Communications unit for executive work station

Claim 1

A communications unit comprising a work station having a desktop computer, the desktop computer having an access opening for a printed circuit board, a keyboard and a monitor screen, the communications unit further including, mounted on said circuit board: a microcomputer; a switch matrix; a first plurality of horizontal lines included in the matrix; at least two external lines accessable by the horizontal lines; a second plurality of vertical lines accessable by the horizontal lines; a plurality of line monitors equal to said first plurality, each line monitor being operatively responsive to a respective horizontal line and each consisting of an analog-to-digital converter connected to the monitored line to sense the voltage on that line and convert that voltage to a digital signal, said converter operatively engaging an AND-gate addressable by said micro-computer to provide a digital indication of any status of the respective horizontal line in response to addressing by said microcomputer; a third plurality of selectively switchable crosspoints for selectively associating any horizontal line with any vertical line, said crosspoints selectively controllable by a crosspoint control circuit; said microcomputer controlling said crosspoint control circuit; a data modem responsively connected with a first one of said vertical lines for receiving and sending of data; a telephone network responsively connected with another one of said vertical lines, said telephone network connected with a telephone handset having a receiver and a transmitter for voice transmission; and means for connecting said communications unit with a desktop computer.