Process, arrangement, devices for seizure of a shared telephone line

The invention relates to the control of access of various appliances of an installation which are connected to a telephone line. The appliances have a priority level. There is provision for the dispatching, on the request of an appliance performing a line seizure operation, to the other appliances, of an off-hook signal representative of the priority level of the appliance, when this level is higher than that of at least one other appliance of the installation. The signal is dispatched on the occasion of the line seizure operation and for the duration of the connection of the appliance to the line, if no off-hook signal of a higher priority level is dispatched. There is also provision for a disconnection of the line for any appliance which receives an off-hook signal dispatched for an appliance having a higher priority level.