GB2354669A

GB2354669A - Telephone ringer control

Info

Publication number: GB2354669A
Application number: GB9922541A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cheng-Shing Lai; Jing Cao; Hui Zhang
Original assignee: INVENTEC ELECTRONICS
Current assignee: INVENTEC ELECTRONICS
Priority date: 1999-09-24
Filing date: 1999-09-24
Publication date: 2001-03-28
Also published as: GB9922541D0

Abstract

A ringer switch circuit 301 is installed in a network telephone 203, and connected to a ringing circuit 302 and a microprocessor, and controlled by the microprocessor to switch off the ringing signal when the microprocessor received a special CID signal from the server through the network. The silent notification signal is sent to a memory by the microprocessor, and the microprocessor is driven to give a control signal to resume the ringing circuit to its former status after a predetermined length of time delay.

Description

2354669 NETWORK TELEPHONE DISPLAY APPARATUS AND ITS DISPLAY METHOD The

present invention relates to a network telephone display apparatus and its display method, in which a ringer switch circuit is installed in the network telephone to automatically switch off the ringing circuit of the network telephone when a silent notification signal is received from the server.

An advanced network telephone, in addition to talk function, provides added functions such as voice box and E-mail services. Customer can call the server to check if any incoming message to be picked up. A network telephone having these added functions has indicator means to indicate the existence of a message in the server. The indicator means can be a LED or LCD.

When a special CID signal is received from the server by the network telephone, the LED is triggered to flash, or the LCD is driven to display the incoming of the message by letters. However, because the ringing circuit of the network telephone rings when called by a regular telephone call or a special CID signal from the server, the user may pick up the network telephone by an error. If the user picks up the network telephone when the network telephone receives a special CID signal from the server, a special fee is charged to the server.

I The present invention has been accomplished to provide a network telephone display apparatus, which eliminates the aforesaid problem. According to the present invention, a ringer switch. circuit is installed in the ringing circuit of the network telephone, and connected to a microprocessor. When a special CID signal is received from the server, the microprocessor immediately gives a control signal to the ringer switch circuit, causing the ringer switch circuit to cut off the ringing signal. The special CID signal is stored in a memory by the microprocessor.

A predetermined length of time after receipt of the special CID signal from the server, the microprocessor gives another control signal to the ringer switch circuit, causing it to resume the ringing circuit to its former status.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS

Figure I illustrates a CID data transmitting time series according to the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the hardware architecture of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the ringing loop and the telephone line according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is.a block diagram showing the arrangement of the 2 ringing loop and the telephone line according to an alternate form of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a control flow chart of the present invention.

DFTAIL IPTION OF THE PRRFFRRFD EMBODIMENT Referring to Figure 1, CID data is composed of customer premises equipment alert tone 101, FSK (frequency shift keying) signal 102, a first ringing signal 103, and a second ringing signal 104. FSK signal 102 includes caller's message. Any service providing server which is capable of calling customer telephone as a regular telephone, can send CID data to customer telephone through an exchanger connected to the server.

Referring to Figures from 2 and 3, the n.etwork telephone display apparatus matches with the display method, comprising a network telephone (not shown). The network telephone comprises a ' microprocessor 201, a telephone interface 202, a ringing loop 203, a CID decoder 204, a LCD (liquid crystal display) 205, a memory 206, and a function keyboard 207. The microprocessor 201 communicates with the memory 206 through data main line and address main line 21, and communicates with the CID decoder 204, the ringing loop 203 and a telephone line 23 through the telephone interface 202, so as to receive CID message, and to control the ringing operation of the ringing loop 203. The microprocessor also communicates with the LCD 205 and the function keyboard 207 through lines 25. The memory 206 comprises a procedure storage device and a data storage device (not shown) for running customer incoming procedure and storing received customer incoming message. The microprocessor 201 also connects with the ringing loop 203 through line 26, and controls the operation of the ringing loop 203. The CID decoder 204 decodes customer incoming message sent from the exchanger of the server.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 again, the telephone line 23 comprises two telephone signal lines A and B for use in the USA, China, or any other countries where two-line telephone network telephone system is used. Ringing signal from. the exchanger is transmitted through the telephone signal lines A and B to the ringing loop 203. The ringing loop 203 comprises a ringer switch circuit 301, and a ringing circuit 302 (see Figure 3). The ringer switch circuit 301 communicates with the ringing circuit 302 through line 31. The ringer switch circuit 301 comprises a switch 33, which can be, for example, a relay. Through the switching of the switch 33, ringing signal can be cut off.

Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 2 again, as an alternate form of the present invention, the telephone line 23 comprises four signal lines A, B, S (shunt), and E (earth). This alternate form is suitable for use in Great Britain, or any country where four-line telephone network telephone system is used. Ringing signal is 4 transmitted from the exchanger through telephone signal lines A and S to the ringing loop 203. The ringing loop 203 comprises a ringer switch circuit 301, a load circuit 401, and a ringing circuit 302 respectively connected between the telephone lines A and S.

The ringer switch circuit 301 communicates with the load circuit 401 and the ringing circuit 302 through line 41. The ringer switch circuit 301 comprises a switch 33, which can be, for example, a relay. The load circuit 401 reduces ringing signal's voltage value, enabling the switch 33 to switch off ringing signal from telephone main unit and telephone branch units, so as to stop the telephone main unit and branch units fromringing.

Referring to Figure 5, the telephone network display method of the present invention comprises:

the first step 501, where customer incoming message from the exchanger is decoded by the CID decoder 204; the second step 502, where CID data is transmitted to the microprocessor 201 through the telephone interface 202, and compared by the microprocessor 201 with pre-stored server code at the memory 206; the third step, where the comparison result is judged, so as to proceed to the following fourth step when matched, or the eighth step when not matched; the fourth step 503, where the microprocessor 201 is driven to give a control signal to the LCD 205, causing it to display a prompt message; the fifth step 505, where the microprocessor 201 is driven to check if the telephone is on the line, so as to proceed to the 5. eighth step if positive, or the sixth step if negative; the sixth step 506, where the microprocessor 201 is driven to give a control signal to the ringer switch circuit 301, causing the switch 33 of the ringer switch circuit 301 to be switched to the open status, so as to cut off ringing signal, and to stop the ringing circuit 302 from ringing; the s-eventh step 507, where the microprocessor 201 completes the receiving of CID data within a predetermined length of time (for example, 5 seconds), and the server is hung up, and then the microprocessor 201 is driven to give a control signal to the ringer switch circuit 301, causing the switch 33 to be switched to the closed status for enabling the ringing circuit 302 to resume to its former status capable of ringing the bell; and the eighth step 504, where the procedure is ended, and the network telephone display means does no work.

It is to be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed.

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Claims

1. A network telephone display comprising a network telephone, said network telephone comprising a microprocessor, a telephone interface, a ringing loop, a CID decoder 204, a LCD (liquid crystal display), a memory, and a function keyboard, said microprocessor being connected to said memory through a data main line and an address main line, said CID decoder, said ringing loop and a telephone line through said telephone interface, and said LCD and said function keyboard through a respective line, said memory comprising a procedure storage device and a data storage device, said CID decoder decoding customer incoming message sent from the exchanger of a server, said ringing loop comprising two ringing signal lines for receiving ringing signal from the server, a ringer switch circuit, and a ringing circuit, said ringer switch circuit being connected to said ringing circuit through a line, said r, inger switch circuit comprising a switch controlled to switch on/off ringing signal.

2. A network telephone display method used in the network telephone display apparatus of claim I to display a special CID signal from the server, the method comprising the steps of:

i) decoding customer incoming message from the exchanger of the server through the CID decoder, so as to obtain CID data; H) compar.ing the CID data thus obtained with a pre-stored 7 server code at the memory; iii) proceeding to the following step iv) when matched, or the following step viii) when not matched; iv) sending a control signal to the LCD, causing it to display a prompt message; v) checking if the telephone is on the line, so as to proceed to the following step viii) if positive, or the following step vi) if negative; vi) giving a control signal to the ringer switch circuit, causing the switch of the ringer switch circuit to be switched to the open status, so as to cut off ringing signal, and to stop the ringing circuit from ringing; vii) receiving CID data, then sending a control signal to the ringer switch circuit after receipt of CID data, causing the switch to be switched to the closed status for enabling the ringing circuit to resume to the former status capable of ringing the bell; and viii) ending the procedure.

3. The network telephone display apparatus of claim I wherein said switch is a relay.

4. The network telephone display apparatus of claim I wherein said ringing loop comprising four signal lines, said signal lines including two ringing signal transmission signal lines for transmitting ringing signal from the exchanger of said server, a 8 ringer switch circuit, a load circuit, and a ringing circuit, said ringer switch circuit and said load circuit and said ringing circuit being respectively connected between said ringing signal transmission signal lines, said ringer switch circuit being connected to said load circuit and said ringing circuit, said ringer switch circuit comprises a switch, said load circuit reducing ringing signal's voltage value, enabling said switch to switch off ringing signal from the telephone main unit and telephone branch units, so as to stop the telephone main unit and branch units from 10 ringing.

5. The network telephone display apparatus of claim 4 wherein said switch is a relay.

6. A network telephone display substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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