Voice and data exchange over a packet based network

A signal processing system comprising:

• means for receiving one of a modulated signal or a voiceband signal at a respective input port;
• a data pump for demodulating the modulated signal;
• a voice encoder for encoding the voiceband signal;
• a channel interface for outputting onto a packet based network the encoded voiceband signal or the demodulated signal;
• and
• a comfort noise estimator for generating comfort noise parameters being selectively outputted on the packet based network.

A signal transmission system comprising:

• a first telephony device for outputting a voiceband signal;
• a second telephony device for outputting a modulated modem data;
• a packet based network;
• and
• a signal processing system coupling the first and the second telephony devices to the packet based network, the signal processing system having means for demodulating a modulated signal, means for encoding a voiceband signal, means for outputting onto the packet based network one of the encoded voiceband signal or the demodulated signal, and means for generating comfort noise parameters.