Station line switching control system

Abstract

A station controller for use in a telephone system includes a plurality of digital telephone stations comprising one or more multi-station pick up groups, each having a primary station and one or more associated secondary stations for picking up calls to the primary station. The secondary stations generate a pick up signal to initiate pick up of a call to the primary station and have indicating lights or the like. A centrex exchange is connected to a station controller through a digital carrier link and the station controller is connected to the telephone stations by digital links. The station controller includes a monitor for monitoring the status of each primary station and generating a status signal, and controls the status of the indicators of the secondary stations responsive to the status signals. Also provided are a first data store for sequentially storing incoming data groups from the carrier link, a second data store for sequentially storing incoming data groups from the digital links responsive to polling of such links, a translator for transferring data from the second storage corresponding to a secondary station to the carrier link responsive to a status signal indicating a call to a primary station and responsive to a pick up signal from the secondary station to establish through the controller communication between such secondary station and the channel in the carrier link initiating the call to the primary station. A timer is provided for timing signal transfer with and within the station controller and the timer derives its framing and phasing from the carrier link.