Patent · US Expired

Modem pooling system for communicating between a telephone and a plurality of data terminals

US5339355A · kind A · utility

41Cited by
1References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 19, 1991
Grant dateAug 16, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 19, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M11/06
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a key telephone system in which a plurality of data terminals 371 . . . 37n such as personal computers are connected to a key service unit 1 connected to a plurality of telephone lines 251 . . . 25m, a modem 43 is pooled so as to be usable in common for the plural data terminals 371 . . . 37n. In response to a called party number signal from the Telephone line (e.g. 251), the key service unit 1 selects a single data terminal among the data terminals 371 . . . 37n now being in standby status, and closes a communication channel between the selected data terminal (e g 371) and the modem 43, so that a status equivalent to that where the selected data terminal 371 and the modem 43 are directly connected to each other can be established. Thereafter, the key service unit 1 indicates a called party number signal reception to the modem 43, and the modem 43 transmits a call to the selected data terminal 371. When the selected data terminal 371 responds to the call from this modem 43, the key service unit 1 closes a communication channel between the modem 43 and the telephone line 251, so that a communication link between the selected data terminal 371 and the telephone line 251 can be est…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.