System for integrating a telephone to a computer

• US 6,366,653 B1
• Filed: 09/19/1996
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Yeh, Chih-Tsang, Chen, Chen-Sheng, Huang, Hung-Ta
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US08/716,910
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88-89, 379/90.01, 379/93-5-, 379/93-4-, 379/93.23, 379/110.01, 379/354-357, 379/387, 379/441, 379/100.08, 379/93.24, 379/93-1-, 340/825.5, 345/168-169, 345/172, 370/461-462, 455/557
• US Class Current: 379/93.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems

Abstract

A system (100) for integrating a telephone (106) to a computer. The system allows the computer to be coupled to a Public Branching Exchange (PBX) (108) and perform telephone functions. The telephone is coupled to the computer as a stand alone device, or as a means for command input to the system. A pop-up screen comprising of a sequence of menus is displayed on the computer monitor (101) to guide the user through various telephone functions. A voice guide is heard through the telephone. The user can use the telephone'"'"'s or the computer'"'"'s I/O devices to communicate with a distant caller. Answering machine capability (e.g., phone mailbox, etc.) is also provided by this system. A quick-dial service is also provided such that the user can dial directly from a look-up table with pre-set telephone numbers.

Claims

1. A telecommunication apparatus for connecting a telephone to a computer, said telecommunication apparatus comprising an interface module, said interface module comprising:

a microprocessing type unit, said microprocessing type unit transmitting a digital signal, said digital signal being converted from a signal from a telephone;

a keyboard arbitrator device coupled to said microprocessing type unit, said keyboard arbitrator device preventing a possible conflict between a keyboard signal transmitted by a keyboard and said digital signal transmitted by said microprocessing type unit; and

an output port coupled to said keyboard arbitrator device, said output port being used for providing a keycode signal to a keyboard port on a motherboard, said keycode signal being derived from either said keyboard signal or said digital signal;

wherein said keyboard arbitrator device is configured to determine whether a signal received from said motherboard should be sent to said keyboard or to said microprocessing type unit and whether a signal from said keyboard should be sent to said motherboard or to said microprocessing type unit; and

wherein said keyboard arbitrator device connects said output port and said microprocessing type unit when communication between the computer and the phone is requested while preventing the keyboard from receiving said digital signal sent from the microprocessing type unit to said motherboard.

2. A method of integrating a telephone with a computer, said method comprising:

providing a computer having a motherboard, said motherboard comprising a microprocessor unit, a memory, and a keyboard port, and providing a telephone having a telephone connector;

providing an interface module having

an interface module port;

a microcontroller;

a keyboard arbitrator device connected to said microcontroller via a first clock line and a first data line and to said interface module port via a second clock line and a second data line, said keyboard arbitrator device for preventing a keyboard from receiving a digital signal from said computer that is intended to be sent to said microcontroller, and for preventing a possible conflict between digital signals sent from said microcontroller and from a user input device to said computer; and

an interface module telephone port;

connecting said computer to said interface module using said keyboard port coupled to said interface module port so that said motherboard is in electrical communication with said microcontroller; and

connecting said telephone to said interface module using said interface module telephone port coupled to said telephone connector.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said user input device comprises a keyboard, and further comprising providing said keyboard having a keyboard interface, and connecting said keyboard interface to said interface module.

4. A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

a computer having telephone functions, said computer comprising

a motherboard; and

a monitor coupled to motherboard and comprising a display, said display having a first portion depicting a telephone keypad comprising numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, *, and #, and a second portion depicting a menu comprising a plurality of applications, wherein said plurality of applications include at least one selected from a group consisting of a mailbox application, a quick dial application and an answering machine application; and

an interface module including a keyboard arbitrator device, said keyboard arbitrator device coupled to said motherboard via a keyboard port on said motherboard;

said interface module configured to provide bi-directional communication between said motherboard and a telephone, between said motherboard and a user input device, and between said user input device and said telephone while preventing communication between said motherboard and said telephone from being received by said user input device.

5. The computer of claim 4 further comprising a keyboard, said keyboard coupled to said interface module using an interface module keyboard port.

6. An interface module for connecting a telephone to a computer, said interface module comprising:

a first interface module port for transmitting signals to a keyboard port of the computer;

a second interface module port for receiving signals from a keyboard;

an interface module telephone port for receiving and transmitting a signal from and to a telephone;

a keyboard arbitrator device coupled to said first interface module port via a first clock line and a first data line and to said second interface module port via a second clock line and a second data line for preventing a possible conflict between the keyboard and the telephone; and

a microcontroller coupled to said keyboard arbitrator device via a third clock line and a third data line and to said interface module telephone port, wherein said arbitrator device is configured to determine whether a digital signal received from the computer should be sent to the keyboard or to said microcontroller, and wherein said arbitrator device prevents a signal sent from the computer to said microcontroller from being sent to the keyboard.

7. The interface module of claim 6 wherein said microcontroller is coupled to said interface module telephone port for converting a telephone signal to a keycode for transmission to said keyboard port.

8. The interface module of claim 6 is provided in a computer having a motherboard, said motherboard providing said keyboard port.

9. An apparatus for telecommunication, said apparatus comprising:

a motherboard comprising a microprocessor, a memory, and a keyboard port; and

an interface module for coupling a telephone to said motherboard, said interface module comprising;

a first interface module port for transmitting digital signals to and from said keyboard port in said motherboard;

a second interface module port for transmitting digital signals to and receiving signals from a user interface device;

an interface module telephone port for receiving and transmitting a telephone signal from and to a telephone;

a keyboard arbitrator device coupled between said first and said second interface module ports, said keyboard arbitrator device for preventing a possible conflict between a first digital signal transmitted by said user interface device and a second digital signal transmitted from said telephone to said keyboard port via said first interface module port; and

a microcontroller coupled to said keyboard arbitrator device and to said interface module telephone port wherein said arbitrator device determines whether an electrical communication sent from said motherboard to said interface module is intended to be sent to the user interface device via the second interface module port or to said microcontroller.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a telephone network port for receiving and transmitting signals from and to telephone network equipment.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said interface module further comprises a sound card port for receiving and transferring signals from and to a sound card.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said user interface device comprises a keyboard.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said microcontroller is coupled to said telephone port for converting a telephone signal to a keycode for transmission to said keyboard port.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said interface module converts said signal from said telephone into at least one signal selected from a group consisting of a digital signal and a binary signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said signal from said telephone is an analog signal comprising a dual tone multi-frequency tone.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a monitor coupled to said motherboard, said monitor comprising a display having a first portion depicting a telephone keypad and having a second portion depicting a menu for a telephone program.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said telephone program includes at least one application selected from a group consisting of a quick-dial application, a mailbox application, and an answering machine application.

18. An interface module for integrating a telephone to a computer system, said interface module comprising:

first, second and third interface module ports, said first interface module port for coupling to a computer motherboard, said second interface module port for coupling to a user interface device, and said third interface module port for coupling to a telephone;

a keyboard arbitrator device connected between said first interface module port and said second interface module port; and

a microprocessing type unit coupled to said keyboard arbitrator device and said third interface module port;

said keyboard arbitrator device for preventing said user interface device from receiving a digital signal from said motherboard that is intended for said microprocessing type unit, and said keyboard arbitrator device preventing a possible conflict between a user input digital signal transmitted by said user interface device to the computer motherboard and a digital signal transmitted by said microprocessing type unit to the computer motherboard.

19. A telecommunication apparatus for connecting a telephone to a computer, said telecommunication apparatus comprising an interface module, said interface module comprising:

a microprocessing type unit, said microprocessing type unit for transmitting a digital signal, said digital signal being converted from a signal from a telephone;

a keyboard arbitrator device coupled to said microprocessing type unit, said keyboard arbitrator device for preventing a possible conflict between a keyboard signal transmitted by a keyboard and said digital signal transmitted by said microprocessing type unit; and

an output port coupled to said keyboard arbitrator device, said output port being used for providing a keycode signal to a keyboard port on a motherboard, said keycode signal selected from a group consisting of said keyboard signal and said digital signal;

wherein said keyboard arbitrator device is configured to determine whether a signal received from said motherboard should be sent to said keyboard or to said microprocessing type unit and whether a signal from said keyboard should be sent to said motherboard or to said microprocessing type unit; and

wherein said arbitrator connects said output port and said microprocessing type unit when communication between the computer and the telephone is requested while preventing the keyboard from receiving said digital signal sent from the microcontroller type unit to the motherboard.