Method and apparatus for mode switching in a voice over data computer-based personal communications system

Claim 1

A communication module for use with a personal computer, comprising: communications interface means connected for communicating to the personal computer for transferring data between the personal computer and the communications module; communication line interface means for connection to a communication line and for full duplex digital communication over the communication line and for analog communication over the communication line; voice interface means for receiving local voice signals from a local user and for conveying remote voice signals from a remote user to the local user; full-duplex conversion means connected to the voice interface means for converting the local voice signals into outgoing digital voice data and for converting incoming digital voice data into the remote voice signals; digital signal processor means connected to the full-duplex conversion means and operable in a first mode for compressing the outgoing digital voice data into compressed outgoing digital voice data packets and for decompressing compressed incoming digital voice data packets into the incoming digital voice data, each of the compressed outgoing digital voice data packets having headers and each of the compressed incoming digital voice data packets having headers; the digital signal processor means further operable in a second mode for converting the outgoing digital voice data into outgoing analog voice signals and for converting incoming analog voice signals into the incoming digital voice data; main control means connected to the communication line interface means, connected for receiving the compressed outgoing digital voice data packets from the digital signal processor means, connected for receiving outgoing computer digital data packets from the personal computer through the communications interface means, and operable in the first mode for multiplexing the compressed outgoing digital voice data packets and the computer digital data packets to produce multiplexed outgoing data and for sending the multiplexed outgoing data to the communication line interface means for transmission over the communication line; the main control means further operable in the first mode for receiving multiplexed incoming data from the communication line interface means, the multiplexed incoming data containing incoming computer digital data packets multiplexed with the compressed incoming digital voice data packets, the main control means further operable for demultiplexing the incoming computer digital data packets and the compressed incoming digital voice data packets, and for sending the incoming computer digital data packets to the personal computer through the communications interface means and for sending the compressed incoming digital voice data packets to the digital signal processor means; and mode switching means operable in the first mode for transferring the multiplexed incoming data from the communication line interface means to the main control means and for transferring the multiplexed incoming data from the main control means to the communication line interface means; the mode switching means operable in the second mode for transferring the outgoing analog voice signals from the digital signal processor means to the communication line interface means and for transferring the incoming analog voice signals from the communication line interface means to the digital signal processor means.

Claim 8

A method for switching between voice only communication and simultaneous voice-data communication between two sites, comprising: establishing analog voice communications between a first communication module and a second communication module capable of packet communications; providing digital data packets each having a header; providing voice data packets each having a header; producing a mode switch signal from the first communication module; detecting the mode switch signal in the second communication module; and switching from analog communications to fill-duplex communications in response to the mode switch signal wherein the voice data packets and the digital packets are multiplexed and transmitted between the two sites.

Claim 9

A method for switching between voice only communication and simultaneous voice-data communication between two sites, comprising: establishing analog voice communications between a first communication module and a second communication module capable of packet communications; providing digital data packets each having a header; providing voice data packets each having a header; producing a mode switch signal from the first communication module; detecting the mode switch signal in the second communication module; and switching from analog communications to fill-duplex communications in response to the mode switch signal wherein the voice data packets and the digital packets are multiplexed and transmitted between the two sites.

Claim 13

A method for switching between voice only communication and simultaneous voice-data communication between two sites, comprising: establishing analog voice communications between a first communication module and a second communication module capable of packet communications; producing a mode switch signal from the first communication module; detecting the mode switch signal in the second communication module; and switching from analog communications to full-duplex multiplexed voice and data packet communications in response to the mode switch signal; wherein producing a mode switch signal comprises providing speech recognition means and producing a mode switch signal based on verbal commands received by the speech recognition means.

Claim 14

A method for switching between voice only communication and simultaneous voice-data communication between two sites, comprising: establishing analog voice communications between a first communication module and a second communication module capable of packet communications; producing a mode switch signal from the first communication module; detecting the mode switch signal in the second communication module; and switching from analog communications to full-duplex multiplexed voice and data packet communications in response to the mode switch signal; wherein producing a mode switch signal comprises providing speech recognition means and producing a mode switch signal based on verbal commands received by the speech recognition means.