Importance

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Abstract

A system for controlling telephone and non-telephone equipment located on the premises of a telephone subscriber is disclosed. The system includes at least one internal tone control device (ITCD), connected between a telephone outlet and the controlled equipment. The ITCD receives, decodes and validates a sequence of DTMF signals, converts it into a d.c. control signal and monitors the respective equipment with the d.c. control signal which remotely switches on/off the respective equipment. A plurality of different appliances can be operated in a 'non-line of sight' mode over the telephone lines. A unique sequence of DTMF signals is associated with each ITCD. The sequence is selected such that the conventional telephone switching center is not activated by it, for avoiding interference between the system of the present invention and the conventional telephone communication. When the equipment is a TV appliance, the system may include a receiving-switching unit connected to the TV cable network and to an optical fiber TV cable, for switching the TV appliance between the two TV networks. In this case, the ITCD is connected to the telephone line and to the receiving-switching unit.

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First Claim