Claims
- 1. A communications system, comprising:
a plurality of media terminal adapters; a telephone line; and a gateway configured to exchange voice and data packets between a network and each of the media terminal adapters over the telephone line.
- 2. The communications system of claim 1 wherein one of the media terminal adapter comprises a telephony device.
- 3. The communications system of claim 2 wherein the telephony device comprises a telephone.
- 4. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the gateway is configured to exchange the voice and data packets between the network and the media terminal adapters by converting between a first format for the voice and data packets on the network and a second format for the voice and data packets on the telephone line, the first format being different from the second format.
- 5. The communications system of claim 4 wherein one of the media terminal adapters comprises a telephone responsive to the voice packets having the second format.
- 6. The communications system of claim 5 wherein the telephone comprises a voice processing engine configured to convert between the voice packets having the second format and an analog voice signal in a voiceband frequency.
- 7. The communications system of claim 4 further comprising a telephone, and wherein one of the media terminal adapters comprises an adapter configured to exchange the voice packets on the telephone line having the second format with analog voice in a voiceband frequency.
- 8. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the gateway comprises a cable modem.
- 9. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the gateway comprises a first port coupled to the telephone line and a second port, the communications system further comprising an additional media terminal adapter coupled to the second port.
- 10. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the gateway further comprises a voice and data processor configured to exchange the voice and data between the network and the additional media terminal adapter.
- 11. A method of communication, comprising exchanging voice and data packets between a network and a plurality of media adapter terminals coupled to a telephone line.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein one of the media terminal adapter comprises a telephony device.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the telephony device comprises a telephone.
- 14. The method of claim 11 wherein the voice and data packet exchange comprises converting between a first format for the voice and data packets on the network and a second format for the voice and data packets on the telephone line, the first format being different from the second format.
- 15. The method of claim 14 wherein one of the media terminal adapters comprises a telephone responsive to the voice packets having the second format.
- 16. The method of claim 11 further comprising exchanging a second plurality of voice and data packets between the network and an additional media terminal adapter.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] The present application claims priority to provisional Application No. 60/203,057, filed May 8, 2000, and provisional Application No. 60/214,932 filed on Jun. 28, 2000, under 35 U.S.C. § 119. These applications are expressly incorporated herein by referenced as though fully set forth in full.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60203057 |
May 2000 |
US |
|
60214932 |
Jun 2000 |
US |