ITU/TDD modem

• US 5,905,476 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 05/18/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NexTalk, NXi Communications, Inc. (NexTalk)
• Original Assignee: NXi Communications, Inc. (NexTalk)
• Inventors: Nelson, Ronald J., Messinger, James E., McLaughlin, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US08/586,567
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1, 345/2, 345/115, 345/123, 395/751, 395/753, 395/326, 395/329, 395/330, 395/331, 395/332, 704/2, 704/3, 704/5
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision

Abstract

A modem system includes an ITU/TDD/VOICE modem or other modem that is connected to a local computer and a telephone line. The ITU/TDD/VOICE modem allows transmission and reception of ITU, TDD, and voice signals over the telephone line to and from a remote device (such as a remote TDD, ITU modem, or telephone). The modem system may include one or more of the following features. The modem system may be used in a network whereby an indicator on a display screen indicates sound energy received by the modem over the line. The modem system may allow speed jumps from one speed to another during a call. The modem system includes a display in which the screen is split into two vertical areas, to display text sent between remote computers. The text sent by one computer is displayed in the right vertical area, while the text of the other computer is displayed in the left area. The vertical placement of the texts are based on the relative time in which they were sent to the other person. The modem system may also provide a special provision for 300 BPS connections, voice recognition, typing during a file transfer, and prevention of file transfers and/or high speed transfers. A local modem may communicate control information to a remote modem to, for example, synchronize protocol settings.

Claims

1. A computer system that can communicate with a remote device across a communication line for receiving, transmitting, and displaying textual characters, comprising:

a modem for communicating with the remote device; and

a computer having a display screen and an electrical connection to the modem whereby the computer can communicate with the remote device, the computer including software that formats the textual characters into a vertical split screen having vertical areas on the display screen, wherein textual characters from the computer are displayed in one vertical area and textual characters from the remote device are displayed in another vertical area, and wherein the computer software instructs the modem to transmit and receive control characters with the remote device to synchronize protocol settings with the remote device thereby providing compatible operation and synchronization of the textual characters between the vertical areas, and wherein the textual characters of one vertical area are synchronized with the textual characters of the other vertical area to thereby reflect the real time transmission of the textual characters and maintain the relative timing of the communication between the computer system and the remote device, and wherein in the event of simultaneous communication the computer maintains the textual characters of one vertical area substantially in line with the textual characters of the other vertical area.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer includes a memory and wherein the textual characters are stored in the memory for later recall on the display screen in substantially the same format as originally displayed on the display screen.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the textual characters are transmittable to a printer in electrical communication with the computer and wherein the printer produces a printout of the textual characters in substantially the same format as displayed on the display screen.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the modem is in communication with a plurality of remote devices and wherein the computer includes software for formatting the textual characters from the computer and each remote device into a respective vertical area on the display screen, and wherein the textual characters of each vertical area are synchronized to reflect the real time transmission of the textual characters and maintain the relative timing of the communication between the computer system and the remote devices.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the software maintains the textual characters of each vertical area substantially in line with the textual characters of the other vertical areas to maintain the relative timing of the communication between the computer system and the remote devices.

6. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the computer includes a memory and wherein the textual characters are storable to the memory for later recall on the display screen in substantially the same format as originally displayed on the display screen.

7. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the textual characters are transmittable to a printer in electrical communication with the computer and wherein the printer produces a printout of the textual characters in substantially the same format as displayed on the display screen.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the control characters are not displayed on the display screen.

9. A computer system for communicating between a local and remote location for receiving, transmitting, and displaying textual characters, the computer system, comprising:

a local modem;

a remote modem connected through a communication line to the local modem;

a local computer electrically connected to the local modem and including a local display screen;

a remote computer electrically connected to the remote modem and including a remote display screen, whereby the local and remote computers may communicate through the local and remote modems; and

the local and remote computers including software that formats the textual characters into vertical areas on the local and remote display screens, wherein textual characters from the local computer are displayed in one vertical area and textual characters from the remote computer is displayed in another vertical area, and wherein the local modem and the remote modem transmit and receive control characters with one another to synchronize protocol settings and thereby provide compatible operation and synchronization of the textual characters between the vertical areas, and wherein the textual characters of one vertical area are synchronized with the textual characters of the other vertical area to thereby reflect the real time transmission of the textual characters and maintain the relative timing of the communication between the local and remote computers, and wherein in the event of simultaneous communication the software of the local and remote computers maintains the textual characters of one vertical area substantially in line with the textual characters of the other vertical area.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the computer system includes a memory and wherein the textual characters are stored to the memory for later recall to display the textual characters on the display screens in substantially the same format as originally displayed on the display screens.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the textual characters are transmittable to a printer in electrical communication with the computer system and wherein the printer produces a printout of the textual characters in substantially the same format as displayed on the display screens.

12. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one additional remote modem connected through the communication line to the local modem and remote modem;

an additional remote computer electrically connected to the at least one additional remote modem and including an additional remote display screen, whereby the additional remote computer may communicate through the additional remote modem; and

the local and remote computers including software that formats the textual characters from the local and remote computers into separate vertical areas on the local and remote display screens, and wherein the textual characters of each vertical area are synchronized with the textual characters of the other vertical areas to thereby reflect the real time transmission of the textual characters and maintain the relative timing of the communication between the local and remote computers.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the software of the local and remote computers maintains the textual characters of each vertical area substantially in line with the textual characters of the other vertical areas to maintain the relative timing of the communication between the computer system and the remote devices.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the control characters are not displayed on the local display screen and the remote display screen.

15. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to communicate with a remote device across a communication line for receiving, transmitting, and displaying textual characters by performing the steps of:

forming a connection between the computer system and the remote device to allow transmission and reception of textual characters;

formatting a display screen of the computer system into a vertical split screen having vertical areas on the display screen, wherein textual characters generated from the computer system are displayed in one vertical area and textual characters received from the remote device are displayed in another vertical area; and

synchronizing the textual characters of one vertical area with the textual characters of the other vertical area to thereby reflect the real time generation of the textual characters and maintain the relative timing of the communication between the computer system and the remote device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, whose contents cause a computer system to further perform the step of:

maintaining the textual characters of one vertical area substantially in line with the textual characters of the other vertical area in the event of simultaneous communication to maintain the relative timing of the communication between the computer system and the remote device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, whose contents cause a computer system to further perform the steps of:

storing the generated textual characters of the computer system and the remote device in a memory of the computer system for later recall; and

displaying the textual characters on the display screen in substantially the same format as originally displayed on the display screen.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 whose contents cause a computer system to further perform the steps of:

transmitting the textual characters to a printer in electrical communication with the computer system; and

producing a printout from the printer of the textual characters in substantially the same format as originally displayed on the display screen.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 whose contents cause a computer system to further perform the steps of:

generating control characters;

transmitting the control characters to the remote device; and

processing received control characters from the remote device, wherein the control characters synchronize protocol settings between the computer system and the remote device to thereby provide compatible operation and synchronization of the textual characters between the vertical areas.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 whose contents cause a computer system to further perform the step of:

preventing the display of the control characters on the display screen of the computer system.