FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Our present invention relates to a switching network interfacing call-control equipment of a telephone exchange with a party line serving two subscriber sets, the line being a two-conductor loop each of whose conductors is normally connected to a respective set and includes a line relay having contacts which in an unoperated state of that line relay are closed to connect the respectively other conductor to the subscriber set associated therewith. As is customary in such systems, each subscriber set includes a hook switch which is operable to ground the associated conductor when the subscriber starts to make an outgoing call or responds to an incoming one; in the operated state of either line relay, the associated set is connected across the line loop to the exclusion of the opposite set.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A problem with such a party line is the fact that, when one subscriber leaves the receiver off its hook or does not properly restore it after the termination or abortion of a call, the other subscriber is denied access to the line. The art knows various means enabling an exchange to recognize such an off-hook condition in the absence of activity on the associated line and to generate a command isolating that subscriber set in such a case in order to make the line available to the other subscriber.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of our present invention is to provide means facilitating such an isolation in a telephone system in which communication between subscribers takes place in recurrent time slots assigned to them.

Another object is to provide means in such a system for balancing a continuous line current in a transformer provided at the exchange for coupling such a loop to a voice path.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A switching network according to our invention, interfacing a two-conductor line loop with call-control circuitry at an exchange, comprises a line transformer having first and second subscriber-side windings respectively in series with a first and a second conductor of the line loop and further having an exchange-side winding connected across a voice path. First and second high-ohmic resistors as well as first and second low-ohmic resistors are respectively inserted in the first and second conductors in series with the corresponding subscriber-side windings. The operation of a hook switch by either of the two subscribers served by the line loop is detected by first and second line-monitoring means respectively connected across the corresponding low-ohmic resistors. These conductors are normally connected to a source of operating potential in an unoperated condition of respective first and second selection or "busy" relays whereby a grounding of either conductor by the hook switch of the associated set causes a current flow insufficient to operate the respective line relay but sufficient to be detected by the respective line-monitoring means for the emission of a respective engagement signal, namely a first engagement signal from the first line-monitoring means or a second engagement signal from the second line-monitoring means. The first and second line conductors are respectively addressed, at different instants, by first and second scanning pulses periodically emitted by the call-control circuitry of the exchange, these scanning pulses recurring normally at a relatively slow rate or cadence (e.g. every 312 milliseconds) but being accelerated to a relatively fast recurrence rate (e.g. every 125 microseconds) in response to a detected off-hook condition. Such acceleration is accompanied by the assignment of a time slot to the set found to be in off-hook condition for enabling its communication with the aforementioned voice path; the detection of the off-hook condition of a respective subscriber set is made possible by first and second gating means respectively responsive to the first and second scanning pulses for passing either the first engagement signal or the second engagement signal to the call-control circuitry. We further provide first and second holding means respectively connected between the first and second gating means and the first and second selection relays for operating either of these relays in response to a scanning of the respective engagement signal at the relatively fast rate, such operation short-circuiting the corresponding high-ohmic resistor with resulting intensification of current flow and operation of either the first or the second line relay as the case may be. When the exchange ascertains the existence of an off-hook condition in the absence of activity in a time slot assigned to the subscriber set found in that condition, its call-control circuitry emits an isolation command concurrently with a first or a second scanning pulse--depending on which set is off-hook--to activate first or second inhibiting means for blocking the first or the second gating means in the presence of the corresponding engagement signal, thereby restoring the respective selection relay to its unoperated condition with resulting release of the associated line relay.

The first and second holding means may comprise respective integrators inserted in energizing circuits of the associated selection relays.

The aforementioned inhibiting means may respectively comprise a first and a second flip-flop unblocking the associated gating means in a reset state, the first flip-flop being settable by the isolation command in the presence of a first scanning pulse and the first engagement signal, the second flip-flop being settable by such isolation command in the presence of a second scanning pulse and the second engagement signal. The two flip-flops are then resettable by the disappearance of the respective engagement signals.

According to a further feature of our invention, the switching network may comprise first and second timing means respectively triggerable by the associated gating means for preventing a resetting of the corresponding flip-flops, after a setting thereof, during a predetermined interval exceeding the release time of the associated line relays in order to prevent a premature termination of the isolation of the subscriber set found to be abnormally off-hook. Each timing means may comprise a first monostable circuit or monoflop trippable by a scanning pulse, with an off-normal period exceeding the recurrence period of the fast but not the slow scanning pulses, and a second monoflop trippable by another scanning pulse in the off-normal condition of the first monoflop in order to measure the aforementioned delay interval.

Pursuant to yet another feature of our invention, the switching network comprises a first and a second generator of direct current connected to auxiliary winding means of the line transformer, these generators being respectively operable under the control of the associated selection or "busy" relays to energize the auxiliary winding means with a biasing current of a polarity balancing a continous line current which traverses the loop conductors in the operated state of one or the other selection relay. These generators may respectively comprise a first and a second transistor with a base/emitter circuit connected across the corresponding low-ohmic resistor, the two transistors having collectors connected to opposite terminals of the auxiliary winding means. The generators may further include unidirectional conductive elements, preferably Zener diodes, connected in antiparallel relationship with the transistors thereof.

Still another feature of our invention resides in the use of opto-electronic couplers as the first and second line-monitoring means. Such an arrangement can also be used to detect the flow of line current, indicative of the response of a called subscriber, between call signals from a source of ringing current at the exchange whose call-control circuitry includes further relay means for switching either of the two loop conductors from the associated subscriber-side winding to that source via a respective branch lead in the presence of an incoming call addressed to the associated subscriber. A capacitor in this branch lead passes the ringing current and is shunted by resistance means traversed by direct current in an off-hook condition due to a response by the called subscriber; a d-c sensor connected across part of the resistance means may comprise a second opto-electronic coupler. The two couplers may be provided with a common output circuit connected across a d-c supply which is short-circuitable upon conduction of either coupler to generate the engagement signal also serving as an acknowledgment of the incoming call.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other features of our invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram showing a party line, shared by two subscribers, connected to an exchange which is provided with our improved switching network;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the switching network of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram more particularly illustrating certain components of the network of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram detailing the ringing circuit.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram detailing the bias circuit.

Specific Description

In FIG. 1 we have shown two subscriber sets U₁, U₂ each connected, in a quiescent state, to an associated conductor a, b of a line loop extending to a switching network CI in a telephone exchange CT also comprising call-control circuitry CCT. Network CI communicates with circuitry CCT via a two-way bus HWS, serving as a voice path, and receives timing and call signals as well as isolation commands from that circuitry by way of a bus TC while transmitting its own signals to circuitry CCT via a bus SB.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1 is a conventional party-line box SD with two line relays RA, RB whose windings, shunted by capacitors C_a and C_b, are respectively inserted in conductors a and b. In the unoperated condition of line relay RA, an armature ra' thereof connects a lead of subscriber set U₂ via line relay RB to conductor b while another armature ra" grounds a lead of subscriber set u₁. Analogously, line relay RB has an armature rb' normally connecting a lead of set U₁ through relay RA to conductor a while another armature rb" grounds a lead of set U₂.

In conformity with common practice, the lifting of a telephone receiver of set U₁ closes a hook switch thereof to extend ground to conductor a whereby line relay RA is energized upon the short-circuiting of a high-ohmic resistor in line with this conductor at the exchange, as more fully described hereinafter; the operation of relay RA then connects set U₁ across loop a, b while disconnecting the set U₂ therefrom. Closure of the hook switch of set U₂, with line relay RA unoperated, has the analogous effect of connecting this set across the loop while disconnecting set U₁ therefrom as soon as another high-ohmic resistor in series with conductor b is short-circuited to bring on the relay RB.

As shown in FIG. 2, the line loop is closed at the exchange for voice currents by way of two subscriber-side windings 1 and 2 interconnected by a capacitor C₁₂, these windings being part of a line transformer T with an exchange-side winding 4 connected to voice path HWS via a conventional subscriber filter FU. Switching network CI comprises two ringing circuits RC₁ and RC₂, respectively connected to branch leads of conductors a and b, which are responsive to a low-frequency call signal sc emitted via bus TC by circuitry CCT (FIG. 1) in the event of an incoming call. Conductors a and b are further connected, via the associated transformer windings 1 and 2, to respective line monitors RI₁ and RI₂. A decoder DEC, also having an input connected to bus TC, emits scanning pulses u₁ and u₂ --respectively addressed to subscribers U₁ and U₂ of FIG. 1--to gating and inhibiting circuits AI₁, AI₂ as well as to a concentrator CO which further receives engagement signals i₁ and i₂ from line monitors RI₁, RI₂ as well as call-acknowledging signals r₁ and r₂ from ringing circuits RC₁, RC₂. With the circuit arrangement described hereinafter in connection with FIG. 4, acknowledgment signals r₁ and r₂ are identical with engagement signals i₁ and i₂, respectively. Decoder DEC also emits, under certain conditions described hereinafter, inhibiting commands coinciding with either of scanning pulses u₁ and u₂.

A further component of switching network CI is a biasing circuit CC with inputs connected to conductors a, b and with an output connection across an auxiliary winding 3 of line transformer T. The structure and operation of this biasing circuit will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 5.

Network components AI₁, AI₂ and CO are more fully illustrated in FIG. 3 which shows conductors a and b normally connected, via respective armatures re₂ and re₁ of selection relays RE₂ and RE₁, to a source of operating voltage of -48 V in series with high-ohmic resistors RR₁ ', RR₁ ", transformer windings 1, 2 and low-ohmic resistors RR₂ ', RR₂ ". Normally open armature contacts re₁ ', re₁ " and re₂ ", re₂ " of selection or "busy" relays RE₁ and RE₂ lie in shunt with resistors RR₁ ' and RR₁ ", respectively. Thus, the operation of either selection relay short-circuits both high-ohmic resistors to intensify the flow of continuous line current through the loop from ground in box SD (FIG. 1) via a closed hook switch, conductor a or b, winding 1 or 2 and low-ohmic resistor RR₂ " or RR₂ " via a back contact of the unoperated selection relay to negative battery. This energizes the corresponding line relay RA or RB and results in the aforedescribed switchover whereby the ground of box SD is replaced by the grounding of the other conductor via armature re₁ or re₂.

Line monitors RI₁ and RI₂ are shown to have inputs respectively connected across low-ohmic resistors RR₂ ' and RR₂ " while having inverted outputs generating the respective engagement signal i₁ or i₂ as a binary "0" in response to a voltage drop across the associated resistor. Signal i₁ is applied to an inverting input of an AND gate A₅ and a noninverting input of an AND gate A₁₀ while signal i₂ similarly goes to inverting and noninverting inputs of two AND gates A₆ and A₁₁. Gates A₅ and A₆, forming part of concentrator CO, work through an OR gate OG thereof into signal bus SB and have noninverting inputs connected to the outputs of respective AND gates A₃ and A₄. Gate A₃ has an input connected to the reset output Q of a flip-flop FF₁ with a setting input S connected to the output of an AND gate A₁ and with a resetting input R joined to the output of gate A₁₀ ; the other input of gate A₃ is tied to an output lead of decoder DEC (FIG. 2) carrying the scanning pulses u₁. In a completely analogous manner, gate A₄ has an input connected to a reset output Q of a flip-flop FF₂ with a setting input S energizable by an AND gate A₂ and a resetting input R connected to the output of gate A₁₁ ; the second input of gate A₄ receives the scanning pulses u₂ from the decoder. The output of gate A₃ is further connected, in parallel, to a holding circuit M₁ and to a trigger input of a monoflop RS₁ whose output terminates at an input of an AND gate A₇ which has another input connected, in parallel with one of gate A₁, to the output of gate A₃. Gate A₇ works into a trigger input of another monoflop MS₁ whose output is connected in parallel to an input of a NOR gate A₉, a further inverting input of AND gate A₆ and a resetting input R of a corresponding monoflop MS₂ in cascade with a monoflop RS₂ by way of an AND gate A₈ whose triggering input is tied to the output of gate A₄. The connections of monoflops RS₂ and MS₂ as well as gates A₂, A₄ and A₈ are analogous to those of monoflops RS₁ and MS₁ as well as gates A₁, A₃ and A₇, with gate A₄ also working into a holding circuit M₂ while the output of monoflop MS₂ extends to NOR gate A₉, a further inverting input of gate A₅ and a resetting input R of companion monoflop MS₁. NOR gate A₉ feeds two other inputs of AND gates A₁₀ and A₁₁. Finally, gates A₁ and A₂ have further inputs connected to the output of decoder DEC which carries the isolation commands in.

Scanning pulses u₁ and u₂ are periodically emitted by circuitry CCT (FIG. 1), with intervention of decoder DEC (FIG. 2), at a normal slow rate with a period of 312 msecs in an exchange assumed to serve 2,000 subscribers. With flip-flops FF₁ and FF₂ reset, these relatively staggered pulses reach the respective holding circuits M₁ and M₂ whose inverting outputs are connected to a source of operating voltage of +12 V via the windings of the respective selection relays RE₁ and RE₂. These holding circuits are designed as integrators whose time constant is short with reference to the aformentioned slow-scanning recurrence period whereby the associated selection relays RE₁ and RE₂ will remain unoperated. Monoflops RS₁ and RS₂, triggered by the trailing edges of the respective scanning pulses u₁ and u₂ passed by gates A₇ and A₈, have off-normal periods less than 312 msecs whereby gates A₇ and A₈ will remain cut off along with the second-stage monoflops MS₁ and MS₂. The off-normal periods of the latter monoflops exceed the release times of line relays RA and RB (FIG. 1) which, in some instances, might exceed 2 seconds.

When, say, line monitor RI₁ detects a voltage drop across resistor RR₂ ' indicating closure of the hook switch of subscriber U₁, it emits the engagement signal i₁ of logical value "0" which blocks the gate A₁₀ but renders the gate A₅ conductive in the quiescent state of monoflop MS₂.

Gate A₅ transmits to circuitry CCT (FIG. 1) the engagement signal i₁ whereupon the exchange switches the pulses u₁ from their slow cadence to a fast rate with a recurrence period of 125 msecs. This recurrence period is less than the off-normal period of first-stage monoflop RS₁ whereby a pulse u₁, following the one which triggers this monoflop, will pass through gate A₇ to trigger the second-state monoflop MS₁. The latter, aside from blocking its mate MS₂ and AND gate A₆, also cuts off the NOR gate A₉ to prevent conduction of AND gates A₁₀ and A₁₁.

The rapidly recurring scanning pulses u₁, passing through gate A₃, now charge the holding circuit M₁ to a sufficient extent to let its output voltage go low whereby selection relay RE₁ is actuated and reverses its armature, with the aforedescribed result of connecting subscriber set U₁ across the loop a, b to the exclusion of set U₂ and with continued retransmission of pulses u₁ via gates A₃, A₅ and OG over bus SB to circuitry CCT. The exchange, in addition to accelerating the cadence of pulses u₁, also assigns to subscriber U₁ a time slot in which communication with another subscriber can be established. If, however, the exchange detects a lack of activity in the assigned time slot while the off-hook condition persists, it emits the isolation command in concurrently with a scanning pulse u₁ whereby gate A₁ becomes conductive and causes the setting of flip-flop FF₁. This blocks the gate A₃, prevents further triggering of monoflops RS₁ and MS₁, and causes the release of selection relay RE₁, thereby also reinserting the high-ohmic resistor RR₁ in conductor a with resulting deactivation of line relay RA (FIG. 1). The loop thus becomes accessible to subscriber U₂.

When subscriber U₁ subsequently reopens the hook switch, line monitor RI₁ recognizes the disappearance of the voltage drop across resistor RR₁ ', and discontinues the engagement signal i₁. With monoflop MS₁ returned to normal, gate A₁₀ will conduct and reset the flip-flop FF₁ so as to terminate the isolation of this subscriber.

Immediately upon deactivation of selection relay RE₁ and prior to reversal of the contacts of line relay RA, however, both conductors a and b are connected to battery at -48 V so that current flow through resistor RR₂ ' will be momentarily stopped and line monitor RI₁ will falsely detect a reopening of the hook switch. If gate A₁₀ were not cut off by monoflop MS₁ at this time, the exchange would have to intervene anew to re-isolate the subscriber U₁ after again noting the lack of activity in an assigned time slot following reoperation of "busy" relay Re₁. This inconvenience is obviated by the provision of gates A₉ -A₁₁ together with timing means RS₁, MS₁ and RS₂, MS₂. The blocking of gate A₆ concurrently with the operation of relay RE₁ also prevents the futile transmission of engagement signal i₂ to circuitry CCT in the event that subscriber U₂ picks up the receiver during the time the line relay RA requires for completing the seizure of the loop by subscriber U₁.

Naturally, the system operates in an analogous manner in the case of an abnormal off-hook condition of subscriber set U₂.

FIG. 4 shows details of ringing circuit RC₁ which, of course, is also representative of its mate RC₂ (FIG. 2). In the event of an incoming call destined for subscriber U₁, a relay RX operated by the exchange--in a manner not further illustrated--attracts its armature to switch the conductor a from transformer winding 1 to a branch lead a' to which the call signal sc is applied in a manner well known in the art. This call signal may be a sinusoidal ringing current of 25 Hz, generated every 5 seconds for a one-second interval. The ringing current is passed by a capacitor C' in branch lead a' which is shunted by a pair of resistors RR₃, RR₄ acting as a voltage divider. Negative voltage of -48 V is blocked by a shunt diode D₃ but can traverse the resistors RR₃ and RR₄ in the operated state of relay RX when conductor a is grounded at set U₁ by closure of its hook switch. Line monitor RI₁, connected across low-ohmic resistor RR₂ ', is shown to comprise an opto-electronic coupler including a light-emitting diode D₁ and a light-responsive transistor OP₁ with a grounded emitter and a collector connected to positive battery voltage of +12 V through a resistor RR₀. A similar opto-electronic coupler includes a light-emitting diode D₂ connected across resistor RR₃ and juxtaposed with a light-responsive transistor OP₂ whose collector and emitter are connected in parallel with those of transistor OP₁. The common collector lead of these two transistors, normally energized from the +12 V source, is grounded upon conduction of either transistor to generate the engagement signal i₁.

If the 25 Hz current constituting the call signal sc is continuously generated at the exchange, relay RX will be periodically operated to connect the conductor a to lead a' and to winding 1 for alternate periods of 1 and 5 seconds, respectively. When the called subscriber U₁ picks up during the 5-second interval, line monitor RI₁ responds to emit the engagement signal i₁. When, however, the hook switch is closed during energization of relay RX, that signal is generated by coupler D₂, OP₂. If signal sc is intermittently applied to lead a', relay RX can remain operated throughout the calling period whereby the engagement signal i₁, indicating the response of subscriber U₁, is produced only by the coupler D₂, OP₂.

In FIG. 5 we have shown details of the biasing circuit CC which comprises two direct-current generators G₁, G₂ that are normally inactive. Biasing circuits of this general type are known, for example, from Italian Pat. No. 866,358. Generator G₁ includes a PNP transistor TR₁ inserted between auxiliary winding 3 and relay armature re₁ in series with a collector resistor RR₅ and another resistor RR₉, the emitter of transistor TR₁ being connected through a resistor RR₇ to the cathode of a Zener diode DZ₁ whose anode is tied to the collector of this transistor whereby the transistor and the Zener diode are disposed in antiparallel relationship between resistors RR₅ and RR₉. A stack of diodes DD₁ lies in series with resistors RR₇ and RR₉ between the emitter of transistor TR₁ and its base which is connected through a further resistor RR₁₁ to the junction of winding 2 with resistor RR₂ ". Resistor RR₁₁ is connected across resistor RR.sub. 2 " in series with a capacitor C₁ which is shunted by another Zener diode DZ₃ opposing the flow of loop current I_d in the event of seizure of the party line by subscriber U₁ (FIG. 1), i.e. with armature re₁ reversed as described above.

In a perfectly analogous manner, generator G₂ comprises a PNP transistor TR₂ connected, along with an emitter resistor RR₈, in antiparallel relationship with a Zener diode DZ₂ between resistors RR₆ and RR₁₀ in series with auxiliary winding 3; a stack of diodes DD₂, a further resistor RR₁₂, a capacitor C₂ and a Zener diode DZ₄ are connected across resistor Rr₂ ', in a manner corresponding to that described for their counterparts in generator G₁.

In the illustrated position of relay armatures re₁ and re₂, representing closure of the hook switch of subscriber U₁, the flow of line current I_d through windings 1 and 2 would have an undersirable loading effect upon line transformer T (FIG. 1) were it not counterbalanced by a compensating current I_c emitted by generator G₁. This compensating current flows on account of the voltage drop across resistor RR₂ " which, aside from being detected by the associated line monitor (omitted in FIG. 5), renders transistor TR₁ conductive whereby current I_c is caused to pass from ground via armature re₁ through resistors RR₉, RR₇, the emitter/collector path of transistor TR₁, resistor RR₅, winding 3, resistor RR₆ of generator G₂, Zener diode DZ₂, resistor RR₁₀ and armature re₂ to negative battery at -48 V. An opposite biasing current is produced by generator G₂ when the loop current is reversed in the alternate positions of relay armatures re₁ and re₂ upon seizure of the line by subscriber U₂.

Zener diodes DZ₁ and DZ₂, besides completing the current paths for their respectively opposite generators, also serve for protection of transistors TR₁ and TR₂ against transients, as do Zener diodes DZ₃ and DZ₄. Diode stacks DD₁ and DD₂ are designed to compensate for thermal drift. Capacitors C₁ and C₂ let the voice currents bypass these diode stacks so as to prevent untimely conduction of the two PNP transistors.