Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Switching a message which includes an address header
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-16
2001-12-11
Chin, Wellington (Department: 2664)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Switching a message which includes an address header
C370S329000, C370S338000, C370S349000, C455S432300, C455S434000, C455S554100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330244
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF USE
This invention relates generally to an improved data communication system. More specifically, this invention relates to an improved system for wireless digital data communication between a local area network (“LAN”) and a Private Branch Exchange (“PBX”) telephone system. More specifically, this invention provides a system for connecting wireless digital devices to a PBX via an Ethernet in order to access the voice messaging features of the PBX.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wireless LANs have been developed and are now used in offices, retail stores and large industrial facilities, such as warehouses and factories. These LANs provide data communication between computers, printers, servers and other devices without the trouble and expense of installing wires and cables. In addition to data communication, some LANs provide voice communication between devices on the LAN. Systems are also available that permit the LAN to communicate with a remote device using a telephone connection.
A problem with telephone communication from a LAN is the limited functionality of the phone. A LAN phone does not provide the voice mail, caller ID and other functionality of a PBX system that have become indispensable to users of office telephone systems. Thus, because of the limited functionality of a LAN phone system, another telephone system such as a PBX is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved data communication system for connecting a wireless LAN or WAN to a PBX.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for data communication between a Host Interface Unit (HIU) for a wireless LAN or WAN and an ISP (Internet Service Provider).
It is also an object of the present invention to provide improved access to generally available multi-media data files by communicating with the Internet via a wireless portable terminal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved HIU for a wireless LAN or WAN to route data between a PBX and a wireless portable terminal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved HIU for a wireless LAN or WAN to act as an Ethernet bridge to route communication data between an ISP and a wireless portable terminal.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a wireless LAN or WAN connected through an access point to a HIU connected to a PBX on a Token Ring network.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a digital phone integrated with a cash register and sharing the radio communication between the register and a HIU.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a wireless portable terminal that uses a single processor to perform dedicated functions and provide radio communication. The high quality digital signal permits certain data processing functions, such as voice recognition, to be performed by the HIU so that the MU requires only a single processor.
It is a further object of this invention to provide dual data/voice communication between a cash register and a network connected to a PBX or a Central Office line.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a mobile unit (“MU”) on a LAN is connected via a radio signal to an access point (“AP”) that provides an Ethernet connection to a PBX. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the MU is a portable terminal having a unique address on the system and is provided with both data and voice transmission channels, This permits the MU to access the voice mail features of the PBX and for the PBX to access data storage devices on the wireless LAN. (For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “mobile unit” refers to any portable or stationary device that transmits data to an AP by digital radio communication.)
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a portable terminal having an integrated machine code reader and a radio for communication with an AP connected to a PBX is provided with a display for illustrating help and instructional files associated with an item identified with the machine code reader and for data downloaded from the LAN.
The information accessed through the PBX can be downloaded to the hand-held terminal and presented in any number of forms. The information can include messages from the PBX's voice mail server, e-mail, or data from remote devices. The data can be presented in the form of a still picture, text, audio or as video. The use of standard data protocols such as those used currently on the Internet permit wide area accessibility over commercial and closed communication networks on any number of hardware platforms.
A preferred alternative embodiment of the present invention includes machine readable coded labels having one or more remote file location, such as uniform resource locators (“URLs”) used to reference sites on the world wide web. These URLs are used by the portable terminal to retrieve data files from various local and remote addresses available over a wireless communication network. The machine coded labels are preferably encoded with a high-density bar code such as PDF417. These URLs can be presented on the terminal display in the form of a hyperlink which submits a data retrieval request to a remote address upon selection. The displayed hyperlink could be presented on the display as either a direct address (URL) or a highlighted title for the address.
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Beach Robert
Heiman Fred P.
McGlynn Daniel R.
Swartz Jerome
Baker & Botts LLP
Chin Wellington
Phan M.
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