for generating during said first segment one of multiple groups of first encoded audible tone signals, each group providing information for specifying the destination of a received call, and means (100-102) for generating during said second segment one of a group of second encoded audible tone signals, each signal of the group providing information for specifying the origin of the received call.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each one of the multiple groups of first encoded audible tone signals is arranged in a melodic contour pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the first encoded audible tone signals comprises a pulse of one of multiple frequency audible tone signals, each of said tone signals having a common pulse width.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein each one of the group of second encoded audible tone signals is syncopated to the melodic contour pattern.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each of the second encoded audible tone signals comprises at least one of multiple pulses of a single frequency audible tone signal, each tone signal having a common pulse width.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the means for generating the second encoded audible tone signals includes means for generating said signals such that each signal has a unique number of pulses of a single frequency.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A system as claimed in claim 6 including means for dividing the second segment into multiple subsegments and for including the number of pulses of a second encoded audible tone signal in selected subsegments and no signal in nonselected subsegments.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
49 words
A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the control unit includes means for transmitting an encoded ringing signal specifying the audible tone signals to be generated at a station, and the station includes means for receiving said encoded ringing signal and for generating said audible tone signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A station for use in a system as claimed in any preceding claim, including means for receiving said encoded ringing signal and for generating said audible tone signals.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of encoding an audible ringing signal of a communication system, said method including the step of dividing an active ring interval of an audible ringing signal into a first and a second segment, and CHARACTERIZED BY the steps of generating during said first segment one of multiple groups of first encoded audible tone signals, each group being arranged in a melodic contour pattern for providing information of a first type about a received call, and generating during said second segment one of a group of second encoded audible tone signals, each signal of the group being syncopated to the melodic contour pattern for providing information of a second type about the received call.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of encoding an audible ringing signal of a communication system, said method including the step of dividing an active ring interval of an audible ringing signal into a first and a second segment, and CHARACTERIZED BY the steps of generating during said first segment one of multiple groups of first encoded audible tone signals, each group being arranged in a melodic contour pattern for providing information of a first type about a received call, and generating during said second segment one of a group of second encoded audible tone signals, each signal of the group being syncopated to the melodic contour pattern for providing information of a second type about the received call.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said first type of information specifies the destination of said received call.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein said second type of information specifies the origin of said received call.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein said second type of information specifies the priority of said received call.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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