Three relay C. O. trunk interface

Claim 2

An interface system connecting a trunk line circuit, of the type including a tip-ring line pair, and a telephone facility comprising: a single detector for detecting an input signal being either a ringing signal, a tip ground signal, forward loop current signal, or a reverse a loop current signal incoming to said telephone facility, and for generating a detector output signal being in either a first or second output state; and means, adapted to receive said detector output signal, for determining which one of said input signals has been detected.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein said single detector comprises: means for generating an input voltage state; means for generating a bias voltage; a comparator for producing an output signal that indicates the presence of an input voltage state of opposite polarity and of greater magnitude than said bias voltage; and a resistive voltage dividing network for routing said input voltage state and said bias voltage to said comparator; and wherein said determining means selectively controls the level of said bias voltage to be either a first or a second bias voltage state, with said bias voltage states being of opposite polarity.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 2 wherein said input voltage state generating means comprises: a ringing signal sensing resistive network for providing a ringing signal input voltage state; and a loop current sensing resistive network for providing a loop current input voltage state; and a tip ground sensing resistive network for providing a tip ground input voltage state.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 3 further comprising: first coupling means for capacitively coupling said trunk line circuit to said ringing signal sensing resistive network to detect said ringing signal; second coupling means for directly coupling said tip line to said tip ground sensing resistive network; third coupling means for directly coupling said trunk line circuit to said loop current sensing resistive network to detect forward or reverse loop current; and means for selectively activating either said first coupling means, said second coupling means or said third coupling means.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 4 further comprising: pulse recognition means for sampling the output signal from said comparator to determine whether said ringing signal, tip ground, forward loop current, or reverse loop current is present in said trunk line circuit.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 5 wherein: said recognition means provides a strobe signal to said means for setting the bias voltage, where said strobe signal causes said bias voltage to switch between said first and second bias voltage states at times t 1 and t 2 , and said pulse recognition means further provides for referencing the sampled comparator output to the bias voltage to determine whether the polarity of the input voltage state is of opposite polarity from said bias voltage at either t 1 or t 2 .

Claim 8

The invention of claim 6 wherein said selective activating means comprises: a plurality of relay contacts which are selectively energized to configure the system to perform outgoing signalling and to receive incoming signalling from said trunk line circuit.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 7 wherein said plurality of relay contacts comprises: relay contacts K1, K2, and K3 and wherein: said interface system is configured in an IDLE state, when K1, K2, and K3 are de-energized, for detecting said ringing signal; said interface system is configured in a BUSY TEST state, when K2 is energized and K1 and K3 are de-energized, for sensing tip ground; said interface system is configured in a RING GND state, when K1 and K2 are energized and K3 is de-energized, for signalling ring ground to the trunk line circuit and for detecting tip ground; and said interface system is configured in an OFF HOOK state, when K2 and K3 are energized and K1 is de-energized, for transmitting loop closure tdo said trunk line circuit and for detecting forward or reverse loop current.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 8 wherein said bias voltage is in said first bias voltage state when said interface system is configured in said IDLE, BUSY TEST, or RING GND state, or when said system is configured in the OFF HOOK state to detect forward loop current, and wherein said bias voltage is in said second bias voltage state when said interface system is configured in the OFF HOOK state to detect reverse loop current.

Claim 11

An interface circuit connecting a two-wire trunk line circuit and a telephone facility, said interface circuit comprising: a plurality of relay contacts for configuring the interface circuit to perform outgoing signalling and to receive incoming signals, including ringing, tip ground, forward battery state, and reverse battery state; means for providing input voltage signals indicating the reception of incoming signals; means for generating a bias voltage being in either a first or a second bias voltage state; a single comparator for detecting said incoming signals and for generating an output signal being in either a first or a second output state; means for selectively controlling the level of said bias voltage to be either at said first bias voltage state or at said second bias voltage state, with said first and second bias voltage states being of opposite polarity; means for directing said input voltage signals and said controlled bias voltage state to the inputs of said comparator; and means, adapted to receive said output signal, for determining which ones of said input signals have been detected.

Claim 12

An interface circuit connecting a two-wire trunk line circuit and a telephone facility, said interface circuit comprising: a plurality of relay contacts for configuring the interface circuit to perform outgoing signalling and to receive incoming signals, including ringing, tip ground, forward battery state, and reverse battery state; means for providing input voltage signals indicating the reception of incoming signals; means for generating a bias voltage being in either a first or a second bias voltage state; a single comparator for detecting said incoming signals and for generating an output signal being in either a first or a second output state; means for selectively controlling the level of said bias voltage to be either at said first bias voltage state or at said second bias voltage state, with said first and second bias voltage states being of opposite polarity; means for directing said input voltage signals and said controlled bias voltage state to the inputs of said comparator; and means, adapted to receive said output signal, for determining which ones of said input signals have been detected.