US5027345A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Digital key telephone system
Assignee: Nortel Networks Ltd
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Filing: 1988-12-29
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Granted: 1991-06-25
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Expires: 2008-12-29
Abstract
Abstract Relocation and/or replacement of terminal apparatus in telecommunications systems including, but not necessarily limited to, key telephone systems, usually entails reassignment of administration data; for example, features. When a station or terminal apparatus is moved physically from one port to another within a telecommunications system which comprises a plurality of ports connected to a central processor, interface means operative on initial connection of said terminal apparatus transmits to the central processor an identifier unique to such terminal apparatus within such system. The central processing means has storage for each said identifier together with administration data specific to said terminal apparatus and the number of the port to which said terminal apparatus set is connected. Following receipt of an identifier, the central processor updates said storage means to assign said administration data corresponding to said identifier to the present port.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy J. Littlewood
- 👤 David J. Robertson
- 👤 Ronald J. Maginley
- 👤 Alan S. J. Chapman
- 👤 Terence N. Thomas
- 👤 Nadir Nizamuddin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:31
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0407; H04M; H04M9/00; H04M9/002; H04M9/008; H04Q11/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 49
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of operating a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a common central processing means, each port being adapted to have a terminal apparatus releasably connected thereto, each such terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within such system and said central processing means having storage means for storing each said identifier together with administration data specific to such terminal apparatus and a physical address of said terminal apparatus, said method comprising the steps of detecting initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port, transmitting such identifier to said central processing means, detecting said identifier in the signal at said central processing means, determining the port from which said identifier was transmitted, and writing to said storage means to associate said administration data specific to said terminal apparatus with its said identifier in said storage means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of operating a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a common central processing means, each port being adapted to have a terminal apparatus releasably connected thereto, each such terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within such system and said central processing means having storage means for storing each said identifier together with administration data specific to such terminal apparatus and a physical address of said terminal apparatus, said method comprising the steps of detecting initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port, transmitting such identifier to said central processing means, detecting said identifier in the signal at said central processing means, determining the port from which said identifier was transmitted, and writing to said storage means to associate said administration data specific to said terminal apparatus with its said identifier in said storage means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said writing to step comprises the steps of determining that the identifier is already recorded in the storage means associated with a vacated port, deleting such record of said identifier, and creating a corresponding record of the identifier associated with the new port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said writing to step includes the steps of determining that the identifier is not already recorded in said storage means, determining from the received signal that the terminal apparatus is of a type for which a customized administration data is not stored in said processor, and assigning a default set of administration data to the port to which the terminal apparatus has been newly connected.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said writing to step includes the steps of determining that the identifier is not already recorded in said storage means, determining from the received signal that the terminal apparatus is of a type for which a customized administration data is stored in said processor, and assigning a such administration data to the port to which the terminal apparatus has been newly connected.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting to said terminal apparatus, in response to said identifier, a message containing a logical address for future use by said terminal apparatus.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as defined in claim 5, wherein said logical address comprises a prime directory number.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said central processing means comprises table means for storing said identifiers indexed according to physical address of the corresponding terminal apparatus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined in claim 7, wherein said physical address is a port number.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said administration data stored in said central processing means is indexed according to a logical address.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as defined in claim 9, wherein said logical address is a prime directory number.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of intercepting messages from individual ones of said terminal apparatus connected to said plurality of ports and distributing such messages to others of said terminal apparatus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising the step of adding to a said message received from a said terminal apparatus, before such distribution, a marker identifying the port from which the message was received.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as defined in claim 12, wherein said marker comprises a port number.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein transmission of said identifier is dependent upon detection of a predetermined signal as an indication of the connection of said terminal apparatus to a said port.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein said predetermined signal is a time compression multiplex signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as defined in claim 14, wherein an indicator of the presence or absence of said predetermined signal is stored in a processing device in said terminal apparatus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method as defined in claim 1, for use in a system wherein said terminal apparatus comprises first means connected to a said port and having said interface means operative to communicate with said processing means and second means having user interface means and connected to said first means, said method including the step of exchanging messages between said first means and said central processor means using a first message format and exchanging messages between said first means and said second means using a different message format.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as defined in claim 17, wherein said first message format comprises broadcast messages with addressing and said different message format comprises point-to-point messages without addressing.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
134 words
A telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a common central processing means, each port being adapted to have a terminal apparatus releasably connected thereto, each such terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within such system and interface means operative in dependence upon initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port to transmit such identifier to said central processing means, said central processing means having storage means for storing each such identifier in association with administration data specific to said terminal apparatus and a physical address of said terminal apparatus, means for detecting a said identifier from a terminal apparatus, and means for writing to said storage means to associate said administration data specific to a said terminal apparatus with the port to which said terminal apparatus is connected.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
134 words
A telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a common central processing means, each port being adapted to have a terminal apparatus releasably connected thereto, each such terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within such system and interface means operative in dependence upon initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port to transmit such identifier to said central processing means, said central processing means having storage means for storing each such identifier in association with administration data specific to said terminal apparatus and a physical address of said terminal apparatus, means for detecting a said identifier from a terminal apparatus, and means for writing to said storage means to associate said administration data specific to a said terminal apparatus with the port to which said terminal apparatus is connected.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said writing to means is operative to determine that the identifier is already recorded in the storage means associated with a different port, delete such record of said identifier and create a corresponding record of the identifier associated with the new port.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
61 words
A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said central processing means further comprises means for determining that the identifier is not already recorded in said storage means, and corresponds to a type or terminal apparatus for which a customized administration data is not stored in said processor and assigning a default set of administration data to the newly connected terminal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said processing means comprises means for transmitting to said terminal apparatus, in response to said identifier, a message containing a logical address for future use by said terminal apparatus.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as defined in claim 22, wherein said logical address comprises a prime directory number.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said processing means comprises table means for storing said identifiers indexed according to physical address of the corresponding terminal apparatus.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system as defined in claim 24, wherein said physical address is a port number.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said administration data stored in said central processing means is indexed according to a logical address.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as defined in claim 26, wherein said logical address is a prime directory number.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
42 words
A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said processing means comprises message repeater means operative to receive messages from individual ones of said terminal apparatus connected to said plurality of ports and distribute such messages to others of said terminal apparatus.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system as defined in claim 28, wherein said message repeater means is operative before distributing a said message received from a said terminal apparatus to add to said message a marker identifying the port from which the message was received by said message repeater means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as defined in claim 29, wherein said marker comprises the number of the port from which said message repeater means received said message.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said interface means is operative to detect the presence of a predetermined signal as an indication of initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a said port.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system as defined in claim 31, wherein said interface means is operative to detect a said predetermined signal in the form of a time compression multiplex signal.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system as defined in claim 31, wherein said terminal apparatus comprises register means for storing a status indicator for indicating presence or absence of said predetermined signal, said interface means being responsive to said status indicator in transmitting said identifier.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
51 words
A system as defined in claim 19, further comprising terminal emulator means interposed between said terminal apparatus and said processing means, said terminal emulator means being operative to exchange messages with said processing means and to exchange messages having a different format with a said terminal apparatus connected to said port.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
41 words
A system as defined in claim 34, wherein said terminal emulator means and said terminal apparatus communicate by means of point-to-point messages without addressing and said terminal emulator means and said central processor communicate by means of broadcast messages with addressing.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as defined in claim 35, wherein said terminal apparatus is operative to transmit said identifier to said terminal emulator means and said terminal emulator means is operative to add a physical address before broadcasting the signal for reception by said central processing means.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system as defined in claim 36 wherein said processing means is operative on receipt of said identifier to transmit a logical address to said terminal emulator, such terminal emulator having storage means for storing such logical address.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
68 words
Terminal apparatus for a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a common central processing means, each port being adapted to have such a terminal apparatus releasably connected thereto, said terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within such system and interface means operative in dependence upon initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port to transmit such identifier to said central processing means.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
68 words
Terminal apparatus for a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a common central processing means, each port being adapted to have such a terminal apparatus releasably connected thereto, said terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within such system and interface means operative in dependence upon initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port to transmit such identifier to said central processing means.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
45 words
Terminal apparatus as defined in claim 38, for a said system wherein said central processing means comprises means for transmitting to said terminal apparatus a message containing a logical address, said terminal apparatus comprising means for storing such logical address for inclusion in subsequent messages.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
16 words
Terminal apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein said logical address comprises a prime directory number.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
106 words
Terminal apparatus for connection to a terminal emulator means in a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a central processing means, at least one said port having a terminal emulator connected thereto, said terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within the system and interface means operative in dependence upon initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port to send a first signal to said emulator and, in response to a subsequent signal or signals from said terminal emulator means to transmit to said terminal emulator means said identifier for transmission by said terminal emulator means to said central processing means.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
106 words
Terminal apparatus for connection to a terminal emulator means in a telecommunications system comprising a plurality of ports connected to a central processing means, at least one said port having a terminal emulator connected thereto, said terminal apparatus having an identifier that is unique within the system and interface means operative in dependence upon initial connection of said terminal apparatus to a port to send a first signal to said emulator and, in response to a subsequent signal or signals from said terminal emulator means to transmit to said terminal emulator means said identifier for transmission by said terminal emulator means to said central processing means.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
37 words
Terminal apparatus as defined in claim 41, said terminal emulator means being operative to exchange messages with said processing means and to exchange messages having a different format with a said terminal apparatus connected to said port.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
41 words
Terminal apparatus as defined in claim 42, wherein said terminal emulator means and said terminal apparatus communicate by means of point-to-point messages without addressing and said terminal emulator means and said central processor communicate by means of broadcast messages with addressing.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
43 words
Terminal apparatus as defined in claim 42, wherein said terminal apparatus is operative to transmit said identifier to said terminal emulator, said terminal emulator means being operative to add a physical address before broadcasting the signal for reception by said central processing means.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
38 words
Terminal apparatus as defined in claim 38, wherein said processing means is operative on receipt of said identifier to transmit a logical address to said terminal emulator, such terminal emulator having storage means for storing such logical address.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-06-24 | 1994-12-24 | 1995-06-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-06-24 | 1998-12-24 | 1999-06-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-06-24 | 2002-12-24 | 2003-06-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |