Abstract: A communication system, extends office telephony and network data services to remote clients through the Internet, comprises a telephony server, a local area network, a server system, and a user communication device. The telephony server (e.g. a Private Branch Exchange) provides telephony services for a plurality of office lines. The local area network couples to the Internet. The telephony server and local area network may reside within an office environment. The server system couples to the telephony server and to the local area network. The user communication device establishes a first connection to the server system through the Internet. In response to the first connection, the server system automatically provides access for the user communication device to the telephony server. Also, the server system automatically invokes a call forwarding operation in response to the first connection, so that subsequent telephone calls, intended to reach the user's office line, are forwarded to the server system.

Abstract: A modem configurable to operate in a normal mode to perform data communications on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) additionally configurable to operate in a duplex speakerphone mode. Preferably, the modem is a Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association (PCMCIA) card for insertion into a connector in a portable computer. The computer includes a sound system with associated microphone and speaker that is incorporated in or associated with the portable computer as the audio input and output for the speakerphone operation. The modem incorporates an interface which allows digitized audio samples from the coder portion of a voice coder-decoder (CODEC) on the modem to be communicated to the computer and digitized audio samples from the computer's sound system to be communicated to the decoder portion of the modem's CODEC. The interface is configured in a manner which is transparent to the modem's normal data communications functions, i.e.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing a remote user with a virtual presence to an office. The method allows a user operating a remote computer system to receive a fax on a first communication line while simultaneously performing voice communications on the first communication line. The first communication line has an associated first telephone number. The remote computer system includes a user telephony communication device coupled to the first communication line. The method includes establishing a connection between the user telephony communication device and a virtual presence server. The user telephony communication device connects through the first communication line to the virtual presence server. The virtual presence server is located remotely from the user telephone communication device. A fax transmission is made to a second telephone number. The fax transmission is forwarded to the virtual presence server.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling a subscriber to receive incoming telephone calls on a telephone line and ring all of the telephones connected to a first conductor pair inside the subscriber's premises, wherein the first conductor pair would have normally been connected to the line. The telephones may be rung even when the subscriber is performing data communications with a remote data site on the telephone line. This obviates the necessity of the subscriber having to purchase a second telephone line for incoming calls while data communications are being performed, thus reducing access costs. The system and method shown advantageously employs a wiring device to reroute the telephone line from the first conductor pair connected to the phones to a second conductor pair normally not used. The system and method further employs a modem which receives telephone signals from the telephone line via the second conductor pair.

Abstract: A system and method for low latency multiplexing of real-time and regular data in the same data frame. Real-time data capable of being delivered at regular intervals (such as digitized voice) is multiplexed with regular (non-real-time data) across a communications link (such as a modem connection). The link's existing packet protocol (such as V.42/HDLC) may be extended to provide low latency for the real-time data, with minimal impact on existing data-transfer efficiency. Before each data frame is transmitted, the transmitter determines the time before the next real-time data will become available for transmission. If the real-time data will become available before the data frame will have been completely transmitted, the real-time data may be embedded within the frame as follows. Bit values within the header of the data frame may be used to indicate the offset within the frame of the start of the real-time data.

Abstract: A battery powered computer system includes an add-on device, such as a modem, with a power supply that uses power from a telephone line to provide power to the modem. In one embodiment the power supply is an adaptive power supply that uses power from both the telephone line and the battery of the computer system. The adaptive power supply determines the maximum power available from the telephone line and delivers that power to the modem. If the power from the telephone line is not sufficient for the modem, the adaptive power supply supplements the power with the power from the computer system. In one embodiment, the adaptive power supply uses power time division multiplexing to share the power from the telephone line and the computer system.

Abstract: A system and method for compensating for slight variances between a first rate at which a far end modem transmits a series of data frames to a near end modem and a second rate at which the near end modem requires reception of the series of data frames. The modems comprise a data pump which receives data frames from the other modem at the first rate on a telephone line. The data frames are received by a data pump which provides the frames a character at a time to a controller coupled to the data pump. The controller places the characters into a pair of frame buffers in a memory coupled to the controller. The controller receives data frames from a vocoder at the second rate to be transmitted to the other modem. The controller attempts to provide data frames to the vocoder at the second rate in order to avoid distortion in the data frame flow, in particular, distortion in the compressed speech.

Abstract: A system and method for performing far end echo suppression of compressed speech frames in a telecommunications system. The system comprises a client modem and a server modem coupled together via a communications path. A controller in the server modem receives a first series of compressed speech frames from the client modem and provides the frames to a vocoder. Each of the frames includes voice encoded speech parameters. The controller maintains a history of a volume parameter value of the most recently provided frames to the vocoder. The vocoder decompresses the first frames to produce a first speech signal for transmission onto a telephone line. An echo of the speech signal may occur due to impedance mismatches between a hybrid in the server modem and the telephone line. The echo is received by the vocoder along with a second subscriber's speech signal from the telephone line.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a PC Card adapted for insertion in a PC Card slot in a computer system. The PC Card includes a housing having a PC Card adapter having a plurality of input and output pins for coupling the housing to the PC Card slot and receiving and transmitting signals in said computer system. A microphone is disposed within said housing, as is audio interface logic coupled to the microphone. The audio interface logic is configured to process audio signals from the microphone across said PC Card adapter. The PC card further includes a modem coupled to a connector defining an external communication path and configured to receive telephony signals, and telephone answering logic operably coupled to the modem and audio interface logic and configured to receive telephony signals from the modem and to store data corresponding to the telephony signals. The PC Card further includes speakerphone logic configured to provide speakerphone functionality to the PC Card.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling a remote user to maintain a virtual presence at a corporate office and behave substantially as if the user were physically present at the corporate office. First the remote user establishes a virtual presence connection at the corporate office, including providing identification and security information. Once the remote user is connected, the virtual presence server instructs the corporate PBX to automatically forward all calls to the remote user. The virtual presence server also routes email, faxes, and LAN data to the remote user. The virtual presence server also extends the corporate PBX and corporate LAN features to the remote user, just as if the remote user were physically located in the corporate office. According to the invention, the remote user makes outgoing telephone calls, sends faxes, transmits data, sends email and performs Internet access as if the remote user were physically present in the corporate office.

Abstract: A telecommunications system which employs commodity simultaneous voice and data (SVD) modems to provide a user with a virtual presence to an office. A first telephony adapter is coupled between a user's home modem and a telephone. A second telephony adapter is coupled between a server modem and the PSTN. The modem data ports are coupled to the PSTN. The first adapter emulates a Central Office (CO) by ringing the telephone, detecting on and off hook conditions from the telephone and supplying line power to the telephone. The first adapter emulates a telephone to the modem voice port by detecting ringing voltages and generating on and off hook conditions. The second adapter emulates a telephone to the PSTN and emulates a telephone to the server modem voice port. The modems establish a connection which enables the user to access a LAN in the office. The home telephone number is forwarded to the server modem and when a call is placed to the user, the call is forwarded by the PSTN to the server adapter.

Abstract: A computer system including a PC Card socket or PCMCIA socket receiving a PC Card, wherein the PC Card socket communicates digital audio information to/from the computer's sound system. The present invention also comprises a PC Card ISDN terminal adapter which is compatible with the PCMCIA specification and which includes telephone answering device and full-duplex speakerphone capabilities. The computer system and PC Card of the present invention utilize one or more pins of the PCMCIA connector for digital audio communication between the computer's sound system and the PC Card. According to the present invention, the PC Card modem uses one or more high address pins to provide digital audio signals between the PC Card and the computer sound system.

Abstract: A modem normally adapted for use on the PSTN communicates with a radio transceiver, typically a cellular telephone via an interface. The interface is coupled to the modem to communicate audible frequency computer data, control signals and status signals. The interface converts the audio-frequency control signals from the modem into binary signals for the radio transceiver and converts status signals from the radio transceiver to audible-frequency control signals detectable by the modem.

Abstract: The disclosed data communication equipment (DCE) provides full-duplex, split-speed data communication over 2-wire dial-up telephone circuits, typically between a host processor and data terminal equipment (DTE). A telephone line interface includes low speed and high speed modems that establish a low-speed DTE-to-Host communication channel and a high-speed Host-to-DTE communication channel for split-speed full-duplex data communication. An I/O interface interfaces the DCE to the Host/DTE I/O ports at selectable asynchronous I/O speeds (typically symmetrical). A communications processor provides buffering and control functions, and implements split-speed data communication in accordance with the high-speed and low-speed communication protocols. In addition, the communication processor provides data compression for the high-speed channel, and error checking and retransmission for both the high speed and low speed channels. The DCE telephone line interface network is switchable between Host and DTE modes.