Apparatus for connecting data processing equipment to a communication network
First Claim
1. Apparatus for connecting data processing equipment to a communication network, said apparatus including circuits for transmitting/or receiving signals between the data processing equipment and the communications network, and a digital processing means (23) for controlling the operation of said transmitting/receiving circuits in accordance with control code stored in a control store (24), and means (4) for coupling said apparatus to the network, characterised in that said apparatus includes common hardware for a range of different network standards, in that said coupling means contains an electrically readable identifier for identifying a particular comunication network which is to connected to said apparatus, and in that said apparatus is configured to the standard said particular network when said coupling means is connected to said apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for connecting data processing equipment to a communications network includes hardware for a range of different communications standards. Also included is a coupler (preferably in the form of a cable) having a particular standard communications plug which contains an identifying code associated with that particular standard plug, which code is used to configure the apparatus to that particular standard. The apparatus contains a digital signal processor controlled by control code contained in a control store having associated therewith a standard identifier code. Control logic reads the standard identifier code associated with the control code and the standard identifying code in the coupler and enables the apparatus if the two match (or disables if they do not match). The control store can either contain only the code associated with a particular standard or it can contain all the code for a range of standards: in the latter case the control logic would allow the signal processor to access only the sections of the control store containing the relevant control code. The invention is particularly useful for connecting data processing equipment through a modem to different country telephone networks.
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Citations
11 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for connecting data processing equipment to a communication network, said apparatus including circuits for transmitting/or receiving signals between the data processing equipment and the communications network, and a digital processing means (23) for controlling the operation of said transmitting/receiving circuits in accordance with control code stored in a control store (24), and means (4) for coupling said apparatus to the network, characterised in that said apparatus includes common hardware for a range of different network standards, in that said coupling means contains an electrically readable identifier for identifying a particular comunication network which is to connected to said apparatus, and in that said apparatus is configured to the standard said particular network when said coupling means is connected to said apparatus.
Specification