Party and coin detection arrangement for a communication switching system

Claim 2

In a communication switching system having a plurality of register junctors for connection to calling lines to receive call signals; register apparatus comprising a memory and logic circuits shared on a time division multiplex basis, said memory having sets of storage elements, a plurality of registers individually associated with said register junctors, each register comprising a block with a given number of said sets, a source of cyclically recurring pulses supplied to the memory, a multiplex arrangement associating each register with an individual pulse time slot during which the stored information is recirculated and may be selectively modified by means of the logic circuits, call signal information being received by the logic circuits from the register junctors during the associated time slots for storage in the memory; said call signals including party and coin detection signals, each one of said register junctors including a source of current, connecting means for coupling the output of said source to one of said calling lines for at least a predetermined time interval to charge any capacitance connected to said line toward the potential of said source of current, indicating means adapted to respond to said detection signals, and test means for connecting said indicating means to said one of said calling lines after said predetermined time interval to receive one of said detection signals.

Claim 3

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 1, further including a current limiting device connected in series with said source of current, said indicating means being connected in series with said current limiting device, said test means including bypass switching means being connected in parallel with said indicating means during said predetermined time interval and being disconnected therefrom at the end of said interval.

Claim 4

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 2, wherein said current limiting device comprises a dial-pulse repeating relay having first and second windings connected between the output terminals of said source and a pair of conductors coupled to a calling line, said connecting means including transfer means for disconnecting said first winding from one of said conductors and for transferring said second winding from its source terminal to the disconnected end of said first winding thereby to connect said first and second windings in series at the beginning of said predetermined time interval, whereby in order to enable said indicating means to operate in an alternate mode, said transfer means can alternatively permit said first winding to remain connected and not transfer said second winding so That said bypass switching means can operate in an alternate mode of operation to connect said indicating means in series with said pulse repeating relay to enable said indicating means to respond to another detection signal alternate to said one of said detection signals.

Claim 5

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 3 wherein said repeating relay further includes a core about which is wound said first and second windings, a pair of encapsulated switches, and a short-circuited closed-loop auxiliary winding electromagnetically coupling said core and said switches.

Claim 6

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 4, wherein said indicating means comprises a detection relay having first and second windings connected in parallel with said bypass switching means and in series with the respective first and second windings of said pulse repeating relay, whereby said test relay windings are bypassed during said predetermined time interval and the windings are not bypassed after said time interval.

Claim 7

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 5, wherein said transfer means comprises a transfer relay operated at the beginning of said predetermined time interval, said relay remaining unoperated during said alternate mode of operation.

Claim 8

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 6, wherein said bypass switching means comprises a bypass relay operated at the end of said predetermined time interval.

Claim 9

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 2, wherein said register apparatus includes storage means for storing a signal received from said indicating means and being indicative of said indicating means identifying said one of said detection signals.

Claim 10

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 8, wherein said register apparatus further includes means effective when the calling line station apparatus units have rotary dials for identifying the first break period of dial pulses from the calling line to cause said connecting means to couple said source to said one or said calling lines.

Claim 11

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 9, wherein said register apparatus further includes means for causing said test means to connect said indicating means to said one of said calling lines at the end of said predetermined time interval.

Claim 12

In a communication switching system, the combination according to claim 10, wherein said predetermined time interval is substantially equal to two register time slots, said register apparatus including means for recording in said memory a signal indicative of said indicating means identifying said one of said detection signals after a succeeding register time slot following said two register time slots.

Claim 13

In a communication switching system having a plurality of register junctors for connection to calling lines to receive call signals from station apparatus units connected to said lines, with a common unit for controlling the register junctors; wherein some of said station apparatus units connected to said lines includes means for connecting the line to the ground for a given test; there being capacitance between said lines and ground; and wherein the switching system includes a direct current supply having a supply terminal and a grounded terminal; detection means in each of said register junctors including a test relay, test initiate means for giving a command from the common unit to a register junctor to operate a test connect device (PT) to couple the line to said supply terminal to charge the capacitance of the line, a test connect means effective after a predetermined time interval to give a command from the common unit to the register junctor to effectively connect the test relay to the line so that it will operate if the calling station apparatus unit on the line has said connection of the line to ground for said gIven test.

Claim 14

In a communication switching system having a plurality of register junctors for connection to calling lines to receive call signals from station apparatus units connected to said lines, with a common unit for controlling the register junctors; wherein some of said station apparatus units connected to said lines includes means for connecting the line to the ground for a given test; there being capacitance between said lines and ground; and wherein the switching system includes a direct current supply having a supply terminal and a grounded terminal; detection means in each of said register junctors including a test relay, test initiate means for giving a command from the common unit to a register junctor to operate a test connect device (PT) to couple the line to said supply terminal to charge the capacitance of the line, a test connect means effective after a predetermined time interval to give a command from the common unit to the register junctor to effectively connect the test relay to the line so that it will operate if the calling station apparatus unit on the line has said connection of the line to ground for said gIven test.

Claim 15

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 12, wherein said common unit includes test timing means (TSC) which is started in response to said test initiate means, and wherein said test connect means is made effective responsive to the test timing means indicating the end of said predetermined time interval.

Claim 16

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 13, wherein said capacitance connected to the line includes capacitors for coupling ringers between the line and ground at the respective station apparatus units, wherein said given test is a party test, with the calling line being a party line having party one and party two station apparatus units, with the party two station apparatus unit including a resistor which is connected between one side of the line and ground potential at least during the test; wherein each register junctor includes a battery feed relay which normally during a call is connected with first winding means between said supply terminal and one side of the line, and second winding means between ground and the other side of the line, with the first and second winding means in series aiding relation so that it is operated when the line loop is closed at the calling station apparatus unit, wherein said test relay includes first winding means and second winding means; wherein said test connect device comprises a party test relay which connects the winding means of the battery feed relay and the test relay in series between the supply terminal and the line, with the first and second winding means of the battery feed relay in series opposing relation and the first and second winding means of the test relay in series aiding relation; a shunt control relay (CT) having contacts which shunt the windings of the test relay, the shunt control relay being actuated in response to the test connect command to open its contacts to remove the shunt of the test relay winding means.

Claim 17

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 14, wherein each station apparatus unit for at least one line includes a rotary dial for transmitting a series of break impulses for each digit of calling signals, the battery feed relay responding by releasing during each break impulse, with contacts of the battery feed relay connected to transmit signals to the common unit, the rotary dial for station two having off-normal contacts which connect resistance between one side of the line and ground for the party test, wherein the test timing means and test initiate means in the common unit are actuated in response to a signal indicating the beginning of a break interval of a dial pulse train, and wherein the common unit includes means effective after the test timing means indicates a further timing interval to give a command to release the party test relay, so that the battery feed relay is reconnected to the line with its windings in series aiding relation to detect the line loop condition during the remainder of the pulse train.

Claim 18

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 15, wherein the ringer for a party two station apparatus unit is capacitively coupled to said one side of the line, and the ringer for a station one apparatus unit is capacitively coupled to the other side of the line, and wherein said party test relay further includes contacts which connect the two sides of the line together which during the test provides a discharge path for the capacitance on said other side of the line to thereby eliminate the discharge thereof to the party two station apparatus unit and via its test resistor to ground to insure sufficient current flow to the test relay to operate it for the test.

Claim 19

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 16, wherein in addition to the party lines, there are also coin lines each of which has a coin box station apparatus unit which includes coin springs actuated when coins are deposited to connect ground to the line, and wherein the same detection means is used for calls from coin box lines for a coin test.

Claim 20

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 17, wherein the register junctors each further include a special relay having normally closed contacts connected in series with the said contacts of the party test relay connected between the two sides of the line, and wherein the common unit during a coin test supplies a command to operate the special relay to thereby open the path between the two sides of the line.

Claim 21

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 18, further including multiplex apparatus connecting the common unit to the register junctors, with means for effectively connecting the register junctors to the common unit during cyclically recurring individual pulse time slots for transmitting said commands to the register junctors and receiving signals from the register junctors.

Claim 22

In a communication switching system, the combination as claimed in claim 12, further including multiplex apparatus connecting the common unit to the register junctors, with means for effectively connecting the register juntors to the common unit during cyclically recurring individual pulse time slots for transmitting said commands to the register junctors and receiving signals from the register junctors.