FR2639168A3 - Device for detection and notification of a telephone user of the sending of a data communication message intended for him - Google Patents

Abstract

Device enabling a telephone user to be notified of the sending, during his absence or otherwise, of a data communication message intended for him, by a particular server centre emitting a characteristic signal distinguished by the number or nature of rings which it generates at the user's location, characterised in that it comprises: - an electronic unit 6 for detecting the said rings; - a timer 7 intended for calibrating the said characteristic rings emitted, - a memory 8, associated with a reset unit 9 and intended for storing the information emitted by the timer 7 when the latter generates an analogue signal dependent on the period separating two consecutive rings, - a unit 10 for sensorial restoration of the said notification and activated by the said memory 8.

Description

DETECTION AND INFORMATION DEVICE OF A USER OF THE
TELEPHONE FOR SENDING A TELENATIC MESSAGE TO HIM
DESTINED.

 The present invention relates to a new type of detection and information device, capable of indicating to a telephone user, the sending, in particular during his absence, of a telematic message which is sent to him by a determined server center.

 There are currently known devices capable of detecting and indicating the sending of telephone calls in the absence of the user. These devices mainly consist of a ring current detection device and are not capable of distinguishing a particular call. They can also consist of a microphone, fixed or not by means of a suction cup on the telephone handset. For the same reasons as those previously described, such devices do not prove satisfactory for the detection of particular calls.

 There is also a device capable of recording a call and a message, the telephone answering machine.

This type of device, certainly quite suitable for telephone messages, can in no case select a particular call, and even less that of a server center. In addition, this type of device is still prohibitively short in order to allow widespread marketing.

 The present invention overcomes these drawbacks.

It offers an electronic device of simple production, capable of detecting a telematic message originating from a well-defined server center.

It proposes a device making it possible to inform a user of the telephone of the sending, during his absence or not, of a telematic message intended for him, by a particular server center emitting a distinctive characteristic signal by the number or the nature of the rings. that it generates in the user characterized in that it includes
- an electronic device for detecting said rings
- a timer, intended to calibrate the said characteristic ring tones emitted, making it possible to discriminate the nature of the ringer emitted,
- a memory associated with a reset device, intended to store the information sent by the timer when the latter generates a digital signal, a function of the duration separating two consecutive rings.

executive,
- an organ for sensory rendering of said information, activated by memory.

 In other words, the present invention is characterized in that a time delay device capable of detecting a particular ring or a determined number of rings is provided to a ring detection device.

Advantageously, in practice
- the calibrated duration of the timer is equal to the duration of two rings increased by the duration of the silence separating two consecutive rings;
- the sensory feedback device consists of an indicator light, or an audible alarm
- the device has a bypass circuit capable of allowing the ringing to be maintained when the corresponding call does not come from the particular server center
the device has a circuit comprising a handset detection device, said circuit being connected on the one hand upstream of the ring detector and on the other hand to an AND logic gate, the other input of which receives the information from the memory, said logic gate AND actuating a sensory restitution member constituted by a vibrator incorporated in the device;
- The device further comprises a second branch circuit, comprising a timer connecting the memory to the vibrator to obtain a reset of the latter.
- The device comprises a filtering member, capable of blocking the passage of the electric ringing signal in the direction of the telephone set, and for a duration equal to the time necessary to discriminate the type of call, namely, call from a host, or normal call
- This filtering device comprises an electrical circuit C, comprising a logic gate NO, and the two terminals of which are respectively located upstream of the timer and the latter, the two connections coming from these two terminals constituting the two inputs. an AND logic gate, the output signal of which corresponds to one of the inputs of an OR logic gate, the other input of which comes from a device for picking up the handset, the said OR logic gate actuating as a function of the logic signals input a digital switch, intended to ensure the closing of the circuit ensuring the routing of line and ringing currents at the telephone set.

 The manner in which the invention can be implemented and the advantages which ensue therefrom will emerge more clearly from the exemplary embodiments which follow, in support of the appended figures.

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the electrical circuit constituting the device according to the present invention
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of this same circuit, for another embodiment of the present invention.

 Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the circuit for a third embodiment of the present invention.

The electronic device according to the invention consists, as can be seen in FIG. 1, of an electrical circuit A comprising a plurality of members of well-defined function. This electrical circuit
A has at the moon level of its ends a plug of the male-female pull-out type (4), intended on the one hand to be plugged into the telephone wall socket (5), and on the other hand to receive the socket (3) a telephone set (1). The electrical circuit A includes in series
- a ringing detector (6), more precisely detecting a ringing electric current,
- a timer (7), intended to measure the duration corresponding to a ring and to the time interval separating two consecutive rings and compare it with a determined duration; if this duration is at most equal to a so-called validation duration, the timer (7) transmits a digital signal, constituting usable information
- a memory (8), intended to store said usable information coming from the timer (7), said memory being associated with a reset member (9), constituted in this embodiment by a push button, capable of '' be operated by the user of the telephone,
- A sensory restitution member (10) constituted in this embodiment by an indicator light, and lighting up when it receives an electric current from the memory (8).

 The entire device is powered by batteries (not shown). However, it is possible to extract directly from the telephone network the energy necessary for the operation of the device, taking into account the fact that its supply does not require currents of intensity greater than 5 milliamps. In this case, the device is equipped with an electrical energy storage organ (not shown) of the accumulator or capacitor type, which is charged during the non-use of the line, and which is capable, after storage of the electrical energy supplied by the line, to restore a current of 5 milliamps when the time comes.

 Thus, when a particular server center wishes to send information of any kind to one of its users, subscribed to the telephone, it goes through the switched telephone network, effectively generating a characteristic signal, distinguished by the number of ringtones emitted by said user, one in this case. The detector (6) detects the ringing current generated concomitantly, in turn generating an analog signal whose duration is directly proportional to the duration of said ringing. This analog signal becomes zero again at the end of a ring. The signal, consisting of a ring and the silence following this ring, is then analyzed by the timer (7), which is constituted by an electronic circuit making it possible to calibrate a given signal with respect to time. ) emits a digital signal corresponding for example to the logic value 1, when the duration of the analog signal emitted by the detector (6) is at most equal to the basic calibrated duration, fixed beforehand. This new signal transmitted is then stored in the memory (8), before allowing the supply of the indicator light (10), indicating to the user that he has received a message from a particular server center, the latter being known.

In order to know the content of this message, the user reconnects with said server center, for example by means of a MINITEL type terminal. In addition, he supports.

on the push button of the reset device (9) of the memory (8), in order to "reset" its particular call detector thus defined.

 It goes without saying that the sensory restitution organ could be constituted by any means emitting a signal, both visible and audible, but nevertheless, in order to make the device according to the invention worthy of interest, in particular when the user is absent, we prefer a light indicator.

One can for example provide the transmission by the telephone exchange, on the order of the server center of a single ring
In another embodiment, represented in FIG. 2, a circuit B is placed in parallel with the circuit A described above, basically comprising a line current detector (11), that is to say a detector capable of detecting the direct current generating the tone, when you lift the handset (2) from the telephone set (1). Circuit B has a bypass point with circuit A upstream of the ring detector (6), the signals emitted by the two circuits A and B constituting the two inputs of an AND logic gate (12), the output of which activates a vibrator (13) located, for example in the handset (2).

 Thus, when the user picks up the handset (2), and if in his absence, a server center has caused the activation of circuit A according to the mode described above, lifting the handset (2) causes the mission of a signal, which causes, in combination with the signal generated by circuit A, the opening of the AND logic gate (12), therefore the activation of the vibrator (13).

 In an even more advanced version of the present invention, a timer (14) is placed between the vibrator (13) and the memory (8), which when the vibrator (13) is activated, generates an analog signal causing the reset to zero. of said memory (8), the latter being constituted, in a known manner, by a bistable rocker.

 In a different embodiment, such as that shown in FIG. 3, the device is provided with a filtering member capable of blocking the passage of the electric ringing signal in the direction of the telephone (1), for a duration equal to the time necessary to discriminate the type of call, namely the call from the host center or a normal call, called trivialized. If the ringtone lasts longer than the call from a server, the ringing signal is routed to the telephone (1), thus allowing the user to receive the call.

This filtering device is for example composed of a branch circuit C on circuit A, the two terminals of which are common with circuit A are respectively located upstream of the timer (7) and at the level of the timer (7) itself. even. The connection from the timer (7) is connected to a NON logic gate (15), the latter being itself connected to one of the inputs of an AND logic gate (16). The other input of this AND gate (16) corresponds to the connection of the bypass
C starting upstream of the timer (7).

The output signal from the AND gate (16) is then routed to one of the inputs of a logic gate
OR (17), the other input of which is supplied by the output signal of the line current detector (11). The output signal from the OR logic gate (17) causes, depending on its value, the closing or not of a switch (18), consisting of a digital switch. The latter ensures the closing, when it is engaged, of a circuit allowing then the actuation of the telephone ringing present in the receiving station (1).

 In fact, when the timer (7) detects a signal which does not correspond to the calibrated duration signal, as described above, it emits a digital signal of logic value Q, transforming by passing through the gate NO (15) into a value logic 1. In addition, when simultaneously, the ring detector (6) detects a ring current, it also sends a signal of logical value 1 at the AND logic gate (16), effectively involving the generation of output of said door (16) a signal of logic value 1.

 Therefore, the OR logic gate (17) generates a digital signal of value 1, capable of causing the closure of the switch (18), and therefore the telephone ringing at the station (1), and even the possibility for station (1) to take the line. The other input of the OR logic gate (17) also causes the switch (18) to close when a line current is detected, that is to say when the handset is lifted.

 Thus, when the subscriber is present, it is not necessary for him to move unnecessarily to his extension (1) when a call from the particular server center is intended for him. In fact, in this case, no telephone bell rings, since the logic signal from the timer (7) this time has a value equal to 1, therefore o & the input of the AND gate (15), blocking consequently any possibility of ringing.

In an even more advanced embodiment of the present invention, where the automatic exchange or the telephone exchange are capable of generating modular ring tones, in frequency or in duration, on the order of a server center, it is possible, by providing the device according to the invention with a ringing discriminator, to obtain a greater amount of information transmitted by the server center (s). Indeed, the device described above is provided with another branch circuit , commonly called bypass, allowing, after discrimination of the current ringtones of the particular ringtones by the said discriminator, on the one hand to let the telephone set ring when the ringtones considered are current, the bypass circuit then being closed, and on the other hand to provide various information, described later, the particular ringtones then being processed by means of a microprocessor ur
In fact a multitude of information can then be materialized by as many indicator lights, or even by means of a liquid crystal screen. Indeed, insofar as the telephone exchange, or the automatic branch exchange is able to generate any form of ringing - in the user, the host center can give the order to generate, for example, two consecutive rings, the duration of the intermediate silence depending on elements such as date, time, etc.

 In a variant, it is possible to envisage generating sequences of rings, of variable duration and frequency, making it possible to establish a real code, processed at the level of the detection device by the microprocessor, the last "translating" then this code in clear , by means of indicator lights, each having a particular meaning. i can for example determine the origin of the call, the nature of the message, its degree of urgency, etc ...

 The device thus produced is then able to automatically control, through a server center, the start-up of household appliances, heating, etc. Likewise, it can allow, by actuating a referral system based for example on a relay, to route a call to a specific receiving station, and in particular to discriminate calls and transfer them either to a conventional telephone set, either to a fax machine.

 The device according to the present invention offers a plurality of advantages over the systems known to date. Mention may in particular be made of the fact that the dialogue between, the transmitter and the receiver is limited to only the "code" identifying the transmitter. Indeed, the message corresponding to the sender's call is directly consulted on the server center by a MINITEL type terminal, or even by telephone.

Claims (7)

 1 / Device making it possible to inform a telephone user of the sending, during his absence or not, of a telematic message intended for him, by a particular server center emitting a distinctive characteristic signal by the number or nature of the rings that '' it generates in the user characterized in that it includes:  - an electronic device for detecting said rings (6)  - a timer (7), intended to calibrate the said characteristic ring tones emitted, making it possible to discriminate their nature  - a memory (8) associated with a reset device (9), intended to store the information transmitted by the timer (7) when the latter generates an analog signal, function of the duration separating two consecutive rings,  - a sensory restitution organ (10) of said information, actuated by memory (8).  2 / Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the calibrated delay time is equal to the duration of two rings increased by the duration of the silence separating two consecutive rings.  3 / Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the sensory rendering member (10) is chosen from the group consisting of an indicator light and an audible alarm.  4 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has an electrical circuit B in parallel, comprising a detection member (11) of the handset off-hook (2), said circuit connecting to firstly upstream of the ring detector (6) and secondly, to an AND logic gate (12), the other input of which receives information from the memory (8), the so-called AND logic gate (12 ) actuating a sensory restitution member (13) constituted by a vibrator incorporated in the device.  5 / Device-according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a second branch circuit, comprising a timer (14) connecting the memory (8) to the vibrator (13) to obtain a reset of it- this.  6 / Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a filtering member, capable of blocking the passage of the electric ringing signal in the direction of the telephone set, and for a duration equal to the time required & discrimination of the type of call, namely, the call from a host, or a normal call.  7 / Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the filtering member consists of an electrical circuit C in parallel with the circuit A, comprising a logic gate NO (15), and the two terminals of which are respectively located upstream of the timer (7) and at the latter, the two connections coming from these two terminals constituting the two inputs of an AND logic gate (16), the output signal of which corresponds to one of the inputs d '' a logical door OR (17), the other input of which comes from a device for detecting (11) the handset being lifted (2), the said OR logic gate (17) actuating a digital switch as a function of the logic input signals 18), intended to ensure the closure of the circuit ensuring the routing of the line and ringing currents at the telephone set (2).