Tone Commander Systems, Inc.

Tone Commanders Systems, Inc.

Victor M De Pinto

Richard J Ullakko

John D Gillen

Stephen R Hill

A multi-link intercom system having a large number of stations selectively connected to one of eight links by respective station controllers. When a calling station goes off-hook, its station controller connects the station to the first available link during the one of four link access periods corresponding to that link. The calling station then applies appropriate signals to the link identifying the called station. These signals are decoded by a link controller for the link which generates called station address signals during its corresponding link access period. All of the link controllers generate called station address signals on the same bus, but the signals are time multiplexed to occur during a portion of each link access period corresponding to each link. The station controller for the called station recognizes its address and connects its station to the link corresponding to the portion of the link access period in which the station address was received. Two-way communication between the calling and called station is then effected. Each of the station controllers utilizes a pair of self-contained controller circuits which are inherently adapted to operate with four link access periods and selectively connect its station to one of four audio links. The system includes circuitry for allowing two of the four-cycle, four-link controller circuits to operate in parallel utilizing relatively few additional signal lines as compared to a four-link system.

Expandable link telephone intercom system

The system receives subscriber station address information in the form of frequency coded tone signals transmitted from a calling station along a common intercom circuit, and selectively accesses a called subscriber station having a corresponding station address in order to produce a call indication ring-out thereat. The system is comprised of decoder circuitry including a digital multi-frequency tone detector for receiving and decoding station address information transmitted from a calling station, and access circuitry operatively associated with the tone detector for routing an appropriate call indication signal to the called station. Signals which appear at the output of the tone detector are delivered to the access circuitry which, in turn, initiates the call indication sequence and routes additional signals back to the tone detector for controlling it during call indication. The system is suitable for use with 10, 19, 36 or varying numbers of subscriber stations and may include, for applications having more than 10 subscriber stations, appropriate transfer and associated output control circuitry for double digit operation.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Victor M De Pinto