GB2210755A

GB2210755A - Telephone call-sound circuit

Info

Publication number: GB2210755A
Application number: GB8723302A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Jeffrey Miller; Andrew Richard Allan; Colin Tattersall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-10-05
Filing date: 1987-10-05
Publication date: 1989-06-14
Also published as: GB8723302D0

Abstract

A circuit for use with a telephone for providing a sound in addition to or instead of a normal audible tone sequence to indicate a call in response to a ringing voltage. The arrangement comprises means (4) for detecting a ringing voltage, a memory (11) for storing a representation of the sound, means (6, 8) responsive to detection of a ringing voltage for causing the said representation to be read from the memory and means (13, 15, 16) for converting the result of reading the memory into the sound in audible form. <IMAGE>

Description

A CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR USE WITH A TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT Telephone bells, ringers and other sound generating devices that are in current use in telephone instruments can only produce a limited range of simple sounds. This invention provides a means of being able to reproduce a different sound, that can be used for the purpose of a telephone ringer.

According to the present invention, there is provided a circuit arrangement for use with a telephone instrument for providing a sound in addition to or instead of a normal audible tone sequence to indicate a call in response to a ringing voltage, the arrangement comprising means for detecting a ringing voltage, memory means for storing a representation of the sound, means responsive to detection of a ringing voltage for causing the said representation to be read from the memory means and means for converting the result of reading the memory means into the said sound in audible form.

The present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawing, which is a block diagram of one example of the invention.

Referring to the single figure of the accompanying drawing, a circuit arrangement according to-an example of the invention includes buffer and protection circuitry 1 via which the arrangement is coupled to a telephone socket and optionally to the jack of a telephone instrument which includes or is otherwise provided with the arrangement. A.C. ringing voltage from the telephone line is fed from circuitry 1 to activate power supply circuitry 2 which provides operating power for the other components in the arrangement. One output (3) of the power supply circuitry 2 is connected to control logic circuitry 4, on one output (5) of which there is provided an ON or OFF signal for a clock 6.With an ON signal, clock pulses from- clock 6 are applied on an output 7 to a counter 8, a signal from the latter being applied on a line 9 to the control logic circuitry when the counter 8 has reached the end of its counting cycle, in response to which an OFF signal is applied to the clock 6 on line 5 from the control logic circuitry 4. The counter 8 is connected via an address bus 10 to a programmable read only memory 11. At each count of the counter 8, it addresses via bus 10 a respective memory location of the memory 11. In each memory location of the memory 11, there is stored in digital form, pieces of data representing elements of a particular or peculiar sound,.the pieces of data representing overall the particular or peculiar sound.Accordingly, as the counter 8 counts clock pulses, the memory locations of memory 11 are addressed in turn, the pieces of data being read out in turn via a data bus 12 to a digital to analogue converter 13. The analogue signal on an output 14 from converter 13 is applied via a bandwidth limited amplifier and fil-ter 15 to a loudspeaker 16.

The circuit arrangement operates in the following manner. When a call is made to the telephone instrument, the ringing voltage is applied to the circuitry 1 which activates -the power supply circuitry 2. A signal is applied on output 3 to control logic circuitry 4, which turns the clock 6 on by an ON signal on line 5. Thereupon, the counter 8 starts to count clock pulses, and at each count, the counter 8 addresses a respective memory location of the memory 11 via bus 10 so that the sequence of pieces of digital data (representing the particular or peculiar sound) is supplied to converter 13 via bus 12.The analogue signal from converter 13 is supplied to loudspeaker 16 via output 14 and amp.lifier and filter 15 so that the particular or peculiar sound emanates in audible form from loudspeaker.16, which the subscriber hears in addition to or instead of the normal ringing or other sound of the telephone instrument. The particular or peculiar sound could make up a tune or other sequence.

When the counter 8 reaches the end of its counting cycle, this is indicated to circuitry 4 via output 9, in response to which circuitry 4 inhibits clock 6 via an OFF signal on output 5 and the counter and particular or peculiar sound are stopped. The count and consequent particular or peculiar sound will be restarted when the next cycle of ringing voltage is used to turn the clock 6 on. The generation of the particular or peculiar sound as described above will continue until either the circuitry 4 detects that the call has been accepted or the ringing voltage is finally removed, in response to each of which the circuitry 4 turns the clock 6 off via output 5.

The memory 11 could be arranged to provide a plurality of different particular or peculiar sounds, each of which may be selected respectively via a user selector switch. Alternatively, the memory 11 or the circuitry within outline A could be physically removable and replaceable by an alternative memory or circuitry within outline A to provide for a different particular or peculiar sound.

The circuit arrangement can be used in conjunction with or instead of an existing ringer and can be a separate self-contained unit or incorporated within a telephone instrument.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for use with a telephone instrument for providing a sound in addition to or instead of a normal audible tone sequence to indicate a call in response to a ringing voltage, the arrangement comprising means for detecting a ringing voltage, memory means for storing a representation of the sound, means responsive to detection of a ringing voltage for causing the said representation to be read from the memory means and means for converting the result of reading the memory means into the said sound in audible form.

2. A circuit arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the said memory means stores the said representation as a plurality of pieces of data stored in respective memory locations.

3. A circuit arrangement according to Claim 2, wherein the said responsive means comprises counter means for counting pulses from clock means in response to detection of a ringing voltage, the counter means addressing a respective one of the said memory locations in response to each count to read from the locations in sequence the pieces of data stored therein.

4. A circuit arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein the said memory means stores the said representation in digital form, the said converting means comprising analogue to digital conversion means.

5. A circuit arrangement according to Claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

6. A telephone instrument, provided with a circuit arrangement according to any preceding claim.