Patent ID: RE38741

Claim:
An apparatus for bi-directional analog communication of telephone data with a host computer, the host computer having an A/D converter for converting analog data received from the apparatus to digital data and a D/A converter for converting digital data to analog data to be sent to the apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a data access arrangement having a telephone line interface for connection to a telephone line, the data access arrangement also having a bi-directional interface, the data access arrangement outputting signals responsive to signals received from the telephone line interface to the bi-directional interface; an audio mixer connected to the bi-directional interface of the data access arrangement for receiving the signals output to the bi-directional interface by the data access arrangement, wherein the audio mixer has a first analog output for connection with the host computer, for forwarding signals received by the bi-directional interface of the audio mixer to the host computer, the audio mixer additionally having a second analog output; a DTMF decoder connected to the second analog output of the audio mixer, the DTMF decoder for generating a signal representative of a DTMF signal in response to receiving a DTMF signal from the audio mixer; and a logical unit operatively connected to the DTMF decoder for receiving the signal generated by the DTMF decoder, the logical unit being coupled to the data access arrangement to provide instructions to the data access arrangement.