Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Including private cordless extension system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-26
2004-04-27
Kincaid, Lester G. (Department: 2685)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Including private cordless extension system
C455S557000, C455S561000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06728546
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multifunctional computer systems, and more particularly, to a computer system that executes functions of a cordless telephone base unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems have traditionally comprised a system unit or housing which comprises a plurality of electrical components comprising the computer system. A computer system typically includes a motherboard, which is configured to hold the microprocessor and the system memory, and one or more buses used in the computer system. The motherboard typically comprises a plurality of slots to accommodate various peripheral device controller cards, such as a sound card, a graphics card, a communication port controller card, etc. Through the motherboard slots, these controller cards are typically coupled to a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus to facilitate data communications with the microprocessor and the system memory.
More recently, computer systems are evolving toward an integration of functions. Some modem computer systems are capable of performing a variety of advanced communication and signal processing functions, such as voice recognition, interactive data transmission and reception, telephone call routing, telephone communication using the Internet, etc. Internet telephony using a personal computer typically involves a sound card installed on the computer motherboard. The Internet telephony software configures the sound card to function as a telephone handset through its microphone and speaker jacks. The sound card is connected to a telephone line and the user is provided a telephone handset that is connected to the sound card through its microphone and speaker jacks.
A telephone communication may be either in a full-duplex mode, as in the conventional circuit-switched (i.e., traditional) telephone communication, or in a half-duplex mode, as is typically the case with the Internet telephone communication. In the full-duplex operation, the talking and listening can take place at the same time during the telephone communication. In the half-duplex mode, only one function, either talking or listening, may be performed at a given instance to have an intelligible telephone conversation. As the Internet is a packet-switched network, there is a strong possibility of out-of-sequence or delayed arrivals of various data packets containing the audio information. Because of the complexities associated with full-duplex operation, majority of packet-switched communications using personal computer sound cards is not truly full-duplex.
During an Internet telephone conversation, the user may want to switch to his/her cordless telephone handset without interrupting the conversation. If the telephone handset is attached to the user's computer, this may not be convenient. Further, an external coupling device may be needed to connect the computer sound card with the cordless telephone base station because the base station is now not connected to the telephone line. In addition to this, the user may also want to initiate a regular telephone conversation using the traditional circuit-switched telephone networks and with his/her cordless telephone handset. In that case, the external coupling device may need to be configured to accept the RF signals from the cordless telephone base unit and utilize the telephone line connected to the computer sound card to establish the requisite point-to-point telephone connection. In the absence of such an arrangement, the user may need to first connect the cordless telephone base station with the telephone line before initiating the telephone conversation.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a cordless telephone device that can be operative through the computer system and that can function as a cordless telephone base unit with the help of an external antenna that can be attached to the computer unit or housing. It is further desirable to have this cordless telephone device carry out the Internet (packet-switched) telephony as well as the conventional point-to-point (circuit-switched) telephony. Thus, the computer unit will itself function as a cordless telephone base station. This will eliminate the need to have an external cordless telephone base unit or any other coupling devices. The computer system will thus integrate the cordless telephone base unit, and hence, there will be a reduction in device redundancy.
When two or more users operate a common telephone instrument, as in a typical household, it may be desirable to have a telephone instrument, such as a cordless telephone handset, identify the specific user that is using the instrument at a given instance. This is helpful when each user has his/her personal preference that is different from that of the other. For example, one user may want to have a louder telephone speaker volume setting than the other one. It is therefore more convenient if, in addition to identifying the user, the telephone instrument also recognizes individual user preferences and automatically implements those preferences when the corresponding user is operating the instrument. It is noted that the cordless telephone handset that identifies the user and implements the user-specific preferences may also have a computer system as its corresponding cordless telephone base unit.
It is desirable to configure a personal computer to utilize the cordless telephone device to wirelessly transmit and receive data including text and images. A portable digital photo album is desirable to view transmitted photographs or images on an LCD display, but in a manner similar to viewing actual printed photographs through a photo album. Similarly, a portable electronic book will store the transmitted text and allow the user to read each page of the text in a way similar to reading an actual paper version of the text. Hence, a user will have his/her own personal digital image album or an electronic book, and will be able to conveniently store the information he/she deems interesting. The digital image album and the electronic book will also offer flexibility in user movements by allowing portability in information storage and retrieval.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The computer system according to the present invention includes a cordless telephone device operative through the computer system. The cordless telephone device may, for example, include a cordless telephone card installed in one of a plurality of connector slots on the computer system motherboard. The cordless telephone device is coupled to a sound device, which may be a computer sound card and may also be installed on the computer system motherboard. An external cordless telephone handset is coupled to this cordless telephone device to allow a user to carry out a telephone communication over an external telephone line, which is connected to the sound device. The connection of the telephone line to the sound device also facilitates a telephone communication using the Internet.
The cordless telephone device includes an antenna jack to couple an external RF antenna thereto. This external RF antenna may be installed in an antenna port provided on the computer system housing or may be directly connected to the cordless telephone device through the antenna jack. The cordless telephone device further includes a cordless telephone base unit, a microphone output and a speaker input to allow the cordless telephone device to be coupled to the sound device in the computer system.
In one embodiment, the computer system housing includes a built-in cordless telephone base station. Here, the cordless telephone base station, and not the sound device, is connected to the external telephone line. The computer system here functions as a cordless telephone base station for the regular (circuit-switched) cordless telephone communications only.
The present invention also contemplates a cordless telephone handset that identifies the user operating the handset and automatically configures itself to implement one or more preferences specified by that user
Alton Ken D.
Borland David J.
Peterson Joe W.
Hood Jeffrey C.
Kincaid Lester G.
Legerity Inc.
Meyertons Hood Kivlin Kowert & Goetzel P.C.
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