Conklin Instrument Corporation

Duncan Bruce

Charles E Conklin

A communication bridge joining a primary communication channel to a plurality of secondary communication channels has electrically operated switches in series with the respective ports to the secondary communication channels. Control signals applied to the primary channel are utilized to address the bridge and to selectively drop or add secondary ports. Additionally a loopback circuit can be connected and disconnected in the primary port.

Data bridge with gating and/or testing

DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) activated apparatus for remote switching and testing of a four-wire telephone line system is disclosed. The telephone line provides four-wire service between a first location and a plurality of second remote locations. By using a standard twelve button or expanded sixteen button telephone DTMF key pad, the switching and testing apparatus provides the capability at the first location of controlling switching circuits at any one of the remote locations. Each remote switching and testing circuit is provided with a DTMF detector and digital logic responsive to the detector for recognizing an assigned address code and any one of the command codes corresponding to the looped mode, the terminated mode, the milliwatt source mode, and the in-data mode. A programmable three digit address, for example, allows use of up to one thousand switching and testing circuits on one line. When the digital logic of a switching and testing circuit recognizes its assigned address, the circuit is enabled to respond to a following command code which causes the circuit to assume the corresponding mode. In addition to the four codes for each of the four modes of the switching and testing circuit, there is a 'master reset' code which allows all units, or all units within a group, to be returned to the in-data mode.

DTMF Activated remote telephone line switching and testing

Apparatus for remote switching and testing of a four-wire telephone line system is disclosed. The telephone line provides four-wire service between a first location and one or more second remote locations. The switching and testing apparatus provides the capability at the first location of controlling switching circuits at the remote location and making tests of the telephone line system including customer installed equipment. The telephone line, which will include a dedicated transmission path through at least one telephone company central office, is terminated at the respective customer premises by a terminating unit which provides a connection of customer installed equipment to the four-wire line. The customer installed equipment at one of the remote customer premises may include a plurality of modems which are connected to the four-wire lines by means of a distribution bridge and collection bridge pair, also known as a split data bridge, which serves to branch the four-wire line into a plurality of channels connected to the modems. Each channel can be provided with a tone activated detection circuit which may be separately addressed by a multi-frequency tone generator at the first customer premise. This tone activated detection circuit controls switching circuits to provide loop-back related tests such as conventional four-wire loop-back, data-streaming dropout or quiet termination, and a milliwatt test signal source in a predetermined sequence on command. Thus, each channel can be individually addressed, tested and dropped or returned to service as appropriate, all on command from the first location.

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Renssalaer, NY, United States of America

Duncan Bruce