Scheduled audio mode for modem speaker

• US 6,944,214 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1997
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Timothy G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Chieh M.
• Application Number:
  US08/920,541
• Time in Patent Office: 2,939 Days
• Field of Search: 375/222, 340/825.44, 361/752, 368/10, 379/88.13, 379/93.29, 379/102.03, 395/157, 395/601, 395/822
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision

Abstract

A modem speaker is activated and deactivated based on a user modifiable schedule. The user stores schedule information in a schedule table, the schedule information describing a modem setting and a time for that setting to take effect. An automatic scheduler programs either the system clock or a clock device associated with the modem with the interrupts. When each interrupt issues, it generates a modem control command to turn the modem speaker either on or off by controlling whether or not audio signals are sent to the speaker. Alternatively, each time the modem is accessed, the automatic scheduler checks the schedule to see if audio signals should be provided to the speaker. A user may override the automatic scheduler at any time. By using the scheduler, a user can identify time periods when the modem speaker is deactivated without having to remember to turn off the speaker, and have the speaker activated during all other periods with having to remember to turn the speaker back on.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a modem capable of providing audio data;

a modem speaker providing audio signals responsive to said audio data; and

a modem controller including an activation module for automatically selectively configuring the modem to change said audio data provided to the modem speaker, wherein the audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device.

2. The computer system of claim 1, and further comprising a clock, wherein the clock triggers interrupts according to a schedule.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein each of the interrupts causes the activation module to generate a modem control command to configure the modem.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the modem is a PCMCIA device.

25. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the activation module selectively configures the modem to change said audio data provided to the speaker such that a level of volume of said audio signals is changed.

4. A computer system comprising:

a modem capable of providing audio data;

a modem speaker providing audio signals responsive to said audio data;

a modem controller including an activation module for automatically selectively configuring the modem to change said audio data provided to the modem speaker, wherein the audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device; and

a user interface for modifying a schedule.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the user interface further comprises a user-activated mechanism for enabling and disabling the activation module.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the user interface further comprises a user-activated mechanism for overriding the activation module.

8. A method of automatically controlling an audio data output setting of a modem, the method comprising:

creating a schedule of times when the audio data output setting of the modem is to be modified, the schedule including the desired setting associated with each time, wherein the audio data output setting controls audio data provided to a modem speaker of the modem such that the audio data modifies audio signals produced by the modem speaker and, wherein the audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device;

controlling the audio data output setting of the modem based on the schedule of times.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising storing the schedule in a memory.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein creating a schedule of times comprises creating a plurality of schedule entries, wherein each schedule entry comprises a start time, an end time, and a modem control command associated with each time.

11. A method for automatically controlling a modem speaker coupled to a modem, the method comprising:

creating a schedule of when the modem speaker is to transmit audio signals, wherein the audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device; and

each time the modem is accessed, performing;

obtaining a current time from a clock;

comparing entries in the schedule to the current time; and

if a match is found, activating or deactivating the modem speaker according to the found schedule entry.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising storing the schedule in memory.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein creating a schedule comprises identifying a start time for each time the modem speaker is to transmit audio signals.

14. A computer readable storage device having program code embodied therein for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

scheduling a plurality of interrupts, wherein each interrupt identifies a particular setting for a modem;

determining a current time by reading a clock;

triggering one of the plurality of interrupts if its schedule matches the current time; and

issuing a command to apply the modem setting identified in the triggered interrupt, wherein the modem setting modifies modem audio signals, wherein the modem audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device.

15. A computer readable storage device having program code embodied therein for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

scheduling a plurality of interrupts, wherein each interrupt identifies a particular setting for a modem;

programming a clock with the schedule;

triggering an interrupt from the clock when the interrupt'"'"'s scheduled time is reached by the clock; and

issuing a command to apply the modem setting identified in the received interrupt, wherein the modem setting modifies modem audio signals, wherein the modem audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device.

16. A communication system, comprising:

a computer, the computer comprising a memory, a system clock, a central processor, a user interface and a display;

a modem, the modem communicatively coupled to the computer;

a modem speaker communicatively coupled to the modem;

a schedule table for storing a schedule of when the modem speaker is to transmit audio signals, wherein the audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device; and

an activation module for controlling transmission by the modem speaker by the modem according to the schedule.

17. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the activation module schedules the system clock to trigger a plurality of interrupts according to the schedule.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of interrupts comprises a modem control command.

19. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the modem comprises a programmable clock, and wherein the activation module schedules the programmable clock to trigger a plurality of interrupts according to the schedule.

20. The communication system of claim 16, wherein the schedule is stored in the computer memory.

21. A communication system, comprising:

a computer, the computer comprising a memory, a system clock, a central processor, a user interface and a display;

a modem, the modem communicatively coupled to the computer;

a modem speaker communicatively coupled to the modem;

a schedule table for storing a schedule of when the modem speaker is to transmit audio signals, wherein the audio signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device; and

an activation module for controlling transmission by the modem speaker by the modem according to the schedule; and

a user interface for modifying the schedule.

22. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the user interface further comprises a user-activated mechanism for enabling and disabling the activation module.

23. The communication system of claim 21, wherein the user interface further comprises a user-activated mechanism for overriding the activation module.

24. A modem controller for a modem, the modem controller comprising:

a modem speaker coupled to the modem, the modem speaker providing audible signals responsive to the modem, wherein the audible signals indicate a negotiation for establishing a connection between the modem and another device;

a clock; and

an activation module coupled to the modem speaker and to the clock, the activation module for activating the modem speaker according to a time-of-day schedule.