Communications adapter having analog and digital interfaces for communications with remote systems

• US 6,546,442 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1995
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Gordon Taylor, Marks, Laurence Victor, Minn, Andre Byungyup, Harbour, Edward Earl, Leppert, Paul, Stevens, Bryan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Portka, Gary J
• Application Number:
  US08/550,270
• Time in Patent Office: 2,717 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.09, 395/883, 710/62, 710/63, 710/105, 710/106, 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 710/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0457 Connection protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13199 Modem, modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13202 Network termination [NT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13396 Signaling in general, in-band signalling

Abstract

An adapter for providing data communications for a personal computer to other remote data communications systems of various communication platforms is disclosed. The remote data communications systems can be a data circuit terminating equipment (DCE) such as a modem, or a data terminating equipment (DTE) such as an ISDN terminal adapter. The adapter comprises a programmable digital signal processing device, a memory device and an assortment of transceiving devices. A software program is stored in the memory device for instructing the programmable digital signal processing device. The transceiving devices are controlled by the programmable DSP device such that the appropriate transceiving device can be activated for providing data communications, according to the type of communication platform utilized by the remote data communications equipment.

Claims

1. An adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system by remotely linking said at least one data communications system to said data processing system, said adapter comprising:

a casing having an aperture at one end of said casing;

a carrier board having a connector for connecting to a port of said data processing system, wherein said carrier board is mounted within said casing with said connector accessible via said aperture in said casing;

a single programmable digital signal processing means mounted on said carrier board, wherein said single programmable digital signal processing means communicates with said data processing system via said connector;

a memory means mounted on said carrier board, said memory means storing software program means for instructing said single programmable digital signal processing means;

at least one interface cable means for connecting said adapter to at least one public communications network which links to said at least one data communications system, wherein said connection of said at least one interface cable means to said adapter can be detected by said single programmable digital signal processing means; and

a plurality of transceiving means mounted on said carrier board, wherein one or all of said plurality transceiving means can be activated by said single programmable digital signal processing means for providing data communications to said at least one remote-data communications system, in response to the type of said at least one interface cable means connected to said adapter.

2. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 1, wherein said plurality of transceiving means includes an analog coder/decoder and an ISDN transceiver.

3. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 1, wherein said plurality of transceiving means includes an analog coder/decoder and an ethernet transceiver.

4. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 1, wherein said plurality of transceiving means includes an analog coder/decoder, an ISDN transceiver and an ethernet transceiver.

5. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 1, wherein said at least one public communications network includes a public switched telephone network and/or a integrated services digital network.

6. An adapter for transferring data between a computer system and at least one data communications equipment by remotely linking said at least one data communications equipment to said computer system, said adapter comprising:

a casing having an aperature at one end of said casing;

a carrier board having a connector for connecting to a port of said computer system, wherein said carrier board is mounted within said casing with said connector accessible via said aDerture in said casing;

a single programmable digital signal processing means mounted on said carrier board, wherein said single programmable digital signal processing means communicates with said computer system via said connector means;

a memory means mounted on said carrier board, said memory means storing software program means for instructing said single programmable digital signal processing means;

a first interface cable means for connecting said adapter to a public switched network which links to said at least one data communications equipment, and a second interface cable means for connecting said adapter to an integrated service digital network which links to said at least one data communications equipment, wherein said connections of any of said interface cable means to said adapter can be detected by said programmable digital signal processing means; and

an analog data transceiving means and a digital data transceiving means mounted on said carrier board, wherein one or both of said transceiving means can be activated by said single programmable digital signal processing means for providing data communication to said at least one data communication system, in response to said detection of said interface cable connected to said adapter.

7. The adapter for transferring data between a computer system and at least one data communications equipment remotely linked to said computer system in claim 6, wherein said analog data transceiving means is an analog coder/decoder and said digital data transceiving means is an ISDN transceiver.

8. The adapter for transferring data between a computer system and at least one data communications equipment remotely linked to said computer system in claim 6, wherein said analog data transceiving means is an analog coder/decoder and said digital data transceiving means is an ethernet transceiver.

9. An adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system by remotely linking said at least one data communications system to said data processing system, said adapter comprising:

a carrier board having a connector means for connecting to a port of said data processing system;

a single programmable digital signal processor (DSP) mounted on said carrier board, wherein said single programmable digital signal processor communicates with said data processing system via said connector means;

a memory mounted on said carrier board, said memory storing software program for instructing said single programmable digital signal processor to generate different data streams with each data stream being compatible with one of a plurality of different transmission modes;

at least one interface cable means containing information identifying at least one of the data transmission modes for at least one of the data streams, for connecting said adapter to at least one public communications network which links to said at least one data communications system, wherein said connection and the data transmission mode of said at least one interface cable means to said adapter can be detected by said single programmable digital signal processor; and

a plurality of transceiving means mounted on said carrier board, wherein one or all of said transceiving means can be activated by said programmable digital signal processing means for providing data communications to said at least one remote data communications system, according to the type of said at least one interface cable means connected to said adapter.

10. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 9, wherein said plurality of transceiving means includes an analog coder/decoder and an ISDN transceiver.

11. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 9, wherein said plurality of transceiving means includes an analog coder/decoder and an ethernet transceiver.

12. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 9, wherein said plurality of transceiving means includes an analog coder/decoder, an ISDN transceiver and an ethernet transceiver.

13. The adapter for transferring data between a data processing system and at least one data communications system remotely linked to said data processing system in claim 9, wherein said at least one public communications network includes a public switched telephone network and/or a integrated services digital network.

14. An adapter for transferring data between a computer system and at least one data communications equipment by remotely linking said at least one data communications equipment to said computer system, said adapter comprising:

a carrier board having a connector means for connecting to a port of said computer system;

a single programmable digital signal processing means mounted on said carrier board, wherein said single programmable digital signal processing means communicates with said computer system via said connector means;

a memory mounted on said carrier board, said memory storing software program means for instructing said programmable digital signal processing means to generate a plurality of data streams compatible with a plurality of data transmission modes;

a first interface cable means, carrying a code representative of at least one of the plurality of transmission modes in which at least one of the data streams is to be formatted, for connecting said adapter to a public switched network which links to said at least one data communications equipment and a second interface cable means, carrying a code representative of at least one of the plurality of transmission modes in which at least one of the data streams is to be formatted, for connecting said adapter to an integrated service digital network which links to said at least one data communications equipment, wherein said connections and data stream formatting of any of said interface cable means to said adapter can be detected by said single programmable digital signal processing means; and

an analog data transceiving means and a digital data transceiving means mounted on said carrier board, wherein one or both of said transceiving means can be activated by said single programmable digital signal processing means for providing data communication to said at least one remote data communication system, according to said detection of said interface cable connected to said adapter.

15. The adapter for transferring data between a computer system and at least one data communications equipment remotely linked to said computer system in claim 14, wherein said analog data transceiving means is an analog coder/decoder and said digital data transceiving means is an ISDN transceiver.

16. The adapter for transferring data between a computer system and at least one data communications equipment remotely linked to said computer system in claim 14 wherein said analog data transceiving means is an analog coder/decoder and said digital data transceiving means is an ethernet transceiver.