Claims
- 1. A cellular pool apparatus for use in a cellular data connection, the cellular data connection comprising a DCE of a cellular user, a network connection, and a DCE of a PSTN user, the network connection comprising a cellular-side network connection and a PSTN-side network connection, the network connection completing before the DCE of the cellular user communicates with the cellular pool apparatus and the network connection completing before the DCE of the PSTN user communicates with the cellular pool apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- means for coupling transparent call progress information between a first communications channel associated with a cellular-side of the cellular data connection and a second communications channel associated with a PSTN-side of the cellular data connection, the transparent call progress information being coupled between the first communications channel and the second communications channel during at least a data call setup portion of a data call, the data call setup portion of a data call being the part of a data call associated with completing the network connection; and
- modem means coupled to the first communications channel and coupled to the second communications channel, the modem means for establishing the cellular data connection subsequent to the data call setup portion of the data call.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the modem means includes at least one modem pair, and wherein the means for coupling couples a receive port of one modem of the pair to a transmit port of the other modem of the pair.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one modem of the modem pair is responsive to a data signal communicated from a data communications equipment of the called party to disable the means for coupling subsequent to the data call setup portion of the data call.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the data terminal equipment ports of each modem of the modem pair are coupled together and the at least one modem includes means for providing a connect signal to the other modem through the coupled data terminal equipment ports.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for coupling includes a number of digital signal processing means coupled together to communicate the call progress information.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the digital signal processing means is responsive to a data signal communicated from a data communications equipment of the called party to stop the call progress communication subsequent to the data call setup portion of the data call.
- 7. An improved cellular modem pool apparatus for providing a data connection between a calling party and a called party, the data connection comprising a calling-party DCE, a network connection, and a called-party DCE, the network connection completing before the calling-party DCE communicates with the cellular modem pool apparatus and the network connection completing before the called-party DCE communicates with the cellular modem pool apparatus, the data connection having a cellular portion and a non-cellular portion, the apparatus including a modem means for terminating one end of the cellular portion of the data connection and a modem means for terminating one end of the non-cellular portion of the data connection, wherein the improvement comprises:
- means for coupling the cellular portion of the data connection to the non-cellular portion of the data connection to provide transparent audio call progress signals to the calling party during at least the completion of the network connection, the network connection completing before the establishment of the data connection.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the modem means associated with the called party terminates the coupling of the audio call progress signals subsequent to a data portion the data call.
- 9. A cellular modem pool apparatus for use in a cellular data connection between a calling party and a called party, the cellular data connection comprising a calling-party DCE, a network connection, and a called-party DCE, the network connection completing before the calling-party DCE communicates with the cellular modem pool apparatus and the network connection completing before the called-party DCE communicates with the cellular modem pool apparatus, the data connection having a first communications channel associated with the calling party and a second communications channel associated with the called party, the apparatus comprising:
- means for communicating transparent audio call progress signals from the second communications channel to the first communications channel, the transparent audio call progress signals being communicated during at least a data call setup portion of a data call, the data call setup portion of a data call being the part of a data call associated with completing the network connection; and
- means for being responsive to the detection of an answering data signal for controlling the communication means to stop the communication of the transparent audio call progress signals.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means responsive is a modem of the cellular modem pool apparatus.
- 11. A method for use in establishing a cellular data connection through a cellular modem pool, the cellular data connection comprising a calling-party DCE, a network connection, and a called-party DCE, the network connection completing before the calling-party DCE communicates with the cellular modem pool and the network connection completing before the called-party DCE communicates with the cellular modem pool, the method comprising the steps of:
- coupling transparent call progress information between a cellular-side of the cellular data connection and a non-cellular side of the cellular data connection during at least a data call setup portion of a data call, the data call setup portion of a data call being the part of a data call associated with completing the network connection; and
- blocking the coupling of the transparent call progress information subsequent to the data call setup portion of the data call.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the blocking step includes the steps of
- detecting a data signal originated by data communications equipment of the called party; and
- responsive to the detected data signal, blocking the coupling of the call progress information.
- 13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of establishing the cellular data connection through the cellular modem pool subsequent to the blocking step.
- 14. A method for establishing a cellular data connection, the cellular data connection comprising a calling-party DCE, a network connection, and a called-party DCE, the network connection completing before the calling-party DCE communicates with a cellular modem pool and the network connection completing before the called-party DCE communicates with the cellular modem pool, the method comprising the steps of:
- communicating transparent call progress information between a cellular-side of the cellular data connection and a non-cellular side of the cellular data connection during a call setup portion of a data call until detection of a data signal from the called-party DCE, the call setup portion of a data call being the part of a data call associated with completing the network connection; and
- establishing the cellular data connection through the cellular modem pool subsequent to the detection of the data signal.
Parent Case Info
This is continuous application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/380,872 filed on Jan. 30, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,364.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
WO 92 22976 |
Dec 1992 |
WOX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
380872 |
Jan 1995 |
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