Telephonic communications – Diagnostic testing – malfunction indication – or electrical...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-01
2002-03-26
Nguyen, Duc (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Diagnostic testing, malfunction indication, or electrical...
C379S093090, C379S093110, C379S100150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06363137
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information terminal apparatus which is adapted to perform data communications by connecting thereto an external device such as a modem, portable telephone, car telephone, second generation cordless telephone, CDMA (code division multiple access) wireless telephone, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 8-307554 (1996) discloses a communication control apparatus for automatically judging the connected state of a communication terminal connected thereto and the type of the connected terminal; the apparatus comprises an AC current detection means for detecting an AC current that flows at start up through a local line to which a communication terminal is connected, and a connected device judging procedure for recognizing the attribute of the connected communication terminal based on a called signal to the communication terminal, and thereby eliminates the need for predetermining the communication terminal to be connected to the local line, allowing any desired communication terminal to be connected to each local line.
The above apparatus further includes a display means for displaying the attribute of the communication terminal connected to the local line so that the communication terminal attribute can be presented in a visually viewable form. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 60-203054 (1985) discloses a controlled circuit board mounting verification method in which a central processing unit verifies the connection of a controlled circuit board, wherein a three-level input/output gate is provided which is opened and closed in a controlled manner to control a control signal from the central processing unit and whose output is connected to an external connection terminal, and wherein when a controlled circuit board is not mounted, the output gate is controlled at an high impedance state and, based on the output of the input gate, it is determined whether a controlled circuit board is mounted or not.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-303456 (1993) discloses an information processing apparatus in which provisions are made to judge the presence or absence of a plurality of child boards mounted on a parent board, wherein the child boards are each provided, as part of a voltage dividing resistor, with a resistor whose resistance value varies for each child board, while the parent board is provided with a voltage dividing circuit which is completed when a child board is connected, and an A/D converter for measuring a voltage tapped at a designated position, and the mounting or non-mounting of a child board and the type of the mounted child board are automatically judged based on the voltage flowing when the child board is connected to the parent board.
The system for automatically judging the type of the connected communication terminal according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 8-307554 requires the provision of an AC current detection circuit for detecting the AC current flowing from the connected communication terminal. This increases the cost.
The system for automatically judging the type of the connected communication terminal according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 8-307554 is provided with means for visually displaying the attribute of the communication terminal connected to the local line, but is not provided with means for presenting various pieces of information associated with the characteristics of each individual communication terminal, such as transmission speed, communication charge, communication area, and the like, that become necessary when actually performing communications.
Likewise, according to the information processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-303456, the system for automatically judging the mounting of a child board requires the provision of an A/D converter for measuring a tapped voltage which varies for each child board. This increases the cost.
Further, the controlled circuit board mounting verification system according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 60-203054 is not provided with means for automatically judging the attribute of the connected controlled circuit board, but is only intended to simply verify the connection of the predetermined controlled circuit board.
Furthermore, with any of the above prior art systems, connections with different kinds of communication apparatuses having interfaces of different input/output methods, different signal voltages, etc. cannot be implemented on the same interface, but only devices having the same interface can be accommodated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an information terminal apparatus at low cost that is capable of performing communications by connecting thereto any one of various kinds of external equipment of different input/output methods, having different signal voltage levels.
Another object of the invention is to provide an information terminal apparatus that is capable of easily making a call to the destination appropriate to the communication apparatus connected as an external device.
A still another object of the invention is to provide an information terminal apparatus that is capable of judging whether a communication apparatus that can achieve communications with the currently connected communication apparatus with better conditions is available or not.
In a first aspect of the invention an information terminal apparatus comprises an interface section for connecting thereto an external device, and a control section for performing signal transfers to and from the external device via the interface section,
wherein the interface section includes:
a connector having a terminal for sending and receiving communication control and data signals and a terminal for receiving an attribute signal representing an attribute of the external device;
a judging circuit for judging the attribute of the connected external device based on the received attribute signal; and
a switching circuit for, based on the result of the judgement, performing an operation for switching input/output directions of the communication control and data signals to directions appropriate to the connected external device and an operation for optimizing signal level to a level appropriate to the connected external device.
According to the information terminal apparatus of the first aspect, a communication apparatus, such as a modem, portable telephone, car telephone, second generation cordless telephone, CDMA wireless telephone, or like apparatus equipped with communication means, is connected as the external device to the information terminal apparatus equipped with means for processing data from the connected communication apparatus. By constructing the information terminal apparatus as described above, any of different kinds of communication apparatuses having interfaces of different input/output methods and different signal voltages can be connected to the same interface of the information terminal apparatus by automatically switching signals for interfacing with such communication apparatus. By providing a particular attribute notification terminal in the interface section, the input/output method and signal voltage for the interface section of the information terminal apparatus can be switched to those that match the connected communication apparatus.
In a second aspect the information terminal apparatus of the first aspect is characterized in that an overcurrent protection circuit is inserted in an input line used to transfer the communication control and data signals.
According to the information terminal apparatus of the second aspect, an overcurrent can be prevented when the communication apparatus is improperly connected to the information terminal apparatus.
In a third aspect of the invention the information terminal apparatus of the first aspect is characterized in that the judging circuit supplies a voltag
Kitaguchi Susumu
Nakao Atsushi
Natsumi Masayuki
Yoshida Takashi
Nguyen Duc
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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