Voice communications system

• US 8,472,433 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Usuba, Shinji, Kuboki, Hiroshi, Aoyagi, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Application Number:
  US12/662,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20100202443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0057 Services where the data services network provides a telephone service in addition or as an alternative, e.g. for backup purposes, to the telephone service provided by the telephone services network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals

Abstract

Voice communications apparatus is connected to a general subscriber telephone set or a broadband telephone set, to communicate over the public switched telephone network. The apparatus includes a filter converting signals such as to satisfy signal conditions prescribed for the telephone network. The apparatus also includes a terminal class determiner for determining the class of the telephone set connected, and a circuit for changing at least the sampling frequency at which the analog signals from the telephone set are sampled. This establishes high quality in broadband voice communications. The terminal class determiner may automatically determine the class of the telephone set at any timing of a call sequence by detecting a band component of the signals from the telephone set, a predetermined frequency of a signal intermittently transmitted from the telephone set or the characteristics of the telephone set.

Claims

1. A voice communications apparatus selectively connectable to a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set, said apparatus being interposed in communication between the connected telephone set and a public switched telephone network, said apparatus comprising:

a circuit for determining a class of the connected telephone set; and

a circuit for changing at least a sampling frequency in sampling an analog signal from the connected telephone set, depending on the determined class of the connected telephone set.

2. A voice communications apparatus comprising:

a telephone circuit for setting up a call selectively over one of a broadband network and a public switched telephone network;

a first circuit for determining over which of the broadband network and the public switched telephone network a call is to be established; and

a second circuit for changing at least a sampling frequency in sampling an analog signal from said telephone circuit, depending on a determination made by said first circuit.

3. A telephone set connectable to a network selected from the group consisting of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, said telephone set comprising:

a determining circuit for receiving from the network a signal and determining whether the network is the public switched telephone network or the broadband communications network based on the signal; and

a band limiter, responsive to said determining circuit having determined that the network is the public switched telephone network, for limiting a communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

4. The telephone set according to claim 3, wherein the signal has a frequency band different between the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network.

5. The telephone set according to claim 3, wherein said band limiter comprises:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to the acceptable band; and

a selector, operative in response to said determining circuit having determined that the network is the public switched telephone network, for connecting the signal to said filter.

6. A voice communications system comprising:

a particular telephone set selected from the group consisting of a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set, and

a voice communications apparatus interposed in communication between said particular telephone set and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network,

wherein said voice communications apparatus includes a circuit for sending out to said telephone set a signal by which what sort of network a particular one of the at least one networks is can be determined, and

wherein said particular telephone set includes a determining circuit for receiving the sent-out signal and for determining which of the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network the particular network is, based on the received signal; and

wherein said particular telephone set additionally includes a band limiter, responsive to said determining circuit having determined that the particular network is the public switched telephone network, for limiting a communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said band limiter comprises:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to the acceptable band; and

a selector, operative in response to said determining circuit having determined that the network is the public switched telephone network, for conveying the signal to said filter.

8. A voice communications system comprising:

a particular telephone set selected from the group consisting of a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set, and

a voice communications apparatus interposed in communication between said particular telephone set and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network,

wherein said voice communications apparatus includes;

a first circuit for determining a class of said particular telephone set; and

a second circuit, operative in response to the class determined, for changing a property of an in-channel signal transmitted between said particular telephone set and said voice communications apparatus.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first circuit uses a signal available from said particular telephone set or a characteristic value managed by said particular telephone set to determine the class of said particular telephone set.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first circuit sends out a signal to said particular telephone set or changes a characteristic value of a connection line connected to said particular telephone set to use a response signal, or a change in the response signal, received from said particular telephone set to determine the class of said particular telephone set.

11. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a third circuit for obtaining information on a class of another telephone set as a counterpart of said particular telephone set through the public switched telephone network or the broadband communications network,

wherein said second circuit is responsive to the determined class and the information obtained by said third circuit to change the property of the in-channel signal.

12. A voice communications system comprising:

a particular telephone set selected from the group consisting of a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set; and

a voice communications apparatus interconnected to said particular telephone set and interposed in communication between said particular telephone set and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network,

wherein said voice communications apparatus includes;

a first circuit for determining a class of said particular telephone set; and

a second circuit for providing said particular telephone set with a change command for changing characteristics corresponding to the class determined, and

wherein said particular telephone set includes a third circuit responsive to the change command for changing a property of an in-channel signal transmitted between said voice communications apparatus and said particular telephone set.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said first circuit determines the class of said particular telephone set based on a signal from said particular telephone set or a characteristic value managed by said particular telephone set.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a fourth circuit for obtaining information on a class of another telephone set as a counterpart of said particular telephone set through the public switched telephone network or the broadband communications network;

wherein said third circuit is responsive to the determined class and the information obtained by said fourth circuit to change the property of the in-channel signal.

15. A telephone set connectable to a particular network selected from the group consisting of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network, said telephone set comprising:

a determining circuit for determining, from a first signal by which what sort of network that the particular network is can be determined, whether the particular network is the public switched telephone network or the broadband communications network; and

a band limiter, responsive to said determining circuit having determined that the particular network is the public switched telephone network, for limiting a communication band of a second signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

16. The telephone set according to claim 15, wherein the second signal has a frequency band different from the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network.

17. The telephone set according to claim 15, wherein said band limiter comprises:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to the acceptable band; and

a selector, operative in response to said determining circuit having determined that the particular network is the public switched telephone network, for conveying the signal to said filter.

18. The telephone set according to claim 15, wherein the first signal is received from the network.

19. The telephone set according to claim 15, wherein the first signal is generated by said telephone set.

20. The telephone set according to claim 19, wherein the first signal is a signal designating a called party.

21. A voice communications system comprising:

a particular telephone set selected from the group consisting of a general subscriber telephone set and a broadband telephone set; and

a voice communications apparatus interposed in communication between said particular telephone set and at least one of a public switched telephone network and a broadband communications network,

wherein said voice communications apparatus includes a circuit for sending out to said particular telephone set a first signal,

wherein said particular telephone set includes;

a determining circuit for receiving the first signal and determining which of the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network the particular telephone set is connected to, based on the received first signal; and

a band limiter, responsive to said determining circuit having determined that the network to which the particular telephone set is connected is the public switched telephone network, for limiting a communication band of a second signal transmitted at least toward the public switched telephone network to an acceptable band of the public switched telephone network.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the second signal has a frequency band different from the public switched telephone network and the broadband communications network.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said band limiter comprises:

a filter for limiting the communication band of the second signal transmitted to the acceptable band; and

a selector, operative in response to said determining circuit having determined that the network to which the particular telephone set is connected is the public switched telephone network, for conveying the second signal to said filter.