Analog telephone to ISDN interface apparatus and method therefor

• US 6,215,799 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Fine, Michael R., Mitchell, Eric P.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/976,794
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 370/524, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/525, 370/522, 370/904, 370/264, 370/463, 370/450, 379/399, 379/219, 379/225, 379/229, 379/231, 379/93.06, 379/93.08, 379/93.09, 379/93.11, 379/93.15, 379/93.14, 379/93.31
• US Class Current: 370/524
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0457 Connection protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0471 Terminal access circuits

Abstract

A method and portable ISDN interface module for interfacing both a computer or digital device having a framed data format such as HDLC with an analog telephone over integrated partitioned ISDN channels is provided. The portable ISDN interface module comprises an analog telephone interface, a controller or mechanism for generating and managing the partitioned channels of an ISDN service and an ISDN interface. The analog telephone interface receives and transmits analog information with an analog telephone or other analog device such as a fax/modem between the corresponding external devices and the ISDN interface. The controller or channel generating means implements the channelization or partitioning of the physical link between the portable ISDN interface module and the ISDN. The ISDN interface provides encoding and decoding of analog information and multiplexes the various information sources such as digitized analog telephone information and digital data information into the corresponding ISDN partitioned channels. The ISDN interface presents both an S/T-interface and a U-interface to the ISDN system. Additional telephony functionality such as answering machine and speed-dialing are also provided.

Claims

1. In an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), a portable ISDN interface module for interfacing an analog telephone and a computer with said ISDN, comprising:

a. an analog telephone interface means having a bi-directional interface for operably coupling said analog telephone with said portable ISDN interface module for transceiving analog information therebetween;

b. a channel generating means for formatting concurrent ISDN partitioned channels, at least one of said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels for transceiving said analog information and at least one of said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels for transceiving digital data information on one of said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels; and

c. an ISDN interface means coupled with both said channel generating means and said analog telephone interface means for transceiving and converting between said analog information and digitized analog information, said ISDN interface means also multiplexing said digitized analog information and said digital data information into said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels.

2. The portable ISDN interface module for interfacing an analog telephone and a computer with said ISDN as recited in claim 1, wherein said analog telephone interface means comprises:

a. a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) coupled to said bi-directional interface for translating signal levels of said analog information; and

b. an external power input signal coupled to said bi-directional interface for providing a TIP/RING signal to said analog telephone.

3. The portable ISDN interface module for interfacing an analog telephone and a computer with said ISDN as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a. an analog-to-digital converter coupled to said SLIC for digitizing portions of said analog information into digitized information for storage; and

b. a non-volatile RAM operably coupled to said analog-to-digital converter for storing said digitized information.

4. The portable ISDN interface module for interfacing an analog telephone and a computer with said ISDN as recited in claim 3, wherein a first portion of said non-volatile RAM comprises a means for temporarily storing said digitized information comprising messages destined for said analog telephone.

5. The portable ISDN interface module as recited in claim 3, wherein a second portion of said non-volatile RAM comprises a means for storing said digitized information comprising dialing directives for call routing by said ISDN.

6. The portable ISDN interface module as recited in claim 3, further comprising a digital-to-analog converter for operably coupled to said non-volatile RAM for receiving digitized annunciations therefrom and converting said digitized annunciations to analog annunciations for delivery to said ISDN interface means.

7. The portable ISDN interface module for interfacing an analog telephone and a computer with said ISDN as recited in claim 1, wherein said ISDN interface means comprises:

a. a CODEC operably coupled to said analog telephone interface means for converting between said analog information and digitized analog information; and

b. a transceiver operably coupled to said CODEC for implementing an S/T-interface providing interoperability with said ISDN and for multiplexing said digitized analog information and said digital data information as received from said ISDN interface means into said ISDN partitioned channels.

8. The portable ISDN interface module for interfacing an analog telephone and a computer with said ISDN as recited in claim 7, wherein said ISDN interface means further comprises a Network Termination-1 (NT-1) for translating between said S/T-interface and a U-interface.

9. A portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module for integrating both an analog interface of an analog telephone and a digital data interface of a computer into a standardized ISDN interface, said portable ISDN interface module comprising:

a. an analog telephone interface means capable of receiving analog information from said analog telephone;

b. a controller for generating concurrent ISDN partitioned channels between said ISDN interface module and said ISDN, said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels for transceiving said analog information and at least one of said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels for transceiving digital data information on one of said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels, said controller also capable of receiving digital data information from said computer;

c. an ISDN interface means operable coupled to said analog telephone interface means for converting said analog information to digitized analog information and for multiplexing said digitized analog information and said digital data information as received from said controller into said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels.

10. The portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module as recited in claim 9, wherein said analog telephone interface means further comprising:

a. a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) for translating signal levels of said analog information; and

b. an external power input signal coupled to said bi-directional interface for providing a TIP/RING signal to said analog telephone for caller notification.

11. The portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module as recited in claim 10, wherein said ISDN interface means comprises:

a. a CODEC operably coupled to said analog telephone interface means for converting between said analog information and digitized analog information; and

b. a transceiver operably coupled to said CODEC for implementing an S/T-interface providing interoperability with said ISDN and for multiplexing said digitized analog information and said digital data information as received from said controller into said ISDN partitioned channels.

12. The portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module as recited in claim 11, wherein said ISDN interface means further comprises a Network Termination-1 (NT-1) for translating between said S/T-interface and a U-interface compliant with said ISDN.

13. The portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a. an analog-to-digital converter operably coupled to said analog telephone interface means for digitizing portions of said analog information into digitized information for storage;

b. a non-volatile RAM operably coupled to said analog telephone interface via said analog-to-digital converter and said processor, said nonvolatile RAM for storing said digitized information for later replay.

14. The portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module as recited in claim 13, wherein said non-volatile RAM further comprises a first portion providing temporary storage of said digitized information destined for said analog telephone thereby implementing answering machine functionality.

15. The portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module as recited in claim 13, wherein said non-volatile RAM further comprises a second portion providing storage of dialing directives for call routing thereby implementing speed-dialing functionality.

16. The portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module as recited in claim 13, further comprising a digital-to-analog converter operably coupled to said non-volatile RAM and said ISDN interface means for receiving digitized annunciations from said non-volatile RAM and for converting said digitized annunciations into analog annunciations for deliver over said ISDN.

17. In a portable Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) interface module for operation within an ISDN, a method for integrating both an analog telephone via an analog interface and a computer via a digital data interface with said ISDN, said method comprising the steps of:

a. generating concurrent ISDN partitioned channels between said ISDN interface module and said ISDN;

b. receiving analog information from said analog telephone via said analog interface and digital data information from said computer via said digital data interface;

c. converting said analog information to digitized analog information; and

d. multiplexing said digitized analog information and said digital data information into said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels, said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels for transceiving said analog information and at least one of said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels for transceiving digital data information on one of said concurrent ISDN partitioned channels.

18. The method for integrating both an analog telephone via an analog interface and a computer via a digital data interface with said ISDN as recited in claim 17, wherein said transceiving step further comprises the steps of:

a. translating signal levels of said analog information; and

b. providing a TIP/RING signal to said analog telephone for caller notification.

19. The method for integrating both an analog telephone via an analog interface and a computer via a digital data interface with said ISDN as recited in claim 17, wherein said transceiving step further comprises the steps of:

a. digitizing with an analog-to-digital converter portions of said analog information into digitized information for storage; and

b. storing said digitized information within a non-volatile RAM for later replay.

20. The method for integrating both an analog telephone via an analog interface and a computer via a digital data interface with said ISDN as recited in claim 19, wherein said transceiving step further comprises the step of temporarily storing said digitized information destined for said analog telephone in a first portion of said non-volatile RAM.

21. The method for integrating both an analog telephone via an analog interface and a computer via a digital data interface with said ISDN as recited in claim 19, wherein said transceiving step further comprises the step of storing said digitized information comprising dialing directives for call routing by said ISDN in a second portion of said non-volatile RAM.

22. The method for integrating both an analog telephone via an analog interface and a computer via a digital data interface with said ISDN as recited in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

a. receiving digitized annunciations from said non-volatile RAM; and

b. converting said digitized annunciations into analog annunciations for delivery over said ISDN.