Digital communication translator

• US 20020136393A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John G. Seay
• Original Assignee: John G. Seay
• Inventors: Seay, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/399.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/505 signals generated in digital form

Abstract

A digital communication translator for redirection of preprogrammed instructions and/or information from a digital alarm communicator system or digital communicator transmitter. The inventive device includes an integrated circuit board containing memory ships with input for a common analog or digital communications circuit and output for the same. An input for a low voltage direct current power. An EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) may interact with the activated host communication process and initiate a communication circuit with the redirected receiver. This EEPROM may simulate a receiver to the host transmitter, An EPROM (Electronically Programmable Read Only Memory) may contain a library of various formats and data to assist the EPROM in simulating the appropriate receiver for the host communicator.

Claims

1. A digital communications translator, comprising:

a first telephone line interface, for receiving communications signals from a host system over a telephone line;

a second telephone line interface, for transmitting translated communications signals to a receiver system over a telephone line; and

a translator, coupled to the first telephone line interface and the second telephone line interface, for receiving communications signals from the host system and translating the communications signals into translated communication signals and outputting the translated communications signals to the receiver system.

2. The digital communications translator of claim 1, wherein the communications signals comprise Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) signals.

3. The digital communications translator of claim 2, wherein the DTMF signals comprise a telephone number programmed into the host, and the translated communications signals comprises a DTMF telephone number programmed into the translator.

4. The digital communications translator of claim 1, wherein the communications signals comprise digital data signals.

5. The digital communications translator of claim 4, wherein the digital data signals comprise alarm system codes and data generated by the host and the translated communications signals comprise corresponding alarm system codes and data programmed into the translator.

6. The digital communications translator of claim 4, wherein the digital data signals comprise an alarm system account number generated by the host and the translated communications signals comprise a corresponding translated alarm system account number programmed into the translator.

7. The digital communications translator of claim 1, wherein the translator comprises:

a first memory for storing as a look-up table, translated communications signals, the first memory being addressed using the communications signals received from the host system and outputting a corresponding translated communication signal stored at a memory address.

8. The digital communications translator of claim 7, wherein the translator further comprises:

a second memory, coupled to the first memory, for storing a library of translation data for a plurality of host types.

9. The digital communications translator of claim 7, wherein the translator detects host type and downloads a corresponding library of data from the second memory to the first memory for data translation for the detected host type.

10. The digital communications translator of claim 1,

wherein the first telephone line interface comprises a first modem, for receiving communications data signals from the host,

wherein the second telephone line interface comprises a second modem, for transmitting translated communications to the receiver, and

wherein the translator comprises a microprocessor and at least one memory, wherein the microprocessor receives a communication signal from the first modem, looks up a translated communication signal in the memory using a memory address generated from the communication signal,and outputs to the second modem a translated communication signal stored at the memory address.

11. A method of translating digital communications over a telephone line, comprising the steps of:

receiving, over a first telephone line interface, communications signals from a host system over a telephone line,

receiving, in a translator coupled to the first telephone line interface and a second telephone line interface, communications signals from the host system,

translating, in the translator, the communications signals into translated communication signals,

outputting the translated communications signals to the second telephone line interface, and

transmitting, over the second telephone line interface, translated communications signals to a receiver system over a telephone line.

12. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 11, wherein the communications signals comprise Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) signals.

13. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 12, wherein the DTMF signals comprise a telephone number programmed into the host, and the translated communications signals comprises the steps of a DTMF telephone number programmed into the translator.

14. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 11, wherein the communications signals comprise digital data signals.

15. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 14, wherein the digital data signals comprise alarm system codes and data generated by the host and the translated communications signals comprise corresponding alarm system codes and data programmed into the translator.

16. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 14, wherein the digital data signals comprise an alarm system account number generated by the host and the translated communications signals comprise a corresponding translated alarm system account number programmed into the translator.

17. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 11, wherein said step of translating further comprises the steps of:

storing, in a first memory as a look-up table, translated communications signals

addressing the first memory using the communications signals received from the host system, and

outputting a corresponding translated communication signal stored at a memory address.

18. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 17, wherein said step of translating further comprises the step of:

storing in a second memory, coupled to the first memory, a library of translation data for a plurality of host types.

19. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 17, wherein said step of translating further comprises the steps of:

detecting, in the translator, host type, and

downloading a corresponding library of data from the second memory to the first memory for data translation for the detected host type.

20. The method of translating digital communications over a telephone line of claim 11,

wherein said step of receiving over the first telephone line interface comprises the step of receiving communications data signals from a host over a first modem,

wherein said step of outputting over the second telephone line interface comprises the step of transmitting translated communications to the receiver over a second modem, and

wherein said step of translating comprises the steps of:

receiving in a microprocessor coupled to at least one memory, a communication signal from the first modem,

looking up, using the microprocessor, a translated communication signal in the at least one memory using a memory address generated from the communication signal, and

outputting to the second modem from the microprocessor, a translated communication signal stored at the memory address.