Intel Corporation

Ralph S Smith

Daniel R Cox

Larry Wagner

William J Kruegeer

A transceiver providing simultaneous transfer of control information with voice and data over a public switched telephone network line is disclosed. In a typical system application, the transceiver is coupled to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) via a single telephone line. The transceiver includes logic for generating control information and for combining the control information with voice signals or data signals for transmission and reception through the PSTN using a single telephone line. The present invention provides a PSTN channel having two component subchannels, a main channel and a side channel. The main channel is provided for the transfer of voice signals and data signals at the same time the side channel is transferring control information and/or additional data signals. The control information transferred on the side channel is used primarily for selecting the transfer of either voice signals or data signals on the main channel. By providing a separate and independent side channel for controlling the main channel, the present invention eliminates the inherent delays caused in the prior art design by switching between a voice transfer mode and a data transfer mode using a single channel. The present invention also allows the transfer of data signals on the side channel simultaneously with the transfer of voice signals on the main channel. These advantages are provided by the present invention without redefining the bandwidth of the standard PSTN channel.

Simultaneous transfer of control information with voice and data over a

A network provides the capability for information transfer and resource sharing between a plurality of nodes including computers and peripheral devices. The network is comprised of a plurality of network interfaces coupled together on a network cable in both a daisy chain configuration and a bus configuration. Each node is connected to one of the network interfaces using an interface compatible with each particular node. Each network interface contains logic means for controlling the operation of the network. A means for self-identifying the network address of each node is provided without the need for unique hardware or software in each network interface. One of the network interfaces in the network is self-designated as the network watch dog. The network watch dog performs network error detection and correction. The network provides the capability for nodes to communicate with each other even though their associated interfaces are incompatible. The network also provides a means for performing network protocol conversion necessary in order to allow nodes with incompatible interfaces to communicate. Virtual connections between two nodes may be established whereby uninterrupted information transfer may take place. Particular peripheral devices may be associated with particular computer nodes thereby eliminating the need for a computer node to specify a destination for information transfer. The logic means in each network interface will assign peripheral devices to computers by default.

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Forest Grove, OR, United States of America

Ralph S Smith