Telephonic communications – Call signal generating
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-07
2001-09-25
Chan, Wing F. (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Call signal generating
C379S373040, C379S093070
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295357
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to simultaneous voice and data communications on a single telephone line, and in particular to the ability to ring all of the telephones connected to the telephone line to notify a subscriber of an incoming call even while data communications are being performed on the telephone line.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In many instances a user desires to connect to a remote data site to obtain data or perform other communications data operations. For example, a user who desires access to the Internet typically connects to an Internet access provider in order for the user to be able to connect to the Internet. In addition, many people who desire to work at home, referred to as telecommuters, desire to connect to the local area network (LAN) at the corporate office in order to retreive files, obtain data or perform other data access communications functions.
When a home user desires to connect to a remote data site, the user data typically uses the standard POTS (plain old telephone service) telephone line in his home. Thus, the user uses an analog modem, such a V.34 modem, to connect through the POTS telephone line to the remote data site. However, when the telephone line is used for this purpose, and the user is connected through the POTS telephone line to the remote data site, the user is unable to receive telephone calls from other parties, since the telephone line is in use.
Many home users who connect to the Internet or to other remote data sites typically purchase a second phone line from the telephone company to enable the user to receive or place telephone calls while the user is connected to the remote data site. Thus, the user purchases a second telephone line and uses this telephone line to connect to an Internet service provider or other remote data site. This use of the second telephone line for data connectivity leaves the primary telephone line available for incoming or outgoing phone calls.
However, a second telephone line is somewhat expensive. For example, for a home user connecting to the Internet, the cost of the second telephone line is generally similar to the connection cost of the Internet service provider. Thus, the requirement of the second telephone line essentially doubles the Internet service fee the user is required to pay to obtain the Internet connection while maintaining the ability to receive incoming or place outgoing calls. In addition, when a user connects to another remote data site, such as a corporate office, the purchase of a second telephone line is an undesirable cost.
Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/708,267 titled “System And Method for Providing User Connectivity to a Remote Data Site on a Communication Line While Maintaining Telephone Connectivity on the Communication Line” filed Sep. 6, 1996 whose inventor is W. B. Barker, discloses a system and method which enables the user to connect to the remote data site on a communications line, wherein the user maintains the ability to receive or place telephone calls from/to other parties through the communications line while the user is connected to the remote data site on the communications line. In this system, incoming calls are received on the communication device or modem which is performing the data communications on the communications line. The incoming call is not received as a traditional ring signal from the telephone company central office (CO), but rather is received as a data packet from the remote data site. The data or information in the data packet indicates that a call is being received. The communication device then rings only the telephone connected to the communication device when an incoming call is received. The above-referenced patent application also discloses a system and method, which is the subject of the present application, wherein each of the telephones within the user's home rings to notify the user whenever another party places a telephone call through the communication line while the communication device is performing data communications on the communication line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a system and method for enabling a subscriber to receive incoming telephone calls on a telephone line and ring all extensions associated with the telephone line. The telephones may be rung even when the subscriber is performing data communications with a remote data site on the telephone line. Also, due to the data communications being performed, the incoming call information is received in a data packet, not as a traditional ring signal from the telephone company central office. The present invention is operable to receive the call information in the data packet and ring other extensions. This obviates the necessity of the subscriber having to purchase a second telephone line for incoming calls while data communications are being performed, thus reducing access costs.
The system comprises a telephone line for transferring telephone signals between a telephone network and a premises, and the system comprises first and second conductor pairs comprised within the premises for transferring telephone signals within the premises. The system further comprises a wiring device coupled between the telephone line and the conductor pairs, wherein the wiring device connects the telephone line to the second conductor pair. One or more telephone instruments are coupled to the first conductor pair, i.e., the normal wiring typically found in premises today. The system further comprises a communication device or modem coupled to both the first and second conductor pairs and coupled to the telephone line through the second conductor pair and wiring device.
The invention is operable to ring all of the telephones connected to the first conductor pair inside the subscriber's premises. The first conductor pair would have normally been connected to the external telephone line. The system and method advantageously employs the wiring device to reroute the telephone line to the second conductor pair in the home instead of the first conductor pair to which the phones are connected. The second conductor pair is normally not used within a house with a single purchased telephone line, and is normally used to connect to a second purchased telephone line. The system and method further employs a modem which receives signals indicating an incoming telephone call from the telephone line via the second conductor pair and causes ring signals to be generated to the telephones connected to the first conductor pair in response to the signals indicating an incoming call. Preferably, the signals indicating an incoming call comprise one or more data packets.
The modem includes a Central Office (CO) simulator circuit, which includes a ring generator, coupled to the first conductor pair which regenerates the telephone signals, such as a ringing voltage, to the telephones connected to the first conductor pair. In other words, the modem includes a ring generator coupled to the first conductor pair for ringing the telephones which are coupled to the first conductor pair. The modem further comprises a line interface circuit coupled to the second conductor pair. The line interface circuit comprises a switch coupled between the conductors of the second conductor pair and the modem. The switch closes, i.e., goes off hook, in order to complete a circuit with a CO at the far end of the telephone line. The switch closes to enable the modem to answer or place a call on the telephone line.
The modem further comprises communications circuitry, such as a data pump and a codec, for performing data communications with the telephone network on the telephone line. Preferably, the modem is coupled to a computer, wherein the modem is operable to perform data communications between the computer and the telephone network. The modem further comprises a controller, such as a microcontroller or a task of the attached computer, operably coupled to the line interface and the communication circuitry. The controller is operable to control the ring
Barker W. B.
Staples Leven E.
Chan Wing F.
Conley Rose & Tayon PC
Data Race, Inc.
Kowert Robert C.
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