WIFI INTERFACE TO DIALUP MODEM

• US 20100278224A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Darwin Rambo
• Inventors: Rambo, Darwin
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A device and method support dialup modem access over a wireless local area and/or personal area network such as, for example, an IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n and/or IEEE 802.15.3a network. A representative embodiment permits a user of a conventional Internet web browser application to access a dialup information provider via a switched telephone network, using the wireless network. A terminal adapter comprising a wired network interface and a wireless network interface receives messaging containing dialing information from a user of a personal computer, via the wireless network. The terminal adapter establishes a dialup connection to the information provider, and exchanges information between the personal computer and the information provider via the wired and wireless interfaces. Information used for dialing may be contained within a universal resource locator received by the terminal adapter, or may be received as a result of user input on a webpage type user interface displayed by the browser application using information sent by the terminal adapter.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A system comprising:

at least one processor that enables communicative coupling to at least one wireless interface for communicating via one or both of a local area network and/or a personal area network and to a dialup modem for communicating via a conventional switched telephone network, the at least one processor operable to, at least;

wirelessly receive a message;

parse dialing information from the message;

establish a modem connection through said dialup modem using the dialing information; and

selectively communicate user information between the at least one wireless interface and the dialup modem.

33. The communication device according to claim 32 wherein communication via the at least one wireless interface is according to or compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard published on or before Jun. 3, 2005.

34. The communication device according to claim 32 wherein communication via the at least one wireless interface is according to or compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a or compatible standard published on or before Jun. 3, 2005.

35. The communication device according to claim 32 wherein the device implements an Internet browser compatible user interface for dialing a directory number, the user interface accessible via the at least one wireless interface.

36. The communication device according to claim 32 wherein a directory number for dialing via the dialup modem is communicated via the at least one wireless interface using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

37. The communication device according to claim 36 wherein the directory number is communicated as part of a universal resource locator (URL).

38. The communication device according to claim 32 wherein the dialup modem is compatible with one of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) V.90 or V.92 standards published on or before Jun. 3, 2005.

39. The communication device according to claim 32 wherein the first executable code communicates via the at least one wireless interface with second executable code in machine readable storage of a personal computer, and wherein communication between the first and second executable code enables application code on the personal computer to utilize the dialup modem as if the dialup modem were an operable component of the personal computer.

40. The communication device according to claim 39 wherein the state of at least one out-of-band signal is communicated between the first executable code and the second executable code via the at least one wireless interface.

41. The communication device according to claim 40 wherein the at least one out-of-band signal comprises one or more of the following:

a clear to send signal, a request to send signal, a data terminal ready signal, a data set ready signal, a carrier detect signal, and/or a ring indicator signal.

42. The communication device according to claim 40 wherein the at least one out-of-band signal is used for controlling flow of the user information.