Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Masaki Hara

Shoji Suzuki

Shinji Tsuchida

Minoru Ogata

Osamu Hirata

Tsutomu Nishino

Disclosed is a communication system which accommodates at least one central office network line and a plurality of extensions, and which is adapted to control line connection between the central office network line and the plurality of extensions. When a call from the central office network line is detected, it is determined in response to the call whether a control signal characteristic of data communication, such as a CST signal, is being sent by the other party's device. If such a control signal is being sent, a line to which a data processor is connected is selected and connected to the calling line. This makes it possible to connect an information processor and a telephone to a common central office network line, and to connect a call answered by another telephone to a desired information processor rapidly through a simple operation. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to assign a special-purpose central office network line to an information processor. When the information processor is not in use, therefore, another telephone may employ the same line. This improves the efficiency of line utilization.

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Tokyo, PA, United States of America

Masaki Hara