Telephone outlet with packet telephony adapter, and a network using same

• US 20040125819A1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Intellectual Property Management Inc (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Inventors: Binder, Yehuda
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0081 Network operation, administration, maintenance, or provisioning

Abstract

An outlet (75) for a Local Area Network (80) (LAN), containing an integrated adapter (21) that converts VoIP to and from analog telephony, and a standard telephone jack (72) (e.g. RJ-11 in North America) for connecting an ordinary analog (POTS) telephone set. Such an outlet allows using analog telephone sets in a VoIP environment, eliminating the need for an IP telephone set or external adapter. The outlet may also include a hub (31a, 31c) that allows connecting both an analog telephone set (22a, 22c) via an adapter (21a, 21c), as well as retaining the data network connection, which may be accessed by a network jack (73a, 73c). The invention may also be applied to a telephone line-based data networking system. In such an environment the data networking circuitry as well as the VoIP/POTS adapters are integrated into a telephone outlet, providing for regular analog service, VoIP telephony service using an analog telephone set, and data networking as well. In such a configuration, the outlet requires two standard telephone jacks and a data-networking jack. Outlets according to the invention can be used to retrofit existing LAN and in-building telephone wiring, as well as original equipment in new installation.

Claims

1. An outlet (75) for connecting an analog telephone set (22a) to a digital data network (80) carrying voice signals in digital form, the digital network based on wiring in a building, the outlet being adapted for mechanical attachment to, or mounting in, a wall of the building and comprising:

a connector (71) for connecting the outlet to the wiring within a building;

a telephone jack (72) for connecting an analog telephone set; and

an adapter (21a) coupled between the connector and the telephone jack for converting between voice signals in digital form and analog telephone signals.

2. The outlet (75) of claim 1, wherein the adapter supports the Internet Protocol.

3. The outlet (70) of claim 1 or 2, furthermore operative to connecting a data unit (7a) to the digital network, the outlet further comprising:

a data communication jack (73) for connecting the data unit; and

a multi-port hub (31) coupled to said connector (71) and to said data communication jack (73) and being operative to simultaneously connecting to said adapter (21) and to the data unit (7a).

4. The outlet of claim 3, wherein said data communication jack is RJ45 compatible.

5. The outlet of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a low-pass filter (37) coupled to a telephone jack (92) for allowing connection of an analog telephone.

6. The outlet of claim 5, being furthermore operative to establishing life-line communications, and further comprising a relay (112) operative to disconnect the telephone jack from the adapter (21) and connect the telephone jack to the low-pass filter (37).

7. The outlet of any one claims 1 to 6, further including an integrated unit (152), for isolating data carried over the wiring from a main service signal.

8. The outlet of any one of claims 1 to 3, further including an integrated unit (152), for isolating data carried over the wiring from a main service signal, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is telephony, and the integrated unit (152) includes a low-pass filter (37) and a high-pass filter (38).

9. The outlet of claim 8, being furthermore operative to establishing life-line communications, and further comprising a relay (112) operative to disconnect the telephone jack from the adapter (21) and connect the telephone jack to the low-pass filter (37).

10. The outlet of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is an electrical AC power signal and the integrated unit (152) is adapted to split the AC power and feed it to a socket (154), there being further included a power-line carrier (PLC) modem for interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit, and allowing data communication over the AC power line.

11. The outlet of claim 7, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is a CATV signal and the integrated unit (152) is adapted to isolate the CATV signal from the data signal, there being further included a coaxial cable modem for interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit, and allowing data communication over the CATV wiring.

12. A network (80) operative to carrying voice signals in digital form and operative to connecting an analog telephone set (22a, 22b, 22c), the network comprising wiring (13a, 13b, 13c) and a least one outlet (70a, 75b, 70c), wherein said at least one outlet includes:

a connector (71) for connecting said at least one outlet to said wiring;

a telephone jack (72a, 72b, 72c) for connecting an analog telephone set; and

an adapter (21a, 21b, 21c) coupled between the connector and the telephone jack for converting the voice signals in digital form to an analog telephone signal.

13. The network of claim 12, wherein the wiring is based on telephone wiring.

14. The telephone network as in claim 12 or 13, furthermore operative to carrying voice signals in digital form based on the Internet Protocol.

15. The network of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein said outlet (70a, 70c) is further operative to connecting a data unit (7a, 7c) to the network, the outlet further comprising:

a data communication jack (73a, 73c) for connecting the data unit; and

a multi-port hub (31a) coupled to said connector (71) and to said data communication jack (73a, 73c) and being operative to simultaneously connect to said adapter (21a, 21c) and to the data unit (7a, 7c).

16. The network of claim 15, wherein said data communication jack is RJ-45 compatible.

17. The network of any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the outlet further comprises a low-pass filter (37) coupled to a telephone jack (92) for allowing connection of an analog telephone.

18. The network of claim 17, being furthermore operative to establishing life-line communications, wherein the outlet further comprises a relay (112) operative to disconnect the telephone jack from the adapter (21) and connect the telephone jack to the low-pass filter (37).

19. The network of any one claims 12 to 16, further including an integrated unit (152), for isolating data carried over the wiring from a main service signal.

20. The network of claim 19, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is telephony, and the integrated unit (152) includes a low-pass filter (37) and a high-pass filter (38).

21. The network of claim 19, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is an electrical AC power signal and the integrated unit (152) is adapted to split the AC power and feed it to a socket (154), there being further included a power-line carrier (PLC) modem for interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit, and allowing data communication over the AC power line.

22. The network of claim 19, wherein the main service signal carried by said wiring is a CATV signal and the integrated unit (152) is adapted to isolate the CATV signal from the data signal, there being further included a coaxial cable modem for interfacing the hub (41) to the integrated unit, and allowing data communication over the CATV wiring.

23. A wired digital network (100) within a building, operative to carry voice signal in digital form, said network including wiring and at least one outlet (90, 95, 96) mechanically attached to, or mounted in, a wall of the building and connected to said wiring, and being configured for connection of at least one analog telephone set (22) via at least one standard telephony connector (92) included in the at least one outlet.

24. The network of claim 23 wherein the at least one outlet allows for connection of at least one data device (7) via at least one standard data connector (93) included in the at least one outlet.

25. The network as in claims 23 or 24, wherein the wiring is telephone wiring for supporting a telephone service.

26. The network as in claim 25, wherein the at least one outlet includes a telephone connector (92) for connecting a feeder of the telephone service thereto.

27. The network as in claim 26, wherein the at least one outlet is configured to retain life-line capability of the telephone service even during a power failure.

28. The network according to claim 27, wherein the outlet includes a low-pass filter (37) coupled to the telephone connector (92) and a relay (112) operative to disconnect the telephone connector from the adapter (21) and connect the telephone connector to the low-pass filter (37).

29. The network as in claims 23 or 24, wherein the wiring is electricity wiring for supporting an AC power service.

30. The network as in claim 29, wherein the at least one outlet includes an AC power connector for connecting a feeder of the AC power service thereto.

31. The network as in claim 23 or 24, wherein the wiring is CATV wiring for supporting a CATV service.

32. The network as in claim 31, wherein the at least one outlet includes a CATV connector for connecting a feeder of the CATV service thereto.