Siemens Information & Communication Networks, Inc.

Rolm Company

Rolm Systems

Tave P Dunn

Elie Antoun Jreij

William E Levene

Michael J Horowitz

David C Iglehart

Leland A Lester

Larry A Stell

Robert D Whittington

Timothy L Wilson

David C Black

Gary R Key

Norman Endick

Daniel Bryan Kelly

William F Dunn, Jr

Jack D Collins

Richard M Ludwin

Werner Huber

Peter E Gersing

Access is granted to a portion of a computing system, such as to a configuration menu of a telephone system. In order to grant access, a password is received from a user. A variable password is also calculated. The variable password varies with time. For example, the variable password varies with a current date and with a time of day stored by the computing system. The password received from the user is compared with the calculated variable password. When the password received from the user is equal to the calculated variable password, access is granted.

Method and system for providing password protection

A method and system for distinguishing valid DTMF signals from spurious DTMF noise includes detecting signals having a first signal component indicative of DTMF signals and having a second signal component having frequencies unrelated to DTMF frequencies. The second component is utilized in isolation from the DTMF frequencies of the first signal component. The analysis includes determining a signal level representative of the second signal component. If the signal level exceeds a predetermined threshold level, the first signal component is determined to be spurious noise. On the other hand, if the signal level is below the threshold level, the first signal component is passed to a DTMF-responsive system, such as a voicemail system or a voice response unit. Optionally, the operation includes requesting confirmation of the signal of interest, if the signal level of the second signal component falls within a range which includes the threshold level as its upper limit.

Method and system for distinguishing valid DTMF signals from spurious

A telephone having key/light control logic which enables independent and dual usage of physical key/light pairs. Firmware within the telephone's key and light control logic is provided access to special tables which have definitions for each key. When a key is depressed, a feature activation code is sent uplink to notify the PBX of the user's action. In response to receipt of the feature activation code, the PBX returns a feature indication. When the telephone receives the feature indication, it scans the tables and turns on all lights for which the feature indication matches the key definition. Within the tables, an extra definition is maintained for the standalone light. This definition is downloaded by the switch at phone initialization time along with the key definitions. If the switch defines a key definition as 'local' then the user programs the definition of that key either via the phone keypad or through an application. The independent or dual usage of a light is achieved by using a special case code in the phone firmware when the lights are being lit via feature indications from the switch. If the feature indication matches the key definition for the key reserved, for example, for Mute, then the light is lit only if the key is a locally defined key. In this way, lights for local keys will always match their key definition. Conversely, if the feature indication matches the definition for the standalone light, the light next to the Mute key is lit only if the key is system defined.

Allowing stand-alone and local control of a single LED

A method apparatus for selectively passing various types of telephony information between a data communications port on a digital telephone and a computer run application program. In one embodiment, the application program can select a subset of telephony events by way of a telephony command to the telephone's data communication port. This command is processed by a telephony command processor within the data communications controller which, in turn, sets a programmable event mask within the telephone. In response to the event mask being set, only the selected telephony events are spontaneously reported to the host computer and application program.

Method and apparatus for masking the reporting of network telephony

The present invention is a digital telephone control interface system that provides a programmable control to the keys of a digital feature telephone. The programmable control selectively masks the keys present on a telephone and prevents masked keys from being directly responded to by the telephone or routed to the telephone switching network. While the keys are masked, the programmable control can suppress, delay, modify or enhance the key events produced by the masked keys as directed by the application software being run by the programmable control.

Digital telephone control interface system

A method and apparatus for escaping from transparent mode in which the Data Communication Equipment will escape from transparent mode (into command mode) if a user programmed escape character string is received in coincidence with the toggling of a control signal such as Request To Send (RTS). Advantageously, this escape method can be used in conjunction with time/data escape methods that are based soley on activity on the received data line. When the two methods are used together, a supervisor program or control device can force an escape notwithstanding the user programmed time constraint parameters in the DCC.

Escape sequence using monitoring of control signal states

A method and apparatus for connecting a programmable computing device to a digital telephone via an adapter. The digital telephone includes an option bay connection, having a hierarchical control protocol. The option bay connection makes available several types of information including local analog audio, and analog voice, digital voice, digital data and telephone control streams. The adapter passes the telephony control data to and from a programmable computing device such as a personal computer, enabling an application operating on the computing device to control or monitor the operation of the telephone. The adapter includes a microcontroller and an interface for a serial port and can thus be connected to the serial port of the programmable computing device.

Option bus adapter

A telephone includes means for switching the LEDs, on the face of the phone, between a normal operating mode in which the lights indicate the status of telephony features, such as mute or hold, to a diagnostic operating mode in which the LEDs indicate the status of the telephone's data communications signals. The modes are toggled by entry of a code on the telephone keypad or by way of a command from a workstation coupled to the telephone by way of a data communications port.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Tave P Dunn