Signal processing system including plurality of processing...

Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output command process

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C710S005000, C710S007000, C712S225000, C704S200000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237047

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to data and voice processing, and more particularly, to an improved technique of implementing distributed voice, media, and data processing systems in a networked environment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Voice processing systems have become prevalent over the last decade. These systems are utilized in nearly every industry, and the growth of such systems is expected to continue over the next several years. Such systems include various techniques of merging computer technology and telephony and include systems such as voice mail, automatic facsimile distribution, automatic attendant, etc.
The fundamental architecture for voice processing systems is based upon the personal computer. Specifically, one or more voice cards are plugged into the internal bus of the PC computer, and one or more phone lines are plugged into the voice cards. The voice card appears to the central processing unit (CPU) of the PC as any other peripheral card plugged into the PC bus. The voice card performs basic functions such as recognizing dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones, generating particular signals, and conveying voice and data information from the telephone line to the CPU and from the CPU back to the telephone line.
A function of the CPU is to implement what is termed applications software. For example, consider a bank which provides a voice processing system allowing customers to dial in, enter an account number, and receive balance and other account information by telephone. The CPU will implement the software required to retrieve the balance, transfer funds, verify an account number, or perform other such functions related to the particular banking application.
In order to receive the information entered by the bank's customer, the CPU communicates with and controls the voice cards. While voice processing systems have become much more sophisticated over the past several years, the basic architecture of a host CPU in a PC based platform, with a separate voice card, has remained standard for at least ten years. The CPU provides an operating system and user interface for easy programming and running of the applications software, and the voice processing card provides specialized functions related to DTMF tone recognition, dialing, etc. A typical system, as described below, might include 8 voice cards in a chassis, all controlled by one CPU.
FIG. 1
shows a present day voice processing system connected to both a data network (e.g. the internet or corporate LAN) as well as to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The arrangement of
FIG. 1
may facilitate communications between various telephones and computer devices. The arrangement of FIG.
1
shows a VME bus, rather than a PC bus, but either may be used in present day systems.
FIG. 1
shows the PSTN
101
and data network
102
, along with a plurality of voice processing cards
104
. The voice processing cards may include one or more basic voice processing functions such as tone detection, tone generation, dialing capability, voice recognition, compression, echo cancellation, etc. In accordance with standard techniques known in the industry, the voice processing card is controlled by a central processing unit card
103
.
The applications software required to run the voice processing system runs on the CPU which also communicates with the data network
102
. If information is to be sent from a computer
107
to a telephone
105
, the information must be routed through CPU
103
a
as shown, then over the computer's bus to a voice card
104
, and further, out over PSTN
101
to telephone
105
. Thus, if CPU
103
a
becomes non-operational, the voice boards
104
can no longer function.
In one mode of operation, a voice processing application communicates with a remote user
105
over PSTN
101
. The voice processing application, resident on CPU card
103
a
, communicates with voice processing cards
104
over bus
106
. Information is conveyed from voice processing cards
104
to remote caller
105
via the public switched telephone network, and tones entered by a user of telephone
105
are decoded and sent to CPU
103
for the appropriate action to be taken.
In other modes of operation, the application may be running on a different computer
107
located elsewhere on the data network
102
. In such a situation, the CPU
103
serves to communicate with the computer
107
via data network
102
. In all cases, the CPU
103
controls all voice processing functions, as well as receipt and routing of data.
There are several problems with the above architecture. First, when the voice processing system is utilized in a large network with many users, there is little if any need for the users to reprogram the voice processing system, or to interact directly with the CPU. Rather, the interaction with the voice processing system is entirely over the telephone network and through the voice processing cards. This means that all of the hardware and software associated with the CPU and the entire personal computer is hardly used during operation. Thus, the system is more costly than necessary.
An additional drawback of the above architecture is the fact that depending on the operating system (i.e. Unix, windows), a CPU can typically only support a small number of voice cards, perhaps 6-12. For large systems which require many voice cards, there will be several CPU's required, increasing cost and potential points of failure in the system. Additionally, since all data is routed through the CPU, the processing of such data and communications of such data, between the CPU and voice processing card often represents a bottle neck in the system and limits the speed at which the voice processing system can operate.
Still another drawback of the architecture is the fact that the CPU and voice processing system share the same bus. This means that both circuit cards must be compatible. Additionally, should the voice processing card or the CPU, hard disk, power supply, etc. become damaged or inoperable, the result is total system failure.
Still another drawback of the above systems can best be described by considering a typical “play” operation. During such an operation, the digitally stored voice is read from the computer's hard disk by the CPU, and transferred to the voice board for processing and transmission. Consider a voice processing system with eight voice boards and a CPU in a single chassis. If each board is servicing a call, the CPU, to play a message to a caller, must (i) read the information from the hard disk and (ii) transfer that information to the voice board for processing and transmission, all while continuing to service the other boards. Thus, because the relationship of CPU boards to voice boards is one to many, and because the entire system is dependant upon the operating system of the host,. the CPU represents a bottleneck.
For the above and other reasons, it is desirable to design a new Voice Processing System (VPS) architecture which can be utilized in large networks, operate at high speeds, and be implemented in a cost efficient fashion. Moreover, with the convergence of voice and data systems, and the emergence of mixed media systems, the VPS architecture should handle other forms of media as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other problems of the prior art are overcome in accordance with the present invention which relates to a signal processing card wherein the CPU controlling such card has been remotely located, and the functions thereof have been distributed. In accordance with the techniques of the invention, the signal processing system, which may be used to process voice, data, or other information is based upon a plurality of processing cards, wherein the CPU is not installed in the same rack. The processing cards communicate over the telephone network or a data network directly with a remote user, and no local or single controlling CPU is required. The functionality previously implemented by the CPU is distributed among the different processing cards, as w

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