Modular key telephone system having a distributed processor organization

Claim 2

A station module having a plurality of subcircuits each independently controllable in response to a different set of multi-bit encoded instruction signals for directing the operations thereof, a calculator connected to each subcircuit for logically combining data relating to the status of each of said subcircuits as directed by particular ones of said instruction signals, and means controlled by said calculator for altering the response of any of said subcircuits to said instruction signals.

Claim 3

A key telephone system comprising a plurality of station sets each including a plurality of key buttons, a plurality of lines, a station module for each of said sets, each of said modules including means for transferring data with its associated station set, a line module for each of said lines, each said line module including means for periodically transmitting control information to and receiving control information from connected ones of said station modules, and means for concurrently transmitting to all of said modules cyclically generated multi-bit patterns or binary encoded instruction signals for directly controlling the operation of said transmitting and transferring means at all said modules concurrently.

Claim 4

A key telephone system comprising a plurality of station sets each including a plurality of key buttons, a plurality of lines, a station module for each of said sets, each of said modules including means for transferring data with its associated station set, a line module for each of said lines, each said line module including means for periodically transmitting control information to and receiving control information from connected ones of said station modules, and means for concurrently transmitting to all of said modules cyclically generated multi-bit patterns or binary encoded instruction signals for directly controlling the operation of said transmitting and transferring means at all said modules concurrently.

Claim 5

A key telephone system in accordance with claim 2 further including means in each of said station modules for sequentially calculating the combinatorial logical function of circuit variables in response to said signals, and wherein said calculating means includes a memory for storing calculated functions.

Claim 6

A key telephone system in accordance with claim 3 further including means in each of said station modules responsive to functions stored in respective ones of said calculating means for altering the response of respective ones of said station modules to subsequently received ones of said instruction signals.

Claim 7

A key telephone system in accordance with claim 2 further including in each of said station modules means for storing data transmitted by said station set associated therewith, means controlled by said instruction signals for generating sequentially an identity code for each of said buttons and means for storing one of said codes corresponding to a button selected at said associated set as indicated by said stored date.

Claim 8

A key telephone system in accordance with claim 5 further including in each of said station modules means jointly controlled by said storing means and by said instruction signals for directing said transmitting means to send an intermodule signal to a particular one of said line modules, and means jointly responsive to a returned signal from said one line module and to said instruction signals for establishing a communication path between said one line and said associated set.

Claim 9

A modularized key telephone system comprising; a plurality of lines each capable of exhibiting a plurality of distinct states including the idle, calling, ringing, and holding states; a plurality of telephone station sets capable of exhibiting said distinct states; a line module for each of said lines; a station module for each of said station sets; means cyclically operated for concurrently enabling each of said line modules to send intermodule signals to said station modules connected therewith, and means for concurrently enabling each of said station modules to send information to station sets associated therewith which exhibits distinct ones of said states thereat in accordance with said intermodule signals.

Claim 10

A modularized key telephone system comprising; a plurality of lines each capable of exhibiting a plurality of distinct states including the idle, calling, ringing, and holding states; a plurality of telephone station sets capable of exhibiting said distinct states; a line module for each of said lines; a station module for each of said station sets; means cyclically operated for concurrently enabling each of said line modules to send intermodule signals to said station modules connected therewith, and means for concurrently enabling each of said station modules to send information to station sets associated therewith which exhibits distinct ones of said states thereat in accordance with said intermodule signals.

Claim 11

A modularized key telephone system in accordance with claim 7 further including means for cyclically generating reiterative coded instruction signals, and means connecting said instruction signals simultaneously to each of said modules for controlling the concurrent operation thereof.

Claim 12

A modularized key telephone system in accordance with claim 8 further including a plurality of selection keys at each of said sets, means for sending the status of said keys to said station modules associated therewith, and means in each of said station modules concurrently actuated for controlling said sending means to send the status of said keys.

Claim 13

A modularized key telephone system in accordance with claim 9 further including in each of said station modules means concurrently operated for determining a status change in said keys, and means also actuated therein for sending an intermodule signal concurrently to all of said line modules identified by a change in status in said keys.

Claim 14

In a key telephone system having equipment for interconnecting station sets with lines to a switching office, a distributed signal processor comprising a plurality of station modules each connected to particular ones of said station sets, a plurality of line modules each connected to different ones of said lines, a word list generator continuously generating output signals comprising a multi-bit pattern of binary encoded signals, a data bus connecting said output signals simultaneously to said station modules and said line modules, and means in each of said station modules and line modules responsive to the receipt of said output signals and of signals from connected ones of said station sets and lines for generating unique lists of instruction signals to control the operation of each module.

Claim 15

In a key telephone system having equipment for interconnecting station sets with lines to a switching office, a distributed signal processor comprising a plurality of station modules each connected to particular ones of said station sets, a plurality of line modules each connected to different ones of said lines, a word list generator continuously generating output signals comprising a multi-bit pattern of binary encoded signals, a data bus connecting said output signals simultaneously to said station modules and said line modules, and means in each of said station modules and line modules responsive to the receipt of said output signals and of signals from connected ones of said station sets and lines for generating unique lists of instruction signals to control the operation of each module.

Claim 16

A program controlled key telephone switching arrangement comprising; a key station set having a plurality of indicating lamps and non-locking keys thereat; a plurality of communication lines associated with individual ones of said keys and lamps; a plurality of line modules each of which connects to individual ones of said lines for determining line states such as holding, ringing, and answer supervision; a station module connected to said station set for exchanging information pertaining to the status of said lamps and keys; a system clock programmed to convey reiterative binary coded signals to all of said modules simultaneously; and wherein said station module is controlled by said coded signals and comprises a plurality of circuit means including a. means for interrogating each of said line modules connected therewith for line state information; b. means for sending line state information to said set; c. means for storing key status information received from said set; d. means for scanning key status information in said storing means to determine an identity code for a key depressed; e. means utilizing said coded signals for sending an intermodule signal to an identified one of said linE modules; f. means monitoring for a verification signal from said identified line module; and g. means establishing a connection between one of said lines connected to said identified line module and said set.

Claim 17

A program controlled key telephone switching arrangement comprising; a key station set having a plurality of indicating lamps and non-locking keys thereat; a plurality of communication lines associated with individual ones of said keys and lamps; a plurality of line modules each of which connects to individual ones of said lines for determining line states such as holding, ringing, and answer supervision; a station module connected to said station set for exchanging information pertaining to the status of said lamps and keys; a system clock programmed to convey reiterative binary coded signals to all of said modules simultaneously; and wherein said station module is controlled by said coded signals and comprises a plurality of circuit means including a. means for interrogating each of said line modules connected therewith for line state information; b. means for sending line state information to said set; c. means for storing key status information received from said set; d. means for scanning key status information in said storing means to determine an identity code for a key depressed; e. means utilizing said coded signals for sending an intermodule signal to an identified one of said linE modules; f. means monitoring for a verification signal from said identified line module; and g. means establishing a connection between one of said lines connected to said identified line module and said set.

Claim 18

A key telephone switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12 further including service modules associated with individual ones of said keys for providing feature services, and wherein each of said service modules is controlled by said coded signals to forward a service signal to said station module at specific times for identifying the service requested by a depressed one of said keys.

Claim 19

A key telephone switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12 further including a function calculator controlled by said coded signals to logically form the product and sum of sequentially selected output signals from individual ones of said circuit means.

Claim 20

A key telephone switching aggangement in accordance with claim 12 further including a message waiting module controlled by said coded signals, and said message waiting module includes a. means for storing a first service signal sent by said station module, b. means for periodically sending a second service signal to a different station module so long as a first service signal is stored for indicating a waiting call, and c. means controlled by a third service signal from said different station module for resetting said storing means to stop sending said second service signal.

Claim 21

A key telephone switching arrangement in accordance with claim 12 further including in each of said line modules means responsive to said coded signals for selecting particular ones of said line states, and means in each of said line modules simultaneously actuated for sending said one line state to said station module.