Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an accessory for a
computer and, more particularly, to a communications device that
serves either as a telephone handset to enable a human operator to
communicate over a telephone line connected to the computer, or as
a control center to enable the operator to communicate by voice
with the computer.
Description of the Related Art
Computer operators working at home or in the office are
interrupted periodically by telephone calls, requiring them to
divert from their work to answer each call. Often, the operator
must turn attention away from a monitor to find the ringing
telephone and pick up its handset. Such unproductive activity is
commonplace even when the computer itself is connected by modem to
a telephone line over which are conducted digital signals which
constitute a facsimile message, electronic mail, or information
coming from or going to a data bank.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the Invention
It is a general object of this invention to advance the state
of the art of computer peripheral devices.
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Another object of this invention is to make
computer workers more productive.
Still another object of this invention is to share
a telephone line conventionally used for transmitting
facsimile messages, electronic mail, or data bank
information with voice signals.
Yet another object of this invention is to allow a
computer operator to remain at his or her workstation while
answering a telephone call.
An additional object of this invention is to
provide a computer peripheral device which functions not
only as a telephone handset, but also as a computer audio
control center.
In accordance with this invention, there is
provided a communications device for a computer connected to
a telephone line, said device comprising: a) a housing
accessible to a human operator, and having means for
converting sounds uttered by the operator into outgoing
voice signals, and means for converting incoming voice
signals into sounds audible to the operator; b) an interface
operatively connected to the housing, the computer and the
telephone line; and c) control means for conducting the
outgoing and incoming voice signals to and from the
telephone line in a telephone mode of operation in which the
housing serves as a telephone handset, and for conducting
the outgoing and incoming voice signals to and from the
computer in an audio control mode of operation in which the
housing serves as a computer control center.
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Features of the Invention
In keeping with these objects and others which
will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of this
invention resides, briefly stated, in a communications
device for a computer connected to a telephone line. The
device includes a housing accessible to a human operator;
means, e.g., a microphone, for converting sounds spoken by
the operator into outgoing voice signals; and means, e.g., a
speaker and/or headphones, for converting incoming voice
signals into sounds heard by the operator.
The device also includes an interface operatively
connected to the housing, the computer and the telephone
line, as well as
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control means for conducting the outgoing and incoming voice
signals to and from the telephone line in a telephone mode of
operation in which the housing serves as a telephone handset, and
for conducting the outgoing and incoming voice signals to and from
the computer in an audio control mode of operation in which the
housing serves as a computer control center.
Thus, the operator while working on his or her computer can,
in a telephone mode of operation, learn of the presence of an
incoming telephone call (either by hearing an audible alarm emitted
from the housing, the interface, the computer or elsewhere, or by
seeing a visible graphic symbol on the computer screen, e.g., a
flashing telephone icon), and answer the telephone call (by
speaking directly into the microphone on the housing and by hearing
sounds emitted from the speaker or headphones) -- all without
leaving the computer workstation or diverting his or her attention
from the monitor. The telephone line which heretofore conducted
digital signals constituting facsimile messages, electronic mail or
data bank information is now also employed to conduct voice
signals.
In another mode of operation, the device functions as a
computer control center, wherein voice commands uttered by the
operator are conducted via the microphone to the computer to
control various functions and/or to input data. In this audio
control mode, the computer emits voice signals reproduced by the
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speaker or headphones on the housing to be heard by the operator,
thus completing the audio control system.
The novel features which are'~considered as characteristic of
the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims.
The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its
method of operation, together with additional objects and
advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following
description of specific embodiments when read in connection with
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a communications device in
accordance with this invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the device of FIG. 1 according to
one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the device of FIG. 1 according to
another embodiment of this invention; and
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the device of FIG. 1 according to
still another embodiment of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral l0 generally
identifies a communications system including a portable housing 12
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and an interface 14. The interface includes an external connector
16, preferably an RS232 connector, for direct connection to a
computer, as well as a socket for reception of a plug connected to
a telephone line 18. The interface 14 is either hard-wired to the
housing 12 by a cable 20 (see also FIG. 2), or is connected by a
wireless link with the aid of antennae 22,24 (see FIGS. 3 and 4),
as described in detail below.
As also shown in FIG. 1, the housing 12 includes a microphone
26 operative for converting sounds uttered by a human operator into
outgoing electrical voice signals, a speaker 28 and sockets 30 for
headphones, each operative for converting incoming electrical voice
signals into audible sounds to be heard by the operator, a manually
actuatable control key 32 operative for selecting at the operator's
option whether to listen to the sounds emitted by the speaker 28 or
the headphones, and a keyboard 34 having multiple, manually
actuatable keys for placing a telephone call or selecting various
functions.
Turning now to FIG. 2, electronic control circuitry within the
interface 14 is depicted. Thus, incoming voice signals on the
telephone line 18 are digitized and processed in a telephone line
interface module 36. Thereupon, the digitized signals are
conducted to a microprocessor or microcontroller 38 and to an audio
controller 40, having an auxiliary audio input and an auxiliary
audio output, prior to being conducted along cable 20 to the
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speaker 28 (via an amplifier) or the headphones 30, as selected by
control key 32. The sounds uttered by the operator are detected
by the microphone 26, conducted along cable 20 to the audio
controller 40 and, after being digitized and processed, to the
microcontroller 38 and the interface module 36. The digitized
signals can be output to the interface connector 16, to the
telephone line 18 or to the auxiliary output of the audio
controller 40 depending upon the mode of operation.
FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment analogous to that of FIG. 2,
except for the following differences. Rather than a hard-wired
cable 20, a wireless link is established between the housing 12 and
the interface 14. To this end, a radio frequency transceiver 42 is
mounted within the housing for transmitting and receiving radio
frequency signals via antenna 22 to antenna 24 on the interface.
The audio controller 40 of FIG. 2 is configured as a radio
frequency transceiver 44, and the operation of the FIG. 3
embodiment is as described for the FIG. 2 embodiment
FIG. 4 depicts still another embodiment analogous to that of
FIG. 3, except for the following differences. The control key 32
is depicted in FIG. 4 and is connected to a key controller 46
which, in turn, is connected to a radio frequency transceiver 42 in
FIG. 3. Thus, operation of the control key can be remotely
communicated to the interface 14.
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In a telephone mode of operation, as discussed above, the
computer operator, once alerted to a telephone call, can answer via
the microphone 26, and hear via the speaker 28 or headphones 30.
Such outgoing and incoming voice signals are conducted via the
telephone line 18, or over auxiliary audio lines. In a voice
control mode of operation, the computer operator can utilize the
microphone 26 and the speaker 28/headphones 30 to communicate with
and control the computer itself.
It will be understood that each of the elements described
above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application
in other types of constructions differing from the types described
above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as
embodied in a computer communications device, it is not intended to
be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and
structural changes may be made without departing in any way from
the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal
the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying
current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications
without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art,
fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or
specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations
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should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and
range of equivalents of the following claims.
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent is set forth in the appended claims.
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