Network communication system

• US 6,181,736 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1998
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Mclaughlin
• Original Assignee: NXi Communications, Inc. (NexTalk)
• Inventors: Nelson, Ronald J., Messinger, James E., McLaughlin, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Khai
• Application Number:
  US09/040,916
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 375/222, 375/225, 379/90.01, 379/93.26, 379/93.23, 379/93.15, 379/93.12, 379/93.07
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/16 Half-duplex systems; Simplex/duplex switching; Transmission of break signals non-automatically inverting the direction of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42391 where the subscribers are hearing-impaired persons, e.g. telephone devices for the deaf
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements

Abstract

A network communications system containing one or more nodes includes an ITU/TDD/VOICE modem in electrical communication with a local computer. A remote device connecting to the ITU/TDD/VOICE modem is able to converse in real time using textual characters with the local computer user. Once connected to the ITU/TDD/VOICE modem, the remote device is recognized by the network as an additional node. If the remote device wishes to textually communicate with a node on the network, the local computer formats the data into a network compatible format for transmission to the node. The local computer transmits the data to the node while communication between the ITU/TDD/VOICE modem and the remote device is maintained. Once the remote device is connected to the network, the network may treat the remote device as an additional node. Thus, the remote device may be privileged to some or all of the network services. Furthermore, the remote device may be allowed to utilize a network modem for connection to a second remote device.

Claims

1. A network communication system for transferring a text call to a node user from a local user to thereby allow communication between a remote user of a remote modem and the node user, the network communication system comprising:

an automated local modem for establishing a modem carrier connection with the remote modem;

an automated computer in electrical communication with the automated local modem;

a local computer in electrical communication with the automated computer and having an output device for displaying textual characters;

a node in electrical communication with the local computer and comprising an output device for displaying textual characters; and

a network server in electrical communication with the automated computer, local computer, and the node to regulate data transfer, wherein the automated local modem establishes a modem carrier connection with the remote modem to receive data comprising textual characters, wherein the automated local modem converts the data into a format suitable for the automated computer, wherein the automated computer transmits the data to the local computer while the modem carrier connection between the automated local modem and the remote modem is maintained, wherein the local computer selects a node and data is transferred to the node, wherein the node generates and transmits response data comprising textual characters to the automated computer and to the automated local modem for transmission of the response data from the automated local modem to the remote modem to thereby enable real time communication between the node and the remote modem.

2. The network communication system of claim 1 wherein the local modem is capable of communicating through TDD, ITU, and VOICE signals.

3. The network communication system of claim 1 wherein a ring box is visually displayed on the output device of the node prior to real time communication to signal an attempt by the local computer to establish real time communication between the node and the remote modem.

4. The network communication system of claim 3 wherein the ring box comprises an identifier to identify the remote modem attempting to establish real time communication.

5. The network communication system of claim 4 wherein the local computer sends an inquiry to the remote modem, wherein the remote user enters a textual response, and wherein the textual response is displayed as the identifier on the ring box visually displayed on the output device of the node.

6. The network communication system of claim 1 wherein the local computer comprises an output device for displaying textual characters transmitted from the remote modem and the node and wherein the local computer is capable of generating and transmitting data comprising textual characters in real time to the node and to the remote modem.

7. The network communication system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of additional nodes, each additional node having an output device and in electrical communication with the local computer and the node, wherein a certain number of the additional nodes are selected for real time communication, wherein each additional node receives data comprising textual characters from the local computer and the node for display on the output device, wherein each additional node is capable of transmitting data comprising textual characters to the local computer and the node to thereby enable real time communication between the node, each additional node, and the remote modem.

8. The network communication system of claim 7 wherein the node and a certain number of the additional nodes are selected for real time communication and wherein a ring box is visually displayed on the output device of the node and additional nodes prior to real time communication to signal an attempt by the local computer to establish real time communication between the node, additional nodes, and the remote modem.

9. The network communication system of claim 1 further comprising a network modem in electrical communication with the node, wherein the network modem is in communication with a remote device, and wherein the network modem formats data received from the remote modem in a format suitable for transmission from the network modem to the remote device to thereby enable communication between the remote modem and the remote device.

10. The network communication system of claim 1 wherein the server recognizes the remote modem as an additional node of the network communication system.

11. The network communication system of claim 1 wherein the node formats the display on the output device into different windows on the display screen, wherein textual characters from the node are displayed in one window and textual characters from the remote modem are displayed in another window, and wherein the textual characters of one window are synchronized with the textual characters of the other window to thereby reflect the real time transmission of the textual characters and maintain the relative timing of the communication between the node and the remote modem.

12. The network communication system of claim 11, wherein the node maintains the windows vertically to one another, and wherein the textual characters of one vertical window are substantially in line with the textual characters of the other vertical window in the event of simultaneous communication to maintain the relative timing of the communication between the node and the remote modem.

13. A method for transferring a remote modem text call from a first node on a network to a second node on the network to thereby enable a remote modem user to communicate with a second node user, the method comprising:

establishing a modem carrier connection between the remote modem and an automated station comprising a local modem;

transmitting data comprising textual characters from the remote modem to the automated station;

reformatting the data for compatible transmission of the data from the automated station to a first node across the network;

transmitting the data from the automated station to the first node while maintaining the modem carrier connection between the remote modem and the local modem;

selecting the second node and transmitting the data to the second node;

displaying the textual characters on an output device in electrical communication with the second node;

the second node generating and transmitting response data comprising textual characters to the automated station; and

the automated station transmitting the response data to the remote modem to provide real time communication between the second node and the remote modem.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of displaying a ring box on the output device of the second node to signal an attempt by the first node to establish real time communication between the remote modem and the second node.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the ring box comprises an identifier comprising a manually entered response from the remote user to identify the remote modem attempting to establish real time communication.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

formatting the display on the output device of the second node into separate windows;

displaying textual characters generated by the second node in one window;

displaying textual characters received from the remote modem in another window; and

synchronizing the textual characters of one window with the textual characters of the other window to thereby reflect the real time generation of the textual characters and maintain the relative timing of the communication between the second node and the remote modem.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of synchronizing the textual characters further includes maintaining the windows vertically to one another and maintaining the textual characters of one vertical window substantially in line with the textual characters of the other vertical window in the event of simultaneous communication to maintain the relative timing of the communication between the second node and the remote modem.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the first node comprises an output device and further comprising the steps of:

the first node displaying textual characters received from the second node and the remote modem; and

the first node generating and transmitting data comprising textual characters to the second node and to the remote modem.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a certain number of additional nodes having output devices; and

transmitting data from the second node to each selected additional node to thereby enable real time communication between the second node and each additional node.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

the second node transmitting data to a network modem in electrical communication with the second node;

the network modem establishing communication with a remote device;

the network modem formatting the data in a format suitable for transmission from the network modem to the remote device; and

the network modem transmitting the data to the remote device to thereby enable communication between the remote modem and the remote device.