In certain bidirectional transmissions, differential links (L, L*) are used and transceivers (1) that furnish differential measurement signals (V, V*) representative of the transmission signals of the remote station are used. To reduce power consumption, the electrical power to the transceivers (1) may be interrupted during periods of inactivity. The method of the present invention consists in determining a threshold value which is intermediate in value between the maximum and minimum values that can be assumed by the measurement signals (V, V*), and furnishing a signal (VAL) representative of transmission activity resulting from the comparison between the measurement signals (V, V*) and the threshold value. The circuit for employing the method uses voltage comparators and may be an integrated circuit.

An amplifier having properties of natural side tone balancing based on the utilization of a bridge arrangement, high efficiency with resulting high gain, high AC impedance and compatibility with electret microphones and electret microphone amplifiers. A matched pair of differential transistors arranged as part of a bridge circuit form a detector of the receive signal at one input versus a transmit signal which appears at both inputs in the same phase and therefore is rejected as a common mode signal. The resultant balancing of side tone and high gain finds particular application in telephone networks where the characteristics dictate the need for higher than usual receive gain or for use by auditorially handicapped users over a normal telephone network.

A monobus conference arrangement is disclosed for use in a key telephone system. A conference circuit is serially inserted on each line and is arranged with an impedance element common to all of the stations using the line. In addition, a monobus circuit replaces the conventional hybrid in each station set. To avoid the problem of having more than one such impedance element connected in a multiline conference, the system is arranged so that current flows in a first direction through the conference circuit associated with the first-connected line and in a reverse direction through subsequently connected line conference circuits. Under control of the reverse current flow, the common impedance elements associated with the reverse current line conference circuits are removed from the connection.

An analog/digital telecommunication subscriber station is connectible to a two-wire line and comprises a frequency multiplexer and a frequency demultiplexer for grouping and fanning an analog communication channel covering the telephone band and a digital communication channel lying above the telephone band. The station further comprises a hybrid for connecting the two-wire line into a four-wire line. The subscriber station is particularly characterized in that the two-wire line is terminated by a broad-band hybrid which is proceeded in the transmission branch by a frequency multiplexer which groups at least the analog communication channel covering the telephone band and the digital communication channel lying thereabove, and is followed in the receiving branch by a frequency demultiplexer which fans at least the analog communication channel covering the telephone band and the digital communication channel lying above the telephone band. Various embodiments provide analog telephone operation, digital telephone operation, fast data operation, slow data operation, picture telephone service and a combination of analog and digital two-party line as various options.

In order to reduce the signal loss in a telephone line switching and conferencing system there is interposed between each line and the switching matrix a monobus port circuit arranged to convert a transmitted telephone signal into an equivalent current source. The currents from several monobus circuits are added in a bus resistor before distribution back to the individual monobus circuit as a voltage where the original signal is subtracted from the bus signal. The resultant signal is transmitted to the telephone receiver. When the switching matrix crosspoint resistance is negligible, the component of the bus voltage measured at the current source output which results from current generated from each line is equal and opposite in magnitude to the voltage generated in the line. In any given line these voltages cancel each other, thereby eliminating the feedback signal.