Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-23
2001-07-03
Courtenay, III, St. John (Department: 2151)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256680
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer communications with external devices and, more specifically, to an apparatus and a process for controlling the communications between a computer system and an external device.
2. Background Art
Data communication schemes primarily utilize modems in combination with communication software applications in order to transfer information between two sources, typically two computer systems. The general computer system has a central processing unit, a random operating memory, a random access memory, a hard disk drive, an input device, and an output display device. The random operating memory is used to store sets of instructions, such as the basic input ouput system (BIOS). A computer system uses the random access memory as its main memory and the hard disk drive as an auxiliary memory device. Lastly, a computer system generally includes a modem to enable communication with external devices or other computer systems. Computer systems have been interfaced with a wide variety of external devices, such as a second computer system, telephones, facsimile, etc. This is shown, by way of example in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,870 to May entitled Telephone System with Computer Generated Dial Pad and Automatic Dialing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,888 to Panditji entitled A Process and Apparatus for Establishing Compatibility Between Communication Applications Producing AT Commands and a Telephony Application Programming Interface, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,342 to Danner entitled Computer-Telephone Interface Process and Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,876 to Sullivan entitled Audiographics Communication System, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,675 to Bergler entitled Application Program Interface.
I have observed that when a user enters a command into a computer system to establish a connection with an external device, the CPU causes the modem to open a communications line. Then, the CPU instructs the modem to generate the necessary dialing signals and further instructs the modem to verify that the connection has been established. The central processing unit continuously checks until a connection with the desired external device is detected and then causes the modem to execute the commands entered into the computer system by a user. After the commands have been carried out the central processing unit determines whether a terminate connection command has been given and continues to process entered commands until the terminate connection command is entered into the computer system. Once the terminate connection command is detected the modem is instructed to disconnect the line to the external device. However, I have further observed that the above process for controlling computer communications in a Microsoft® Windows™ type of operating system requires complicated programming by a user and that the available functions are not always intuitively obvious to a user. A Microsoft® Windows™ type of operating system is a graphical interface that translates simple icons and menus into disk operating system commands to simplify the operation of computers. I expect that a process for controlling the communications between a computer system and external devices using a control window in a Windows™ type operating system would allow for a convenient user interface, that simplifies the entry of commands for a user, and allows for many of the available functions to be more intuitively obvious to a user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for controlling computer communications using a Windows™ type operating system that simplifies the entry of commands for the user.
It is another object to provide a process for controlling computer communications using a control window that has a convenient user interface.
It is still another object to provide a process for controlling computer communication that functions that are intuitively obvious to a user.
These and other objects are achieved by using a process for controlling computer communications using a control window that entails the steps of: opening a usable line using a telephony application programming interface (TAPI) line open command provided by a Windows™ type operating system. TAPI is a high level programming interface for Windows™ which supports may types of telephony operations associated with conventional analog public phone lines, digital medium such as digital public branch exchange (PBE) phone lines, integrated services digital network (ISDN) phone lines and eventually wireless medium. When a user is operating a communications application that is running on a computer system to communicate with an external device, a specific AT command is generated by the communications application. The AT command is then received by an interface, such as a modem card, a fax card, digital signal processor cards, etc., between the computer system and an input/output device. The interface then passes the command to a communication task, a combination of software and hardware that processes information and sends it from one device to another. The communications task then performs the specific operation. This communication scheme is bi-directional, thus allowing status codes commonly used in the art to be sent from the conventional communication task through the communication port and into the communication application, resulting in a subsequent operation being performed or a message being displayed by the application. TAPI is explained in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,888 to Panditji entitled A Process and Apparatus for Establishing Compatibility Between Communication Applications Producing AT Commands and A Telephony Application Programming Interface which is herein wholly incorporated by reference.
Registering a control window in a TAPI line callback function, generating dialing signals corresponding to the data input by a user, using a TAPI line dial command to receive various messages in the control window during communications with a modem, performing a function that corresponds to the received messages or commands, and closing the in-use line using a TAPI line close command when the user inputs a terminate connection command.
It is preferable that the step of registering a control window is performed after the step of generating dialing signals using a line dial command. It is also preferable that the step of receiving and processing messages entails the steps of: checking whether a message was generated in the line callback function; continuing to check the line callback function when a message is not generated and proceeding to the next step when it is determined that message has been generated in the line callback function; transmitting the received message to the control window; checking whether the message was displayed in the control window and continuously checking the control window until it is determined that the message has been received; and performing the function that corresponds to the message received by the central processing unit when it is determined that the message has been displayed in the control window.
The use of this invention process can be demonstrated by the controlling of telephone functions for either binary computer data or voice transmission. This entails the steps of: displaying a control window screen that contains a handset graphic and a call button on a monitor; displaying a control window that contains telephone number keys and a hang-up button on the monitor when the user selects the handset graphic or the call button; making a phone call by dialing the desired number on the telephone number keys; and disconnecting the phone call by pressing the hang-up button.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4431870 (1984-02-01), May et al.
patent: 4659876 (1987-04-01), Sullivan et al.
patent: 4860342 (1989-08-01), Danner
patent: 5309509 (1994-05-01), Cocklin et al.
patent: 5572675 (1996-11-01), Bergler
patent: 5574888 (1996-11-01), Panditji et al.
patent: 5627978 (1997-05-01), Altom et al.
patent: 5802304 (1998-09-0
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Courtenay III St. John
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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