Network adaptor for telephone and data traffic

• US 6,587,454 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lamb, Christopher Hume
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US09/086,103
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/356, 370/395, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469, 370/474, 370/485, 370/493, 379/93.09, 379/93.11, 379/93.14
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04

Abstract

An adaptor supports supplying both telephone signals and data signals over a local area network medium such as a twisted pair wire for Ethernet. The adaptor can be incorporated into a telephone or a computer. The adaptor comprises a first packet port, second packet port and a telephone port. Core logic is coupled to the first and second packet ports and to the telephone port and retransmits network packets which are received on the first and second packet ports and on the telephone port to at least one other of the first and second packet ports and the telephone port. The data processing resources are coupled to the telephone port and to the core logic which translate network packets destined to the telephone port into telephone signals and to translate telephone signals destined to the core logic into network packets. This way, telephone data transmitted as network packets through a network are appropriately routed to the telephone and translated into standard telephone signals. Network packets which are destined to a network attached device other than the telephone are routed through the core logic into standard network protocols.

Claims

1. An apparatus for interconnecting a telephone, a first data network and a second data network, comprising:

a first data network port;

a telephone port;

a second data network port;

core logic coupled to the first and second data network ports, and to the telephone port which retransmits, without data compression, network packets received on one of the first data network port, second data network port, and the telephone port, to the other two ports; and

data processing resources coupled to the telephone port and the core logic which translate network packets destined to the telephone port to telephone signals, and telephone signals destined to the core logic to network packets.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the core logic comprises a physical layer repeater.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the core logic comprises a data link layer switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the core logic comprises network layer router.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first data network port comprises an interface to a host data processing system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second data network port comprises a medium access control unit for access to a network medium.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first data network port comprises an interface to a host data processing system; and

the second data network port comprises a medium access control unit for access to a network medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first data network port comprises a medium access control unit for access to a first network medium;

and

the second data network port comprises a medium access control unit for access to a second network medium.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the core logic comprises a repeater, and the data processing resources in the telephone port comprise a medium access control unit for access to a network medium through the core logic on at least one of the first data network port and the second data network port.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, including resources for extracting DC power from the second network data port, and supplying DC power to the telephone port.

11. A computer comprising:

a data processing system, including a processor, an input/output device, a display and a data backbone structure;

an adaptor coupled to the data backbone structure, the adaptor comprising;

a host interface, connected to the data backbone structure;

a telephone port;

a data network port;

core logic coupled to the host interface, the data network port, and to the telephone port which retransmits, without data compression, network packets received on one of the host interface, the data network port, and the telephone port, to the other two ports; and

data processing resources coupled to the telephone port and the core logic which translate network packets destined to the telephone port to telephone signals, and telephone signals destined to the hub core logic to network packets.

12. The computer of claim 11, wherein the core logic comprises a physical layer repeater.

13. The computer of claim 11, wherein the core logic comprises a data link layer switch.

14. The computer of claim 11, wherein the core logic comprises network layer router.

15. The computer of claim 11, wherein the core logic comprises a repeater, and the data processing resources in the telephone port comprise a medium access control unit for access to a network medium through the core logic on at least one of the first data network port and the second data network port.

16. The computer of claim 11, wherein the data network port comprises a medium access control unit for access to a network medium.

17. The computer of claim 11, including resources for extracting DC power from the network data port, and supplying DC power to the telephone port.

18. A telephone comprising:

a telephone device, having a telephone signal input/output, and telephone signal processing resources;

an adaptor coupled to the telephone signal input/output, the adaptor comprising;

a first data network port;

a telephone port connected to the telephone signal input/output;

a second data network port;

core logic coupled to the first data network port, second data network port and to the telephone port which retransmits, without data compression, network packets received on one of the first data network port, second data network port, and the telephone port, to the other two ports; and

data processing resources coupled to the telephone port and the core logic which translate network packets destined to the telephone port to telephone signals, and telephone signals destined to the hub core logic to network packets.

19. The telephone of claim 18, wherein the core logic comprises a physical layer repeater.

20. The telephone of claim 18, wherein the core logic comprises a data link layer switch.

21. The telephone of claim 18, wherein the core logic comprises network layer router.

22. The telephone of claim 18, wherein the core logic comprises a repeater, and the data processing resources in the telephone port comprise a medium access control unit for access to a network medium through the core logic on at least one of the first data network port and the second data network port.

23. The telephone of claim 18, wherein the data network port comprises a medium access control unit for access to a network medium.

24. The telephone of claim 18, including resources for extracting DC power from the second network data port, and supplying DC power to the telephone signal processing resources.