Abstract:
A system and method for enabling a remote user to connect to a remote data site on a communication line, such as a telephone line, wherein the remote user is still able to receive telephone calls from other parties on this same telephone line. This obviates the necessity of the user having to purchase a second telephone line for incoming calls while data communications are being performed, thus reducing access costs. The remote user includes a modem or user telephony communication device configured to connect to a remote data site through the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The communication line or telephone line has a first telephone number. The remote data site includes one or more communication servers which perform intelligent call routing functions. When the user connects to the remote data site on a communication line, either the remote data site or the user telephony communications device performs a call forwarding operation to call forward telephone calls made to the first telephone number to be forwarded to a second telephone number pre-assigned by the remote data site. While the user is performing data communications on the communication line with the remote data site, if another party places a telephone call to the remote user, the call forwarding operation causes the telephone call made to the first telephone number to be forwarded to the second telephone number maintained by the remote data site. The communication server at the remote data site then routes the received telephone call to the user telephony communications device using the communication line that is currently being used for data transfers between the user telephony communications device and the remote data site. This obviates the necessity of the remote user having to purchase a second phone line, since the user can perform data communications with the remote data site while still being able to receive telephone calls.
Abstract:
Internet access is provided to a multimedia terminal (101, 102, 103, 104) supporting the H.320 protocol through a gateway server (125) that is connected to the Internet. The data stream of the H.320 bearer channel (ISDN phone line or switched 56 kbps facilities) is used for the exchange of data between the accessing terminal and the gateway server, which outputs and receives such data onto and from the Internet, respectively. The gateway server is implemented to function to directly exchange on the H.320 data stream information requests and responsive data in the TCP/IP format used for Internet transport. Alternatively, the gateway server is implemented to function as a proxy to which requests are passed from the terminal over the H.320 data stream, and where function calls are made and locally converted to TCP/IP format for transport onto the Internet. For responsive data received from the Internet, the proxy gateway server removes the TCP/IP formatting and transmits the resultant data back to the terminal over the H.320 data stream.
Abstract:
A network sound channel which permits voice communication over a local area network (LAN). Plural workstations are connected via respective connection nodes to the LAN. Each workstation includes a sound processor for converting sound into digital information and digital information into sound, and each workstation is operable in (a) a talk mode in which the sound processor converts sound into digital information and the digital information is stored in the storage over the LAN, and (b) a listen mode in which digital information is retrieved from the storage over the LAN and the sound processor converts the digital information into sound.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a data compression method which obtains the information content of communications data comprised of voice data and non-voice data (or video data and non-video data). According to the invention, the data pattern occurring in the communications data is replaced by the code symbols allocated thereto. The allocation specification is determined by previous analysis exclusively of representative voice data (or video data). Data patterns are thus generally allocated shorter code symbols the more frequently the respective data pattern occurs in the analyzed voice data (or video data).
Abstract:
A method for configuring an access device (11) coupled to an IP network (15) enables the access device (11) to apply a desired signal , requested by a LE (19) to access line. Upon receiving a V5 protocol message from the LE (19) a voice gateway (17) maps the V5 protocol message into a test message in NCS format containing one or more parameters associated with the desired signal and sends the text message to the access device (11) over the IP network (15), Upon receipt of the text message, the access device (11) adjusts its configuration in one or more parameters included in the text message and one or more default values stored in a management information base. Once configured, the access device (11) applies the desired signal to the access line.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a data compression method which obtains the information content of communications data comprised of voice data and non-voice data (or video data and non-video data). According to the invention, the data pattern occurring in the communications data is replaced by the code symbols allocated thereto. The allocation specification is determined by previous analysis exclusively of representative voice data (or video data). Data patterns are thus generally allocated shorter code symbols the more frequently the respective data pattern occurs in the analyzed voice data (or video data).
Abstract:
An adapter (12) which allows attachment of a standard telephone (10) to a computer (16) as a standard peripheral. The adapter converts analogue signals of the telephone (10) to digital signals of the computer (16) and vice versa. The adapter can also be a stand-alone device (42) allowing the telephone (40) to be attached to a computer network (46). The adapter (42), in this case, contains the computing power to support the necessary network protocols. In this way voice communication is enabled over a computer network (46) without requiring the computers (44) to be equipped with sound cards.
Abstract:
The network of the invention uses asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) as the exclusive transport between the central office and the outside distribution plant of either a SONET or analog facility. Telephony and other narrowband signals are transported from a local switching system over synchronous facilities to a host terminal. Digital video and digital data ATM signals are transmitted to the host terminal from a video provider and data service provider, respectively. The host terminal converts the synchronous narrowband signals to composite cell ATM format and combines these signals with the ATM video and data signals and delivers the ensemble of ATM cells over either a standard SONET transport format to a plurality of distribution managers or other network elements or analog network. To convert the synchronous signals, the host terminal of the invention includes a synchronous to asynchronous converter (SAC) that provides the format conversion needed to provide voice and other narrowband signals over ATM. The SAC also functions to agilely move between cell sizes such that the 48 bytes of the cell payload can be mapped to carry anywhere between the single and 48 connections. Thus, the SAC adjusts the cell configuration to balance performance and bandwidth use in a real-time manner. Each distribution manager consists of several functional elements including an ATM routing function that directs the ATM cells to the correct line drop or processing logic. Specifically, composite cells from the host terminal are received by the distribution manager ATM switch fabric. Based on the contents of their headers, the cells are routed by the fabric to one of several ports. If the address indicates the cells are telephony cells, they are routed to a SAC input where the telephony ATM cells are converted back to synchronous traffic and transmitted to the customer premise over a line card and narrowband drop. If the cells are data or video cells, they are routed to the appropriate interface, and out the broadband line card and drop.