GB1589721A - Communication apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO COMMUNICATION APPARATUS (71) We, CARES (COMMUNICA TIONS) LIMITED, a British Company of, Rutland House, 148 Edmund Street, Birmingham B3 2JR, West Midlands, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to electrical communication apparatus. The apparatus is a development of that which is the subject of our Patent No. 1,528,349 and our copending Application No. 14264/76 (Serial No. 1589212).

In Patent No. 1,528,349 we have described and claimed a communication apparatus comprising (1) a plurality of electrical signalling units (therein called residents' units) installed, or adapted for installation at respective residences of a group of residents and each including means for generating at least a primary call signal and a reassurance indicator means, and (2) a transponder-indicator unit installed, or adapted for installation at a station (therein called the sub-station) in the locality of the group and connected, or adapted for connection to the residents' units, such transponder-indicator unit including (a) means for generating, in response to a primary call signal received from any of said residents' units, at least a secondary call signal for transmission to a guardian's unit and (b) indicator means for identifying the source of the primary call signal, the secondary call signal being of a form to be sensed by the guardian's unit to alert the guardian to the requirement to attend or procure the attendance at the calling resident's premises, the reassurance indicator means of each resident's unit being responsive to operation of the transponder-indicator unit by a primary call signal from said residents' unit, to indicate to the resident that such operation has taken place.

In one embodiment of this apparatus the transponder-indicator unit at the sub-station includes an automatic telephone machine operable in response to a primary call signal from any one of the residents' units to generate a dialling code applicable to a telephone receiver at the guardian's station and to transmit a pre-recorded message alerting the guardian to the fact that a resident requires attention.

The term "resident" was used in the specification of our Patent No. 1,528,349 and is used herein to denote a person resident in a dwelling house, flat, room or rooms.

The term "guardian" was used in our said Patent and is used herein in the singular but is to be deemed to include more than one guardian where the circumstances so require. It was contemplated that such guardian might be an appropriate member of an existing organisation such as the Fire Service, the Post Office, the Police, Age Concern, Voluntary Service Organisations such as, but not restricted to, the Samaritans, or a person employed privately for carrying out guardian's duties.

In our Application No. 14264/76 (Serial No. 1589212) we have described and claimed a communication apparatus comprising a plurality of electrical signalling units (therein called residents' units) installed, or adapted for installation at respective residences of a group of residents and each including means for generating at least a primary call signal in response to some activity on the part of the resident, and a responder-indicator unit installed, or adapted for installation at a station (therein called the sub-station) in the locality of the group and connected, or adapted for connection to the residents' units, such responderindicator unit including a combination of timing means and indicator means responsive to said primary call signal to indicate the source of the primary call signal and to provide at thc end of a time period determined by the timing means one indication in the event of a primary call signal having been received within said period and another, different indication in the event of no primary call signal having been received within said period.It was also disclosed in this Application that the sub-station may be provided with an automatic telephone machine operable in response to a primary call signal from any one of the residents' units automatically to generate a dialling code applicable to a telephone receiver at a guardian's station remote from the sub-station and to transmit a pre-recorded message to the guardian alerting the guardian to the fact that a resident needs attention.

It was disclosed in our Patent No.

1,528,349 that the residents' units could include a telephone instrument comprising a microphone and headphone embodied in a handset normally resting on a cradle containing a switch presenting a closed circuit condition, which circuit is opened upon lifting the handset. One way of generating a primary call signal at a resident's unit in this case would be for the resident to lift the telephone handset to bring about an open circuit condition on a line connecting the resident's unit with the transponder-indicator unit at the sub-station and thereafter an automatic telephone machine incorporated in the transponder-indicator unit, as described above, would be operated to send a prerecorded message to the guardian's unit, and hence to the guardian, who would attend or procure attendance at the particular resi dence from which the call emanated.

The development in accordance with the present invention is based upon an appreciation of the fact that the circumstances of many residents who may be users of such apparatus are such that they would benefit from a less restricted form of communication with the guardian such as can be conducted over the outside post office telephone system, and yet the expcnse of renting such equipment and paying for the telephone calls would be beyond the means of such residents.

The object of the present invention is to provide a form of communication apparatus which more nearly meets this need than those hitherto available and yet does not involve the residents in high personal expenditure.

According to the present invention we provide a communication apparatus com prising (1) a plurality of electrical signalling units (herein called residents' units) installed, or adapted for installation at respective residences of a group of residents and each including (a) transducer means for effecting two-way speech communication and (b) means for generating a primary call signal when the resident concerned wishes to bring such transducer means into use, and (2) a transponder unit installed, or adapted for installation at a station (herein called the sub-station) in the locality of the group and connected, or adapted for connection to the residents' units, such transponder unit including an automatic dialling machine operable in response to the incidence of a primary call signal from any one of the resident's units automatically to dial via an outside (post office) telephone line the number of a telephone at a guardian's station and means operable to establish speech communication via said outside line between the calling resident and a guardian answering said telephone.

A primary call signal may be generated by a change in the condition of a circuit connecting each of the residents' units with the transponder unit as by operation of a switch in such circuit converting same from open circuit to closed circuit condition or vice versa. Conveniently, but not essentially, said switch of each resident's unit may be a switch which is operated in response to removal of a telephone handset (incorporating the said transducer means of the unit) from a cradle or rest upon which it is normally carried.

It would, however, be within the scope of the present invention for a primary call signal to be generated by some other means forming part of the transducer means of each resident's unit or separate therefrom. For example, a simple press-button switch intended to be manually operated may be provided, such switch being required to be operated momentarily or possibly held in an operated position against biasing means normally urging it to an unoperated position. Alternatively switch means, for example relay operated, may be operated in response to the resident speaking into the transducer means so that the transponder is brought into operation without the resident having to perform any other action but speaking. In such a case the resident's unit or the transponder unit would necessarily include means for preventing unwanted response to speech or other noise in the resident's premises.

The development in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a circuit diagram of one embodiment of communication apparatus incorporating the development.

Referring to the drawing, a group of residents to be served by the communication apparatus of this example may reside in different types of premises as disclosed in our Patent No. 1,528,349 aforesaid, and at each of such residences a resident's unit would be provided, two of these being shown typically at 10A, 10B. For simplicity the residents' units are shown as comprising transducer means in the form of telephone handsets TA, TB and respective cradle switches CSA, CSB which are normally open and are closed upon lifting the handset concerned from its supporting cradle, the handset incorporating the earpiece and microphone.It will, however, be understood that more than one such telephone handset and associated cradle switch may be provided to constitute a resident's unit where the resident concerned occupies a house or flat incorporating a number of rooms and may be situated in any of these at the time at which speech communication with the guardian is required.

The residents' units are connected by con ductor means 11A to 14A and 11B to 14B for the two units respectively to a transponder unit 13 which is situated at an appropriate sub-station in the vicinity of the group of residences (or may be situated in one of such residences if desired).

The transponder unit at the sub-station is energised from alternating current mains at terminals T1, T2 and includes a power supply circuit 14 incorporating a relatively low voltage rechargeable battery B 1, for example of 24 volts, which is maintained charged by a charging device 15, the arrangement being such that the unit would still be operative in the event of mains failure.

Further features of this example are best understood by describing its manner of operation which is as follows.

Assuming that the resident utilising unit 10A wishes to establish speech communication with the guardian, the resident concerned lifts the telephone handset from its cradle. thereby closing switch CSA, and causing relay AR to become energised via contacts MR1. The relay is maintained in the energised condition by operation of contacts ThAR4 opening with respect to the upper fixed contact and closing with respect to the lower fixed contact.

Contact TA3 closes, energising master relay MR, and contacts T7l and TA2 also close to establish connectlon along the speech circuit from the transducer TA to an automatic telephone machine ATM incorporated in the unit 13.

Master relay contacts MR1 open to ensure that no other resident can produce a response in the transducer unit so long as it is in use by the resident using unit 10A.

Operation of contacts MR2 opening with respect to the upper fixed contact and closing with respect to the lower fixed contact establishes a momentary charging current to the capacitor C1 through resistors R3 and R2 and a positive pulse at the junction of these resistors is applied to the base of transistor TR1 and from the emitter collector circuit of the latter to the base of TR2 causing the latter to conduct for a short period sufficient to energise and operate dial-out relay DOR.

Closure of contacts DOR1 and DOR2 starts the automatic telephone machine and energises a sensor S. The machine then dials the number of the guardian's unit, namely an ordinary Post Office telephone receiver, to which the machine becomes connected via a Post Office telephone line. The sensor S is responsive to a parameter which is generated when the guardian answers, i.e. lifts the handset of the telephone receiver, to energise relay SR which then closes its normally open contacts SR1 and SR2 thereby connecting the speech circuit directly to the Post Office telephone line. Speech communication can therefore take place directly between the guardian and the calling resident, e.g. using unit 10A, and a telephone conversation of any duration can be held.

Prior to the guardian answering there will have been on the telephone line firstly a dialling signal generated by the automatic telephone machine and then a ringing signal generated at the telephone exchange, and the sensor may be such as to remain in its unoperated condition during continuance of these signals and to become operative after a predetermined interval (greater than the interval between bursts of ringing signal).

Such an interval will occur when the guardian lifts the handset of his telephone receiver whereupon the sensor becomes operative to energise its relay SR and establish communication, by closure of the contacts SR1, SR2, between the calling resident and the guardian.

The sensor could comprise a diode circuit and a capacitor charged by a rectified output of the dialling and ringing signals, amplified if necessary, this output controlling a transistor switching circuit to hold the said circuit non-conducting during such signals. A discharge circuit having a time constant selected to allow the output to fall to a value for switching on the transistor switching circuit comes into operation when the signals have ceased for a predetermined interval as referred to above, to cause the voltage across the capacitor to fall to a value such that the switching circuit becomes conducting. The switching circuit then switches on the relay SR.

Switching on of the relay SR also opens normally closed contacts SR3 and SR4 to disconnect the sensor S from the telephone line so that speech between the resident and the guardian does not cause the diode circuit to switch off the switching circuit and thereby deenergise relay SR and open the speech circuit.

When the handset TA is replaced by the resident concerned, opening of cradle switch CSA causes relay T+ and hence master relay MR to de-energise and drop out. The atuomatic telephone machine ATM becomes disconnected from the resident's unit by opening of contacts TRI and TR2 and switch DOR2 opens to de-energise the sensor Sso that the contacts SRl, SR2 open to disconnect the speech circuit from the telephone line and the contacts SR3, SR4 return to their normally closed positions to recon nect the sensor to the line.

It will be evident that in this example it is necessary only to rent a single post office telephone line from the sub-station to the guardian's residence and yet speech communication is possible between any of the residents of the group and the guardian.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Communication apparatus comprising (1) a plurality of electrical signalling units (herein called residents' units) installed, or adapted for installation at respective residences of a group of residents and each including (a) transducer means for effecting two-way speech communication and (b) means for generating a primary call signal when the resident concerned wishes to bring such transducer means into use. and (2) a transponder unit installed, or adapted for installation at a station (herein called the sub-station) in the locality of the group and connected, or adapted for connection to the residents' units, such transponder unit including an automatic dialling machine operable in response to the incidence of a primary call signal from any one of the resident's units automatically to dial via an outside (post office) telephone line the number of a telephone at a guardian's station and means operable to establish speech communication via said outside line between the calling resident and a guardian answering said telephone.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the generation of a primary call signal is effected by a change in the condition of a circuit connecting each of the residents' units with the transponder unit.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said change is produced by operation of a switch in said circuit converting same from open circuit to closed circuit condition or vice versa.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said switch of each resident's unit is a switch which is operated in response to removal of a telephone handset (incorporating the said transducer means of the unit) from a cradle or rest upon which it is normally carried.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for automatically establishing speech communication between the calling resident and the guardian comprises means operable to sense when the guardian answers and thereupon to provide for such communication.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the said sensing means comprises means operable to sense cessation of a ringing signal which occurs when the guardian answers, and thereupon to close a circuit connecting a telephone of the calling resident's unit to the telephone line.

7. Communication apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. atuomatic telephone machine ATM becomes disconnected from the resident's unit by opening of contacts TRI and TR2 and switch DOR2 opens to de-energise the sensor Sso that the contacts SRl, SR2 open to disconnect the speech circuit from the telephone line and the contacts SR3, SR4 return to their normally closed positions to recon nect the sensor to the line. It will be evident that in this example it is necessary only to rent a single post office telephone line from the sub-station to the guardian's residence and yet speech communication is possible between any of the residents of the group and the guardian. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Communication apparatus comprising (1) a plurality of electrical signalling units (herein called residents' units) installed, or adapted for installation at respective residences of a group of residents and each including (a) transducer means for effecting two-way speech communication and (b) means for generating a primary call signal when the resident concerned wishes to bring such transducer means into use. and (2) a transponder unit installed, or adapted for installation at a station (herein called the sub-station) in the locality of the group and connected, or adapted for connection to the residents' units, such transponder unit including an automatic dialling machine operable in response to the incidence of a primary call signal from any one of the resident's units automatically to dial via an outside (post office) telephone line the number of a telephone at a guardian's station and means operable to establish speech communication via said outside line between the calling resident and a guardian answering said telephone.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the generation of a primary call signal is effected by a change in the condition of a circuit connecting each of the residents' units with the transponder unit.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein said change is produced by operation of a switch in said circuit converting same from open circuit to closed circuit condition or vice versa.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein said switch of each resident's unit is a switch which is operated in response to removal of a telephone handset (incorporating the said transducer means of the unit) from a cradle or rest upon which it is normally carried.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for automatically establishing speech communication between the calling resident and the guardian comprises means operable to sense when the guardian answers and thereupon to provide for such communication.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the said sensing means comprises means operable to sense cessation of a ringing signal which occurs when the guardian answers, and thereupon to close a circuit connecting a telephone of the calling resident's unit to the telephone line.

7. Communication apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.