JPH06113351A - Method for maintenance of telephone conversation in communication system network mutually connecting plurality of communication systems - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To maintain an established conference call by selecting a console participation station, that is most adaptive to a preset reference on the detection of a communication fault. CONSTITUTION: In the case that a central electronic bank(CEB) 102 of a smart phone interface(SPI) is entirely disconnected from an ambassador electronic bank(ABE) 101 due to a fault of a network, an ambassador interface multiplex interface(AIMI) 111 sets the CEB 102 to a local mode. The changeover to the local mode is informed to all operator multiplex interfaces(OMI) 114-115 of the CEB 102, receiving effects. In the case of the local mode. Since the full duplex communication is maintained only between the SPI 124 and a single OMI, the conference telephone call is maintained by only consoles 118-121 of a telephone line participation station connected via the SPI and of a conference participation station, connected longest to the same CEB 102 as the SPI 124.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly to a method of maintaining a busy telephone conversation when one or more communication systems have become disconnected from the communication network. Regarding

[0002]

Communication systems are well known in the art. Often, these systems take the form of RF (Radio Frequency) communication systems, which allow multiple mobile or portable communication devices to communicate by timely allocation of communication resources. Communication resources generally include radio frequencies, radio frequency pairs (for full-duplex communication), time slots in TDM (time division multiplex) systems, telephone lines, and the like.

The communication resource is a communication resource allocator for the base station.
It is provided by interconnecting the (allocator) and also makes the connections required for multiple consoles. The base station is typically a fixed transceiver (having both a transmitter and a receiver) and transmits RF signals at relatively high power in order to function in an appropriately wide coverage area.
The console is a control center that provides a dispatcher with one or more operator locations, each operator location including a plurality of channel control modules for controlling and monitoring associated communication resources. The number of base stations interconnected to a single communication resource allocator typically corresponds to the maximum number of communication resources that the system designer will expect to require at the same time. The communication resource allocator not only interconnects with base stations and consoles, but also with the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
It is also possible to provide an interface with a hed telephone network) so that system users can connect to the telephone line.

As a matter of course, a single communication system
The allocator can interconnect only a limited number of base stations, consoles, and telephone lines. Communication systems of the type described here have been particularly well received by public service organizations such as police and fire departments. These organizations use a heavy dispatcher-driven environment.
Not only do we need multiple consoles to support the equivalent of an environment), but we also utilize a large number of communication resources and thus need a proportional number of base stations. Also, large police agencies often assign their communication systems to relatively independent communication systems, typically those that operate within a particular terrain area, to maximize communication speed and efficiency. Hope to organize.

With this ever increasing demand for limited capabilities of communication systems that use a single communication resource allocator, communication with the ability to interconnect multiple individual communication resource allocators through a central processing multiplexer. The system network was developed. These communication systems / networks have considerable flexibility, often in central electronic banks or CEBs (central e
A base station connected to different CEBs can be controlled from a console connected to one communication system allocator called an electric bank. Similarly, modern communication systems networks allow the console lines of one CEB to use the telephone lines of another CEB.

[0006]

However, one CEB
A problem arises when a conference call situation occurs involving a telephone interface connected to the and a console connected to another CEB. Conventional communication system / network
However, if the various CEBs involved in the conference call fail to connect to each other, the call will simply be dropped, probably even if one of the consoles is connected to the same CEB as the telephone interface. As a result, important communications are interrupted along the way. Therefore, if one of the participating consoles is connected to the same CEB as the telephone line interface, even after an interconnect failure is detected, there will be a demand for a way to sustain the call.

[0007]

This and other needs are substantially met by the method of the present invention. The present invention relates to a telephone line participant station (participant) in a communication system network composed of a plurality of communication systems interconnected via a central processing multiplexer.
t) and communication involving multiple console participants, if at least one of these console participants is directly connected to the same communication system as the telephone line participant, there is a communication network failure. Also provides a way to sustain ongoing communications. When the occurrence of a communication failure that impairs ongoing communication is detected, the console participant that best fits the preset criteria is selected to determine the selected participant. Communication is maintained such that only the telephone line participants and the elected participants remain.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A communication system network interconnecting a plurality of communication systems is described in US patent application Ser. No. 07 / 509,915 entitled "A Communica" assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
tion System Network, "attorney docket number CM-00
675H, filed April 16, 1990 in detail,
These techniques are also used in the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a communication system network (generally designated by 100) in which the method of the present invention can be implemented. The center of the network is the Ambassad Electronic Bank (Ambassad) by system designers.
or Electronics Bank: AEB) is a central processing multiplexer (101). Multiple individual communication resource allocators, called Central Electronic Banks or CEBs (102-104), can be connected to a single AEB to form a communication system network. In fact, up to 30 CEBs can be connected to a single AEB, but only 3 CEBs are shown for clarity.

Communication between CEB (102) and AEB (101) consists of a source ID (identification), a destination ID, and a P.
This is done via a TDM (Time Division Multiplex) bus structure (105) capable of transmitting voice in CM (Pulse Code Modulation) format. One TDM slot per frame is also reserved for system data.

In order to effectively manage a wide range of information transmitted by the TDM bus structure, an interface module including a microprocessor is used to make the network.
TDM bus interconnect (105-107) and each C
Performs signal and data formation and extraction through both the EB's internal TDM bus structure (not shown). For example, an ambassador board (AMB) (108-110) terminates the AEB side of the TDM bus (105-107) connected to the corresponding CEB (102-104). Each AMB
(108 to 110) are a microprocessor and a RAM
(Random access memory), ROM (read only memory), and signal (PCM audio signal) and system
It has an interface for both data.

The same applies to the TD between AEB and CEB
AIMI (Ambassada Interface Multiple Interface) (111-111) that constitutes the CEB side end of the M interconnection
This also applies to 113). Similarly, the console (118
~ 121) and their respective CEBs (102-104)
The OMI (Operator Multiple Interface) (114-117), which constitutes the interface to and from, uses microprocessor technology to accomplish its complex interface tasks.

One of the CEB (102) and its corresponding base station (122) (only one base station is shown for clarity, but many base stations are usually connected to a single CEB) The Base Interface Module (BIM) manages the voice and control interfaces by an integrated microprocessor to provide the necessary interfaces between and. The BIM (123) already contains a microprocessor, associated RAM and ROM, and circuitry necessary to process signals and data such as base station transmit and receive voice and control signals.
BIM is a nearly ideal platform for building interfaces that support other types of communication devices with voice input / output and control signals. For this reason, the BIM actually constitutes the control part of the SPI (Smart Phone Interface) (124). As shown in FIG. 1, the SPI (124) constitutes an interface between the CEB (102) and the telephone line (125), by which communication with the telephone subscriber (126) can be established. it can.

In practice, as indicated above, the SPI is
It is built by connecting the BIM to another circuit board that contains the necessary telephone interface circuitry. The BIM ROM containing the BIM operating software is removed and replaced with a new ROM containing the software needed to support the SPI application.
FIG. 2 shows the telephone interface sections of the SPI, and these telephone interface sections are generally designated by the numeral 200. The corresponding BIM is not shown for clarity,
Note that it is the combination of the BIM and the corresponding telephone interface circuitry (200) that builds the SPI.

The main interface between the BIM and the telephone circuitry (200) is connected to the BIM microprocessor control circuit (201) and BIM voice port (202). The BIM voice port (202) provides the transmitted voice, after extraction from the PCM format of the system TDM bus, to the telephone interface circuitry (200). This BIM voice is a balanced line
It is sent to the 2-wire (W) -4 wire converter (204) via (203). This converter (204) performs 2-wire to 4-wire conversion by well known techniques and converts BIM 4-wire voice to 2-wire for interconnection to a telephone line coupler (205). . This coupler is called MRTI (Motorola Radio Telephone Interface) and is a well-known FCC.
(Federal Communications Commission) Part 68 Acts as a telephone device.

The received voice from the converter (204) is BI
Telephone line voice, ring tone,
It is gated by a receive (RX) voice selection circuitry which allows selection among guard tones and the like. The BIM microprocessor interface is necessary for proper management of the telephone interface circuitry (200), such as OFF HOOK or
Signals such as RING ENABEL are included, which are gated to MRTI (205) or other suitable circuitry via control and steering logic circuits (207).

In actual operation, if a particular console operator (eg, 119 in FIG. 1) desires to access the telephone line for making a call, then the OMI (115) associated with that particular console (119). ) Is TD
Issue an off-hook request to the M bus. The off-hook refresh signal must be sent periodically, otherwise the SPI times out and goes on-hook again. In this mode, often referred to as private mode, the calling OMI (115) becomes the controlling OMI and the SPI simply ignores messages from other OMIs.

A particularly interesting situation arises during conference mode, where up to four OMIs can off-hook a single SPI. Console operators that support these OMIs will be call participants with telephone line participants interconnected via SPI. Due to the nature of the network interconnection by AEB (101), the CBEs can communicate with each other, so that the console participating stations are different C
It may be EB. Needless to say, this is CEB
Is in global mode, that is, when the CEB is in a functional state and interconnected with the AEB.

In order to explain the principle, the first console
The operator (121) sends S through the AEB (101).
By issuing an off-hook request on the TDM bus to route to PI (124), the OMI (11
Suppose that a call is initiated via 7). Other console operators (118-120) then join the communication in a conference call format. The first OMI that hooks the SPI (124) off-hook in order to prevent the SPI from being flooded with regular off-hook refresh signal transmission.
(117) is designated as the main OMI, and it becomes possible to independently respond to the transmission of the off-hook refresh signal. SPI is
All O off-hook to this SPI for conference calls
A list of MIs is maintained along with the length of time each OMI has been in the conference. Participating OMI can not only support different CEB, but also main OMI (117)
Need not be the same CEB (102) as SPI (124). Due to the capability of AEB (101), this system allows full duplex of SPI and up to 4 OMIs.
plex) Conference communication can be maintained. In fact,
Although the AEB can actually handle more than four OMIs in full duplex, the preferred embodiment considers four OMs to account for the overall system impact of multiple conference participants.
I set a limit of I.

If the primary OMI (117) fails to send the required periodic off-hook refresh signal, the SPI (124) attempts to find a new primary OMI so that the conference call is not dropped. CEB of SPI (102)
Loss of AEB summing power if a network failure affecting the connection between the AEB (101) and the AEB (101) or a malfunction of the AEB (101) itself caused the refresh request failure. Means that it will not be able to support full-duplex conferences of four OMI participants. Therefore, the SPI (124) is the OM inside the CEB (102) of the SPI itself that has participated in the conference call for the longest time.
I (114, for example) and look at this OMI (11
4) to become the new primary OMI. SPI CEB (102) is AEB due to network failure
If completely separated from (101), A
IMI (111) puts CEB (102) in local mode. This switch to local mode will cause all OMIs (114-11) of the affected CEB (102).
5). When in local mode, full-duplex can only be maintained between SPI (124) and one OMI, so the conference call is identical to the telephone line participant connected via SPI and SPI (124). CEB
It is maintained only on the console of the longest conference participant connected to (102).

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the process of maintaining a conference call in the manner described above. After establishing a public conference call (block 301), the SPI maintains a list of participating OMIs, including a record of each OPM's participation time (block 3).
02). If no periodic off-hook request from the primary OMI is received (block 303), the SPI requests the OMI that is the longest conference participant and is included in the same CEB as the SPI to become the new primary OMI. (Block 304), the conference call is maintained with the SPI and the new primary OMI as participants. Of course, unless there is a system failure that impairs communication (that is, the failure is only for the previous primary OMI), the conference phone will stop sending the on-hook refresh signal.
Except for MI, it can continue among all remaining participating stations.

Of course, in order to add some kindness to the process, the communication system alerts the disconnected OMI in much the same way that the telephone system notifies the caller of the abnormal condition by a recording message. As soon as it is issued, it can be explained to the rest of the OMI's console operators. Alerts can, of course, be visually displayed via the console operator's channel control module (CCM) and can also include tone alerts. A combination of recorded messages, audible indications, and tone alerts would also be effective.

[0023]

With the above-mentioned application, the conference telephone established through the complicated communication system network can be maintained even in the case of system failure, so that important message traffic can be maintained. The chances of successful transmission are high.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system network in which a plurality of communication systems are interconnected.

[Fig. 2] Smart phone interface (Smart
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a telephone interface circuit mechanism which constitutes a part of a Phone Interface)

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a call maintenance operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 Communication System / Network 101 Central Processing Multiplexer (Ambassada Electronic Bank (AEB)) 102-104 Communication Resource Allocator (Central Electronic Bank (CEB)) 105 TDM Bus Structure 108-110 Ambassador Board (AMB) 111-113 Ambassador Interface Multiple Interface 114-117 Operator Multiple Interface 118-121 Console 122 Base Station 123 Base Interface Module (BI
M) 125 telephone line 126 telephone subscriber 200 telephone interface circuit 201 BIM microprocessor control circuit 202 BIM voice port 203 balanced line 204 2-wire to 4-wire converter 205 telephone line coupler

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Lawrence M. Mole, North Whittingham Lane, 1900, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA (72) Inventor Gerald A. Le Drokka Parkerside, Illinois, USA 1254 (72) Inventor Jeffrey Jay Blanchett North Middleton Avenue 195, Palatine, Illinois, USA

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of communication systems (102-10) interconnected via a central processing multiplexer (101).
4) communication system network (10)
0), the communication includes a telephone line participant (126) and a plurality of console participants (118-121),
At least one of the console participating stations (118 to 121) is directly connected to the same communication system (102) as the telephone line participating station (126) so that the ongoing communication can be performed even if there is a failure in the network. A method of sustaining: (a) detecting the occurrence of a network failure that impairs ongoing communication; (b) the plurality of console participating stations to obtain a selective participating station (118). And (c) only the telephone line participating station (126) and the selected participating station (118) remain, from among (118-121), the console participating station that best fits the preset criteria. A method of sustaining ongoing communication, comprising: maintaining communication. 2. The network fault is a fault in the interconnection between the central processing multiplexer (101) and one or more communication systems (102-104). The described communication sustaining method. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network failure is an internal failure of the central processing multiplexer (101). 4. A communication system (102) in which the preset standard is the same as a telephone line participating station (126).
The method of claim 1, further comprising a direct connection to. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the preset criteria comprises a maximum duration of participation in the communication. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a conference call. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: (d) alerting the call participants to the status of the call. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein alerting the call participant includes providing a prerecorded voice message that specifies call status. 9. A plurality of communication systems (102-104)
In a communication system network (100) interconnected via a central processing multiplexer (101), each of said plurality of communication systems (102-104): interconnected with at least one base station (122). Means (123); and means (114) for interconnecting with at least one console (118); at least one (102) of the plurality of communication systems (102-104) is a telephone line (125). In a communication system network, including means (124) for interconnecting with, when a call participant interconnected with a different communication system is disconnected due to a network failure,
A method of maintaining an ongoing telephone call including one telephone line participant (126) and one or more console operator participants (118-121), said method comprising: (a) a console operator. Recording the participating console operator positions (118-119) directly connected to the same communication system (102) as the telephone line (125) to provide a position record; (b) a selection console operator Selecting the console operator position that is the longest call participant from the recorded console operator positions to provide the position (118); and (c) network failure. When a call is detected, the call includes only the telephone line participant (126) and the selected console operator location (118) Wherein in that it is composed; sea urchin, the step of maintaining a telephone call. 10. A plurality of communication systems (102-10).
4) in a communication system network (100) interconnected via a central processing multiplexer (101), each of the plurality of communication systems (102-104): mutual connection with at least one base station (122). Means for connecting (123); and means (114) for interconnecting with at least one console (118); at least the plurality of communication systems (102-104)
In a communication system network, at least one of which (102) comprises means (124) for interconnecting with a telephone line (125), a call participant interconnected with a different communication system is a network failure. One telephone line participant (126) and one or more console operator participants (118-12) when disconnected for
1) A device for maintaining an ongoing telephone call involving 1) a telephone line (125) on the same communication system (102) as to provide a record of console operator position. Means for recording the directly connected participating console operator positions (118-119); the longest call from the recorded console operator positions to provide a selected console operator position (118). Means for selecting a console operator location that is a participating station; and when a network failure is detected, the call includes only the telephone line participant station (126) and the selected console operator location (118) A device for maintaining telephone calls.