System and method for communication channel and device control via an existing audio channel

• US 20040022272A1
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodman, Jeffrey, Drell, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,821,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/494
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6025 implemented as integrated speech networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network

Abstract

A system and method for communication channel and device control via an existing audio channel. A combined communication signal is received from a communication device comprising an audio signal and a modulated carrier signal via an audio channel. The audio signal is separated from the carrier signal. Digital data is extracted from the carrier signal. Device control is performed utilizing the extracted digital data.

Claims

1. A method for communication channel and device control via an existing audio channel, comprising:

receiving a combined communication signal comprising an audio signal and a modulated carrier signal from a communication device via the audio channel;

separating the audio signal from the modulated carrier signal;

extracting digital data from the modulated carrier signal; and

performing device control based on the extracted digital data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing device control further comprises establishing a new communication channel in addition to the audio channel based on the digital data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio channel is a POTS line.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications channel is an IP connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing device control further comprises manipulating one or more associated devices based on the digital data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications channel is established with a multimedia conference bridge.

7. A system for communication channel and device control via an existing audio channel, comprising:

a communication interface for receiving a product signal comprising an audio signal and a modulated carrier signal from a communication device via the audio channel;

a product signal module coupled to the communication interface for separating the audio signal from the modulated carrier signal;

a demodulator for extracting digital data from the modulated carrier signal; and

a data management engine coupled to the demodulator for performing device control based on the extracted digital data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the audio channel is a POTS line.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the communications channel is an IP connection.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the communications channel is associated with a separate transmission medium from a transmission medium associated with the audio channel.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a device control module for manipulating one or more associated devices.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a communication channel generator for creating a channel in addition to the existing audio channel.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising a data router module for determining a function associated with the extracted data.

14. An apparatus for communication channel and device control via an existing audio channel, comprising:

means for receiving a combined communication signal comprising an audio signal and a modulated carrier signal from a communication device via the audio channel;

means for separating the audio signal from the modulated carrier signal;

means for extracting digital data from the modulated carrier signal; and

means for performing device control based on the extracted digital data.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for communication channel and device control via an existing audio channel by performing the steps of:

receiving a combined communication signal comprising an audio signal and a modulated carrier signal from a communication device via the audio channel;

separating the audio signal from the modulated carrier signal;

extracting digital data from the modulated carrier signal; and

performing device control based on the extracted digital data.

16. A method for communication channel and device control via an existing audio channel, comprising:

modulating digital data with device control instructions onto a carrier signal;

combining the modulated carrier signal with an audio signal; and

transmitting the combined signal to one or more communication devices.