Abstract:
A telephone including a removable DSL filter cartridge is disclosed. The telephone includes a location adapted to receive a filter cartridge. The filter cartridge is designed to fit inside the location provided on the telephone. The filter cartridge includes a first end that electrically connects the filter cartridge to the telephone and a second end that faces outwards. The second end includes a DSL port so that users can plug DSL devices directly into the port. The filter cartridge includes a DSL filter to help eliminate unwanted noise on the telephone line and the filter cartridge is designed to be easily removable.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to telephones, and more particularly, to telephones capable of providing a DSL connection.  
           [0003]    2. Background of the Invention  
           [0004]    DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service provides customers with high speed access to the Internet and other computer networks. Customers who request DSL service often contact a DSL service provider who then either dispatches a technician to the customer&#39;s dwelling to install the equipment necessary to support DSL service, or sends a self-install kit to the customer with instructions that include the necessary installation procedures.  
           [0005]    Regardless of exactly how the DSL service installation is performed, one required step of the DSL installation is to provide a filter for every telephone in the dwelling. A filter is required to block unwanted noise generated by DSL signals from interfering with conventional voice telephones.  
           [0006]    Generally, local telephone companies provide four wires for each dwelling. Two wires or leads are used for conventional POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), leaving two remaining wires. It has been observed that most customers place a conventional telephone near the point where DSL service is provided. For example, if DSL service is accessed from a computer placed in a home office, many customers will also have a conventional telephone in the home office as well, and often the conventional telephone will be placed near the computer that is used to access DSL services.  
           [0007]    In those instances where a telephone is placed near the access point for DSL services, a splitter is required to split the conventional telephone wires from the DSL wires. The splitter is normally mounted on the wall where the DSL line enters the dwelling. The splitter is used to split the line and thus provide a DSL connection and a telephone connection.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention is directed to a telephone that provides a DSL connection in addition to functioning as a normal telephone. The telephone includes a removable DSL filter cartridge. The telephone includes a location or place that is designed to receive a filter cartridge. The filter cartridge is designed to fit inside the location provided on the telephone. The filter cartridge includes a first end that electrically connects the filter cartridge to the telephone and a second end that faces outwards. The second end includes a DSL port so that users can plug DSL devices directly into the port. The filter cartridge includes a DSL filter to help eliminate unwanted noise on the telephone line. The filter cartridge assembly is designed to be easily removable.  
           [0009]    Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure and steps particularly pointed out in the written description, the claims and the drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a telephone in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of an end of a preferred embodiment of a filter cartridge in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a filter cartridge in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a side view of preferred embodiment of a latch in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a top view of preferred embodiment of a latch in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of another embodiment of a telephone in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of a preferred embodiment of a telephone in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a button in a rest position in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a button in a deployed position in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a button in a pressed position in accordance with the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a telephone  102  in accordance with the present invention. Telephone  102  can be connected to a wall jack  108  and a computer  110  or any device that uses DSL services. Telephone  102  includes a location  104  that is designed to receive a filter cartridge  106 . Location  104  can be placed in any desired part of telephone  102 . Preferably, location  104  is placed at the rear of telephone  102  as shown in FIG. 1. In another embodiment, location  604  is placed on a side of telephone  602  (see FIG. 6).  
         [0021]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, filter cartridge  106  includes a first end  120  that is designed to enter a location  104  of telephone  102 . Filter cartridge  106  also includes a second end  122  that faces in a different direction than first end  120  and second end  122  is preferably exposed when filter cartridge  106  is installed in telephone  102 . Preferably, the substantial remainder of filter cartridge  106  is received in location  104  and is not visible after being installed.  
         [0022]    Second end  122  preferably includes two connectors, a line connector  112  and a DSL connector  114 . Line connector  112  is adapted to receive a line  116  that places filter cartridge  106  in communication with wall jack  108 . Likewise, DSL connector  114  is adapted to receive a DSL line  118  that places filter cartridge  106  in communication with a device adapted to receive DSL communications. A computer  110 , is an example of a device that is adapted to receive DSL communications. Computer  110  would likely include a DSL modem or other device that would permit computer  110  to use DSL communications.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a filter cartridge  106 . As discussed above, line connector  112  communicates with wall jack  108  (see FIG. 1). Generally, an inner pair  306  and an outer pair  308  of leads are available. Most communications services are provided on the inner pair  306  of leads, so conductors  302  that place block  310  in communication with line connector  112  is preferred. However, in some cases, outer leads  308  provide communications services, and outer conductors  304  may be provided to place block  310  in communication with line connector  112 . In another embodiment, both the inner conductors  302  as well as the outer conductors  304  are provided so that, regardless of which pair of leads the communications services are provided, block  310  will be placed in communication with line connector  112 .  
         [0024]    Filter cartridge  106  preferably includes a block  310 . Block  310  acts to split an incoming signal from either the inner pair of conductors  302  or the outer pair of conductors  304  or both and place both filter  312  and DSL connector  114  in communication with the incoming signal. DSL connector  114  is designed to permit filter cartridge  106  to communicate with a device that can accept a DSL signal. One example of such a device is a DSL modem. Because DSL modems and other devices that can accept a DSL signal use either the inner or outer pair of leads, it is preferred that both the inner and outer pairs of conductors are provided in DSL conductor  314  disposed between block  310  and DSL connector  114 . In this way, regardless of which pair, either the inner or the outer, of leads is used by the subsequent DSL device or modem, that device or modem will receive a signal from filter cartridge  106 .  
         [0025]    Filter  312  is a standard DSL filter and can remove unwanted noise and signals from communicating with an electrical connector  316  or  318 . In a preferred embodiment, a first end  120  of filter cartridge  106  includes an electrical connector  316  that is designed to engage a corresponding electrical connector (not shown) disposed within location  104 . In other embodiments, the electrical connectors of the filter cartridge  106  could be located on any face or surface of the filter cartridge and provisions would be made in telephone  102  to suitably engage those electrical connectors. For example, an electrical connector  318  could be disposed on a side of filter cartridge  106 . Electrical connector  318  could be used as an alternative to electrical conductor  316  or could be used in addition to electrical conductor  316 . Electrical connector  316  and/or  318  permit telephone  102  (see FIG. 1) to communicate with filter cartridge  106  and therefore, with wall jack  108 . In this way, conventional telephone service with possible DSL noise removed is provided to telephone  102 .  
         [0026]    After filter cartridge  106  has been installed in telephone  102 , second end  122 , which includes a DSL connector  114 , is visible and readily accessible. This arrangement provides a convenient system for providing DSL access. Users can plug DSL devices directly into telephone  102  and do not have to search for inconvenient DSL connectors located in walls, behind furniture, and other hard to reach locations.  
         [0027]    Preferably, filter cartridge  106  is designed in a way that makes it easy to remove the filter cartridge  106  from telephone  102 . Many different options and possibilities could be utilized.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 4 and 5 show a preferred embodiment of one possible arrangement that can be used to provide easy installation and removal of filter cartridge  106 . Filter cartridge  106  includes a latch  402  that includes a first end  406  and a second end  404 . Preferably, second end  404  of latch  402  is associated with an upper surface  410  of filter cartridge  106 . In an exemplary embodiment, the second end  404  is fixedly attached to upper surface  410 . The first end  406  is disposed opposite second end  404  and preferably extends axially beyond leading edge  412  of the second end  122  of filter cartridge  106 .  
         [0029]    Preferably, latch  402  is biased in a direction away from upper surface  410  and latch  402  includes at least one shoulder  408 . Preferably, the bias is achieved by elastic deformation of latch  402 . Preferably, a matching shoulder and void (not shown) is provided in location  104  (see FIG. 1) where the void accommodates first end  406  and where the matching shoulder opposes shoulder  408 . When filter cartridge  106  is inserted into location  104  (see FIG. 1), latch  402  is initially pressed towards upper surface  410  until latch  402  returns to its biased, raised position when first end  406  enters the void. In this position, shoulder  408  engages a mating shoulder disposed in location  104  and securely retains filter cartridge  106  in position.  
         [0030]    To remove filter cartridge  106 , a user presses first end of latch  406  towards upper surface  410  until shoulder  408  clears the mating shoulder disposed in location  104 . Preferably, first end  406  extends beyond the leading edge  412  of second end  122  to facilitate operation of latch  402 . When this occurs, filter cartridge  106  is free and can be easily removed from location  104 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a telephone  602 . Telephone  602  includes a location  604  that is designed to receive a filter cartridge  606 . Filter cartridge  606  includes a standard DSL filter. In a preferred embodiment, a first end  608  of filter cartridge  606  includes an electrical connector that is designed to engage a corresponding electrical connector (not shown) disposed within location  604 . In other embodiments, the electrical connectors of the filter cartridge  606  could be located on any face or surface of the filter cartridge and provisions would be made in telephone  602  to suitably engage those electrical connectors.  
         [0032]    Filter cartridge  606  also has a second end  610 . Second end  610  is designed to be accessible after filter cartridge  606  has been installed in telephone  602 . Second end  610  includes at least one electrical connector. Preferably, second end  610  includes a DSL connector, and in an exemplary embodiment, second end  610  includes a female DSL connector  612 .  
         [0033]    After filter cartridge  606  has been installed in telephone  602 , second end  610 , which includes a DSL connector, is visible and readily accessible. This arrangement provides a convenient system for providing DSL access. Users can plug DSL devices directly into telephone  602  and do not have to search for inconvenient DSL connectors located in walls, behind furniture, and other hard to reach locations.  
         [0034]    Preferably, filter cartridge  606  is designed in a way that makes it easy to remove the filter cartridge  606  from telephone  602 . Preferably, an ejection system similar to one used for a PCMCIA slot is utilized. Referring to FIGS.  7 - 10 , the ejection system includes a three position button  702 . Button  702  has a rest position (see FIG. 8). From the rest position, when button  702  is pressed, button  702  extends outwards to a deploy position, as shown in FIG. 9. When button  702  is pressed from the deploy position, filter cartridge  606  is ejected from telephone  602 .  
         [0035]    The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.  
         [0036]    Further, in describing representative embodiments of the present invention, the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.