System and method for two-way messaging between a personal computer and a cordless device including stereo

• US 20040132468A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rogalski, Gary, Brown, Wendy
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

Text messages are communicated between a personal computer and a cordless device having a base unit and a handset. Text messages sent from the personal computer to the handset are displayed on a text screen on the handset. Text message sent from the handset to the personal computer are displayed on a text window on the personal computer. Messages can be passed from the personal computer to a base unit of the cordless device using an analog or a digital interface. In addition, stereo music is transmitted from a stereo source to the handset through the base unit.

Claims

1. A system for communicating text messages, comprising:

a first personal computer on which a text message is generated;

a second personal computer that receives the text message;

an interface executing on the second personal computer for transmitting the text message;

a cordless device having a base unit and a handset coupled to the interface, wherein the base unit receives the transmitted text message from the interface; and

a text window on the handset on which to display the text message.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is analog.

3. The system recited in claim 2, further comprising stereo information transmitted simultaneously with the text message to the cordless device.

4. The system recited in claim 3, wherein the text message occupies a portion of a communication spectrum that is above a portion of the communication spectrum that is used to transmit voice or stereo.

5. The system recited in claim 4, wherein the text message is transmitted in the SCA band.

6. They system recited in claim 4, wherein the text message is FSK modulated onto the SCA channel.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is digital.

8. The system recited in claim 7, further comprising a USB port for digitally transmitting the text message.

9. The system recited in claim 1, wherein in the text message is transmitted from the first personal computer to the second personal computer using an instant messaging application.

10. A system for communicating a text message created on a message device to a text message screen of a handset of a cordless device, comprising:

a computer having a text messaging application executing there on, which receives the text message; and

a base station associated with the cordless device coupled to the computer, wherein the computer sends the text message to the base station and the base station forwards the text message to the handset for display in the text message screen.

11. The system recited in claim 10, further comprising a text message window associated with the text messaging application, in which the text message is displayed, wherein a second text message is created and further wherein the second text message is displayed in the text message window and transmitted to the base station to be displayed in the text message screen of the handset.

12. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the text message is FSK encoded for transmission.

13. The system recited in claim 12, wherein the message is FSK encoded into the SCA band for transmission from the base station to the handset.

14. The system recited in claim 10, wherein a second text message is created using the handset and sent to the base station for transmission to the computer so that it can be sent to the message device for display in a text messaging window associated with the message device.

15. The system recited in claim 14 wherein the second text message is converted to DTMF tones for transmission from the base station to the computer.

16. A method for communicating a text message, comprising:

generating the text message;

transmitting the text message to a device coupled to a cordless device, the cordless device having a base station and an associated handset; and

displaying the text message in a text message screen on the handset.

17. The method recited in claim 16, further comprising simultaneously transmitting voice and stereo information to the handset along with the text message.

18. The method recited in claim 17, comprising transmitting the text message using a portion of a communication spectrum that is above a portion of the communication spectrum that is used to transmit voice or stereo.

19. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising transmitting the message in the SCA channel.

20. The method recited in claim 19, further comprising FSK modulating the message onto the SCA channel.

21. The method recited in claim 16, further comprising digitally transmitting the text message.

22. The method recited in claim 16, further comprising transmitting the text message using an instant message application.