Communication system between local area network stations

Details Communication system between local area network stations Communication system between local area network stations

1999-04-24

2001-08-07

Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)

Telephonic communications

Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical...

Having transmission of a digital message signal over a...

C379S093050, C379S093090, C379S171000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272210

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
The typical work station in a home or business includes a phone, a fax modem, and a computer, all connected to one another and to the central office.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of the typical work station according to the prior art including a computer
12
connected to a modem
11
. The modem
11
includes an interface
14
between the computer
12
and a controller
16
. The modem
11
also has a data processor
18
which communicates with speaker
20
, microphone
22
, telephone
24
under control of controller
16
according to the program stored in memory
26
. The modem
11
also includes a current generator
28
for operating the speaker
20
and microphone
22
. The modem
11
is connected to the central telephone office
30
through the DAA (data access aitangement). The circuitry of the sections shown in
FIG. 1
is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,891 to Brown discloses a method and apparatus for detecting the connection status of an extension phone connected to a voice/fax modem. Off hook condition is indicated by a comparison of an average line voltage to an instantaneous voltage. The modem responds to the detection of off-hook extension line by deactivating a voice answering machine cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,920 discloses coupling of voice and computer resources over LAN networks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,413 discloses a system for ;simultaneously enabling a voice and data session by detecting differences in the sessions and directing each session to an appropriate channel.
None of these disclosure consider problems of communication between two members of a local area network (LAN) that are addressed by the present invention.
In both homes and in business offices, more than one work station is being installed at separate location in the home or office. The locations of these stations are ideally separate from one another, in separate rooms and even on separate floors, or even separate buildings. For example, in a home, one work station may be in an upstairs bedroom and a second work station may be in the garage. In order for one party to communicate with a second party, he either has to interrupt his work and go to the other site, or he has to shout to the other party to pick up the phone. When the first party does succeed in alerting the other party to pick up the phone, the dial tone is present on the line which is, at best, an annoyance to both parties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to facilitate communication in a local network wherein the local network can be a network of telephone extensions or computer stations.
It is a further object to provide a system with which one party (sender) can notify another party (target) that he is attempting to communicate. It is another object to enable the sender and target to communicate m ore clearly by eliminating dial t one.
This invention is directed toward a circuit which, in combination with the modem of the originating station, supplies line current to both the originating station and the target station thereby supplanting current from the central station. The dial tone is thereby eliminated when the two stations a recommunicating directly with one another.
This invention is directed toward a system whereby an audio alert signal from a sending station to a target station is generated by a user at the sending station dialing the number of the target station. The alert signal notifies a user at the target station that a user at the sending station is attempting to communicate. The dialing action causes the modem at the sending station to cutoff the line current from the central station and substitute line current from the modem to the sending station. When the user at the target station answers by picking up the target telephone, the modem at the target phone cuts off current to the target station.
Cutting off the current from the central station eliminates the dial tone to both sender and target.
The system is applicable to any device having a built in modem with play back capability.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5090052 (1992-02-01), Nakajima et al.
patent: 5506891 (1996-04-01), Brown
patent: 5610920 (1997-03-01), Doll et al.
patent: 5699413 (1997-12-01), Sridhar
patent: 408032652A (1996-02-01), None
patent: 410215322A (1998-08-01), None

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