Electronic, acoustical tone generating communications system and method
First Claim
1. A device for communicating electronic messages with a computer remote from the device over a telephone handset, the device comprising:
- a housing having an outer surface;
a user input device inside the housing that generates electronic messages in response to actions of the user;
a circuit inside the housing that generates error corrected signals corresponding to the electronic messages;
a speaker integrally formed in the outer surface of the housing which emits audible acoustic signals corresponding to the error corrected signals, the speaker being held adjacent to a mouthpiece of the telephone handset to cause the audible signals to be received by a microphone in the telephone mouthpiece and transduced by the microphone into electrical signals in order to transmit the error corrected messages to the remote computer; and
a pager receiver inside the housing which receives data from the remote computer over a pager frequency.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-function electronic messaging system for transmitting messages over a first communications link having a remote unit for generating forward error corrected signals representing various types of electronic messages, for generating acoustical tones corresponding to the error corrected signals is provided. The acoustical tones are coupled to the send-only first communications link and transferred to a computer. The computer sends an acknowledgement signal back to the user of the remote unit over the first communications link and decodes and error checks the signals. The computer also reformats the various messages and resends them out over various communication links depending on the ultimate destination of the message. The computer may also send messages to the remote unit over a receive-only second communications link. A multi-level method of error detecting and correcting data is also disclosed.
212 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A device for communicating electronic messages with a computer remote from the device over a telephone handset, the device comprising:
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a housing having an outer surface; a user input device inside the housing that generates electronic messages in response to actions of the user; a circuit inside the housing that generates error corrected signals corresponding to the electronic messages; a speaker integrally formed in the outer surface of the housing which emits audible acoustic signals corresponding to the error corrected signals, the speaker being held adjacent to a mouthpiece of the telephone handset to cause the audible signals to be received by a microphone in the telephone mouthpiece and transduced by the microphone into electrical signals in order to transmit the error corrected messages to the remote computer; and a pager receiver inside the housing which receives data from the remote computer over a pager frequency.
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2. A system for communicating data between a computer and a unit remote from the computer, comprising means in the remote unit for receiving input information from a user and for producing data signals corresponding to the input information;
- means for producing error corrected message signals from the data signals;
means for generating acoustical tones corresponding to the error corrected message signals;
a speaker that emits the acoustical tones into a mouthpiece of a telephone handset held adjacent to the speaker to cause the acoustical tones to be received by a microphone in the telephone mouthpiece and transduced by the microphone into electrical signals to send the error corrected message signals to the computer;
a receiving means in the remote unit for unidirectionally receiving data from the computer over a second communications link, which is independent of the telephone handset; and
means for providing an acknowledgment signal over an earpiece of the telephone handset to the user to provide instructions to the user. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
- means for producing error corrected message signals from the data signals;
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13. A method for communicating data between a computer and a unit remote from the computer, comprising:
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receiving input information from a user to the remote unit; generating data signals in the remote unit corresponding to the input information; producing error corrected message signals in the remote unit corresponding to the data signals; generating acoustical tones in the remote unit corresponding to the error corrected message signals; holding a speaker of the remote unit adjacent to a mouthpiece of a telephone handset; emitting the acoustical tones from the speaker into the mouthpiece of the telephone handset to cause the acoustical tones to be received by a microphone in the telephone mouthpiece and transduced by the microphone into electrical signals to send the acoustical tones over a telephone line; receiving, in a receiving unit of the remote unit, data from the computer over a receive-only second communications link, which is independent of the first communications link; and means for providing an acknowledgment over the telephone line to the user to provide instructions to the user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. For use in a system for communicating data between a computer and a unit remote to the computer, the remote unit comprising means for receiving input information from a user and for producing data signals corresponding to the input information;
- means for producing error corrected message signals from the data signals;
means for generating acoustical tones corresponding to the error corrected message signals;
a speaker for emitting the acoustical tones towards an adjacently located mouthpiece of a telephone handset so that the acoustical tones are received by a microphone in the telephone mouthpiece and transduced by the microphone into electrical signals for transmission to the computer;
means for providing an acknowledgment signal, over the first communications link to the user of the remote unit to provide instructions to the user; and
a receiving means for receiving data from the computer over a send-only second communications link, which is independent of the first communications link.
- means for producing error corrected message signals from the data signals;
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21. A method for communicating data from a handheld device to a remote computer over a telephone line, comprising:
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entering data into the device using a user input device; generating error corrected signals based on the entered data; holding a speaker of the device adjacent to a mouthpiece of a telephone handset; and emitting acoustical tones from a speaker in the device into the mouthpiece of the telephone handset to cause the acoustical tones to be received by a microphone in the telephone mouthpiece and transduced by the microphone into electrical signals in order to communicate the error corrected signals to the remote computer.
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Specification