Abstract:
A composite Internet phone device is provided, which is a phone device formed by compositing an Internet phone module with a conventional phone, and used for communication service of voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and public switched telephone network (PSTN), wherein it is selectively switched to one of the VOIP and PSTN by a switching unit according to power supplying conditions of a power-supplying device for an Internet phone or networks of the called party and the calling party.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a phone device, and more particularly to, a phone device suitable for public switched telephone network (PSTN) and voice over Internet protocol (VOIP). 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    The voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) is a protocol of transmitting sound/video by utilizing an open network, and providing communication service through signals in packet, which may save a lot of call charges just like transmitting information over Internet. However, the Internet phone is restricted by many factors of the Internet, such that the quality of the communication is relatively unstable, thereby resulting in problems of unclear signals or disconnection. 
         [0005]    The conventional phone has been generally used in daily phone communication, and the analog phone set is coupled to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for providing communication service. Although the conventional phone has a high call charge, it is not restricted by many factors of the Internet as the Internet phone. Additionally, the conventional phone is not influenced by the power failure, but also can be used during the power failure. Therefore, although the Internet phone gradually becomes prevailing, in practice, its application must be essentially supported by the conventional phone so as to meet the actual requirements of the user. 
         [0006]    Please refer to  FIG. 1  of a schematic view of a conventional Internet phone composite with a PSTN. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the composite Internet phone device  10  comprises an Internet phone system  101 , a hook circuit  102 , a keypad  103 , a receiver  104 , and a foreign exchange office (FXO)  105 . The composite Internet phone device  10  is connected to the VOIP  11  via the Internet phone system  101 , and it is connected to the PSTN  12  via the FXO  105 . When a user wants to dial an Internet phone via the composite Internet phone device  10  as conventionally dialing a phone number, the user triggers the hook circuit  102  after picking up the receiver  104 , and dials the number via the keypad  103 . The Internet phone system  101  is determined to dial to either VOIP  11  or PSTN  12  according to the dialing content or particularly defined keys. If dialing to the VOIP  11 , it enters to the VOIP  11  via the Internet phone system  101 , and then connected to the communication destination. On the other aspect, if dialing to the PSTN  12 , the composite Internet phone device  10  forms a telecommunication loop with the PSTN  12 , and the phone number is dialed via the keypad  103 , and then it enters to the PSTN  12  via the Internet phone system  101  and the FXO  105 , and then is connected to the communication destination. Therefore, once the electric power is used out or the power failure occurs for the Internet phone system  101 , it cannot be connected to the PSTN  12  via the Internet phone system  101 . 
         [0007]    Please refer to  FIG. 2  of a schematic view of a conventional Internet phone composite with a conventional phone. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the composite Internet phone device  20  comprises an Internet phone system  201 , a FXO  202 , and a foreign exchange station (FXS)  203 . The composite Internet phone device  20  is connected to the VOIP  11  via the Internet phone system  201 , connected to the PSTN  12  via the FXO  202 , and connected to the conventional phone device  21  via the FXS  203 . 
         [0008]    The conventional phone device  21  comprises a conventional phone system  211 , a hook circuit  212 , a keypad  213 , and a receiver  214 . The conventional phone device  21  has the same function as that of the conventional phone, for example, dialing to the PSTN  12 . The conventional phone device  21  is connected to the Internet phone device  20  via the FXS  203  thereof, such that the conventional phone device  21  is connected to the PSTN  12  via the FXO  202  of the Internet phone system  201 , and further connected to the VOIP  11  via the FXS  203 . As shown in the figure, the conventional technical further comprises a switching unit  22 . The switching unit  22  is used to connect the conventional phone device  21  to the PSTN  12 , and the switching unit  22  is further connected to the FXO  202  and the FXS  203  of the Internet phone device  20 . Therefore, when the Internet phone device  20  cannot be used to connect the conventional phone device  21  to the PSTN  12  due to the insufficient electric power or power failure, the switching unit  22  switches to the external connection of the conventional phone device  21 , and the conventional phone device  21  is connected to the PSTN  12  via the switching unit  22  itself, and supplied by the electric power from the PSTN  12 . The conventional technical solves the problem of power switching during the integration of the Internet phone. However, since the Internet phone device  20 , the conventional phone device  21 , and the switching unit  22  are isolated devices, when they are integrated for being used, each of them must be connected to each other, which is inconvenient for the user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In order to solve the above problems, the present invention discloses a composite Internet phone device, which is formed by integrating an Internet phone device with a conventional phone device, and each component is integrated within a single frame. 
         [0010]    The composite Internet phone utilizes a keypad to dial numbers via the voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone network and the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and it is connected to the PSTN via the existed FXO of the conventional phone, or connected to the VOIP phone network via the Internet phone system, and switches between the Internet phone mode and the conventional phone mode by utilizing a switching unit, and further isolates the Internet phone device and the conventional phone device by utilizing the isolation device, so as to ensure the safety of communication. 
         [0011]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and which thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a conventional Internet phone composite with a PSTN; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a conventional Internet phone composite with a conventional phone; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an Internet phone composite with the conventional phone according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    The specific features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in detail below, and the detailed description below is sufficient for any of those skilled in the art to appreciate the technical content of the present invention and to implement the present invention accordingly, and based upon the specification, claims and the accompanying drawings, any of those skilled in the art easily understand the relevant objects and advantages of the present invention. 
         [0017]    Please refer to  FIG. 3  of a schematic view of an Internet phone composite with a conventional phone according to the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the composite Internet phone device  30  may be connected to the VOIP  11  and the PSTN  12 , which comprises an Internet phone module  310 , a conventional phone module  300 , a receiver  320 , a switching unit  330 , and an isolation device  340 . 
         [0018]    The Internet phone module  310  has the same function as that of the conventional Internet phone, for example, when it is operated under an Internet phone mode, it conducts the network communication service via the VOIP  11 . The Internet phone module  310  comprises a speech encoder/decoder  311  for encoding or decoding speeches, an Internet phone system  312 , and an Internet phone power-supplying device  313  for supplying electric power to the Internet phone module  310  and the conventional phone module  300 . 
         [0019]    The conventional phone module  300  has the same function as a conventional phone, and when it is operated under a conventional phone mode, it conducts the communication service via the PSTN  12 . The conventional phone module  300  comprises a conventional phone system  301 , a hook circuit  302  for triggering the conventional phone module  300  to from a telecommunication loop with the PSTN  12 , and a keypad  303 . 
         [0020]    The receiver  320  is connected to the switching unit  330  and used as an element of receiving or sending speech for this device. As the receiver  320  is switched to VOIP  11  or PSTN  12  by the switching unit  330 , the user conducts the operation of receiving or sending a call with the communication destination by using the receiver  320 . 
         [0021]    The switching unit  330  is connected to the conventional phone module  300  and the Internet phone module  310 , and is used to selectively connect the receiver  320  to the speech encoder/decoder  311  within the Internet phone module  310  or to the conventional phone system  301  of the conventional phone module  300 . 
         [0022]    The isolation device  340  is connected to the conventional phone module  300  and the Internet phone module  310 , and is used to isolate the communication between the conventional phone mode and the Internet phone mode, so as to ensure the safety of the communication. The isolation device  340  is used to isolate the Internet phone system  312  from the conventional phone system  301 . 
         [0023]    If the communication mode is a conventional phone mode, when the user wants to dial the Internet phone, the user utilizes the Internet phone system  312  to drive or trigger the switching unit  330 , thereby switching to Internet phone mode. The switching unit  330  is used manually. Then, the keypad  303  is used to dial numbers. It is transmitted from the conventional phone system  301  to the Internet phone system  312  via the isolation device  340 , and thereby connecting to the VOIP  11 . When the VOIP  11  has an incoming call, the Internet phone system  312  receives the calling number and then drives or triggers the switching unit  330  for being automatically switched to the Internet phone mode, thus, the user receives or sending a call via the receiver  320 . However, when the power for the Internet phone power-supplying device  313  of the Internet phone module  310  is insufficient or failed, the switching unit  330  automatically switches to the conventional phone mode, such that the conventional phone module  300  may be used for conducting the communication service. 
         [0024]    If the communication mode is an Internet phone mode, when the user wants to dial the conventional phone, the user utilizes the Internet phone system  312  to drive or trigger the switching unit  330 , such that it is switched to the conventional phone mode, and then, a loop is formed together with the PSTN  12 . At this point, the switching unit  330  is used manually. The user dials numbers via the keypad  303 . The conventional phone system  301  receives the calling number and then connected to the PSTN  12 . When the PSTN  12  has got an incoming call, the conventional phone system  301  receives the calling number and informs the Internet phone system  312  via the isolation device  340 , and the Internet phone system  312  drives or triggers the switching unit  330  for automatically switching to the conventional phone mode, therefore, the user receives or sends a call via the receiver  320 . 
         [0025]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.