Claims
- 1. A communications device for a computer connected to a telephone line, said device comprising:
- a) a housing accessible to a human operator, said housing having means for converting words uttered by the operator into outgoing voice signals, means for converting incoming voice signals into words audible to the operator, and a plurality of manually actuated keys;
- b) an interface operatively connected to the housing, the computer and the telephone line; and
- c) control means for conducting said outgoing and incoming voice signals to and from the telephone line in a telephone mode of operation in which the housing serves as a telephone handset, and for conducting the outgoing and incoming voice signals to and from the computer in an voice control mode of operation in which the housing serves as a computer control center, said housing having means for selecting one of said modes of operation.
- 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the means for converting the incoming voice signals includes a speaker and an earpiece; and said housing further comprising output selection means for selecting one of said speaker and said earpiece.
- 3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said output selection means is a jack that supersedes the speaker on the housing when an earpiece is plugged into said jack.
- 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interface is connected to the housing by a conductive cable.
- 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the interface each includes a radio frequency transceiver, and wherein the interface is connected to the housing via a wireless, radio frequency link.
- 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interface has an RS232 connector for direct connection to the computer.
- 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is a lightweight, portable unit movable relative to the computer.
- 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the housing includes:
- a keyboard having multiple actuatable keys;
- a support surface opposite to a surface of said housing on which said keyboard is located, said support surface providing support for the keyboard when the housing is placed on a flat surface; and
- a microphone aperture in an oblique surface of said housing, said oblique surface being substantially orthogonal to said support surface.
- 9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing also includes a privacy switch.
- 10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said keys include media control keys.
- 11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said keys include cursor control keys.
- 12. The device according to claim 2, wherein the output selection means includes a speaker selection switch on the housing, said speaker selection switch selectively providing audio output through a speaker on the housing or through a speaker outside said housing.
- 13. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:
- an audio controller for selectively conducting voice-command and telephone audio signals to and from the computer in half-duplex and full-duplex mode, respectively.
- 14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the computer includes means for converting incoming voice signals into commands for controlling the operation of a computer program while in voice control mode, and means for converting responses of the computer program into outgoing voice signals while in voice control mode.
- 15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode selection means comprises a mode control switch disposed on said housing.
Parent Case Info
This a division application Ser. No. of 08/928,890 filed Sep. 12, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,152, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/503,590 filed Jul. 18, 1995, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Divisions (1)
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Date |
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928890 |
Sep 1997 |
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Continuations (1)
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503590 |
Jul 1995 |
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