Abstract:
A method and apparatus for providing an integral computer and telephone system includes a CPU, a telephone line interface operatively linked to the CPU, and a display device operatively linked to the CPU. Audio input and output devices are operatively linked to the CPU. A communication module for transceiving wireless signals is operatively linked to a remote unit. The system includes a switching device connected to the CPU and the communication module, where the switching device provides selective operation of the CPU and the remote unit, whereby when a user selects remote unit telephony, the remote unit substantially increases privacy and facilitates portability via wireless operation while when the user selects telephony via the CPU, the CPU facilitates both audio and visual information exchange.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to computers and communications; more specifically, a method and apparatus which integrates a computer and a telephone system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the past, telephone calls could be received from a computer having speakers and a microphone therein. However, there are inherent limitations with the size of a personal computer for efficient operation by a user and a personal computer&#39;s operating environment which requires a microphone and a speaker to make phone calls. Receiving and generating phone calls from a personal computer does not provide for privacy features which are available with a hand-held telephone. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus and method for integrating a personal computer and a telephone system. The present invention permits shifting between computer telephony and remote unit telephony upon actuation of a switch. To facilitate use, the remote unit has a wireless link to the personal computer. 
     Yet another embodiment of the present invention comprises a method executable on a computer system which integrates a computer and telephone system by detecting whether a CPU of a personal computer is in an active or an inactive mode and then detecting a signal from switches disposed on the personal computer and remote unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an integral computer and telephone system; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an integral computer and telephone system; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of processing incoming phone calls with the integral computer and telephone system; and 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a functional block diagram of processing an outgoing call with an integral telephone and computer system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an integral computer and telephone system which includes a base unit  12  and a remote unit  14 . The base unit  12  preferably includes a central processing unit (CPU)  16  which is operatively linked to a display device  18 , a storage device  20 , and at least one of a volatile and non-volatile memory  22 . The display device  18  is preferably a cathode-ray tube (CRT) while the storage device  20  is preferably a disk drive or other storage device such as a CD-ROM or a tape drive. The volatile or non-volatile memory  22  is preferably either a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). 
     The CPU  16  is further operatively linked to a telephone line interface  24 , a keyboard device  26 , an audio input device  28 , and an audio output device  29 . The telephone line interface  24  is connected to a telephone line  21 . The telephone line interface  24  is preferably a modem which can be an internal or external type relative to the CPU  16 . The audio input and output devices  28 ,  29  are preferably a microphone and a speaker. The CPU  16  is further linked to indicators  30 , a switching device  32 , a remote unit sensor  34 , and a charging unit  36 . The indicators  30  can take the form of either light emitting diodes (LEDs) or liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The remote unit sensor  34  can be a device which monitors the contacts of the charging  36  or it can be a separate device such as a mechanical switch or inductive or capacitive coupling type link that determines the presence of the remote unit  14 . The CPU  16  is also linked to a communications module  38 . 
     The communication module  38  is operatively linked to a communication coupler  40 . The communication module  38  is preferably a radio frequency (RF) generator. The communication module  38  and charging unit  36  are designed to interface with the remote unit  14 . The remote unit  14  is preferably a radio frequency (RF) handset. More preferably, the remote unit  14  is a wireless pocket phone having a communication coupler  46  that is preferably an RF antenna. 
     The communication module  38  is preferably the Lucent Technologies&#39; TRANSTALK™ radio module (a digital wireless telephone system which employs RF links) while the communication coupler  40  of the base unit  12  is preferably an antenna. However, the base unit  12  and remote unit  14  can be operatively linked by other communication mediums. Other communication mediums include, but are not limited to, inductive coupling, capacitive coupling, magnetic coupling, infrared coupling and other type of wireless transmission mediums. 
     Surrounding the communication module  38  is electro-magnetic interference (EMI) or RF shielding  54 . Such shielding  54  is required to prevent any undesirable interference with operation of the central processing unit  16  and display device  18 . 
     The remote unit  14  includes its own audio input/output devices  42  and a communication module  44 . The remote unit  14  further includes a display/indicator  48  in addition to a switch device  58 . The remote unit  14  has a keypad  50  and a rechargeable power source  52  which is preferably a rechargeable battery. The remote unit is preferably the Lucent Technologies TRANSTALK™ pocket phone (a digital wireless transceiver which employs RF links). 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention where the base unit  12  has an integral housing  56  which includes the CPU  16  (not shown), the storage device  20 , the display  18 , the audio input/output devices  28 / 29 , indicators  30 , the charging unit  36 , the switching device  32 , the communication module  38  (not shown), and the remote unit sensor  34  (not shown). The communication coupler  40  is attached to a side of the housing  56 . The switching device  32  is preferably a mechanically actuated switch such as a flat key. 
     FIG. 2 also illustrates the preferred embodiment of the remote unit  14  which includes the audio input/output devices  42 , the communication module  44  (not shown), keypad  50 , display/indicators  48 , the switching device  58 , the communication coupler  46 , and a power source (not shown). Similar to the switching device  32  of the base unit  12 , the switching device  58  of the remote unit is preferably a mechanically actuated switch. 
     During operation of the integral personal computer and telephone system, the switching devices  32  and  58  permit shifts in the modes of operation of the system. When switching device  58  is activated, a telephone call is transferred to the base unit  12  which includes the central processing unit  16 . When a telephone call is desired to be received by or forwarded to the remote unit  14 , the switching device  32  on the base unit  14  is activated. The operation of remote unit  14  is desirable when a user requires privacy which is possible by the portable ergonomic design of the remote unit  14  and the wireless link between the base unit  12  and the remote unit  14 . The operation of the base unit  12  which includes CPU  16  is desirable when a user wants to exchange both audio and visual information from the CPU  16 . 
     Indicators  30  on the base unit  12  inform a user of the status of the switching device  32 , the status of the charging unit  36 , the status of voice mail messages, and the status of E-mail messages. The indicators  48  on the remote unit  14  indicate the status of the power source  52 , the status of switching device  58 , the status of voice mail messages, and the status of E-mail messages. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the keyboard device  26  is physically separate from the base unit  12 . However, in other embodiments, the keyboard device  26  is integral with the base unit  12 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of how the integral computer and telephone system handles incoming phone calls. 
     The flowchart outlined by FIG. 3 provides a method which can be executable in a computer system in the form of program code sections. The program outlined by the flowcharts of FIG. 3 can be programmed in the following programming languages which include, but are not limited to, C/C++, Delphi, JAVA (object oriented programming language), JavaScript, PASCAL, PERL, Visual Basic, Ada, and Eiffel. 
     Block  60  represents the process of receiving an incoming call with the integral computer and telephone system  10  via the phone line  21 . Block  62  represents a step in which it is determined whether the CPU  16  is an operative or an inoperative state. CPU  16  is typically in an inoperative state when a user does not need to interface with the CPU  16  via the keyboard device  26  or display  18 . 
     When the computer or CPU  16  is not in use it is referred to as being in a “sleep mode” or an inoperative state. If the CPU  16  is in an operative state, the status of a default setting is then determined in the decisional step  64 . If CPU  16  is in an inoperative state, then the remote unit  14  is activated as shown in function block  66 . The activation of remote unit  14  means that a call is forwarded to the remote unit  14  where the remote unit  14  is designed to produce an audio output signal such as a ringing sound generated by an audio output device  42  such as a speaker 
     In predicate node  64 , CPU  16  determines if a default software setting is for a computer based communication. If the user has programmed or selected CPU to be the default communication device, CPU  16  then proceeds to predicate node  66 . 
     In predicate node  66 , the CPU  16  determines whether or not the remote unit  14  is adjacent to the base unit  12  with remote unit sensor  34 . If the remote unit  14  is disposed adjacent to the base unit  12 , then the process proceeds to functional block  68  where telephone subroutines are executed by the CPU  16 . 
     If the remote unit  14  is not adjacent to the base unit  12 , the CPU  16  in step  86  then determines whether the switching device  58  on the remote unit  14  or switching device  32  on the base unit  12  has been activated. If the switching device  58  on the remote unit  14  has been activated to forward the call back to the base unit  12 , then the process proceeds to functional block  68 . Otherwise, if the remote unit is not adjacent to the base unit  14  and the switching device  58  on the remote unit  14  has not been activated, then the call is forwarded to the remote unit  14  where the remote unit  14  is activated as shown in functional block  66 . 
     After the remote unit  14  is activated in functional block  66 , the CPU  16  then determines whether or not the user takes the call with the remote unit  14  as shown in predicate node  70 . If the user does take the call with the remote unit  14 , the process continues to functional block  72  where the user takes the call via the audio input/output devices  42  of the remote unit  14 . While the user takes the call, the CPU  16  continuously monitors the status of the switching devices  58  and  32  to determine if the user would like to take the call with the base unit  12  as shown in predicate node  74 . If the user activates either switching device  58  or  32 , the call is forwarded to the base unit  12  where the CPU  16  initiates telephone subroutines as outlined by functional block  68 . 
     If the user does not take the call with the remote unit as outlined in predicate node  70 , after a predetermined number of rings, a message subroutine is executed by CPU  16 . However, the present invention is not limited to voice mail operations performed by the CPU  16  and therefore, voice mail systems such as Lucent Technologies&#39; Audix™ voice mail messaging system may be employed in conjunction with the integral computer and telephone system  10 . After the message subroutine has been executed as shown in functional block  76  or if the user decides to discontinue the call, the call is terminated or ended as shown by functional block  78 . 
     After the telephone subroutines are initiated in functional block  68 , CPU  16  determines whether or not the user has taken or initiated the call with the CPU  16  as outlined in predicate node  80 . If the user does not take the call or with the PC or CPU  16 , the message subroutine is activated as outlined in functional block  76 . If the user does take the call with the PC or CPU  16 , CPU  16  in step  82  continuously monitors whether or not the switching device  32  on the base unit  12  or switching device  58  on the remote unit  14  has been activated. If the user decides to take a call with the remote unit, either switching device  32  or  58  is activated and then the CPU  16  activates the remote unit as outlined in functional block  66 . If the user decides not to activate the switching device  32  on the base unit  12  or switching unit  58  on the remote unit  14 , the user can continue with a call or terminate the call as outlined in functional block  84 . 
     As part of the message subroutine activated in functional block  76 , the CPU  16  can activate an indicator  30  on the base unit that displays a status of voice mail messages. As mentioned previously, the indicators  30  can take the form of either LCDs or LEDs which tell the user how many voice mail messages are present on either the CPU  16  or on the voice mail message system. Separate from the incoming call and outgoing call processes, the CPU  16  may also initiate subroutines which activate the indicators  30  on the base unit  12  which indicates the presence or number of E-mail messages that are detected by CPU  16 . The CPU  16  may also forward the status of both voice mail messages and E-mail messages to the remote unit  14  which includes indicators/displays  48  that can provide information on the remote unit  14  so that a user will know the status of E-Mail and/or voice mail messages. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an outgoing call process  87  with an integral computer and telephone system  10  of the present invention. This outgoing call process can also be executed by a computer system having a program modeled after this outgoing call process described in detail below. 
     CPU  16  determines whether or not the CPU  16  is in an active or inactive mode as shown in predicate node  88 . If CPU  16  detects that the computer system is in an active mode, then the process proceeds predicate node  90  where CPU  16  determines whether or not the CPU  16  is in the default setting for handling a call. If in either predicate nodes  88  or  90  where the CPU  16  is not in an active mode or if the CPU  16  is not the default setting for handling calls, then the user can initiate or continue a call with the remote unit  14  as outlined by functional block  92 . 
     After predicate node  90 , if CPU  16  determines that the default setting is for computer based communication, then CPU  16  determines if the remote unit  14  is adjacent to base unit  12  by monitoring signals from the remote unit sensor  34 . If in predicate node  94 , the CPU determines that the remote unit is not adjacent to the base unit  12 , then the CPU  16  then determines whether the switching device  32  on the base unit  12  or switching device  58  on the remote unit  14  has been activated. If either switching device  32  or  58  has been activated for remote unit  14  operation, then the CPU  16  activates the remote unit  14  and continues with the function as shown in functional block  92 . If in either predicate nodes  94  or  96  where the CPU unit  16  detects the remote unit  14  adjacent to the base unit  12  or if the CPU  16  detects that the user has activated either switching device  32  or  58  for computer based communication, the CPU  16  proceeds to functional block  98  where the PC initiates telephone subroutines which activate the audio input and output devices  28  of the base unit  12 . 
     After the user initiates or continues a call with the remote unit  14  as outlined in functional block  92 , the CPU  16  continuously monitors the status of the switching device  58  on the remote unit  14  and switching device  32  on the base unit  12 . If the user activates either switch  58  on the remote unit or switch  32  on the base unit  12  for computer communication, CPU  16  initiates telephone subroutines as outlined by functional block  98 . As shown in functional block  102 , the user can terminate a call while in remote unit operation. 
     After functional block  98 , the user initiates or continues a call with the CPU  16  as shown in functional block  104 . During computer based communication, the CPU  16  continuously monitors switching devices  32  and  58  of the base unit  12  and remote unit  14  to determine if the user desires to have the call forwarded to the remote unit  14  for remote unit operation as outlined in predicate node  106 . During computer communication, a user can terminate a call while in this mode of operation as outlined by functional block  108 .