Telephone communication system and method over local area network wiring
First Claim
1. A communication local area network in a building for providing simultaneous packet based digital data- and analog telephone communication between a central location in the building and at least one remote location in the building, the communication network comprising:
- a central digital device,a central analog telephone device and,for each remote location—
a remote digital device, a remote analog telephone device and a local area network cable having a remote end at the respective remote location and a near end at the central location;
said cable including at least two pairs of conductors, each pair operative as a data channel for carrying packet based digital data signals between said remote digital device and said central digital device and said at least two pairs cooperatively forming a phantom channel, operative to carry analog telephone signals between said remote analog telephone device and said central analog telephone device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for enabling a local area network wiring structure to simultaneously carry digital data and analog telephone signals on the same transmission medium. It is particularly applicable to a network in star topology, in which remote data units (e.g. personal computers) are each connected to a hub through a cable comprising at least two pairs of conductors, providing a data communication path in each direction. Modules at each end of the cable provide a phantom path for telephony (voice band) signals between a telephone near the data set and a PBX, through both conductor pairs in a phantom circuit arrangement. All such communication paths function simultaneously and without mutual interference. The modules comprise simple and inexpensive passive circuit components.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A communication local area network in a building for providing simultaneous packet based digital data- and analog telephone communication between a central location in the building and at least one remote location in the building, the communication network comprising:
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a central digital device, a central analog telephone device and, for each remote location—
a remote digital device, a remote analog telephone device and a local area network cable having a remote end at the respective remote location and a near end at the central location;said cable including at least two pairs of conductors, each pair operative as a data channel for carrying packet based digital data signals between said remote digital device and said central digital device and said at least two pairs cooperatively forming a phantom channel, operative to carry analog telephone signals between said remote analog telephone device and said central analog telephone device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A circuit for providing simultaneous packet based digital data- and analog telephone communication between two locations in a building over a local area network wiring in the building, said circuit comprising:
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a plurality of pairs of conductors, opposite ends of each pair of conductors being at respective ones of the two locations and each pair being operative as a respective data channel for carrying packet based digital data signals between the two locations; at least two of said pairs cooperatively forming at least one phantom channel, operative to carry analog telephone signals between the two locations; and circuitry connected to said plurality of pairs of conductors for supplying packet based digital data signals to each said data channel and analog telephone signals to said at least one phantom channel. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. For a digital data communication local area network that comprises at least one cable in a building between a first location and a second location in the building, each cable including at least two pairs of conductors, each pair providing a packet based digital data communication channel between respective digital devices at the two locations—
- a kit for additionally and simultaneously providing, over said at least two pairs of conductors of the at least one cable, an analog telephone channel between respective analog telephone devices, said kit comprising at least two pairs of signal transformers, at least one pair for each end of the cable, and each transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding having a center-tap, wherein;
respective ends of the primary winding of each of said signal transformers are adapted to be connected to a respective end of said pairs of conductors, respective ends of the secondary winding of two of said signal transformers are adapted for connection to a remote digital device, and respective center-taps of each pair of signal transformers are adapted for connection to a respective analog telephone device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a kit for additionally and simultaneously providing, over said at least two pairs of conductors of the at least one cable, an analog telephone channel between respective analog telephone devices, said kit comprising at least two pairs of signal transformers, at least one pair for each end of the cable, and each transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding having a center-tap, wherein;
- 21. A digital device, connectable to at least two pairs of conductors for conveying packet based digital data therethrough to and from at least one other digital device in a local area network in a building, the digital device being also connectable to at least one local analog telephone device and operative to transmit analog signals between said at least one local analog telephone device and at least one other analog telephone device over said at least two pairs of conductors in a phantom channel mode.
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23. A combination outlet for pluggably connecting a digital device and an analog telephone device to respective ends of at least two conductor pairs so as to be able to simultaneously convey data signals to and from the digital device and analog telephone signals to and from the analog telephone device, the outlet comprising:
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a wiring connector for connecting to the two conductor pairs; a data connector having at least two pairs of contacts for connecting to the data device; an analog telephone connector having at least one pair of contacts for connecting to the analog telephone device, said analog telephone connector being disposed proximate to said data connector; and at least one pair of signal transformers, each transformer having a primary winding provided with a center tap and a secondary winding, wherein; the ends of each of said primary windings are coupled to said wiring connector, said secondary winding of each signal transformer is connected to a respective pair of contacts of said data connector, and respective center-taps of each of the two primary windings are connected to the pair of contacts in said analog telephone connector. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method for enabling a bundle of at least two pairs of conductors, which are normally operative to convey packet based digital data between at least two digital devices in a local area network in building, to also and simultaneously convey analog signals between at least two analog telephone devices, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a first connection of a phantom channel in association with the at least two pairs of conductors at a first end of said at least two pairs of conductors, and (b) providing a second connection of the phantom channel in association with the at least two pairs of conductors at a second end of the at least two pairs of conductors; thus allowing two analog telephone devices to be connected to the first and second connections, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (27)
thereby allowing respective secondary windings of each signal transformer to be connected to the digital devices and allowing the respective center-taps of the signal transformers to be connected to the the analog telephone devices.
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Specification