Device for protocol conversion for telephone set

p0001A protocol adaptation for telephone equipment, including type responder, and a station with such equipment which is specifically designed to allow the inclusion of digitized transmitted using different protocols beeps and including a circuit according to communication protocol and a packet communication protocol such as for example in force on the Internet.

p0002As is known telephones are generally intended to be connected to lines of telephone networks circuit switching, usually designated by the acronym PSTN, which transmit sounds including speech in the form of analog signals or increasingly in the form of digital signals on at least a portion of the path followed by these signals, each communication involving the establishment of a specific circuit for the communication time. Usually, the sound signals to be transmitted from a source in digital form are previously sampled and encoded according to a standard process, usually at the encoder part of a codec. The transmission of the samples obtained is performed periodically sample by sample so as, when they are transmitted via a digital telephone network where the communication is circuit type.

p0003Furthermore, there are terminals adapted to communicate data carried in digital form and packetized, they may for some transmitting and / or receiving data corresponding to digitized sound signal and are sometimes arranged to be connected to the same links telephones.

p0004These include personal computers fitted with the means to communicate with other remote data terminals and in particular with other computers, such as servers, via a link that attach to a network for data transmission asynchronous packet, this connection may be a telephone connection of analog type, if the computer has means including a modem.

p0005Transmitting asynchronous digital packet data which can be provided end to end by dedicated links is also capable of being at least locally provided by switched telephone network links which are governed synchronously.

p0006Codecs operating in telephone sets for digital processing of audio signals, including those corresponding to speech signals, and telephone modems exploited for converting the digital data signals are often connected to the same telephone connections. However these codecs and modems do not generally allow devices they respectively serve to communicate them to the extent that the signs they respectively operate and communication protocols they employ are in practice at least partially exclusive despite being technically compatible.

p0007More generally because of the differences in communication protocols via circuits and through packages it is usually not possible to provide devices which one uses a communication protocol system and the other a packet communication protocol.

p0008Furthermore it is common to associate a device or answering equipment and / or recorder to a telephone set to allow users of the latter to convey a sound message to those who call the station by telephone and record any sound messages forwarded to post by those who called.

p0009Such an operation is possible with the devices such as computers that are designed to communicate with each grouped data packet, since the digitized sound signals can also be transmitted in this form, as may be the case for connected computers Internet network said.

p0010Thus, the user of a properly equipped computer can have an answering machine and / or recorder of audio messages.

p0011Telephones operating a communication protocol circuitry and computers operating a packet communication protocol does not allow a user with a phone and a computer with one and / or both of function answering machine to check audio messages left by other users in his computer with his phone and / or vice versa.

p0012This can be particularly troublesome for a moving person with access to a communication network by a device that allows him to call the unit where recorded messages for him but that does not allow real communication because of the incompatibilities existing between communication protocols implemented by the apparatus used.

p0013The invention therefore provides a protocol adaptation equipment for telephone comprising a processing unit that has hardware and software designed to allow the telephone to operate on a communication protocol circuit mode via a connection communication of a telephone network.

p0014According to one characteristic of the invention, the adjustment equipment comprises a coupler enabling it to operate in packet data via the communications link in addition to the coupler allowing the station to operate in circuit mode, the two couplers being connected to said link communications via a selective switch member and is governed by the position of the processing unit which has for this purpose means including a packet protocol handler in addition to a protocol handler stationed circuit mode.

p0015According to another characteristic of the invention, the adjustment equipment comprises a coupler enabling it to function in association with an asynchronous digital network of Internet type and a corresponding protocol handler.

p0016According to yet another feature of the invention, the adaptive equipment includes at least one memory embedded audio messages or not all memories of the post processing unit that has this equipment, preferably said memory receiving in the same form the sound message data regardless of the protocol used and / or to be implemented for transmission.

p0017The invention also relates to a telephone set having a processing unit with hardware and software means arranged to enable the telephone set to operate according to a communication protocol circuit mode via a communication link of a telephone network .

p0018According to one characteristic of the invention, this position is characterized in that it comprises an arrangement having at least one of the properties defined above.

p0019The invention, its characteristics and its advantages are explained in the following description in conjunction with the single figure mentioned below, which shows a diagram of a telephone according to the invention in its communication environment.

p0020The telephone 1 shown in the single figure is supposed connected to a communication network 2 by a telephone link 3 which is for example a conventional telephone line switched telephone network, whether this is the network 2, or an access link primary digital network of integrated services, if such is then the network 2.

p0021As is known, the communication network 2 may be able to serve a usually high number of communication links including links such as telephone link 3.

p0022The communication network 2 is here supposed to have at least a subset 4 constituting a telephone network operator by a circuit communication protocol which is possibly part of synchronous digital network types where speech signals are transmitted as coded samples time-multiplexed and a subset 5 of asynchronous digital network operator types a communications protocol which the data are transmitted in packets, these data packets are likely to contain sound digitized signals and in particular speech signals. Subsets 4 and 5 and their interconnection symbolized by a link 6 will not be developed here insofar firstly switched telephone network and secondly asynchronous digital networks and more particularly the Internet are known to the art and where on the other hand they do not themselves parties to the present invention.

p0023A personal computer 7 is also shown symbolically in Figure 1, it is assumed with a communication interface 8, internal or external, allowing it for example to connect to a telephone link 3 through a coupler 9. this coupler is such type of modem if the communication link 3 is of type analog phone line, it may alternatively be of card or digital access box if the communication link 3 is a digital network link integrated services .

p0024The communication interface 8 is then of the type commonly marketed, that allow a computer user to 7 make a phone call type number to get in communication for data transfer by via the coupler 9 with another device connected to the communication network 4 and itself with corresponding communication establishment means. As is known such a communication interface allows usually at the 7 it equips computer, itself be called by telephone through the communication link 3 to which this interface is connected to a transfer the same data type as the one mentioned above. The transfer itself is performed by packet according to the packet communication protocol selected for example the protocol designated by the TCP / IP acronym in the case of the Internet in its current form.

p0025The computer 7 is assumed here considered include a processing unit 10 organized around at least a properly programmed processor, as known, this not being shown. In the proposed embodiment, the computer 7 has hardware and software enabling it to operate as an answering machine and / or recorder for sound including voice messages sent as data packets via the coupler 9 that team. These hardware and software here are referenced 11 and they have at least one memory element 12 for data messages to transmit and / or receive, the memory element being capable, as he is known to be located either in unrepresented memory set that contains the processing unit 10, is still in an independent unit.

p0026The user of such a computer is likely to want to read the messages sent to it to this computer with other people, in the form of data packets via the communications link 3 connecting the computer to the communication network 2, while her user is not on the location of the computer 7 and is not available a computer that could allow remote consultation.

p0027It is therefore planned to amend the telephones to enable them to ensure such consultations so that a user can view the left voice messages for him by other users on a machine with an answering machine and / or recorder as if this function is provided by telephone at his disposal in a given location if this function is performed by a computer which he has possibly also in the same place.

p0028To this end, the telephone set 1 according to the invention comprises a matching device including a connection interface 13, said network, via which it is capable of being connected to a communication link 3 giving access to the communication network 2. also like many others, this telephone has a control unit 14 arranged around at least a suitably programmed processor 15. This control unit has hardware and software means arranged to enable the telephone to operate in the usual manner according to a communication protocol circuit mode. It also has hardware and software designed to enable the telephone 1 to communicate according to a communication protocol packet for example with a computer.

p0029The material resources associated with a control unit 14 in the equipment adjustment mentioned above of a telephone 1 include in particular a selective switch member 16 for connecting the station to a communication link 3, this body serving firstly a coupler 17, allowing it to operate in circuit mode and also a coupler 18, allowing it to operate in packet mode.

p0030The coupler 17 may be physically associated with the selective switching device 16 is in the same circuit switched network type of traditional telephone interface or possibly digital network integration services allows telephone communication in full duplex. The coupler 18 is also likely to be of conventional type, it is assumed here enable the transmission and reception of data, for example by telephone via a modem not shown, after formal communication with a compatible device via the communication link 3 and the communication network 2.

p0031As is known when the coupler 17 is implemented, dropping the mail or telephone called terminal or a corresponding operation on receipt of a signal corresponding to a ring tone translates into the immediate establishment of a communication Type full duplex between calling and called. As is also known, when a telephone modem is used, the operation corresponding to a stall to receiving a signal corresponding to a ring tone is reflected by sending an audible tone to enable the caller to continue the exchange of information which must necessarily be carried out prior to a data transmission to the called party or from the latter.

p0032To provide these various operations the adaptive equipment of a station 1 associates with the mode protocol handler circuit 19 contained in the processing unit 14 of the position, a packet protocol handler 20 mode, these managers are respectively loaded workflow that selectively involve either the coupler 17 or the coupler 18.

p0033As is known these managers are essentially made in software and are assumed operated by the processor 15 of the processing unit 14.

p0034The packet manager 20 is for example arranged to enable the exchange of data via the Internet, it being understood that these data may be used to transmit audio signals including speech signals.

p0035In the case of a telephone 1 assumed capable of functioning as an answering machine and / or recorder, this position therefore has a corresponding device 21 having at least one memory 22 audio messages incorporated or not in the set of memories not shown, associated with the processor 15. the means allowing the device 21 to ensure the answering machine functions and / or recorder for the job that may be primarily software-apart from the memory 22 are set implemented by the processor 15 or optionally by a processor or at least one not shown auxiliary logic.

p0036The removal of a message in message memory 22 of the telephone 1 by a remote user via the communication link 3 which is connected to this position is thus likely to be carried out either from another position or connected telephone terminal subassembly 4 of the communication network and not shown, after placing in communication of the two positions according to the protocol in communication in circuit mode in effect for voice communications by means of a switched telephone network.

p0037This removal can also be performed by a remote user over the same communication link 3 from a computer connected to the subassembly 5 of the communication network 2, optionally via the sub-assembly 4. The protocol used for the transmission of data corresponding to the sound signals constituting the message is then to file type and package such as the Internet, it follows a pre call phase of the telephone 1 that must necessarily be made by telephone for establishing communication protocol effective for transmissions or via the digital network integration services, or even via the analog network while involving the use of a modem at the station.

p0038The messages sent and / or received by the telephone 1 via the telephone coupler 17 and via the coupler 18 have not even up to the extent that some are sent and / or received as samples periodically transmitted while other are transmitted and / or received in one or possibly multiple packets. Recording a message through the telephone 1 is likely to be achieved by two different processes depending on the transmission mode circuit or packet is chosen, it is preferably carried out in the same form in the memory 22 provided for receiving audio messages, the conversion being carried out in the processing unit 14 as needed under the control of the managers 20 or 21 concerned.

p0039This allows a user to make a bridge between modes which allows it to communicate with a telephone 1 is assigned to a remote site from where it is using a computer with means allowing it to communicate packet and by telephone with the position 1 to view the messages that have been deposited him regardless which of the two modes of communication by circuit or packet used for their removals. This gateway between modes also allows the user to perform the same operation from a single telephone in communication with the position 1 via the subassembly 4 and the communication link 3. It also allows a user to file sound messages using the telephone 1 as at another telephone, which is equipped with internal or external answering machine function and with which the station 1 communicates circuit mode, that the level of a computer with the same function and with which it communicates packet.