DMS-100

Abstract: A telephone configured as a programmable microcomputer (2) (telephone-computer) which operates in most circumstances through a standard telephone 12-key keypad input (3). The telephone-computer (2) has the overall appearance of a telephone and includes telephone electronics and a microprocessor unit operated in conjunction with other computer elements, including memory devices, a programmable gate array (PGA) chip which can be initially programmed and then fixed, and enhanced integrity features. The PGA has the capability of being configured to accomodate various types of software which require different hardware configuration, but without actually reconfiguring the hardware. The telephone-computer (2) delivers data processing capabilities and services through an ordinary telephone instrument via conventional telephone lines (78) with a network host computer (68) which communicates with a vast panoply of service bureaus (80a-80d). Specifically, operating software is downloaded to the telephone-computer (2) by the network host computer (68) to format the microcomputer to conform to the software format used by the service bureaus (80a-80d).

Abstract: A communication system includes a digital network and an audio network such as a telephone system. The digital network includes a digital network server that communicates with client work stations in the digital network, and the telephone system includes a telephone system server that communicates with the telephones in the telephone system. Either the digital network or the telephone network server includes a memory that stores digital representations of voice objects received from the telephone handset. The digital network server includes a digital network server instruction set that operates the telephone system server to associate stored audio information received over the audio network with digital information of the digital network.

Abstract: A personal communications system is described which includes components of software and hardware operating in conjunction with a personal computer. The user interface control software operates on a personal computer, preferably within the Microsoft Windows® environment. The software control system communicates with hardware components linked to the software through the personal computer serial communications port. The hardware components include telephone communication equipment, digital signal processors, and hardware to enable voice, fax and data communication with a remote site connected through a standard telephone line. The functions of the hardware components are controlled by control software operating within the hardware component and from the software components operating within the personal computer. The major functions of the system are a telephone function, a voice mail function, a fax manager function, a multi-media mail function, a show and tell function, a terminal function and an address book function. The telephone function allows the present system to operate, from the users perspective, as a conventional telephone using either hands-free, headset or handset operation. The telephone function is more sophisticated than a standard telephone in that the present system converts the voice into a digital signal which can be processed with echo cancellation, compressed, stored as digital data for later retrieval and transmitted as digital voice data concurrent with the transfer of digital information data.

Abstract: A telephone control system (1) which enhances the accessibility of system subscribers by providing a variety of call-handling modes, and various ways of programming means by which those subscribers can tailor the system. In operation, subscribers are each assigned a telephone number (ACCESS NUMBER) which can be dialed from any location via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The control system determines which subscriber a call is intended for, and by referring to a database determines the method of call handling which has been preselected by that subscriber (e.g. switching a call to another telephone number). The switching function (4) may be located in the control system itself, or located in the PSTN but under the control of the control system. Hence, the ACCESS NUMBER may be used as the sole telephone number for a subscriber. Callers need not know the subscribers specific whereabouts nor the subscriber's various location-specific telephone numbers such as home, office, car phone, and so forth.