Parallel process communications terminal and network
First Claim
1. A public document image and voice communications terminal comprising,a data bus having a host CPU connected thereto, the host including a video display and a keyboard for providing a user interface,user identification means including a credit card reader-writer for communicating credit card information to said data bus,a facsimile module having a coprocessor, an image printer, and an image scanner all communicating with the data bus, said coprocessor having means for compressing and decompressing images in real time, the facsimile module communicating with said bus, a voice transceiver module communicating with the data bus, andfirst and second public telephone communications channels, said first channel communicating with said voice transceiver module and said second channel communicating with said facsimile module, said first and second channels arranged for simultaneous communication.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications terminal and network of such terminals offering simultaneous real time or delayed document and voice services through a host processor with overall control, including accounting functions based upon credit card billing. Document services include facsimile, copying, electronic mail and document storage. Voice services include voice mail, and telephone. Real time document handling is achieved using a high speed coprocessor to implement a data compression-decompression algorithm. A pair of common communications channels, such as public telephone subscriber network lines, allow connection of the terminal to a hub. A plurality of interconnected hubs allow wide area availability of document and voice communication services.
210 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A public document image and voice communications terminal comprising,
a data bus having a host CPU connected thereto, the host including a video display and a keyboard for providing a user interface, user identification means including a credit card reader-writer for communicating credit card information to said data bus, a facsimile module having a coprocessor, an image printer, and an image scanner all communicating with the data bus, said coprocessor having means for compressing and decompressing images in real time, the facsimile module communicating with said bus, a voice transceiver module communicating with the data bus, and first and second public telephone communications channels, said first channel communicating with said voice transceiver module and said second channel communicating with said facsimile module, said first and second channels arranged for simultaneous communication.
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12. A public document and voice communications terminal comprising,
(a) a host CPU with peripheral units comprising, (i) user interface means with a video display and a keyboard for user interaction with the CPU, (ii) user identification means including a credit card reader-writer for communicating credit card information to said CPU, (b) a facsimile module communicating with the host CPU, the module comprising a coprocessor, an image printer, and an image scanner, said coprocessor having means for compressing and decompressing images in real time, and a first telephone channel means communicating with the coprocessor for transmitting and receiving images and data, (c) a voice transceiver module communicating with the host CPU, said transceiver module having means for digitizing speech and means for converting digitized speech into analog speech, and a second telephone channel means for transmitting and receiving voice signals, whereby image and voice signals may be simultaneously transmitted.
Specification