Patent ID: 8228879

Claim:
A signal transmission system, comprising: at least one processor operably coupled to memory internal or external to the at least one processor, the memory having stored therein instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to, at least: accept an incoming call from a first communication link; identify a call type of the incoming call, the call type comprising one of at least a data call, a facsimile call, and a voice call; process the incoming call according to a data protocol, if the incoming call is identified as a data call; process the incoming call according to a facsimile protocol, if the incoming call is identified as a facsimile call; establish voice communication between the first communication link and a second communication link, if the incoming call is identified as a voice call; and wherein establishing voice communication comprises determining a destination of the incoming voice call, converting analog representations of voice signals to digital representations of the voice signals, and ascertaining whether exchanging voice information with the destination of the incoming call involves packetization and depacketization of voice information, and wherein converting analog representations of the voice signals to digital representations of the voice signals comprises determining voice activity based upon the voice signals from the second communication link and reducing the quantity of information transmitted via the first communication link, if voice activity is determined to be below a predetermined level.