Multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus and method of controlling the apparatus
First Claim
1. A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising:
- a first network controller, connected to a first line network having a plurality of lines for transmitting and receiving data of a first signal format;
a second network controller, connected to a second line network having a plurality of lines, for transmitting and receiving data of a second signal format different from said first signal format;
means for storing data of the first and second signal formats received by the first and second network controllers through the first and second line networks, respectively;
means for monitoring states of the lines of the first and second line networks and for judging the presence and absence of idle lines in each of the first and second line networks;
means for converting data of the first signal format to data of the second signal format when data of the first signal format stored in the storage means is to be transmitted and the monitoring means judges the absence of any idle line in the first line network and the presence of an idle line in the second line network; and
means for transmitting the data converted by the data conversion means through the second network controller to the idle line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus is connected to a plurality of line networks to convert a data received from a data originator terminal into another sort of data corresponding in attribute to another sort of line network and to transmit the converted data to a destination terminal. When the destination terminal does not handle the data to be transmitted from the data originator terminal, the store-and-forward exchange apparatus converts the data into another sort of data which can be handled at the destination terminal, and then transmits the converted data from its network controller in the apparatus. Further, an identification data of a terminal is registered to which a data arrival is announced at the time of the data reception in the form of a medium (voice, character or picture data) message previously prepared in the store-and-forward exchange apparatus. Identification data are allocated to individual system users, each user determines a terminal to be used depending on the attribute of the data to be transmitted, and the data to be transmitted is transmitted to the terminal.
138 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising:
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a first network controller, connected to a first line network having a plurality of lines for transmitting and receiving data of a first signal format; a second network controller, connected to a second line network having a plurality of lines, for transmitting and receiving data of a second signal format different from said first signal format; means for storing data of the first and second signal formats received by the first and second network controllers through the first and second line networks, respectively; means for monitoring states of the lines of the first and second line networks and for judging the presence and absence of idle lines in each of the first and second line networks; means for converting data of the first signal format to data of the second signal format when data of the first signal format stored in the storage means is to be transmitted and the monitoring means judges the absence of any idle line in the first line network and the presence of an idle line in the second line network; and means for transmitting the data converted by the data conversion means through the second network controller to the idle line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising:
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first conversion means for analyzing picture data corresponding to a picture image composed of a plurality of characters and for converting the picture data into character data composed of character codes corresponding to characters constituting the picture data; second conversion means for analyzing voice data corresponding to a voice and for converting the voice data into character data composed of character codes corresponding to characters of the voice constituting the voice data; third conversion means for analyzing character data composed of a plurality of character codes and for converting the character data into picture data corresponding to a picture image composed of characters represented by character codes and for converting the character data into voice data corresponding to characters represented by character codes; first network control means, connected through a plurality of lines to a first line network, for transmitting and receiving picture data; second network control means, connected through a plurality of lines to a second line network, for transmitting and receiving voice data; third network control means, connected through a plurality of lines to a third line network, for transmitting and receiving character data; means for monitoring states of lines connected to the first, second, and third network control means; means for storing picture, voice and character data received respectively through the first, second and third network control means; means for instructing one of the first, second and third conversion means to convert data to be transmitted when data having a format of one of picture data, voice data, and character data stored in the storing means is to be transmitted and the monitoring means judges an absence of any idle line connected to a one of the network control means for transmitting data of a same format as the data to be transmitted, into a format of data associated with another one of the network control means connected to an idle line; and means for transmitting data converted by the one of the first, second and third conversion means through the network control means connected to the idle line.
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10. A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of network control means, each connected to a different line network having a plurality of lines, for transmitting and receiving a plurality of sorts of mutually convertible data having different signal formats, each network control means being associated with one sort of data; means for storing the plurality of sorts of data received by the plurality of network control means; means for judging, when data stored in the storage means is to be transmitted, whether or not a sort of the data to be transmitted conforms to an attribute indicative of a sort of data receivable by a destination terminal; means for converting the data to be transmitted into different sort of data which conforms to the attribute indicative to the sort of the data receivable by the destination terminal when the judging means judges that the sort of the data to be transmitted does not conform to the attribute of the destination terminal; and means for transmitting the data converted by the converting means through a network control means associated with the sort of data receivable by the destination terminal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of network control means, each connected to a different line network having a plurality of lines, for transmitting and receiving a plurality of types of mutually convertible data having different signal formats, each of the network control means being provided in association with a type of data; storage means for storing notification terminal data indicative of a terminal to receive notification of the data arrival and identification of a destination terminal, the data to be transmitted being received by the plurality of network control means through the plurality of line networks; judging means for judging, when data stored in the storage means is to be transmitted, whether or not a first attribute indicative of a type of data to be transmitted conforms to a second attribute indicative of a type of data receivable by the destination terminal; data conversion means for converting the data to be transmitted into a type of data which conforms to the second attribute when the judging means judges that the first attribute does not conform to the second attribute; transmission control means for transmitting the data converted by the data conversion means through the network control means provided in association with the type of the converted data; and data arrival notification means for notifying a terminal corresponding to the terminal data stored in the storage means of data arrival by a type of data receivable by the notified terminal.
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15. A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of network control means, each connected to a line network through a plurality of lines, for transmitting and receiving a plurality of sorts of mutually convertible data having different signal formats, each of the network control means being provided in association with a sort of data; storage means for storing therein data received by the plurality of network control means through the plurality of line networks, the data being transmitted from originator terminals to destination users; means for registering a plurality of receiver terminals capable of receiving different sorts of data in correspondence with the destination user; retrieval means for retrieving, when the data stored in the storage means is to be transmitted, a registered receiver terminal capable of receiving the data transmitted from the originating terminal; monitor means for monitoring states of the lines connected to each of the plurality of network control means; data conversion means for converting the data to be transmitted into a sort of data associated with different registered receiver terminal associated with a network control means connected to an idle line when the monitoring means judges on the basis of monitored results the absence of any idle one of the lines connected to the network control means provided in association with the sort of data associated with the receiver terminal retrieved by the retrieving means; and transmission control means for transmitting the data converted by the data conversion means through the network control means connected to an idle line. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of network control means, each connected to a line network having a plurality of lines, for transmitting and receiving a plurality of sorts of mutually convertible data having different signal formats, each of the network control means being provided in association with a sort of data; storage means for storing data received by the plurality of network control means through the plurality of line networks, the data to be transmitted from originator terminals to destination users; register means for registering a plurality of receiver terminals capable of receiving different sorts of data in correspondence with the destination users and notification terminals to which transmission of the data to the destination users is notified; retrieval means for retrieving, when the data stored in the storage means is to be transmitted, one of the receiver terminals being registered in the register means and being capable of receiving the data transmitted from the originator terminal; monitor means for monitoring states of the lines connected to the plurality of network control means; data conversion means, when the monitor means monitors the absence of any idle one of the lines connected to the network control means provided in association with the sort of data associated with the receiving terminal retrieved by the retrieving means, for converting the data to be transmitted into another sort of data associated with another receiver terminal registered in the register means and associated with a network control means connected to an idle line; transmission control means for transmitting the data converted by the data conversion means through the network control means connected to an idle line; and data arrival notification means for notifying the terminals registered in the register means of arrival of the data to the destination terminal by the sort of data receivable by the notification terminals. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of controlling a multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising a plurality of network control means each being connected to each of a plurality of sorts of line networks through lines thereof, for transmitting and receiving a plurality of sorts of mutually convertible data having different signal formats, each of the network control means being provided in association with each sort of data, and storage means for storing therein the plurality of sorts of data received by the plurality of network control means through the plurality of line networks, the method comprising the steps of;
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monitoring states of the lines connected to the plurality of network control means; when data stored in the storage means is to be transmitted and when the monitor means judges on the basis of its monitored results the absence of any idle one of the lines connected to one of the network control means provided in association with the sort of the data to be transmitted, for converting the data to be transmitted into another sort of data associated with another network control means connected to an idle line; and transmitting the converted data through the another network control means connected to the idle line.
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22. A method of controlling a multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising a plurality of network control means each connected to each of a plurality of sorts of line networks through lines thereof, for transmitting and receiving a plurality of sorts of mutually convertible data having different signal formats, each of the network control means being provided in association with each sort of data, and storage means for storing therein the plurality of sorts of data received by the plurality of network control means through the plurality of line networks, the method comprising the steps of;
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when data stored in the storage means is to be transmitted, judging whether or not the sort of the data to be transmitted conforms to an attribute indicative of a sort of data receivable by a destination terminal; when the judging means judges that the sort of the data to be transmitted does not conform to the attribute of the destination terminal, converting the data to be transmitted into another sort of data which conforms to the attribute of the destination terminal; and transmitting the converted data through the network control means provided in association with the sort of the converted data.
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23. A method of controlling a multi-medium store-and-forward exchange apparatus comprising a plurality of network control means each connected to each of a plurality of sorts of line networks through lines thereof, for transmitting and receiving a plurality of sorts of mutually convertible data having different signal formats, each of the network control means being provided in association with each sort of data, and storage means for storing therein data to be transmitted to destination terminals and notification terminal data indicative of notification terminals to which transmission of the data is notified, the data being received by the plurality of network control means through the plurality of line networks, the method comprising the steps of;
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when data stored in the storage means is to be transmitted, judging whether or not a first attribute indicative or a sort of the data to be transmitted conforms to a second attribute indicative of a sort of data receivable by the destination terminals; when the judging means judges that the first attribute does not conform to the second attribute, converting the data to be transmitted into another sort of data which conforms to the second attribute; transmitting the converted data through the network control means provided in association with the sort of the converted data; and notifying a terminal associated with the notification terminal data stored in the storage means of data arrival by a sort of data receivable by the notified terminal.
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Specification