CA2510393A1

CA2510393A1 - Telecommunication system, method and subscriber unit for use therein

Info

Publication number: CA2510393A1
Application number: CA002510393A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Michael George Gorman; Robert Wesley Bossemeyer, Jr.; Michael Steven Pickard; Denise Violetta Kagan; Scott Christopher Goering; Bruce Edward Stuckman; Michael Tisiker; Jeffrey Neumann; David Orwick
Original assignee: Ameritech Corporation; Michael George Gorman; Robert Wesley Bossemeyer, Jr.; Michael Steven Pickard; Denise Violetta Kagan; Scott Christopher Goering; Bruce Edward Stuckman; Michael Tisiker; Jeffrey Neumann; David Orwick
Current assignee: AT&T Teleholdings Inc
Priority date: 1998-07-20
Filing date: 1999-07-16
Publication date: 2000-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-16
Also published as: CA2509641C; CA2509466C; CA2509641A1; CA2510393C; CA2509353C; CA2509466A1; CA2509353A1

Abstract

A telecommunication system includes a digital switch, a local loop coupling the digital switch to a subscriber location, wherein a segment of the local loop includes copper twisted pair and wherein an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (102) is carried by the local loop, the asymmetrical digital subscriber line (102) including a plurality of digital packets capable of carrying a plurality of derived digital telephone lines. The telecommunication system further includes a subscriber unit coupled to the asymmetrical digital subscriber line (102). The subscriber unit monitors the content of at least one of a plurality of data packets, receives an off-hook signal in response to an action of a user, and initiates a first arrived digital telephone line of the plurality of data to derived digital telephone lines in response to the off-hook signal.

Claims

1. ~A telecommunication system comprising:
a digital switch;
a local loop coupling the digital switch to a subscriber location, a segment of the local loop including copper twisted pair;
an asymmetrical digital subscriber line carried by the local loop, the asymmetrical digital subscriber line comprising a plurality of derived digital telephone lines;
and a subscriber unit, coupled to the asymmetrical digital subscriber line, for accessing and monitoring the plurality of derived digital telephone lines and for conducting a voice call over at least one of the derived digital telephone lines.

2. ~The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of derived digital telephone lines includes a first derived digital telephone line and a second derived digital telephone line and wherein the subscriber unit is operable to initiate the second derived digital telephone line for connection to the digital switch when the first derived digital telephone line is simultaneously communicating with the digital switch.

3. ~The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a processor and a display unit in communication with the processor.

4. ~The telecommunication system of claim 3 wherein the display unit is capable of displaying a plurality of data relating to an outgoing call.

5. ~The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein the processor is capable of receiving and decoding caller identification data relating to the identity of an incoming taller and the display unit is capable of displaying a plurality of data relating to an incoming call.

6. The telecommunication system of claim 5 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a call memory, in communication with the processor, for storing the plurality of data relating to an incoming call for a plurality of incoming calls

7. The telecommunication system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of data relating to the incoming call includes data indicating if the incoming call includes facsimile message.

8. The telecommunication system of claim 3 wherein the display unit is capable of displaying a plurality of call control options.

9. The telecommunication system of claim 8 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a plurality of additional keys adjacent to the display unit, the plurality of keys operable by the user to activate selected ones of the call control options displayed adjacent thereto.

10. The telecommunication system of claim 3 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a call memory for storing the plurality of data relating to an outgoing call for a plurality of outgoing calls.

11. The telecommunication system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of data relating to the outgoing call includes a duration of the call for at least one of the plurality of outgoing calls.

12. The telecommunication system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of data relating to the outgoing call includes a destination telephone number of the call for at least one of the plurality of outgoing calls.

13. The telecommunication system of claim 12 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a data interface unit for downloading a plurality of stored data to an external device.

14. The telecommunication system of claim 3 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a smart card interface unit capable of accepting and communicating with a smart card.

15. The telecommunication system of claim 14 wherein the processor is capable of downloading a plurality of smart card data from a smart card inserted in the telephone, the smart card data including data associated with the user.

16. The telecommunication system of claim 3 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a keyboard and wherein the telecommunication system is capable of communication with a first data service over the asymmetrical digital subscriber line.

17. The telecommunication system of claim 16 wherein the communication with the first data service over the asymmetrical digital subscriber line uses data packets that do not correspond to the plurality of derived digital telephone lines.

18. The telecommunication system of claim 17 wherein the subscriber unit further comprises a display driver for driving a remote display device.

19. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein the subscriber unit includes a visual indicator device for indicating if the first derived digital line is in use.

20. The telecommunication system of claim 1 wherein the asymmetrical digital subscriber line further includes at least one data channel for carrying data signals not related to the plurality of derived digital telephone lines.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of derived digital telephone lines wherein the subscriber unit is operable to initiate a first of the plurality of derived digital telephone lines for connection to the digital switch when the first derived digital telephone line is simultaneously communicating with the digital switch.