Battery-powered adapter
AssigneeIn a Pinch Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Elghanayan, David W. Wallis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A normally straight-through connection from a computer fax modem to a fax machine, or other fax sender to fax receiver, is briefly interrupted under battery power to supply the fax modem with a simulated dialtone and the fax machine with a simulated ring signal, which is supplied via a DC-to-DC converter activated by the same clock signal from which the dialtone and simulated ring signal are derived.
Claims23
A portable, self-contained battery-powered adapter for connection between a fax sender and a fax receiver, comprising
- two telephone line connectors;
- an oscillator producing a clock signal;
- a divide-by-n counter driven by the clock signal to produce a simulated dialtone signal and a ring timing signal;
- means for applying the simulated dialtone signal to one of the connectors;
- a DC-to-DC converter driven by the same clock signal to produce a high-voltage output;
- a high-voltage switch responsive to the ring timing signal for deriving a simulated ring signal from the high-voltage output;
- and
- means for applying the simulated ring signal to the other connector.
A portable, self-contained battery-powered adapter for connection between a fax sender and a fax receiver, comprising
- two telephone line connectors;
- an oscillator producing a clock signal;
- a divide-by-n counter driven by the clock signal to produce a simulated dialtone signal and a ring timing signal;
- means for applying the simulated dialtone signal to one of the connectors,
- a DC-to-DC converter driven by the same clock signal to produce a high-voltage output that includes both positive and negative high voltage outputs;
- a high-voltage switch responsive to the ring timing signal for deriving a simulated ring signal from the high-voltage output, the high-voltage switch comprising
- a first stage responsive to a first transition of the ring timing signal for passing the positive high voltage output to the other connector;
- and
- a second stage responsive to a second transition of the ring timing signal for passing the negative high voltage output to the other connector;
- and
- means for applying the simulated ring signal to the other connector.
A portable, self-contained battery-powered adapter for connection between a fax sender and a fax receiver, comprising
- two telephone line connectors;
- an oscillator producing a clock signal;
- a divide-by-n counter driven by the clock signal to produce a simulated dialtone signal and a ring timing signal;
- means for applying the simulated dialtone signal to one of the connectors;
- a DC-to-DC converter driven by the same clock signal to produce a high-voltage output;
- a high-voltage switch responsive to the ring timing signal for deriving a simulated ring signal from the high-voltage output;
- means for applying the simulated ring signal to the other connector;
- and
- a tone detector responsive to an input signal from the one connector for producing a tone-detected signal;
- the high-voltage switch connected to receive the tone-detected signal and deriving the simulated ring signal only after receiving the tone-detected signal.
A method of operatively interconnecting a fax sender directly to a fax receiver to accomplish printing or scanning using a low voltage battery for power, comprising
- automatically establishing a straight-through powerless connection between fax sender and fax receiver phone jacks, and
- briefly interrupting the straight-through connection under battery power to supply a simulated dialtone to one of the jacks and a simulated ring signal to the other jack, supplied by alternately switching positive and negative high voltage output from a low to high voltage DC-to-DC converter activated by a clock signal from which the simulated dialtone and ring signal are derived.
A method of operatively interconnecting a fax sender directly to a fax receiver to accomplish printing or scanning using a low voltage battery for power, comprising
- automatically establishing a straight-through powerless connection between fax sender and fax receiver phone jacks,
- briefly interrupting the straight-through connection under battery power to supply a simulated dialtone to one of the jacks and, after detecting a tone from the one jack, a simulated ring signal to the other jack, supplied by alternately switching positive and negative high voltage output from a low to high voltage DC-to-DC converter activated by a clock signal from which the simulated dialtone and ring signal are derived.
A method of operatively interconnecting a fax sender directly to a fax receiver to accomplish printing or scanning using a low voltage battery for power, comprising
- automatically establishing a straight-through powerless connection between fax sender and fax receiver phone jacks,
- briefly interrupting the straight-through connection under battery power to supply a simulated dialtone to one of the jacks and a simulated ring signal to the other jack, supplied by alternately switching positive and negative high voltage output from a low to high voltage DC-to-DC converter activated by a clock signal from which the simulated dialtone and ring signal are derived, and
- disconnecting the battery altogether upon receipt of an off-hook signal from the other jack to re-establish the straight-through connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.