Telephonic communications – Supervisory or control line signaling – Substation originated
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-04
2002-09-03
Chiang, Jack (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Supervisory or control line signaling
Substation originated
C379S093090, C379S428020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06445789
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone, and more particularly to an analog telephone having a hand-set to be used also as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a personal computer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A prior art telephone of the kind to which the present invention relates will now be described to assist the understanding of the present invention. Such a prior art telephone is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
,
FIG. 1
showing an outer view, and
FIG. 2
showing, in a block diagram, the internal construction of the telephone. The telephone has a body
1
which has a hook switch HSW. The hook switch HSW is turned on and off by placing and removing a hand-set
2
on and from the body
1
. The body of the telephone also has a connector (or modular jack)
3
provided on its top for line connection.
The hand-set
2
, as shown in
FIG. 2
, includes a microphone (i.e., electret condenser microphone, dynamic type microphone, piezoelectric type microphone, etc.)
22
as an electro-acoustic transducer device, and a loudspeaker (of dynamic type, piezoelectric type, etc.)
21
, and is used as an exclusive device for the body
1
of the telephone.
The hand-set
2
is connected through a hand-set connection connector
4
in the telephone body
1
to a telephone circuit, i.e., dial/speach circuit
11
. The dial/speach circuit
11
is connected through a hook switch HSW to the connector
3
.
The connector
3
is also connected through a series circuit consisting of a capacitor C and a resistor R to a ringer circuit
12
. The ringer circuit
12
drives a ringer loudspeaker
13
.
For speech communication with other computer users through such computer networks as internets and intranets, it is necessary to use a computer such as a PC (personal computer) as an exclusive outer microphone and a loudspeaker (including a head set). This means that it is desired to use the hand-set shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
as a voice input/output device for a computer as well.
Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai Publication No. Sho 63-97948 shows a terminal device (such as a facsimile device) with a hand-set device, in which a hook switch should be provided on the hand-set side. This device permits use of a four-pin modular jack for the connection between the hand-set and device body
1
while two lines for transmitter and two lines for receiver remain independent from one another.
This technique, however, does not permit the use of accessory hand-set as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC.
Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. Hei 1-292949 discloses a technique, in which an accessory hand-set can be utilized inside a facsimile device having a voice response function to record response messages for recording in absence.
Again the disclosed technique does not permit use of accessory hand-set as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a telephone which permits a hand-set accessory therefor to be also used as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a telephone having a modular jack for being connected to a telephone line, comprising: a telephone circuit; a connector capable of being connected to a voice input/output interface in a network for a computer; and selecting means for making a selection as to whether a hand-set having a microphone and a loudspeaker is to be connected to the connector or to the telephone circuit.
The selecting means may include a switch for connecting a ringer loudspeaker as well to the connector when the hand-set is selected to be connected to the telephone circuit. The selecting means may also include a switch for disconnecting the telephone circuit from the telephone line when the hand-set is selected to be connected to the connector.
The invention is featured in a function or an arrangement in which the hand-set of the telephone can also be connected, as a voice input/output device for a computer such as a PC, to the voice input/output interface for the computer network.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4907267 (1990-03-01), Gutzmer
patent: 5452289 (1995-09-01), Sharma et al.
patent: 5799067 (1998-08-01), Kikinis et al.
patent: 6169734 (2001-01-01), Wilson
patent: 63-97948 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 1-292949 (1989-11-01), None
Hirano Kazushige
Kamezawa Hiroshi
Chiang Jack
Dickstein , Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, LLP
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