Telephonic communications – Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical... – Having transmission of a digital message signal over a...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-15
2004-03-23
Chan, Wing Fu (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
Telephone line or system combined with diverse electrical...
Having transmission of a digital message signal over a...
C379S110010, C379S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06711245
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to data communications, and more specifically to method and apparatus for processing call progress of a serial communication device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern modems are used to connect PCs, or other data terminal equipment (DTE), into wide area communication networks, in which the telephone system is used to carry information from one PC to another. Over the years many communication standards have been developed, enabling a standards-compliant modem made by one manufacturer to communicate with a standards-compliant modem made by another manufacturer. These protocols specify various aspects of a communication protocol, such as signal constellations and coding methods to be used under the standard.
To date, modems have been typically implemented with an on-board speaker to play call progress data during a call progress period. Alternatively a modem typically includes a special cable connecting with an audio system of a host, such that the call progress signal may be transmitted from the modem to the host and be played at the audio system of the host, through the special cable.
FIG. 1A
shows a conventional modem having an onboard speaker to play the call progress signal. The system
100
typically includes a host
101
coupled with a modem device
102
through a serial interface
103
. The modem device
102
typically includes an onboard speaker
109
. Thus, during a call progress period, call progress signal received from the outside phone line
107
, is extracted from the data access arrangement (DAA)
106
. The DAA
106
then transmits the call progress signal to the onboard speaker
109
through an amplifier
108
.
Alternatively, as described in
FIG. 1B
, a modem may utilize an audio system of the host
101
to play call progress. Referring
FIG. 1B
, the call progress signal received from the phone line
107
is extracted from the DAA
106
. The DAA
106
then transmits the call progress signal to an audio output circuit
110
. The audio output circuit
110
then transmits the call progress signal through an audio cable
115
to an audio input circuit
111
of the host
101
. A typical mixer circuit
112
then mixes the call progress signal with other audio inputs (e.g., music data played from an application of the host) and inputs the call progress signal to the audio system
113
. The call progress signal is then played at the speaker
114
of the host.
As described above, a conventional modem requires either a speaker built-in on the modem to play call progress, or a special circuitry such as, audio output circuit
110
, audio input circuit
111
, to utilize the audio system of the host. In a competitive market, sometimes the costs of these components or circuits are not acceptable. Hence, it is desirable to have an improved method or system such that a modem may utilize the audio system of the host without extra costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention introduces a method and system to provide the capability of a serial based analog modem to play its connection call progress in a digital format, thus eliminating the need for analog to digital conversion at the host and the extra circuitry. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method includes receiving data at the serial communication device, from a serial communication network; identifying the data as call progress audio samples; transmitting the call progress audio samples to the host through the serial interface, the serial interface carrying serial data or call progress audio samples; and playing the call progress audio samples at the audio system of the host.
In an alternative embodiment, the exemplary method further includes receiving the data at the host, the data being transmitted from the serial communication device through the serial interface; examining the data at the host, to determine whether the data are call progress audio samples; transmitting the audio samples to the audio system and playing the audio samples at the audio system, if the data are call progress audio samples; and processing the data as regular serial data at the host, if the data are not call progress audio samples.
In yet another alternative embodiment, an exemplary method includes receiving data at the serial communication device, from a serial communication network, identifying the data as call progress audio samples; transmitting a first character sequence to the host through the serial interface, the first character sequence identifying starting of the call progress; transmitting the call progress audio samples to the host through the serial interface, the serial interface carrying serial data or call progress audio samples; and transmitting a second character sequence to the host through the serial interface, the second character sequence indicating ending of the call progress.
In yet another alternative embodiment, an exemplary method includes receiving the data at the host, the data being transmitted from the serial communication device through the serial interface, the serial interface carrying serial data or call progress audio samples; examining the data at the host, to determine whether the data are call progress audio samples; transmitting the audio samples to the audio system and playing the audio samples at the audio system, if the data are call progress audio samples; and processing the data as regular serial data at the host, if the data are not call progress audio samples.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6173054 (2001-01-01), Beyda et al.
Huang Jeffrey Wei
Mardinian Olivier
Ta Jonathan How-Lian
Apple Computer Inc.
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Chan Wing Fu
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