First idle line pickup service

Claim 2

In a key telephone system having a plurality of communication lines and a key station including a plurality of nonlocking buttons each associated with individual ones of said lines, means enabled upon depression of said buttons for coupling the associated ones of said lines to said station, means responsive to an off-hook condition of said station for determining the idle-busy state of said lines, and means responsive to said determining means when said coupling means is not enabled for connecting an idle one of said lines to said station thereby eliminating the necessity for depressing said buttons to select an idle line.

Claim 3

The invention set forth in claim 1 further including means for interposing a time delay prior to determining the idle-busy state of said lines to allow for the manual selection of a line by depression of one of said buttons.

Claim 4

controlling said last-mentioned line module to return a busy indication when said idle line is selected for connection to two station sets.

Claim 5

controlling said last-mentioned line module to return a busy indication when said idle line is selected for connection to two station sets.

Claim 6

controlling said sending means to delay the transmission of intermodule signals to said line modules until the cessation of said timed period.

Claim 7

controlling said sending means to delay the transmission of intermodule signals to said line modules until the cessation of said timed period.

Claim 8

recording sequentially in said memory an identifying code for each key of said set utilizing said instruction signals to generate such codes,

Claim 9

recording sequentially in said memory an identifying code for each key of said set utilizing said instruction signals to generate such codes,

Claim 10

removing the busy condition applied in step (1) when all of the lines associated with a station are indicating a busy state.

Claim 11

removing the busy condition applied in step (1) when all of the lines associated with a station are indicating a busy state.

Claim 12

ascertaining the networks associated with off-hook stations found during step (1) for network connections,

Claim 13

ascertaining the networks associated with off-hook stations found during step (1) for network connections,

Claim 14

verifying the data ascertained in step (1) by repeating step (1) and comparing the status indications,

Claim 15

verifying the data ascertained in step (1) by repeating step (1) and comparing the status indications,

Claim 16

controlling said sending means when no manual selections are indicated and an off-hook status is detected during step (1) to signal sequentially particular ones of said line modules in accordance with said codes as recorded in step (2),

Claim 17

controlling said sending means when no manual selections are indicated and an off-hook status is detected during step (1) to signal sequentially particular ones of said line modules in accordance with said codes as recorded in step (2),

Claim 18

The invention recited in claim 2 wherein said interposing means includes means detecting said off-hook condition, and timing means responsive to said detecting means for timing a prescribed interval after which said determining means is activated.

Claim 19

The invention set forth in claim 1 further including means for distributing call traffic on said lines, and wherein said distributing means comprises means for busying ones of said lines after being connected to said station, and means for holding said lines busy until all of said lines are in a busy state.

Claim 20

controlling each of said line modules signaled in accordance with step (3) to indicate the idle-busy state of associated lines,

Claim 21

controlling each of said line modules signaled in accordance with step (3) to indicate the idle-busy state of associated lines,

Claim 22

generating codes consecutively for the key positions at off-hook stations,

Claim 23

generating codes consecutively for the key positions at off-hook stations,

Claim 24

testing the idle-busy state of lines associated with the codes generated in step (4), and

Claim 25

testing the idle-busy state of lines associated with the codes generated in step (4), and

Claim 26

controlling said sending means to end further signaling of said line modules upon the indication of an idle line state, and

Claim 27

controlling said sending means to end further signaling of said line modules upon the indication of an idle line state, and

Claim 28

A key telephone system comprising a plurality of communication lines, at least one key station having a plurality of nonlocking buttons each associated with individual ones of said lines, means connected to said buttons and responsive to the depression of one of said buttons for establishing an exclusive connection between said station and said associated one of said lines, means periodically monitoring said station for a change in switchhook status, means responsive upon detection of a change from on-hook to off-hook status for sequentially testing each of said lines for the idle-busy state thereof, and means responsive to said monitoring means independent of said establishing means for connecting an idle one of said lines to said station.

Claim 29

A key telephone system comprising a plurality of communication lines, at least one key station having a plurality of nonlocking buttons each associated with individual ones of said lines, means connected to said buttons and responsive to the depression of one of said buttons for establishing an exclusive connection between said station and said associated one of said lines, means periodically monitoring said station for a change in switchhook status, means responsive upon detection of a change from on-hook to off-hook status for sequentially testing each of said lines for the idle-busy state thereof, and means responsive to said monitoring means independent of said establishing means for connecting an idle one of said lines to said station.

Claim 30

The invention set forth in claim 5 further including a memory for recording codes identifying said buttons, means generating consecutively the codes for each one of said buttons for storage in said memory, and means connected to said memory for directing the sequential testing of said lines.

Claim 31

controlling said connecting means to establish a connection from said idle line to set.

Claim 32

controlling said connecting means to establish a connection from said idle line to set.

Claim 33

connecting off-hook stations to the first idle lines found in step 5.

Claim 34

connecting off-hook stations to the first idle lines found in step 5.

Claim 35

The invention set forth in claim 5 further including means for maintaining a busy state on each one of said lines which have been connected to said station, and means responsive in the event all of said lines indicate a busy state for removing the busy state on idle ones of said lines.

Claim 36

The invention recited in claim 5 further including means actuated in the event the state of all oF said tested lines is busy for initiating periodically additional tests of said lines until an idle one of said lines is found.

Claim 37

The invention recited in claim 5 further including means for discerning a seizure of an idle one of said lines to serve two or more of said key stations, and said discerning means includes means actuated once a said idle line is found for beginning a second test of said idle line, and means inhibiting a connection to said idle line if the second test indicates a busy state.

Claim 38

The invention recited in claim 5 further including means for verifying the off-hook condition of said station after said idle line is found.

Claim 39

The machine method of connecting idle lines to key telephone stations via a key station network unique to each of the stations without the necessity for depressing a key associated with the idle line by performing the steps of:

Claim 40

The machine method of connecting idle lines to key telephone stations via a key station network unique to each of the stations without the necessity for depressing a key associated with the idle line by performing the steps of:

Claim 41

The method recited in claim 11 further including the additional steps of:

Claim 42

A program controlled key telephone system having a plurality of communication lines, a multibutton station set, a plurality of line modules and station modules connected to a source of cyclically generated instruction signals, means in each one of said station modules controlled by said signals for periodically scanning said station set for switchhook status and button depressions, means controlled by said signals in the event an off-hook status is detected and no buttons are depressed for testing the idle-busy status of said lines, and means jointly responsive to said testing and monitoring means for connecting an idle one of said lines to said station set.

Claim 43

A program controlled key telephone system having a plurality of communication lines, a multibutton station set, a plurality of line modules and station modules connected to a source of cyclically generated instruction signals, means in each one of said station modules controlled by said signals for periodically scanning said station set for switchhook status and button depressions, means controlled by said signals in the event an off-hook status is detected and no buttons are depressed for testing the idle-busy status of said lines, and means jointly responsive to said testing and monitoring means for connecting an idle one of said lines to said station set.

Claim 44

The invention recited in claim 13 wherein said station module includes means under control of said signals for delaying the connection of said idle line to said station set so that a manual line selection can be made at said station set by depression of a button.

Claim 45

The invention recited in claim 13 wherein each of said line modules includes means responsive to said signals for busying the associated one of said lines, and means for removing said busy condition in response to said signals and under control of said station modules in the event all of said lines at said set are busy.

Claim 46

In combination in a key telephone system; a plurality of communication lines; a plurality of station sets including a plurality of line pickup buttons thereat; particular ones of said lines being associated with individual ones of said buttons at each of said station sets; a station module connected to each of said sets as well as a line module connected to each of said lines; a source of cyclically generated program instruction signals; a data bus connecting said signals to said line modules and station modules concurrently to control the operations thereof; and each of said station modules includes means for scanning each of said sets for switchhook status, means responsive to the detection of an off-hook condition for testing said lines for an idle line, means activated if an idle line is detected for verifying the switchhook status of the associated one of said station sets, and means for connecting said idle line to said off-hook set If the switchhook status is verified.

Claim 47

In combination in a key telephone system; a plurality of communication lines; a plurality of station sets including a plurality of line pickup buttons thereat; particular ones of said lines being associated with individual ones of said buttons at each of said station sets; a station module connected to each of said sets as well as a line module connected to each of said lines; a source of cyclically generated program instruction signals; a data bus connecting said signals to said line modules and station modules concurrently to control the operations thereof; and each of said station modules includes means for scanning each of said sets for switchhook status, means responsive to the detection of an off-hook condition for testing said lines for an idle line, means activated if an idle line is detected for verifying the switchhook status of the associated one of said station sets, and means for connecting said idle line to said off-hook set If the switchhook status is verified.

Claim 50

The method set forth in claim 17 in which said station module also includes means for timing a prescribed period and further comprising the operational steps of:

Claim 51

The method set forth in claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

Claim 52

A new use of a key telephone system having a plurality of communication lines; a plurality of station sets including a plurality of line pickup buttons thereat, particular one of said lines being associated with individual ones of said buttons at each of said station sets; a station module connected to each of said sets and a line module connected to each of said lines; and a source of cyclically generated program instructions signals; said new use comprising the steps of scanning each of said sets for switchhook status; testing said lines for an idle line responsive to the detection of an off-hook status at one of said sets; verifying the switchhook status of the associated one of said station sets on detection of an idle line; and connecting the idle line to said off-hook set after its switchhook status has been verified without requiring depression of the pickup key associated with the idle line at said off-hook set.

Claim 53

A new use of a key telephone system having a plurality of communication lines; a plurality of station sets including a plurality of line pickup buttons thereat, particular one of said lines being associated with individual ones of said buttons at each of said station sets; a station module connected to each of said sets and a line module connected to each of said lines; and a source of cyclically generated program instructions signals; said new use comprising the steps of scanning each of said sets for switchhook status; testing said lines for an idle line responsive to the detection of an off-hook status at one of said sets; verifying the switchhook status of the associated one of said station sets on detection of an idle line; and connecting the idle line to said off-hook set after its switchhook status has been verified without requiring depression of the pickup key associated with the idle line at said off-hook set.

Claim 54

The new use in accordance with claim 20 further comprising the steps of maintaining a busy indication on the line used in that connection until all the lines at the station set have been used at least once and removing the maintained busy indications when no idle lines are found upon testing of all the lines at said station set.