Peer-to-peer transfer using pre-existing caller ID CLASS FSK signaling infrastructure

• US 6,404,868 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alpha Industries Incorporated (Skyworks Solutions Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Conexant Systems Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beamish, Norman J., Saunders, Robert S., Walley, John S., Yung, Raymond Hon Mo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/363,989
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142, 379/372, 379/373, 379/93.01, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/93.31, 379/67.1, 379/69, 379/74, 379/88.11, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/90.01, 379/142.01, 379/142.04, 379/142.07, 379/142.14, 379/142.16, 379/142.17, 379/242, 379/243, 379/245, 379/247
• US Class Current: 379/142.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/573 Line monitoring circuits for detecting caller identification

Abstract

A communications device configured to receive FSK-encoded CLASS caller ID information is also configured to exchange FSK-encoded data with a peer device over a channel previously established between the two devices. In one embodiment, the channel is a voice channel previously established between the two devices.

Claims

1. A method of downloading stored data from a remote peer device to a calling peer device using pre-existing CLASS caller ID protocol, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) establishing an interface with the calling peer device;

(b) monitoring the interface for incoming FSK-encoded data;

(c) when FSK-encoded data is detected, analyzing the FSK-encoded data to determine whether it came from a caller ID server or the calling peer device;

(d) if the FSK-encoded data came from a caller ID server, performing the pre-existing CLASS caller ID protocol to decode and display incoming caller ID information; and

(e) if the FSK-encoded data came from the calling peer device and is a request for downloading of stored data, establishing a communications protocol with the calling peer device and downloading the stored data to the calling peer device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote peer device and calling peer device are wired or wireless dataphones, telephones, laptop computers, palm pilots or wireless handsets.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stored data comprise caller ID logs, address or contact listings;

or email messages.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (a) the interface is established over a circuit-switching telecommunications network or by placing the devices sufficiently proximate for an acoustical coupling.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (c), a header in the FSK-encoded data indicates whether the data came from a caller ID server or the calling peer device.

6. A method of receiving upgrade or configuration data from a control peer device with a remote peer device using pre-existing CLASS caller ID protocol, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) establishing an interface with the control peer device;

(b) monitoring the interface for incoming FSK-encoded data;

(c) when FSK-encoded data is detected, analyzing the FSK-encoded data to determine whether it came from a caller ID server or the control peer device;

(d) if the FSK-encoded data came from a caller ID server, performing the pre-existing CLASS caller ID protocol to decode and display incoming caller ID information; and

(e) if the FSK-encoded data came from the control peer device, establishing a communications protocol with the control peer device and receiving the upgrade or configuration data from the control peer device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control peer device is a personal computer and the remote peer device is a dataphone, and wherein the personal computer is loaded with software configured to interface with the dataphone.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upgrade or configuration data comprises configuration settings, option upgrades or software patches.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein in step (a) the interface is established over a circuit-switching telecommunications network, via connection of a physical phone line between the two devices, or by placing the devices sufficiently proximate for an acoustical coupling.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein in step (c), a header in the FSK-encoded data indicates whether the data came from a caller ID server or the control peer device.