Method and apparatus for interfacing a plurality of devices to a computer network

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transmitting data, such as class 1, 2, or 3 facsimile image data streams, over Internet Global Area Networks. In one embodiment of the invention related to the transmission of facsimile data, a first device converts local facsimile image data streams into electronic data streams, transmits the data stream over the network, to a second device at the remote facsimile machine which reconverts the electronic data to facsimile image data and prints it out on said remote facsimile machine.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An interface device, comprising: 
 a network port to interface with a packet switched network;    a telephony port to interface with a telephony device;    a data port to interface with a data terminal; and    a processor coupled to each of the ports.    
     
     
         2 . The interface device of  claim 1  further comprising a transceiver coupled between the processor and the network port.  
     
     
         3 . The interface device of  claim 2  wherein the transceiver comprises a media access controller (MAC) coupled to the processor, and a modulator and a demodulator both disposed between the MAC and the network port.  
     
     
         4 . The interface device of  claim 3  wherein the modulator and the demodulation each comprises quadrature amplitude modulation.  
     
     
         5 . The interface device of  claim 1  wherein the processor determines whether voices signals from the network port are destined for the data port or the telephony port and couples the voice signals to one of the data port and telephony port based on such determination.  
     
     
         6 . The interface device of  claim 1  further comprising a voice circuit coupled between the telephony port and the processor.  
     
     
         7 . The interface device of  claim 6  wherein the processor formats voice signals flowing from the telephony port to the processor into voice signal packets, and formats voice signals flowing from the processor to the telephony port into a PSTN telephony format  
     
     
         8 . The interface device of  claim 7  wherein the telephony format comprises pulse code modulation.  
     
     
         9 . The interface device of  claim 6  wherein the voice circuit comprises a jitter buffer to receive voice signal packets of varying delay from the processor and compensating for the delay variation of the received voice signal packets.  
     
     
         10 . The interface device of  claim 9  wherein the jitter buffer comprises a voice queue which buffers the received voice signals for a holding time, and a voice synchronizer which adaptively adjusts the holding time of the voice queue.  
     
     
         11 . The interface device of  claim 6  wherein the voice circuit comprises a tone exchange to exchange DTMF signals between the telephony port and the processor.  
     
     
         12 . The interface device of  claim 6  wherein the voice circuit comprises a voice decoder to decode packets of voice signal flowing from the processor to the telephony port, a voice activity detector to detect the voice signals without speech, and a comfort noise generator to insert comfort noise in place of the voice signals without speech.  
     
     
         13 . The interface device of  claim 6  wherein the voice circuit comprises a voice decoder to decode packets of the voice signals flowing from the processor to the telephony port, a voice activity detector to detect lost voice signals, and a lost packet recovery engine to process the voice signals to compensate for the lost voice signals.  
     
     
         14 . The interface device of  claim 6  wherein the voice circuit comprises a voice encoder to encode the voice signals flowing from the telephony port to the processor, and a voice activity detector to suppresses the voice signals without speech.  
     
     
         15 . The interface device of  claim 14  wherein the voice circuit further comprises a comfort noise estimator to generate comfort noise parameters when the voice activity detector suppresses the voice signals without speech.  
     
     
         16 . The interface device of  claim 6  wherein the voice circuit further comprises a decoder to decode packets of the voice signals flowing from the processor to the telephony port, and an echo canceller capable of cancelling decoded voice signal echos on voice signals flowing from the telephony port to the processor.  
     
     
         17 . A gateway, comprising: 
 a network port to interface with a packet switched network;    a telephony port to interface to a telephony device;    a data port to interface to a data terminal;    a processor coupled to each of the ports; and    a transceiver disposed between the processor and the network port, the transceiver being capable of transmitting and receiving packets of voice signals, packets of data signals, and    a television signal.    
     
     
         18 . The gateway of  claim 17  wherein the transceiver comprises a media access controller (MAC) coupled to the processor, and a modulator and a demodulator both disposed between the MAC and the network port.  
     
     
         19 . The gateway of  claim 18  wherein the modulator and the demodulation each comprises quadrature amplitude modulation.  
     
     
         20 . The gateway of  claim 17  wherein the processor determines whether the voices signals from the network port are destined for the data port or the telephony port and couples the voice signals to one of the data port and telephony port based on such determination.  
     
     
         21 . The gateway of  claim 17  further comprising a voice circuit coupled between the telephony port and the processor.  
     
     
         22 . The gateway of  claim 21  wherein the processor 
 formats voice signals flowing from the telephony port to the processor into packets of voice signals, and formats the packets of voice signals flowing from the processor to the telephony port into a PSTN telephony format.  
 
     
     
         23 . The gateway of  claim 22  wherein the telephony format comprises pulse code modulation.  
     
     
         24 . The gateway of  claim 21  wherein the voice circuit comprises a jitter buffer to receive the packets of voice signals of varying delay from the processor and compensating for the delay variation of the received packets.  
     
     
         25 . The gateway of  claim 24  wherein the jitter buffer comprises a voice queue stored in volatile memory which buffers the received voice signals for a holding time, and a voice synchronizer which adaptively adjusts the holding time of the voice queue.  
     
     
         26 . The gateway of  claim 21  wherein the voice circuit comprises a tone exchange to exchange DTMF signals between the telephony port and the processor.  
     
     
         27 . The gateway of  claim 21  wherein the voice circuit comprises a voice decoder to decode packets of voice signals flowing from the processor to the telephony port, a voice activity detector to detect the voice signals without speech, and a comfort noise generator to insert comfort noise in place of the voice signals without speech.  
     
     
         28 . The gateway of  claim 21  wherein the voice circuit comprises a voice decoder to decode packets of the voice signals flowing from the processor to the telephony port, a voice activity detector to detect lost voice signals, and a lost packet recovery engine to process the voice signals to compensate for the lost voice signals.  
     
     
         29 . The gateway of  claim 21  wherein the voice circuit comprises a voice encoder to encode the voice signals flowing from the telephony port to the processor, and a voice activity detector to suppresses the voice signals without speech.  
     
     
         30 . The gateway of  claim 29  wherein the voice circuit further comprises a comfort noise estimator to generate comfort noise parameters when the voice activity detector suppresses the voice signals without speech.  
     
     
         31 . The gateway of  claim 21  wherein the voice circuit further comprises a decoder to decode packets of the voice signals flowing from the processor to the telephony port, and an echo canceller capable of cancelling decoded voice signal echos on voice signals flowing from the telephony port to the processor.  
     
     
         32 . The gateway of  claim 17  further comprising a voice circuit integrated with a processor in a ASIC form factor connected to a pstn telephony port  
     
     
         33 . The gateway of  claim 17  further comprising a voice circuit integrated with a processor in a ASIC form factor connected to a packet switched telephony port  
     
     
         34 . The gateway of  claim 17  further comprising a voice circuit integrated with a processor in a ASIC form factor connected to a wireless telephony port  
     
     
         35 . A method of processing signals, comprising: 
 exchanging voice signals between a packet switch network and a telephony device;    exchanging data signals between the packet based network and a data terminal; and    receiving a television signal from the packet switch network.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising demodulating the signals flowing from the packet switched network to the telephony device and the data terminal, and modulating the signals flowing from the telephony device and the data terminal to the packet based network.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the modulator and the demodulation of the signals each comprises quadrature amplitude modulation.  
     
     
         38 . The method of claims  35  wherein the data signal exchange comprises receiving and the data signals to the data terminal over a local area network.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the voice signal exchange comprises receiving 
 and transmitting the voice signals to the telephony device over a telephone line.  
 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the voice signal exchange further comprises exchanging second voice signals between the packet based network and a second telephony, the second voice signal exchange comprising receiving and transmitting the second voice signals to the second telephony device over the LAN.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the voice exchange comprises formatting the voice signals flowing from the telephony device to the packet based network into voice s signal packets, and formatting the voice signals flowing from the packet based network to the telephony device into a PSTN telephony format.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the telephony format comprises pulse code modulation.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the voice signal exchange comprises receiving packets of voice signals of varying delay, buffering the received packets, and compensating for the delay variation of the received packets.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35  further comprising exchanging DTMF signals between the packet based network and the telephony device.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the voice signal exchange comprises detecting the voice signals flowing from the packet switched network to the telephony device not comprising speech, and inserting comfort noise in place of the non-speech voice signals.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the voice signal exchange comprises processing the voice signals flowing from the packet switched network to the telephony device to compensate for the lost voice signals.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the voice signal exchange comprises suppressing voice signals without speech flowing from the telephony device to the packet switched network.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the voice signal exchange comprises decoding the voice signals flowing from the packet switched network to the telephony device, and cancelling decoded voice signal echos on the voice signals flowing from the telephony device to the packet switched network.