Programmable universal modem system and method for using the same

An integrated computer and modem system for processing and transferring data using a selected one of a plurality of telephone network access devices including at least one radiotelephone network access device comprising:

• computer means for processing data transferable over the telephone network access device, and having a data communications program;
• modem means integrated with the computer means for transferring data between said computer means and a remote data transfer device over said telephone network access devices, said modem means comprising:
• data pump means for transferring data between the modem means and the telephone network access device;
• a data access arrangement operatively connected to said data pump means for providing a tip-and-ring interface for carrying signals between the modem means and said telephone network access device at least when said telephone network access device operates using a tip and ring interface;
• receive and transmit data lines operatively connected to said data pump means to provide a receive line and transmit line interface for carrying data between the modem means and said telephone network access device at least when said telephone network access device operates using a receive line and transmit line interface;
• control signal lines for carrying control signals for controlling and/or monitoring the operation of said radiotelephone network access device;
• and
• jack means connected to said control signal lines, said data lines, and said data access arrangement for providing a dedicated external connection of said tip and ring interface, said receive line and transmit line interface, and said control signal lines as required to operably connect the modem means to said selected telephone network access device;
• wherein the data communications program of said computer comprises software drivers for selectively controlling the operation of said modem means in conjunction with one of said plurality of telephone network access devices, said data communications program operating to vary the operation of said control signal lines in response to said selected software drivers to permit the control of call placement functions of different types of telephone network access devices by said modem means.

A method of connecting a computing device to one of a plurality of types of telephone systems for transfer of data, comprising the steps of:

• installing a modem in the computing device, the modem having a plurality of digital telephone control lines with functions that vary under control of different software drivers corresponding to different types of digitally controlled telephone systems, including a jack facilitating connection of the modem to either a landline telephone system or a radiotelephone system, including selective connection of said digital telephone control lines;
• providing a telephone terminal for the telephone system to be used;
• connecting between the modem jack structure and the telephone terminal a cable establishing sufficient connections of said digital telephone control lines to the telephone terminal such that said computing device can control data transfer connections made in said communications network;
• activating software in said computer to select an appropriate one of said software drivers for the telephone system and cable being used, the software operating to cause transmissions on said digital telephone control lines to perform a data transfer connection control function using the connected telephone terminal.

A portable computer system for transmitting data over one of at least two types of public communications networks, each selectively accessible through an associated communications network access device connectable to the system, comprising:

• computer means for generating and receiving a computer data set to be transferred to a remote computing device over the communications network access device;
• modem means connected to the computer means for interfacing said computer means to the communications network access device for transfer of said computer data set;
• tip-and-ring interface means connected to the modem means and to an external connector of the portable computer system for transmitting and receiving said computer data set in a standard landline tip and ring telephone signal format;
• receive-and-transmit interface means connected to the modem means and to an external connector of the portable computer system for transferring said computer data set in digital form on separate receive lines and transmit lines;
• and
• control means for activating said tip and ring interface means at least when said data set is to be transferred using a standard landline telephone protocol and for activating said receive-and-transmit interface means at least when said data set is to be transferred using a digitized transmission radio communications network.

A portable computer modem for transferring a data set between a portable computer and a remotely located computing device over one of at least two types of public communications networks, each public communications network selectively accessible through an associated communications network access device connectable to the system, comprising:

• computer connecting means for making a data transfer connection of the modem to the portable computer;
• connector means for connecting the modem to said associated communications network access device and providing receive line and transmit line connections of the modem to said associated communications network access device;
• modulation means connected to the computer connecting means t:or selectively converting digital data signals, received from the portable computer and representing said data set, to analog signals, and for convening analog data set signals received from said communications network access device to digital data signals;
• receive-and-transmit interface means connected to the modulation means and to said external connector means for transmitting and receiving said analog signals on said receive and transmit lines;
• digital interface control means operably connected to said computer connecting means and further connected to said receive and transmit lines for selectively transferring digital data set signals in unmodulated form between said portable computer and said remotely located computing device through said communications network access device.

A portable computer modem for transferring data between a portable computer and one of at least two types of public communications networks, each public communications network selectively accessible through an associated communications network access device connectable to the modem, comprising:

• computer connecting means for making a data transfer connection of the modem to the portable computer;
• external connector means for connecting the modem to said associated communications network access device and providing separate receive line and transmit line connections of the modem to said associated communications network access device;
• modulation means connected to the computer connecting means for selectively convening digital data signals received from the portable computer to analog signals, and for convening analog signals received from said communications network access device to digital data signals;
• receive-and-transmit interface means connected to the modulation means and to said external connector means for transmitting and receiving said analog signals on said separate receive lines and transmit lines;
• control means connected to said modulation means and said computer connecting means for controlling the operation of the modulation means through said receive-and-transmit interface means;
• and
• level control means connected to said control means and said receive line for selectively driving said receive line with a DC voltage under the control of said control means.

A portable computer modem for transferring a data set between a portable computer and a remotely located computing device through one of at least two types of public communications networks, each public communications network selectively accessible through an associated communications network access device connectable to the modem, comprising:

• computer connecting means for making a data transfer connection of the modem to the portable computer;
• external connector means external to a housing containing at least the modem for connecting the modem to said associated communications network access device and providing separate receive line and transmit line connections of the modem to said associated communications network access device;
• modulation means connected to the computer connecting means for selectively converting digital data signals representing the data set and received from the portable computer to analog signals, and for converting analog signals received from said communications network access device to digital data signals representing a received data set;
• receive-and-transmit interface means connected to the modulation means and to said external connector means for transmitting and receiving said analog signals representing the data set on said separate receive lines and transmit lines;
• control means connected to said modulation means and said computer connecting means for controlling the operation of the modulation means to transmit the data set through said receive-and-transmit interface means;
• and
• level sensing means connected to said control means and said receive line for selectively sensing the voltage level of said receive line under the control of said control means.

A portable computer modem for transferring a data set between a portable computer and a remotely located computing device through one of at least two types of public communications networks, each public communications network selectively accessible through an associated communications network access device connectable to the modem, comprising:

• computer connecting means for making a data transfer connection of the modem to the portable computer;
• external connector means external to a housing containing at least the modem for connecting the modem to said associated communications network access devices and providing separate receive line and transmit line connections and tip-and-ring connections of the modem to at least one said associated communications network access device;
• modulation means connected to the computer connecting means for selectively converting digital data signals representing the data set and received from the portable computer to analog signals, and for converting analog signals received from said communications network access device to digital data signals;
• receive-and-transmit interface means connected to the modulation means and to said external connector means for transmitting and receiving said analog signals representing said data set on said separate receive lines and transmit lines;
• tip-and-ring interface means connected to the modulation means and to said external connector means for convening said analog data set signals to a standard landline tip and ring telephone signal format for transmission and for convening received tip and ring telephone signals to said analog signals.

A portable computer system adapted for transferring data over a radio communications network when directly connected to a specific radio network access device having a specific external connector for allowing external control of the radio network access device, comprising:

• a transportable computer housing;
• computer means mounted within said computer housing for processing data transferrable over a radio network access device;
• modem means operably connected to the computer means and mounted substantially within said transportable computer housing for transferring data between said computer means and a remote data transfer device over a radio network access device, said modem means comprising,
• data pump means for transferring data between the modem means and a radio network access device;
• receive and transmit data lines operatively connected to said data pump means to provide a receive and transmit line interface for carrying data between the modem means and a radio network access device;
• control signal lines programmable to carry control signals for controlling and/or monitoring the operation of different types of radio network access devices;
• and
• program controllable modem controller means connected to said computer means, said control signal lines, and said data pump means for controlling the operation of said modem means in response to a modem control program to permit the control of a call placement function of a specific type of radio network access device by said modem:
• jack means mounted on said transportable computer housing and connected to said control lines and said receive and transmit data lines, for providing an external connection of said receive and transmit line interface to connect said modem means with a plurality of types of radio network access devices;
• matched program and cable means corresponding to a specific radio network access device for connecting and controlling the computer system to transfer data over a radio communications network upon connection with said specific radio network access device, said matched program and cable means including
• a device specific multi-line cable means for interconnecting at one end with said jack means and connectable at the other end with a device specific external connection of said specific radio network access device to interconnect said receive and transmit data lines and said control lines with said specific external connector of the radio network access device;
• and
• program means for programming said modem controller means to cause said control lines to function in a manner suitable only for the specific radio network access device with which said cable means is adapted to be connected.

A method of upgrading a programmable interface device which drives a radio network interface device for transfer of a data set between the programmable interface device and a remotely located computing device over a radio network, so that the programmable interface device will drive a specific new radio network interface device, comprising the steps of:

• providing a programmable interface device with a memory for storing one or more software drivers and a common connection means for transferring data signals between the programmable universal interface device and said radio communications network interface devices;
• providing a driver kit including a cable for connecting the common connection means to at least one specific radio communications network interface device through one or more line connections and a software driver containing information for controlling the operation of the specific radio communications network interface device, said software driver information including information assigning particular control signal transmissions to particular said one or more line connections established by the cable;
• installing the cable from the driver kit between the programmable interface device and the radio communications network interface device to establish at least one data transmission line connection between the programmable interface device and the radio communications network interface device;
• installing the software driver from the software driver kit in a storage memory of the programmable interface device;
• activating the programmable interface device to select said software driver to control operation of said specific radio communications network interface device by generating control signal transmissions and selectively routing said signals to line connections established by the cable to control said radio communications network interface device for establishing data transfer connections in said radio communications network to define the identity of the remotely located computing device.

A system for transferring data between a computing device and a remote device using a selected one of a plurality of communications network access devices including at least one radio communications network access device, comprising:

• a data transmission and formatting circuit connected to said computing device and further connectable by at least one of a receive line and transmit line interface and a tip and ring line interface to one of said communications network access devices for transferring data between said computing device and a remote data transfer device over said connected communications network access device, said data transmission and formatting circuit operating selectively to transfer digital data between the computing device and the remote data transfer device in one of at least two modes depending on the type of communications network access device in use:
• a first mode using said receive line and transmit line interface to transfer a signal representing digital data, and a second mode using said tip and ring interface to transfer an analog signal representing digital data, said data transmission and formatting circuit comprising:
• controller means connected to said computer means for controlling the mode of operation of said data transmission and formatting circuit and for controlling destination addressing functions of said connected communications network access devices in response to a software driver;
• and
• memory means connected to said controller means for storing one or more of said software drivers, each including data specific to at least one particular communications network access device for use by said controller means in selecting an appropriate one of said modes of operation of the data transmission and formatting circuit and generating appropriate destination addressing control commands specific to said particular communications network access device for establishing transmission between said computing device and said remote data transfer device;
• and
• a data communications program operating in the computing device for accessing one of a plurality of said software drivers and thereafter selectively downloading one or more of said software drivers to said memory means for subsequent use in transferring data using an associated communications network access device connected to said data transmission and formatting circuit.

A kit for upgrading a programmable interface device which drives a radio network interface device for transfer of a data set between the programmable interface device and a remotely located computing device over a radio network, so that the programmable interface device will drive a specific new radio network interface device, comprising:

• providing a programmable interface device with a memory for storing one or more software drivers and a common connection means for transferring data signals between the programmable universal interface device and said radio communications network interface devices;
• a cable connecting a common connection means of the programmable interface device which transfers data signals between the programmable interface device and said radio communications network interface device to at least one specific radio communications network interface device through one or more line connections;
• and
• a software driver containing information for controlling the operation of the specific radio communications network interface device, said software driver information including instructions for generating control signal transmissions for establishing data transfer connections in said radio communications network to define the identity of the remotely located computing device, and further including instructions for selectively routing particular control signal transmissions to particular line connections established by the cable, said software driver installable in a storage memory of the programmable interface device.

A portable computer modem system for transferring a data set between a portable computer and a remotely located computing device through one of at least two types of radio communications networks, each radio communications network selectively accessible through an associated radio network access device connectable to the modem, comprising:

• computer connecting means for making a data transfer connection of the modem to the portable computer;
• external connector means external to a housing containing at least the modem for connecting the modem to said associated radio network access device and providing separate receive line and transmit line connections of the modem to said associated radio network access device:
• modulation means connected to the computer connecting means for selectively converting digital data signals representing the data set and obtained from the portable computer to analog signals, and selectively convening analog signals received from said radio network access device to digital data signals representing a received data set;
• receive-and-transmit interface means connected to the modulation means and to said external connector means for transmitting and receiving signals representing the data set on said separate receive lines and transmit lines;
• and
• control means connected to said modulation means and said receive and transmit interface means for selectively controlling the modulation means and the receive and transmit interface means to transfer the data set between the computing device and the remote data transfer device in one of at least two modes, the selected mode depending on the type of radio network access device in use:
• a first mode in which said control means digitally formats said data set according to a transmission protocol and digitally transmits the formatted data set to the radio network access device over the receive and transmit interface, and a second mode in which said control means digitally formats said data set according to a transmission protocol, and activates said modulation means to modulate said formatted data set and transmit a modulated formatted analog data signal representing the formatted data set to the receive and transmit interface and thus to the radio network access device and the remote computing device.