Voice communications system

• US 20100202443A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Usuba, Shinji, Kuboki, Hiroshi, Aoyagi, Hiromi
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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 7/0057 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

Voice communications apparatus is connected to a general subscriber telephone set or a broadband telephone set, to communicate over the public switched telephone network. The apparatus includes a filter converting signals such as to satisfy signal conditions prescribed for the telephone network. The apparatus also includes a terminal class determiner for determining the class of the telephone set connected, and a circuit for changing at least the sampling frequency at which the analog signals from the telephone set are sampled. This establishes high quality in broadband voice communications. The terminal class determiner may automatically determine the class of the telephone set at any timing of a call sequence by detecting a band component of the signals from the telephone set, a predetermined frequency of a signal intermittently transmitted from the telephone set or the characteristics of the telephone set.

Claims

1. Voice communications apparatus including a port selectively connectable to a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set, said apparatus being interposed in communication between the telephone set connected and a public switched telephone network, said apparatus comprising a filter for converting a signal transmitted and received for the telephone set so that the signal satisfies a signal condition prescribed in the public switched telephone network.

2. Voice communications apparatus selectively connectable to a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set, said apparatus being interposed in communication between the telephone set connected and a public switched telephone network, said apparatus comprising:

a circuit for determining a class of the telephone set connected; and

a circuit for changing at least a sampling frequency in sampling an analog signal from the telephone set, depending on the class of the telephone set determined.

3. Voice communications apparatus comprising:

a telephone circuit for setting up a call selectively over one of a broadband network and a public switched telephone network; and

a filter for converting a signal transmitted and received for said telephone circuit so that the signal satisfies a signal condition prescribed in the public switched telephone network.

4. Voice communications apparatus comprising:

a telephone circuit for setting up a call selectively over one of a broadband network and a public switched telephone network;

a first circuit for determining over which of the broadband network and the public switched telephone network a call is to be established; and

a second circuit for changing at least a sampling frequency in sampling an analog signal from said telephone circuit, depending on a determination made by said first circuit.

5. A telephone set connectable to a network including at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, said telephone set comprising:

a determining circuit for receiving from the network a signal by which a sort of the at least one network can be determined and determining which of the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network the network is; and

a band limiter responsive to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for limiting a communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

6. The telephone set according to claim 5, wherein the signal has a frequency band different between the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network,

15. The telephone set according to claim 5, wherein said band limiter comprising:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to the acceptable band; and

a selector operative in response to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for connecting the signal to said filter.

7. A voice communications system comprising either of a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set, and voice communications apparatus interposed in communication between said telephone set comprised and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, wherein said voice communications apparatus includes a circuit for sending out to said telephone set a signal by which a sort of the at least one network can be determined, said telephone set including:

a determining circuit for receiving the sent-out signal for determining which of the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network the at least one network is, based on the received signal; and

a band limiter responsive to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for limiting a communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

22. The system according to claim 7, wherein said band limiter comprising:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to the acceptable band; and

a selector operative in response to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for connecting the signal to said filter.

8. A voice communications system comprising either of a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set, and voice communications apparatus interposed in communication between said telephone set and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, wherein said voice communications apparatus includes:

a first circuit for determining a class of said telephone set comprised; and

a second circuit operative in response to the class determined for changing a property of an in-channel signal transmitted between said telephone set comprised and said voice communications apparatus.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first circuit uses a signal available from said telephone set comprised or a characteristic value managed by said telephone set comprised to determine the class of said telephone set comprised.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first circuit sends out a signal to said telephone set comprised or changes a characteristic value of a connection line connected to said telephone set comprised to use a response signal, or a change in the response signal, received from said telephone set comprised to determine the class of said telephone set comprised.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a third circuit for obtaining information on a class of another telephone set as a counterpart of said comprised telephone set through the public switched telephone network or the broadband communications network;

said second circuit being responsive to the determined class and the information obtained by said third circuit to change the property of the in-channel signals.

12. A voice communications system comprising either of a general subscriber telephone set aid a broadband telephone set, and voice communications apparatus interconnected to said comprised telephone set and interposed in communication between said telephone set comprised and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, wherein said voice communications apparatus includes:

a first circuit for determining a class of said comprised telephone set connected; and

a second circuit for providing said comprised telephone set with a change command for changing characteristics corresponding to the class determined;

said comprised telephone set including a third circuit responsive to the change command for changing a property of an in-channel signal transmitted between said voice communications apparatus and said telephone set comprised.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said first circuit determines the class of said comprised telephone set based on a signal from said telephone set comprised or a characteristic value managed by said telephone set comprised.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a fourth circuit for obtaining information on a class of another telephone set as a counterpart of said comprised telephone set through the public switched telephone network or the broadband communications network;

said third circuit being responsive to the determined class and the information obtained by said fourth circuit to change the property of the in-channel signals.

16. A telephone set connectable to a network including at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, said telephone set comprising:

a determining circuit for determining, from a signal by which a sort of the at least one network can be determined, which of the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network the network is; and

a band limiter responsive to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for limiting a communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

17. The telephone set according to claim 16, wherein the signal has a frequency band different between the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network.

18. The telephone set according to claim 16, wherein said band limiter comprising:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to the acceptable band; and

a selector operative in response to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for connecting the signal to said filter.

19. The telephone set according to claim 16, wherein the signal by which the sort of the at least one network can be determined is received from the network.

20. The telephone set according to claim 16, wherein the signal by which the sort of the at least one network can be determined is generated by said telephone set.

21. The telephone set according to claim 20, wherein the signal generated is a signal designating a called party.

23. A voice communications system comprising either a general subscriber telephone set or a broadband telephone set, and voice communications apparatus interposed in communication between said telephone set comprised and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, wherein said voice communications apparatus includes a circuit for sending out to said telephone set a signal by which a sort of the at least one network can be determined, said telephone set including:

a determining circuit for receiving the set-out signal for determining which of the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network the at least one network is, based on the received signal; and

a band limiter responsive to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for limiting a communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the signal has a frequency band different between the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network,

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein said band limiter comprises:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to the acceptable band; and

a selector operative in response to said determining circuit having determined the network being the public switched telephone network for connecting the signal to said filter.