Telephone communication apparatus and method having automatic selection of receiving mode
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Telephone communication interface apparatus for receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, the apparatus comprising:
- microphone means for receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal;
electromagnetic transducer means for receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; and
mode selection means for detecting data errors in the microphone signal and the transducer signal and selectively directing either the microphone signal or the transducer signal to the communication terminal in accordance with the detected data errors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone communication apparatus for receiving data from a telephone network in either of two modes, i.e., an acoustic mode and an electromagnetic mode, and for automatically selecting the particular mode that provides fewer data errors.
80 Citations
14 Claims
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1. Telephone communication interface apparatus for receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, the apparatus comprising:
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microphone means for receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal; electromagnetic transducer means for receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; and mode selection means for detecting data errors in the microphone signal and the transducer signal and selectively directing either the microphone signal or the transducer signal to the communication terminal in accordance with the detected data errors. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A telephone communication interface apparatus for receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, the apparatus comprising:
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microphone means for receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal; electromagnetic transducer means for receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; and mode selection means for detecting data errors in the microphone signal and the transducer signal and selectively directing either the microphone signal or the transducer signal to the communication terminal in accordance with the detected data errors, wherein the mode selection means includes error recording means for counting errors detected in the microphone signal and for counting errors detected in the transducer signal, means for comparing the error count for the signal currently being directed to the communication terminal with a predetermined threshold, and means for directing the other signal to the communication terminal when the error count for the signal currently being directed exceeds the predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A telephone communication apparatus for receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, the apparatus comprising:
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microphone means for receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal; electromagnetic transducer means for receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; and mode selection means for detecting data errors in the microphone signal and the transducer signal and selectively directing either the microphone signal or the transducer signal to the communication terminal in accordance with the detected data errors, wherein the mode selection means includes means for detecting data nonrecognition errors in the signal being directed to the communication terminal, timeout register means for counting errors detected by data nonrecognition checks, and means for comparing the number counted by the timeout register means to a predetermined timeout threshold and for disabling the apparatus when the threshold is exceeded.
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9. Telephone communication interface apparatus for receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, the apparatus comprising:
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microphone means for receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal; electromagnetic transducer means for receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; signal processing means for demodulating a selected one of the microphone signal and the transducer signal and sending the demodulated signal to the communication terminal; switching means for selectively directing to the signal processing means either the microphone signal or the transducer signal in response to a binary control signal; and mode control means for detecting data errors in the demodulated signal and generating the binary control signal in accordance with the detected data errors.
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10. A telephone communication interface apparatus for receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, the apparatus comprising:
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microphone means for receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal; electromagnetic transducer means for receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; signal processing means for demodulating a selected one of the microphone signal and the transducer signal and sending the demodulated signal to the communication terminal; switching means for selectively directing to the signal processing means either the microphone signal or the transducer signal in response to a binary control signal; and mode control means for detecting data errors in the demodulated signal and generating the binary control signal in accordance with the detected data errors, wherein the mode control means includes acoustic error register means for recording a value representing errors detected in the demodulated signal while the microphone signal is being directed to the signal processing means, inductive error register means for recording a value representing errors detected in the demodulated signal while the transducer signal is being directed to the signal processing means, threshold determination means for determining a first predetermined threshold based on the value recorded in the acoustic error register means and a second predetermined threshold based on the recorded value in the inductive error register means, first comparison means for comparing the recorded value in the acoustic error register with the second predetermined threshold when the microphone signal is being selectively directed by the switching means to the signal processing means and for changing the state of the binary control signal when the threshold is exceeded, and second comparison means for comparing the recorded value in the inductive error register with the first predetermined threshold when the transducer signal is being selectively directed by the switching means to the signal processing means and for changing the state of the binary control signal when the threshold is exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method of receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, comprising the steps of:
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receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal; receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; and detecting data errors in the microphone signal and the transducer signal and selectively directing either the microphone signal or the transducer signal to the communication terminal in accordance with the detected data errors. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of receiving data from a telephone network and directing the received data to a communication terminal, the telephone network including a telephone speaker that emits both a sound signal and an electromagnetic signal, both signals corresponding to the data carried by the telephone network, comprising the steps of:
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receiving the sound signal and producing a corresponding microphone signal; receiving the electromagnetic signal and producing a corresponding transducer signal; and detecting data errors in the microphone signal and the transducer signal and selectively directing either the microphone signal or the transducer signal to the communication terminal in accordance with the detected data errors, wherein the step of detecting includes the steps of accumulating an acoustic error value representing errors detected in the microphone signal while the microphone signal is being directed to the communication terminal, accumulating an inductive error value representing errors detected in the transducer signal while the transducer signal is being directed to the communication terminal, comparing the error value accumulated for the signal presently being directed to the communication terminal with the error value accumulated for the other signal, and determining which signal to direct to the communication terminal based on the comparison of error values.
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Specification