Lucent Technologies Inc.

Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

Agere Systems Inc.

Richard M Ubowski

Vasu Iyengar

James Albert Johanson, Iii

Philip David Mooney

John Peter Veschi

James Charles Popa

Joseph M Cannon

Paul Joseph Davis

Steven C Szep

Glenn A Ehrich

Joseph A Zebrowski

Syred S Ali

A configurable adaptive echo canceler which can perform acoustical echo cancellation (AEC) or hybrid echo cancellation (HEC) under software control. Particular parameters based on the particular application can be associated with either a suitable AEC or a suitable HEC, and the parameters are made selectable through the use of a control register. Exemplary parameters are accuracy of filter coefficients, a span select to manipulate the expected length of the echo path, a step size to adjust the adaptation of the echo cancellation, enablement of a tap update, selection of adaptation mode, center clipper selection, and sub-band or full-band echo cancellation. With the use of audio line switching, the configurable echo canceler can allow various modes of operation of the telephone, some of which may require an AEC in the installed unit and/or some of which may require an HEC. For instance, in a cordless telephone application, in an intercom mode, a configurable echo canceler in a cordless handset receiver and a configurable echo canceler in a base unit may each be configured as AECs. In a base speakerphone mode, the configurable echo canceler in the base unit may be configured to provide both HEC and AEC, while the configurable echo canceler in the cordless handset receiver may be configured as an AEC. In a handset speakerphone mode, the configurable echo canceler in the base unit may be configured as an HEC, while the configurable echo canceler in the cordless handset receiver may be configured as an AEC.

Configurable echo canceller

Embedded writing or typing in a fax document or white board presentation are detected in a predetermined region of the document, recognized and converted into textual data corresponding to the fax telephone number or e-mail of the recipient of the document. The fax telephone number is automatically dialed without requiring the user to input the telephone number or even select a speed dial telephone number, although the use of confirmation of the scanned and textually converted fax telephone number or e-mail is within the principles of the present invention. In a first embodiment, the present invention adds the capability to a fax machine to scan the first page of the outgoing fax (e.g., the cover page) for detection and recognition (e.g., optical character recognition (OCR)) of the recipient's fax number and automatically dials it if found. Moreover, the sender's identification (e.g., telephone number and/or name) can also or alternatively be automatically scanned and determined to replace, add to, or otherwise overwrite the default header information programmed into the sending fax machine. In this way, the fax machine can automatically dial the sender's fax number, and/or imprint the customized header on the outgoing faxed pages with the sender's telephone number and/or name. A look-up table may be maintained to correlate specific names of individuals or businesses with specific fax telephone numbers or e-mail addresses. In another embodiment, a scanning white board allows a destination telephone number or e-mail address to be written in a predetermined area, and either periodically or upon demand the white board is scanned, and the image automatically faxed or e-mailed to the designated destination.

Automatic send to embedded fax/e-mail address

An audible signal associated with an event is provided as part of the audio path of a telephone. In particular, a telephone according to one embodiment of the invention includes a microphone adapted to receive audible signals from a user and to convert the audible signals to electrical signals for transmission to a distant party, and a speaker adapted to receive electrical signals associated with input from the distant party and to convert the electrical signals to audible signals. According to the invention, the telephone also includes a processor adapted to produce electrical signals associated with an external event, and to integrate these electrical signals with the received electrical signals. In an alternative embodiment according to the invention, a method of alerting a party to a telephone conversation of an external event includes the step of providing an indication of the external event to the party from a speaker of the telephone during the telephone conversation. The external event can be a time of day, for example, and the indication can be a distinctive chime or an announcement of the time.

Alert signal during telephone conversation

A system for use in downloading a file from a server through a computer network to a client. In one embodiment, the system can include a subfile selector that has: (1) a subfile designator, associated with the client, that receives data designating only a portion of the file to be downloaded to the client and (2) a subfile requestor, associated with the subfile designator, that transmits a server request based on the data. The system can further include a subfile responder that has: (1) a subfile designation receiver, associated with the server, that receives the server request and (2) a subfile transmitter, associated with the subfile designation receiver, that initiates a download of only the portion, the computer network thereby relieved of having to communicate an entirety of the file.

System for downloading only a portion of a file from a server through a computer network utilizing a client menu downloaded periodically from the server

In one embodiment according to the invention, a digital cordless telephone includes a base unit adapted to couple to a telephone network, to transmit an outgoing message to an incoming caller, to store a digital message from the incoming caller, and to transmit and receive digital samples over an RF link. The digital cordless telephone of this embodiment also includes a handset adapted to transmit and receive digital samples over the RF link. According to this embodiment, the base unit and handset are further adapted to enable a user to monitor the stored digital message from the handset. In an alternative embodiment according to the invention, a method of accessing a digital message stored in one of a base unit and a handset of a cordless telephone from the other of the base unit and the handset includes the steps of transmitting a control signal from the accessing device to the storing device, retrieving the digital message, in encoded form, from a memory in the storing device, and transmitting at least a portion thereof to the accessing device. The method further includes the step of decoding the encoded digital message in the accessing device.

Handset access of message in digital cordless telephone

A technique and apparatus allowing data transfer between multiple telephone devices on a common telephone line, e.g., to synchronize call related information such as Caller ID data. Data which may be transferred includes call related information to other devices on the common telephone line. The data transfer preferably occurs immediately after the call related information is received by a master device from the central office, e.g., between subsequent ring signals. Archival call related information relating to past incoming telephone calls may also be synchronized between the master and slave devices or between the slave devices using the data transfer.

Shared information between multiple telephones

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for programming installed memory integrated circuits. A temporary connection is made between an external processor and a printed circuit board containing one or more installed memory integrated circuits and an on-board processor. At a suitable time, e.g., when the on-board processor is idle, the external processor takes control of the on-board processor and accesses the memory integrated circuits via temporary connections. In the disclosed embodiment, the control is caused by a held reset signal from the external processor to the on-board processor, which causes control signals from the on-board processor to the memory integrated circuit to enter a tri-state condition. Data is downloaded from the external processor to the memory integrated circuit while the external processor maintains control of the on-board processor. The invention allows downloading of data (or programming) to a memory device while it remains installed in an application printed circuit board.

Data download technique into installed memory

The present invention provides a method and system to improving voice transmission quality within an environment containing multiple off-hook cordless telephones all residing on the same subscriber line. This is achieved by coordinating the sending, receiving, and acknowledging (i.e., handshaking) of control and telephone signals between the multiple cordless telephones and the base. The communication between cordless telephones takes place through a single household telephone line and the RF link existing between each cordless handset and its accompanying base station. When a single handset of a multiple handset cordless telephone system is registered as off-hook, the handshaking between that handset and base results in the transmission of voice signals between the off-hook handset and the base which are digitized using Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM). When one or more handsets become active and are registered as off-hook, the transmission of voice signals between the off-hook handsets and base is accomplished through the use of speech coding at a lower rate than that of ADPCM coding. The successful switching between ADPCM and speech coding within a multiple handset environment allows for speech quality to be maximized at all times.

Apparatus for enhanced voice quality in multiple cordless handset environment and method

The present invention provides an adaptive microwave oven capable of entering an operation mode which avoids interference with a communication device either upon detection of a communication from a communication device (e.g., a cordless telephone) operating in a microwave frequency range, or upon receipt of a command indicating the operation of a microwave device such as a cordless telephone through a suitable network (e.g., a piconet using BLUETOOTH Technology). In one embodiment, a cooking mode of a microwave oven is paused (or significantly reduced) to best avoid interference with microwave signals between a remote handset and a matching base unit of a cordless telephone. The activity of microwave communications within the vicinity of the adaptive microwave oven can be determined, e.g., using a passive cordless telephone receiver which detects communication activity in the microwave range, or using direct communications from the cordless telephone using a suitable wireless network, e.g., a piconet using BLUETOOTH technology. In another embodiment, the frequency of an adaptive microwave oven capable of generating microwave energy at any of a plurality of microwave frequency ranges is controlled in accordance with the microwave frequency used by an electronic device (e.g., a cordless telephone) in the vicinity of the adaptive microwave oven. In this embodiment, a cordless telephone receiver can provide a controller for the adaptive microwave oven with passively detected information regarding the frequency of communication traffic in the vicinity of the microwave oven, or a wireless network can be used to provide frequency information directly between the relevant electronic device (e.g., cordless telephone) and the adaptive microwave oven.

Adaptive microwave oven

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a data processing system having a digital processor core, a dynamic RAM, which is preferably a synchronous, audio-grade RAM (SARAM) for speech and code storage, and a separate read-only memory (ROM) for storage of operation code for the DSP core. The system may also use SARAM having one area configured for code space and data, and a second, separate area, which can be used to encode or store speech. The system may also use either a boot mask ROM or erasable programmable ROM.

Synchronous audio DRAM storing audio and code data

A digital answering machine, electronic voice mail system, or any other voice messaging system integrating both non-speech data such as caller ID information or graphical or pictorial images together with associated speech data in common memory such that only one message table is necessary. The integrated common memory is divided into sectors, and each sector is divided into pages which each contain both speech and non-speech data. A single message table is associated with each corresponding set of speech and non-speech data, and includes an offset value indicating the beginning address of the speech data stored just above its associated non-speech data in the first linked page. The offset value is variable to provide an elastic non-speech data buffer to accommodate variable length non-speech data such as would be required by the various caller ID standards throughout the world.

Elastic buffer for data storage with speech data

Type 2 caller ID/call waiting (CIDCW) customer premises equipment (CPE) is provided which has a greatly improved method of detecting tones indicating the availability of call information regarding an incoming call while the customer premises equipment is in an off-hook condition. A hybrid echo canceler (HEC) algorithm is added to the customer premises equipment (CPE) to suppress the signal from the microphone of the customer premises equipment from being included in the signal analyzed for the presence of tones. Thus, the microphone of the customer premises equipment need not be muted upon detection of the alerting CAS tone sequence in a Caller ID service. The HEC algorithm runs substantially continuously in a preferred embodiment, and may be combined with a conventionally operating HEC which cancels reflections due to the hybrid or telephone line interface.

Growing community of inventors

Harleysville, PA, United States of America

Richard M Ubowski