JP2617464B2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a communication device corresponding to a representative telephone.

[Prior Art] In recent years, not only telephones but also facsimile machines and data communication devices have been increasingly connected to telephone lines. When a communication device other than a voice terminal such as a facsimile device or a data communication device is used, a system is generally configured so that both voice communication and a predetermined communication operation by the communication device can be performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] To enable both voice communication and communication operation,
Several methods are conceivable. First, different dedicated lines are set for voice communication and communication for the predetermined method, respectively.
Each of them is called by a different telephone number.
In this method, since the communication device is often connected together with the telephone, according to the manual procedure, both outgoing and incoming calls for a call are possible, but the communication device is set to the automatic reception state. Could not be received for telephone calls.

As a method for connecting communication devices, there is a system using a representative number. As is well known, in a system using a representative number, when a line corresponding to a representative number is in use, communication is performed using a line corresponding to another number. The following two methods are conceivable for connecting a communication device to such a representative number system.

First, it is determined whether the calling side is going to make a call or communication by detecting the voice signal of the calling side every time an incoming call is received, and selecting an appropriate terminal device. This is a method of providing a line control device to be connected. This method has an advantage that both the voice communication and the communication of the predetermined method can be performed using any number, but has a problem that the cost of the system is very high because a voice recognition device or the like is required. In addition, when all of the connected communication devices are in use, there is a problem that a communication operation of a predetermined method cannot be performed even if the transmitting side desires communication.

In a communication system in which a plurality of lines are accommodated under a representative number, a communication device is set to a specific telephone number, and when a call is directly received at that number, communication is performed instead of voice communication. Conceivable. In this method, when there is an incoming call at the representative telephone number and a line other than the number to which the communication device is set is in use, connection is made to the line to which the communication device is connected. In such a case, the call cannot be made even though the caller desires the call.

In the case of a facsimile machine or the like, a method is often secured such that a telephone call can be made even if a communication device is selected, but such control requires a complicated operation.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, an exchange is connected via a first line and a plurality of second lines, and a non-voice terminal and a third line are connected. Connected via
Further, a communication device having a line switching circuit connected to a plurality of voice terminals via a plurality of fourth lines, wherein when detecting an incoming call to the exchange, the first line and the plurality of second lines The line switching circuit is controlled so that the exchange is connected to one of the non-voice terminal and the plurality of voice terminals via any one of the lines and the third line and the plurality of fourth lines. A control unit, when the control unit receives a telephone number of the first line, the non-voice terminal and the exchange are connected via the first line and the third line; When it is notified from the exchange via a predetermined signal line that an incoming call has been made to one representative telephone number among the plurality of telephone numbers of each of the second lines, the plurality of second lines become free. If there is a line that is available Via any one of the plurality of lines and any one of the plurality of fourth lines,
If any one of the plurality of voice terminals is connected to the exchange, while the plurality of second lines do not have a free line and the first line is free, the plurality of fourth terminals are connected.
And the exchange is connected to any one of the plurality of voice terminals via the first line and the plurality of telephone numbers of the plurality of second terminals. If you receive a call other than the main phone number,
The switch is connected to any one of the plurality of voice terminals via one of the plurality of fourth lines and the line of the received telephone number of the plurality of second lines. A configuration for controlling the line switching circuit is adopted.

According to the above arrangement, when a telephone number corresponding to the first line is received, the exchange and the non-voice terminal are connected via the first line and the third line, and the representative telephone number is set. If there is an idle line among the plurality of second lines,
Any one of the plurality of fourth lines and one of the plurality of fourth lines, and if there are no free lines in the plurality of second lines, 1
If there is a free line, the line switching circuit is controlled so that the exchange and one of the plurality of voice terminals are connected via the first line.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a communication system employing the present invention. Here, consider a representative telephone number system. The accommodated lines are ten lines 21 to 30 as shown. These correspond to telephone numbers A to J, respectively.

As the terminal device, consider 24 telephones and 2 facsimile devices. In FIG. 1, the telephone number 4 is 6-9.
Only the units are shown, and the illustration of the 21 units between the telephones 7 and 8 is omitted. The facsimile machine has the code 14,
Shown at 16.

In FIG. 1, what is indicated by reference numeral 2 is an extension exchange which selects lines 21 to 30. When an incoming call is received, a signal level "1" is output to the signal line 2a. Further, a signal indicating whether or not the selection signal from the external exchange corresponds to the representative telephone number is output to the signal line 2b with a signal level of "0" or "1". The signals on the signal lines 2a and 2b are input to a control circuit 18 including a microprocessor or the like.

The lines 21 to 30 are connected to one of the telephones 6 to 9 or one of the facsimile machines 14 and 16 by a line switching circuit 4 as required.

Voice lines 6a to 9a for telephones 6 to 9 are telephone numbers A to
H is selected. Facsimile machine 1
Communication lines 14a and 16a for 4 and 16 are selected by telephone numbers I and J, respectively. The line connection operation of the line switching circuit 4 is controlled by the control circuit 18 via the signal line 18a. The line switching circuit 4 inputs the line number in use to the control circuit 18 via the signal line 4a. The control circuit 18 selects a connectable terminal device based on the data on the line number in use.

The telephones 6 to 9 are connected to the control circuit 18 by signal lines 6b to 9b and signal lines 18b to 18e. The signal lines 6b to 9b detect the hook state of the telephones 6 to 9. The signal level is "0" in the on-hook state and "1" in the off-hook state. The signal lines 18b to 18e each ring the bell of each telephone, and a ringing tone is generated by the bell of each telephone according to the signal level "1".

On the other hand, the facsimile machines 14 and 16 are connected to the signal lines 14b, 16b and 18
It is connected to the control circuit 18 by f and 18g. Signal line 14
b and 16b indicate whether or not each facsimile machine is in use. When the facsimile machine is in use, the signal level becomes "1". The signal lines 18f and 18g activate respective facsimile devices, and each facsimile device is activated by the signal level "1" of these signal lines.

In the above configuration, a representative telephone number set to any of the telephone numbers A to H from the calling side, or when any of these telephone numbers is directly selected, an incoming call is made using one of the telephones 6 to 9. And perform voice communication. When the telephone number I or J is selected, the communication operation is performed by the facsimile machines 14 and 16, respectively.

Also, when there is an incoming call to the representative number and all the lines other than the lines 29 and 30 corresponding to the telephone numbers I and J are in use, this line is used. In this embodiment, the facsimile machines 14 and 16 are used.
Is not connected, and a line connection is made using a vacant telephone among the 24 telephones 6-9. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent a line from being connected to the facsimile apparatus even though the calling side desires a call.
FIG. 2 shows the above procedure in detail. FIG. 2 shows an outline of a control program of the control circuit 18, and the illustrated program is stored in the ROM 18a.

In step S22 in FIG. 2, the control circuit 18 first checks the state of the signal line 2a to determine whether or not the exchange 2 has detected an incoming call. If there is an incoming call, the state of the signal line 2b is checked in step S24 to determine whether there is an incoming call to the representative number. If there is an incoming call to the representative number, the process proceeds to step S42; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S26.

In step S42, the telephone line 2 corresponding to the telephone numbers A to H
It is determined whether any of the items 1 to 28 is not used. If there is a vacant line, in step S44 the line is selected in order from the line with the lowest telephone number, and the line is connected.

In step S46, it is determined whether the line 29 corresponding to the telephone number I is in use. If it is in use, the process proceeds to step S50, and if it is not in use, the process proceeds to step S48. In steps S48 and S50, the lines 29 to 30 corresponding to the telephone numbers I and J are respectively selected and the lines are connected.

On the other hand, in step S26, the line 29 corresponding to the telephone number I
It is determined whether it is an incoming call. When step S26 is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S28, and when denied, the process proceeds to step S28.
Move to 34.

In step S34, similarly to step S26, it is determined whether or not there is an incoming call to the line 30 corresponding to the telephone number J. When this step is affirmed, the process proceeds to step S36, and when denied, the process proceeds to step S52.

In step S28, the line 29 is connected to the signal line 14a by the line switching circuit 4, and the facsimile machine 14 is selected. In step S36, the line 35 is connected to the signal line 16a, and the facsimile machine 16 is selected.

In steps S30 and S38, the facsimile machines 14, 1 respectively
Start 6 respectively.

In steps S32 and S40, the image communication operation by the facsimile machines 14 to 16 is performed.

In step S52, the state of the signal lines 6b to 9b is checked to detect an unused telephone, and to ring the bell of any unused telephone. Signal line 18b for bell ringing
Use ~ 18e.

In step S54, the off-hook of the telephone that rings the bell in step S52 is detected via the signal lines 7b to 9b, and the line is connected to the telephone using the line switching circuit 4. At this time, the line switching circuit 4 is controlled by the signal line 18a. In step S56, a call operation is performed using the connected telephone.

According to the above configuration, when the telephone numbers I and J are selected from the calling side, facsimile communication is performed using the facsimile apparatuses 14 and 16. If any of the representative number or the telephone numbers A to H is designated, the telephone is selected, and the telephone having the off-hook performs voice communication.

If the representative number is selected, but the lines 21 to 28 set for voice communication are in use, the lines 29 to 30 are used, but the facsimile machines 14 and 16 are not used, and the
Voice communication is performed using one of the telephones 6 to 9.

Therefore, unlike the conventional representative number system, there is no possibility that an incoming call is made to the communication device even though the calling side wants to talk.

In the above, a facsimile apparatus has been exemplified as a communication apparatus. However, a similar configuration can be implemented even when a data communication apparatus other than the facsimile apparatus is used.

In the above embodiment, the representative number system is not used for the facsimile apparatuses corresponding to the telephone numbers I and J. That is, when the line corresponding to the telephone number I is in use, it is possible to control to use the facsimile apparatus 16 using the line corresponding to the telephone number J.

[Effects of the Invention] As is apparent from the above, according to the present invention, when a telephone number corresponding to the first line is received, the exchange and the non-voice are exchanged via the first line and the third line. The device is connected,
When there is an incoming call of the representative telephone number, if there is a vacant line in the plurality of second lines, the vacant line is transmitted through one of the vacant second lines and any of the plurality of fourth lines, If there is no free line in the second line, one of the plurality of fourth lines and, if there is a free line in the first line, one of the exchange and the plurality of voice terminals via the first line. Since the line switching circuit is controlled so as to be connected, it is possible to connect via the first line even if there is no vacant line in the plurality of second lines when the representative telephone number is received, Further, at this time, there is an excellent effect that an appropriate terminal can be selected without connecting a non-voice terminal.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system employing the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a control circuit of FIG. 2 Switch 4 Circuit switching circuit 6-9 Telephone 14, 16 Facsimile machine 18 Control circuit, 21-30 Circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An exchange is connected to a switch via a first line and a plurality of second lines, a non-voice terminal is connected via a third line, and a plurality of voice terminals and a plurality of fourth terminals are connected. A communication device having a line switching circuit connected via a line, wherein when detecting an incoming call to the exchange, any one of the first line and the plurality of second lines and the third line and the plurality of A control unit that controls the line switching circuit so that the switch is connected to any one of the non-voice terminal and the plurality of voice terminals via any one of a fourth line; When a call arrives at a telephone number of a first line, the non-voice terminal and the exchange are connected via the first line and the third line, and a plurality of telephone numbers of each of the plurality of second lines To one of the main telephone numbers When the communication is notified from the exchange via a predetermined signal line, the second
If there is a vacant line in the line, any one of the plurality of voice terminals and the exchange are connected via any of the vacant lines and any of the plurality of fourth lines,
On the other hand, there is no vacant line in the plurality of second lines,
And if the first line is vacant, any one of the plurality of fourth lines and any one of the plurality of voice terminals are connected to the exchange via the first line. When a call is received to a telephone number other than the representative telephone number of each of the plurality of telephone numbers of the second line, the line of the received telephone number of the plurality of second lines and the fourth line of the plurality of fourth lines A communication device, wherein the line switching circuit is controlled such that any one of the plurality of voice terminals is connected to the exchange via any one of the voice terminals.