Switching voice and data communications simultaneously over a common path

Claim 2

In an integrated voice-and-data communication system having a switching network and wherein frequency multiplexed voice-anddata signals are applied to a common transmission path between a calling and called voice/data set, the combination comprising, signaling circuit means operative during the the establishment of said path for detecting call signaling information in said signals and for connecting the voice frequency ones of said signals directly to said path, means for detecting the completion of said path to said called voice/data set responsive to said call signaling information, and means responsive to said detecting means for disconnecting said signaling circuit means from said common transmission path and connecting said frequency multiplexed voice-and-data signals to a common transmission path through said network.

Claim 3

In a telephone switching office having a switching network and including terminal means for receiving frequency multiplexed voice and data signals from remote stations, said terminal means normally demultiplexing and demodulating said signals to the baseband frequencies of the respective voice and data components of said voice and data signals for transmission through said switching network, the improvement comprising means operative at said office during the establishment of a switching connection from a calling to a called voice/data set for connecting demultiplexed and demodulated ones of said baseband voice signals carrying call signaling information through said network toward said called data set, means for detecting completion of a switching connection between said calling and called data sets, and means controlled by said detecting means for disconnecting said demultiplexed and demodulated baseband voice signals from said switching connection and connecting demultiplexed and demodulated ones of said data signals and demultiplexed ones of said voiceband signals through said switching network.

Claim 4

In a telephone switching office having a switching network and including terminal means for receiving frequency multiplexed voice and data signals from remote stations, said terminal means normally demultiplexing and demodulating said signals to the baseband frequencies of the respective voice and data components of said voice and data signals for transmission through said switching network, the improvement comprising means operative at said office during the establishment of a switching connection from a calling to a called voice/data set for connecting demultiplexed and demodulated ones of said baseband voice signals carrying call signaling information through said network toward said called data set, means for detecting completion of a switching connection between said calling and called data sets, and means controlled by said detecting means for disconnecting said demultiplexed and demodulated baseband voice signals from said switching connection and connecting demultiplexed and demodulated ones of said data signals and demultiplexed ones of said voiceband signals through said switching network.

Claim 5

An integrated voice-and-data communication system having a switching network for establishing a transmission path between a first and a second telephone substation and including voice termination means and data termination means interposed in said path between each of said stations and said network for demultiplexing and demodulating voice and data band signals to establish said path through said network and to transmit multiplexed voice-and-data signals over said path through said network, comprising first means responsive to demodulated signals from said voice termination means for controlling the establishment of a single, two-way transmission path through said network, second means indicating completion of said two-way path between said substations, and means responsive to said second means for connecting frequency multiplexed signals from said voice termination means and said data termination means for transmission over said two-way path through said network.

Claim 6

An integrated voice-and-data communication system having a switching network for establishing a transmission path between a first and a second telephone substation and including voice termination means and data termination means interposed in said path between each of said stations and said network for demultiplexing and demodulating voice and data band signals to establish said path through said network and to transmit multiplexed voice-and-data signals over said path through said network, comprising first means responsive to demodulated signals from said voice termination means for controlling the establishment of a single, two-way transmission path through said network, second means indicating completion of said two-way path between said substations, and means responsive to said second means for connecting frequency multiplexed signals from said voice termination means and said data termination means for transmission over said two-way path through said network.

Claim 7

The integrated voice-and-data communication system of claim 3 wherein said first means is responsive to demodulated call signaling from said voice termination means to connect received call signaling information to said network to control the establishment of said two-way path through said network.

Claim 8

The integrated voice-and-data communication system of claim 4 wherein said first means is normally connected to said transmission path but is disconnected by said second means.

Claim 9

An integrated voice-and-data communication system having a switching network for establishing a transmission path between a first and a second telephone substation and including voice termination means and data termination means interposed in said path between each of said stations and said network for demultiplexing and demodulating voice and data band signals to establish said path through said network and to transmit multiplexed voice-and-data signals over said path through said network comprising means activated by said voice termination means for connecting call signaling information at baseband to said network to control the establishment of said path therethrough, means for detecting the completion of said path between said substations, means for frequency multiplexing voice and data signals from said voice termination means and said data termination means for transmission through said network over said path, and means responsive to said detecting means for disconnecting said baseband call signaling information from said network upon the completion of said path and for connecting said multiplexed signals to said path through said network.

Claim 10

An integrated voice-and-data communication system having a switching network for establishing a transmission path between a first and a second telephone substation and including voice termination means and data termination means interposed in said path between each of said stations and said network for demultiplexing and demodulating voice and data band signals to establish said path through said network and to transmit multiplexed voice-and-data signals over said path through said network comprising means activated by said voice termination means for connecting call signaling information at baseband to said network to control the establishment of said path therethrough, means for detecting the completion of said path between said substations, means for frequency multiplexing voice and data signals from said voice termination means and said data termination means for transmission through said network over said path, and means responsive to said detecting means for disconnecting said baseband call signaling information from said network upon the completion of said path and for connecting said multiplexed signals to said path through said network.

Claim 11

The integrated voice-and-data communication system of claim 6 wherein said voice termination means transmits said call signaling information in a voice channel.

Claim 12

The integrated voice-and-data communication system of claim 7 wherein voice and data signal outputs of said voice and said data termination means are multiplexed by said frequency multiplexing means with the data signals at baseband and the voice signals in a higher frequency band.

Claim 13

In an integrated voice-and-data communication system wherein voice, data, and signaling information are transmitted over the same transmission facilities, voice and data information being in different frequency bands and said signaling information being in the same frequency band with said voice information, the combination comprising voice-and-data information transmission means for demultiplexing and demodulating said voice, data, and signaling information transmitted over said transmission facilities, switching network means providing a common path for said voice-and-data information, signaling circuit means receiving demodulated signaling information from said voice-and-data information transmission means for controlling said network means, and detector-and-coupler circuit means for normally connecting said signaling information from said signaling means to said switching network means and for normally blocking voice-and-data information from said information transmission means from said network means, said detector-and-coupler circuit including means responsive to establishment of a communication path including said common path between a calling and a called voice/data telephone substation for disconnecting said signaling means from said network means and for connecting said voice-and-data information from said information transmission means to said common path.

Claim 14

In an integrated voice-and-data communication system wherein voice, data, and signaling information are transmitted over the same transmission facilities, voice and data information being in different frequency bands and said signaling information being in the same frequency band with said voice information, the combination comprising voice-and-data information transmission means for demultiplexing and demodulating said voice, data, and signaling information transmitted over said transmission facilities, switching network means providing a common path for said voice-and-data information, signaling circuit means receiving demodulated signaling information from said voice-and-data information transmission means for controlling said network means, and detector-and-coupler circuit means for normally connecting said signaling information from said signaling means to said switching network means and for normally blocking voice-and-data information from said information transmission means from said network means, said detector-and-coupler circuit including means responsive to establishment of a communication path including said common path between a calling and a called voice/data telephone substation for disconnecting said signaling means from said network means and for connecting said voice-and-data information from said information transmission means to said common path.

Claim 15

In an integrated voice-and-data switching system, the combination in accordance with claim 9 wherein said signaling circuit means comprises single-frequency signaling means and said means responsive to Establishment of a communication path includes means for detecting E- and M-signaling from said single-frequency signaling means.

Claim 16

In an integrated voice-and-data communication system wherein multiplexed voice, data, and signaling information are transmitted over the same transmission facilities, voice and data information being in different frequency bands and said signaling information being in the same frequency band with said voice information, wherein voice information transmission means and data information transmission means for demultiplexing and demodulating said voice, data, and signaling information are selectively connectable to an individual side of a switching network, and wherein a first signaling circuit for receiving the demodulated signaling information is connected to said voice information transmission means on one side of said network and a second signaling circuit for receiving the demodulated signaling information is connected to said voice information transmission means on the other side of said network, the improvement comprising a first detector-and-coupler circuit normally connecting said first signaling circuit to said network and normally blocking said voice and said data information transmission means from said one side of said network, and a second detector-and-coupler circuit normally connecting said second signaling circuit to said network and normally blocking said voice and said data information transmission means from said other side of said network, both said detector-and-coupler circuits including means responsive to signals from both said signaling circuits indicating completion of a transmission path through said network for disconnecting both said signaling circuits from said network and connecting frequency multiplexed voice-and-data information from said voice-and-data transmission means to said path through said network.

Claim 17

In an integrated voice-and-data communication system wherein multiplexed voice, data, and signaling information are transmitted over the same transmission facilities, voice and data information being in different frequency bands and said signaling information being in the same frequency band with said voice information, wherein voice information transmission means and data information transmission means for demultiplexing and demodulating said voice, data, and signaling information are selectively connectable to an individual side of a switching network, and wherein a first signaling circuit for receiving the demodulated signaling information is connected to said voice information transmission means on one side of said network and a second signaling circuit for receiving the demodulated signaling information is connected to said voice information transmission means on the other side of said network, the improvement comprising a first detector-and-coupler circuit normally connecting said first signaling circuit to said network and normally blocking said voice and said data information transmission means from said one side of said network, and a second detector-and-coupler circuit normally connecting said second signaling circuit to said network and normally blocking said voice and said data information transmission means from said other side of said network, both said detector-and-coupler circuits including means responsive to signals from both said signaling circuits indicating completion of a transmission path through said network for disconnecting both said signaling circuits from said network and connecting frequency multiplexed voice-and-data information from said voice-and-data transmission means to said path through said network.