Con-x Corporation

Hard Engineering, Inc.

Douglas G Hard

Bryan K Kennedy

Arthur O Miller

Wesley D Rogers

A remotely controlled cross-connection switching matrix, particularly suited for telephone systems, has a jumper pin picker and placement mechanism selectively movable along each of three axes under the control of a single drive motor translating a single drive cable over a series of pulleys. Movement along the selected axis is effected by braking movement along the other two axes. The system provides a &ldquo;soft dial tone&rdquo; to prospective telephone subscribers' premises having cable pairs permanently connected to the matrix. The cable pair for the calling prospective subscriber is automatically identified at the matrix in response to an off-hook status for that prospective subscriber, and the cable pair identification data is automatically transmitted to the telephone business office. Stored information at the business office for the premises of the identified cable pair is automatically displayed for the telephone company representative responding to a request for service by the calling prospective subscriber. The matrix also permits remote selective connection of unused telephone lines to a test bus connected between the matrix and the central office, thereby permitting automatic, remotely controlled testing of those lines. Improved security of the facility containing the matrix is provided by a feature permitting remote control over the facility door lock.

Cross-connect method and apparatus

Automatic facility information transfer to remote locations in cross-connect systems is accomplished by providing limited telephone services to wired premises not having permanent telephone service by enabling 911 calls, calls requesting permanent service, operator-assisted telephone company credit card calls, and calls to repair/maintenance centers from personnel in the field. In response to off-hook conditions at prospective subscriber premises or service personnel handsets connected to cable pairs in the field, limited telephone services are provided by a matrix system. Cable pair designations and the dialed telephone number are ascertained to respectively access a database and look-up table to retrieve facility information and protocol information for subsequent transmission of the calling line telephone number and facility information to a paging system. The paging system transmits the information to the telephone company business office, emergency center, or repair/maintenance service center being dialed. Telephone company credit card calls are transferred to an operator for conventional processing. In parallel with the paging transmission, calls progress through the network with the calling line telephone number inserted into the call for display at the calling destination. A representative at the calling destination verifies calling line telephone numbers received from the paging system and displayed at a paging device against calling line telephone numbers received from the telephone network and displayed at a workstation. An alternative embodiment utilizes four wire modems to retrieve facility information from an administrative workstation for storage in the matrix system and transfer to the calling destination.

Method and apparatus for a cross-connect system with automatic facility information transference to a remote location

A remotely controlled cross-connection switching matrix, particularly suited for telephone systems, has a jumper pin picker and placement mechanism selectively movable along each of three axes under the control of a single drive motor translating a single drive cable over a series of pulleys. Movement along the selected axis is effected by braking movement along the other two axes. The system provides a 'soft dial tone' to prospective telephone subscribers' premises having cable pairs permanently connected to the matrix. The cable pair for the calling prospective subscriber is automatically identified at the matrix in response to an off-hook status for that prospective subscriber, and the cable pair identification data is automatically transmitted to the telephone business office. Stored information at the business office for the premises of the identified cable pair is automatically displayed for the telephone company representative responding to a request for service by the calling prospective subscriber. The matrix also permits remote selective connection of unused telephone lines to a test bus connected between the matrix and the central office, thereby permitting automatic, remotely controlled testing of those lines. Improved security of the facility containing the matrix is provided by a feature permitting remote control over the facility door lock.

Method and apparatus for a cross-connect system with automatic facility

A switching matrix includes at least two parallel circuit boards each having plural conductive traces and multiple matrix holes therethrough arranged to permit traces on one board to be connected to traces on the second board. Connection is achieved by means of a flexible non-conductive circuit jumper pin having a resilient conductive sleeve arranged to extend between an aligned pair of holes in the two boards. The holes are conductively plated to define female contacts to radially compress the conductive sleeve. Circuit jumper pins may be moved between different matrix positions manually or by a pick and place mechanism controlled from a remote location. In one embodiment, serving as a telephone cross-connect switch, connections are made in pairs, therebeing four circuit boards and two conductive sleeves on each pin, each sleeve interconnecting a pair of traces on a respective pair of boards. In this embodiment the pins are inserted to the first board and external connections to the matrix are made via plug-end connectors at the fourth board. Connections between the first and fourth boards are provided by jumper rods extending through aligned jumper holes defined in each board. Housekeeping holes are provided at the matrix periphery to jump signals between the first and second boards and between the third and fourth boards.

Cross-connect system

Switch-over block adapter

An adapter for providing electrical access to individual circuits of a telephone circuit cable head is disclosed. The adapter has an elongated rectangular housing and is intended for placement between rows of receptacles of the cable head and protective plugs that mate with the cable head. Five sets of pins and sockets per receptacle are supported by the housing, with the pins for each set extending downward from a lower planar surface for engagement with sockets of the cable head and sockets for each set extending inward from an upper planar surface. Three sets of pins and sockets for each receptacle are connected to one another, providing uninterrupted electrical contact. The other two, coupled to tip and ring wires, are interrupted by a gap leaving pin and socket ends within the housing. These ends have wires joined to them, the wires extending outward for connection to test equipment. The wires in turn are coupled to a connector half for use with computerized test equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Fayetteville, TN, United States of America

Douglas G Hard