Data communication apparatus and data communication method

• US 7,321,585 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohno, Motoyasu, Noguchi, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/695,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20050041643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/466, 370/467, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495, 370/503, 370507-510, 370/252, 375/222, 375/230, 375/231, 375/293, 375/354, 375/356, 375/358, 375/359
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/52 Telephonic communication in combination with fax communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

A data communication apparatus is provided with a VoIP processor and a modem that interchangeably executes a standard communication mode and a high-speed communication mode, the standard communication mode exchanging the voice packet at a predetermined transfer rate, the high-speed communication mode exchanging the voice packet at a rate faster than the rate of the standard communication mode. When capability information of an opposing apparatus is obtained, in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol, and it is detected that the opposing apparatus has the high-speed communication mode, the high-speed communication mode is selected for execution.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus that exchanges a voice packet via an IP network, the apparatus comprising:

a data processor that executes a standard communication mode and a high-speed communication mode, the voice packet including non-voice data and being exchanged at a predetermined transfer rate via the IP network in the standard communication mode and at a rate faster than the predetermined transfer rate via the IP network in the high-speed communication mode, the standard communication mode and the high-speed communication mode being interchangeably executed;

an acceptor that obtains capability information of a remote apparatus in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol; and

a controller that selects the high-speed communication mode for execution based on a determination, using the capability information, that the remote apparatus is configured to execute the high-speed communication mode.

2. The data communication apparatus according to claim 1, the data processor comprising:

an IP processor that decodes data in the exchanged voice packet; and

a modem that demodulates PCM data that is output from the IP processor.

3. The data communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the controller switches between the standard communication mode and the high-speed communication mode, by adjusting a standard clock that synchronizes mutual operations of the IP processor and the modem.

4. The data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data processor synchronizes a voice packet transmission operation of the data communication apparatus and a voice packet reception operation of the remote apparatus, upon receiving synchronization information from the remote apparatus, during an execution of the high-speed communication mode.

5. The data communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification unit that notifies the remote apparatus of capability information regarding the standard communication mode and the high-speed communication mode, when transmitting a connection request to the remote apparatus, in accordance with the predetermined communication protocol.

6. The data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined communication protocol is Session Initiation Protocol.

7. The data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-voice data stored in the voice packet is facsimile data.

8. A data communication method that exchanges a voice packet via an IP network, the method comprising:

obtaining capability information of a remote apparatus in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol, the capability information indicating whether the remote apparatus is configured to execute a high-speed communication mode in which the voice packet, including non-voice data, is exchanged at a predetermined transfer rate via the IP network;

determining, using the capability information, whether the remote apparatus is configured to execute the high-speed communication mode in which the voice packet is exchanged at the predetermined transfer rate;

transferring the voice packet in the high-speed communication mode based on determining that the remote apparatus is configured to execute the high-speed communication mode; and

transferring the voice packet in a standard communication mode based on determining that the remote apparatus is not configured to execute the high-speed communication mode, the voice packet being exchanged in the standard communication mode at a standard transfer rate lower than the predetermined transfer rate.

9. The data communication method according to claim 8, wherein the non-voice data is facsimile data.

10. The data communication method according to claim 9, further comprising:

synchronizing a voice packet transmission operation of the transmitter and a voice packet reception operation of the remote apparatus.

11. A facsimile apparatus that communicates with a terminal via an IP network, the facsimile apparatus comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a voice packet to the terminal via the IP network;

a receiver that receives capability information of the terminal from the terminal via the IP network, the capability information indicating whether the terminal is configured to execute a high-speed communication mode in which the voice packet is exchanged at a first transfer rate;

a VoIP processor that performs a first data conversion between the voice packet and voice data;

a modem that performs a second data conversion between the voice data and facsimile data; and

a controller that determines, using the capability information, whether the terminal is configured to execute the high speed communication mode,

wherein the transmitter transmits the voice packet at the first transfer rate when the controller determines that the terminal is configured to execute the high-speed communication mode, and transmits the voice packet at a second transfer rate, lower than the first transfer rate, when the controller determines that the terminal is not configured to execute the high-speed communication mode.

12. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the transmitter transmits a request for a media session establishment to the terminal in accordance with a predetermined protocol, and

wherein the capability information is transmitted from the terminal in response to the request.