GB2239767A

GB2239767A - A method of controlling incoming calls on a telecopier

Info

Publication number: GB2239767A
Application number: GB9024104A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philippe Charbonnier
Original assignee: Sagem SA
Current assignee: Sagem SA
Priority date: 1989-11-07
Filing date: 1990-11-06
Publication date: 1991-07-10
Anticipated expiration: 2010-11-06
Also published as: BE1005337A0; IT9067871A0; DE4035383A1; FR2654280A3; IT1241007B; GB9024104D0; GB2239767B; FR2654280B3; IT9067871A1; ES2024338A6

Abstract

The invention relates to the control of telephone and telecopy calls coming in on a conventional telecopier 1. When an incoming call arrives at the telecopier, the telecopier takes the telephone line 2 to which it is connected and the call is identified by a module 8 which may eg. recognise speech, 1100Hz or the telecopier protocols. If it is a telecopy call, the telecopy function is put into operation. If it is a telephone call, a loudspeaker 10 is actuated in order to alert an operator. The operator actuates a key 9 for telephone recovery between pages, which puts the telephone set 3, which is associated with the telecopier, on line and stops the loudspeaker 10. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION A METHOD OF CONTROLLING INCOMING CALLS ON A TELECOPIER

The invention relates to a conventional telecopier and to a method of using this telecopier and, more particularly. to a method of controlling incoming calls.

A conventional telecopier is connected on the one hand to a telephone line and, on the other hand, to at least one associated telephone set. It also comprises a central processor, a data analysis module and a printer, a modem, a unit for switching the telephone line either to the associated set or to the modem, a module for recognising incoming calls, an electroacoustic transducer, a key for telephone recovery between pages, an incoming call indicator and a current detector in series with the associated set.

Generally. the incoming call indicator is disposed in parallel with the line of the associated set and the current detector is connected in series to the set between the latter and the indicator.

At rest. the state of the switching unit is such that the telephone set is connected to the telephone line.

Starting from this state of rest, the telephone set can take the line and an operator can speak to another party. Thanks to the current detector, the telecopy function may thus be inhibited. Again starting from this state of rest, the operator can modify the state of the switching unit in order to switch the telecopy components to the telephone line, transmit to another telecopier and inhibit the telephone function.

A problem arises when an incoming call arrives at the telecopier. But before going into this, it would be useful to detail the function of the key for telephone recovery between pages.

When the telecopier functions in telecopy mode and in transmission mode, reception at the receiving telecopier at the other end of the line may not be satisfactory. The operator of the receiving telecopier may thus wish to let the person at the transmitting end know this. The receiving operator thus transmits by way of his or her telecopier a signal for controlling the transducer of the transmitting telecopier. The operator of the transmitting telecopier, thus warned, may then enter into telephone contact with the other party by lifting the handset of the associated telephone set, but on condition of actuating the recovery key, which permits modification of the state of the switching unit and thus switching of the telephone line to the set. Without this actuation of the recovery key, the state of the switching unit would not be modified, since, in telecopy function, the set is not supplied with current. and lifting the handset has no effect on the central processor of the telecopier, which cannot loseell anything. It should be noted at this point that the transducer and the telephone recovery key permit the control of calls to a certain extent. But this control is limited to calls between telecopy pages, during the course of the telecopy function and the exchange protocol associated with this function.

As mentioned above, a problem arises when an incoming call arrives at the telecopier, the latter being at rest, the problem being to know whether the switching block should switch the telephone line to the telecopy equipment or to the telephone set.

It will be remembered that the telephone set of a conventional telecopier, whether said set is integrated therewith or connected thereto, is used to establish manually communications in telecopy mode when the telecopier is not equipped with a numbering machine, or when it ts necessary to go by way of an operator. It has already been shown that it also serves to take a telephone communication in the course of a telecopy transmission for an exchange of verbal comments. Finally, it is also of course used for telephoning in the normal manner when the telecopier is not operating as such.

The problem of incoming calls, that is to say of directing them to the telecopier itself or to the telephone set, arises above all when the telephone set can act in a normal manner and that the telephone line should thus be divided between this set and the telecopy equipment, in particular in the case of a low transmission speed of pages to be telecopied.

In order to solve this problem, two main solutions have already been proposed.

The first solution comprises dissociating the telephone set from the telecopier and providing a unit for enabling switching to an input which is connected to the telephone line and to two outputs connected respectively to the telecopier and the set. The latter switching unit comprises means for receiving, analysing and recognising incoming calls, means for generating ringing signals, means for transmitting these ringing signals to one or the other of its output connections, and a detector for detecting whether the receiver of the telephone set has been picked up. The advantage of such a switching unit resides in its independent character and its universal nature. However. one disadvantage which it has is its cost. not to speak of its weight. A bell ringing generator for a telephone set comprises, if it uses -5the mains voltage, a step-down transformer and a cadencer for generating an alternative signal at low frequency of between around 15 and 60 Hz. If not, it comprises an oscillator, an amplifier and a transformer. As far'as the receiver pick-up detector is concerned, this comprises a direct-current generator and a direct-current detector. As far as the ringing of the telecopier is concerned, it is supplied by an alternating voltage generator of several dozen effective volts.

The second solution consists of integrating the switching function into the telecopier. This function remains the same as that of the independent unit, with one difference. In the case of a telecopy call, the telecopier is of course not rung, and the telecopy function is immediately implemented. The advantage of integrated switching resides in the optimisation of the material and in good telecopy interlinking, but there is still the disadvantage resulting from the ringing of the telephone set.

A mixed solution has also been proposed which relates primarily to the second solution of integrated switching, with an offset switching function in a separate, non-universal unit, but without ringing of the telecopier, that is as in the second solution, the telecopy function being implemented using a special control wire.

There also exists a variant of the first solution having, in place of the ringing generator for the telephone set, means for actuating an electroacoustic or loudspeaker transducer. This solution implies that the switching box is located close to the telephone set, the actuation of the transducer warning the operator that a call is being made on the telephone set.

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the above described, previously proposed switching solutions.

To this end, the present invention provides a method of controlling telephone and telecopy calls coming in to a conventional telecopier, which is connected on the one hand to a telephone line, and, on the other hand, to at least one associated telephone set, and comprising also a central processor, a data analysis module and a printer, a modem, a unit for switching the telephone line either to the associated telephone set or to the modem, a module for recognising incoming calls, an electroacoustic transducer, a key for telephone recovery between pages, an incoming call indicator and a current detector in series with the associated set. in a state of rest, the switching block being arranged so as to permit the set to be on line and to inhibit the telecopy function of the telecopier by way of the current detector, the telecopier being able alternatively to take the line and, when an incoming call arrives at the telecopier, following the actuation of the call indicator, an electroacoustic transducer being actuated, the method comprising the steps wherein, when an incoming call arrives at the telecopler. the telecopier takes the line, the recognition module identifies the call and, if it is a telecopy call, the telecopy function is put into operation and, if it is a telephone call, the electroacoustic transducer of the telecopier is actuated in order to alert an operator, the telephone set being put on line following actuation by the operator of the key for telephone recovery between pages, which stops the operation of the transducer.

The method of controlling incoming calls of the invention was based on that of the variant of the first solution mentioned above, without ringing either of the telecopier or of the associated set. yet without its disadvantages, since the switching of incoming calls is carried out only by the existing components of the telecopier, thus without increasing the material costs. The operation of the transducer -8is stopped by the telephone recovery key without the need for a receiver pick-up detector with its generator and its direct-current detector.

It will be noted that, in the method of control of the invention, an incoming call only leads the telecopier to take the telephone line, while, normally, in a conventional telecopier of the prior art without a switching box, the telecopy function is immediately implemented on receipt of an incoming call.

In a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the telecopier does not take the telephone line until after a plurality, preferably two, of bursts or trains of signals for actuating or ringing from the call indicator.

Again preferably, the actuation of the electroacoustic transducer may only last a predetermined time, for example one minute. such that, if the operator is not in the vicinity of the telecopier, either the telecopy function is put into operation or the telecopier rings off.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description of a conventional telecopier and one method of controlling incoming calls in accordance with the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional telecopier. and Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of a method of operation of the telecopier in accordance with the present invention.

The telecopier 1 of Fig. 1 is connected to a telephone line 2 and a telephone set 3. It comprises a central processor 4, which is connected to a data analysis module or scanner 5, a printer 6 and a modem 7. The processor 4 is also connected to a module 8 for recognising the nature of the incoming calls, a key 9 for telephone recovery between pages, and an electroacoustic transducer 10.

The modem, which is a model of the R96 type from the Rockwell Company, is connected to the terminals of the secondary winding of a transformer 11, and comprises filters capable of being used by the processor 4 for putting into operation the telephone/telecopy switching function.

The transducer 10 may be of the buzzer type or, as in the type considered, a louddpeaker.

The recognising module 8 may be arranged for recognising the 1100 Hz frequency of telecopiers having numbering machines, in order to recognise speech or to observe the telecopy protocol.

1 1 The telephone line 2 enters the telecopier 1 and may be routed either to the modem 7 or to the telephone set 3 by a switch 12, which is controlled by the processor 4. A call indicator, or ringing detector, 13 is connected in parallel with the telephone set 3 and a current detector 14, which makes it possible to determine whether the set is on line or at rest. is connected in series with the set. between the latter and the indicator 13. The indicator 13 essentially comprises a photocoupler, which is connected to means in the processor 4 for evaluating the parameters of the signal, such as, for example, its frequency. The detector 14 essentially comprises a pair of photocouplg..rs which are. connected to other means in the processor 4 which make it possible to determine whether the handset of the telephone set 3 has been picked up or not.

Since the telecopier is a conventional telecopier, it will not be described in any further detail.

In the state of rest, the switch 12 is in the position which connects the line 2 to the telephone set 3. Referring to Fig. 2, starting from the state of rest (20), the set may be on line and may inhibit the telecopy function (21), or, alternatively. the telecopier may take the line (22). The telecopier may 1 -11return to this state of rest from each of these two states of communication (21, 22). When an incoming call arrives at the telecopier (23), it is detected (24) by the ringing detector 13. After, in this case, two trains of signals from the detector 13, the telecopier takes the line 2 (25) and the recognition module 8 identifies (26) the call, which may be a telecopy call or a telephone call. If it is a telecopy call (27), the telecopier moves to the telecopy communication state (22). If it is a telephone call (28), the telecopier moves to the operator alert state (29) and simulates a ringing on the transducer (10), in this case of a maximum duration of one minute. If the operator is absent (30), either the telecopy function is put into operation (31), or the telecopier rings off (32), the alternative being illustrated in Fig. 2 by the circulator 33.

If the operator'is present (34), he or she merely has to pick up the handset of the set 3 and press the key 9 for telephone recovery between pages (35) in order to put the set 3 on line (21) and to stop (36) operation of the transducer 10.

It will be noted that the connections 37, 38 shown between the telephone and telecopy states of communication 21, 22 in Fig. 2 illustrate respectively -12the function of telephone recovery between pages and the subsequent order to put the telecopy function into operation again.

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Claims

CLAIMS 1.A method of controlling telephone and telecopy calls coming in to

a conventional telecopier which is connected on the one hand to a telephone line and, on the other hand, to at least one associated telephone set, and comprising also a central microprocessor, a data analysis module and a printer, a modem, a unit for switching the telephone line either to the associated set or to the modem, a module for recognising incoming calls, an electroacoustic transducer, a key for telephone recovery between pages, an incoming call indicator and a current detector in series with the associated set, in a state of rest, the switching block being arranged so as to permit the set to be on line and to inhibit the telecopying function of the telecopier by way of the current detector, the telecopier being able alternatively to take the line and, when an incoming call arrives at the telecopier, following the actuation of the call indicator, an electroacoustic transducer being actuated, the method comprising the steps wherein, when an incoming call arrives at the telecopier, the telecopier takes the line, the recognition module identifies the call, and, if it is a telecopy call, the telecopy function is implemented -14and, if it is a telephone call, the electroacoustic transducer of the telecopier is actuated in order to alert an operator, the telephone set being put on line following actuation by the operator of the key for telephone recovery between pages, which stops the operation of the transducer.
2. A method of control as claimed in claim 1, in which, when an incoming call arrives at the telecopier, it does not take the telephone line until after a plurality of trains of actuating signals from the call indicator.
3. A method of control as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the actuation of the transducer, if the call is a telephone call, only lasts a predetermined time.
4. A method of control as claimed in claim 3, in which, beyond said predetermined time, the telecopy function is put into operation.
5. A method of control as claimed in claim 3, in which, beyond said predetermined time, the telecopier rings off.
6. A method of controlling telephone and telecopy calls coming in to a conventional telecopier, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

----------------------------------------------------- Published 1991 atIbe Patent Office, State House. 66/71 High Holbom. London WCIR 47P. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch, Unit 6. Nine Mile Point Cwmfelinfach, Cross Keys, Newport, NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray. Kent.

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