Intercom system having unified control and audio data transport

A network of peer processor-controlled circuit modules comprising:

• a plurality of processor-controlled circuit modules;
• a common, time-division-multiplexed (TDM) parallel bus in electrical communication with the processor-controlled circuit modules;
• wherein bandwidth on the TDM parallel bus is shared between a digital audio data transport and inter-processor control messages;
• wherein each of the plurality of processor-controlled circuit modules includes its own control data communications circuit (CDCC) functioning as a communications co-processor, the CDCC comprising:
• means for automating the transmission and reception of simultaneous variable-length control messages among any number of the peer processor-controlled circuit modules using the TDM parallel bus;
• and
• means for interleaving the control message with the audio data on the TDM parallel bus;
• and
• means for providing automatic notification at every processor-controlled circuit module on the network when any other processor-controlled circuit module connects to or disconnects from the network.

An intercom system comprising:

• a bus for transporting data, the data comprising both control messages and audio data;
• a plurality of circuit modules in electrical communication with the bus for processing the data;
• each one of the circuit modules being in electrical communication with at least one peripheral station which transmits and receives the data processed by the one of the circuit modules to which the peripheral station is in electrical communication;
• wherein the data, comprising the control messages and audio data, are transported by the bus within an integrated data frame;
• wherein the circuit modules are of the same type and each comprise:
• means for generating a uniquely addressed control message;
• means for placing the uniquely addressed control message in a transmit buffer;
• means for finding an appropriate time slot corresponding to a uniquely addressed destination circuit module within the integrated data frame for placing the uniquely addressed control message;
• means for placing the uniquely addressed control message on the bus with a destination datum;
• means for receiving the control messages on the bus and sorting from the control messages a plurality of simultaneous uniquely addressed control messages sent by other circuit modules, acting as source circuit modules, intended for the circuit module as a destination circuit module;
• and
• means for accepting the sorted, uniquely addressed control messages into separate receiving buffers assigned to the corresponding source circuit modules.

An intercom system for transferring audio information and data information among a plurality of users on a common, time-division-multiplexed parallel bus, the intercom system comprising:

• a plurality of circuit modules connected to the bus, each one of the circuit modules being connected to at least one peripheral station for control message and audio data interface between the peripheral stations and the bus;
• each circuit module having a control data communication circuit having a receiver and a transmitter, the transmitter having assigned transmit time slots for transferring control messages onto the bus, the transmitter being configured for transmitting, in successive time slots, data identifying a unique address, each receiver being configured for distinguishing the address data received on the bus during a designated receive time slot for automatically determining which of the circuit modules is a source of a control message datum;
• and
• wherein the transmitter of the control data communications circuit includes:
• means for generating a uniquely addressed control message;
• means for placing the uniquely addressed control message in a transmit buffer;
• means for finding an appropriate time slot corresponding to a uniquely addressed destination circuit module within the integrated data frame for placing the uniquely addressed control message;
• means for placing the uniquely addressed control message on the bus with a destination datum;
• and
• wherein the receiver of the control data communications circuit includes:
• means for receiving the control messages on the bus and sorting from the control messages a plurality of simultaneous uniquely addressed control messages sent by other circuit modules, acting as source circuit modules, intended for the circuit module as a destination circuit module;
• and
• means for accepting the sorted, uniquely addressed control messages into separate receiving buffers assigned to the corresponding source circuit modules.

A method of communicating across an intercom system, the method comprising:

• transporting data on a bus, the data comprising both control messages and audio data;
• processing the data on a plurality of data processing circuit modules in electrical communication with the bus, and within each circuit module, automatically and directly transferring variable-length block data onto the bus for transport between the circuit modules;
• transmitting and receiving the data to and from at least one peripheral station in communication with each of the circuit modules;
• transporting the data, comprising the control messages and audio data, by the bus within an integrated data frame.

A method of communicating across an intercom system, the method comprising:

• transporting data on a bus, the data comprising both control messages and audio data;
• processing the data on a plurality of data processing circuit modules in electrical communication with the bus, and within each circuit module, automatically and directly transferring variable-length block data onto the bus for transport between the circuit modules, wherein the processing step within each circuit module comprises:
• receiving the control messages on the bus;
• sorting from the control messages a first control message from a source circuit module and intended for the circuit module;
• accepting the first control message into a receiving buffer assigned to the source circuit module;
• and
• executing control commands within the first control message;
• and
• transmitting and receiving the data to and from at least one peripheral station in communication with each of the circuit modules;
• transporting the data, comprising the control messages and audio data, by the bus within an integrated data frame.

An intercom system for transferring digital audio and control data signals among a plurality of users on a common, time-division-multiplexed parallel data bus, the intercom system comprising:

• a plurality of matrix cards connected to the bus, each matrix card having at least one intercom station connected to it for audio and control data interface between the intercom station and the bus;
• each of the matrix cards having a control data communications circuit for automatically and directly transferring variable-length block data on the bus between matrix cards;
• each control data communications circuit having both a transmitter and a receiver portion and a separate message receive buffer for each of a plurality of message sources in the intercom system;
• each control data communications circuit being associated with a unique system address having a pre-selected time slot associated with its address for transferring data onto the bus.

An intercom system for transferring audio information and data information among a plurality of users on a common, time-division-multiplexed (TDM) parallel bus, the intercom system comprising:

• a plurality of matrix cards connected to the bus, each matrix card having at least one intercom station connected to it for audio data interface between the stations and the bus;
• each matrix card being capable of acting as both a transmitter and a receiver and having a microprocessor, a random access memory (RAM) which includes a transmit buffer and a receive buffer, a source register, and a destination register,
• wherein the microprocessor of a matrix card acting as a transmitter loads a variable-length message into the transmit buffer, loads the source register with the size of the message, and immediately sends both the message and the message size information across the TDM bus to one or more uniquely addressed matrix cards acting as receivers, and
• wherein each microprocessor of the one or more uniquely addressed matrix cards acting as a receiver receives the size information and the message via the TDM bus, loads a receive buffer specific to the matrix card acting as the source with the message, and when that receive buffer is full, identifies the size and source of the message.

An intercom system for transferring audio information and data information among a plurality of users on a common, time-division-multiplexed parallel bus, the intercom system comprising:

• a plurality of matrix cards connected to the bus, each matrix card having at least one intercom station connected to it for audio and control data interface between the stations and the bus;
• each matrix card having a control data communication circuit having a receiver and a transmitter, the transmitter having assigned transmit time slots for transferring data onto the bus, the transmitter being configured for transmitting, in successive the time slots, data identifying a unique address, each receiver being configured for distinguishing the address data received on the bus during a designated receive time slot for automatically determining which matrix cards are connected to the bus;
• wherein the transmitter of the control data communications circuit includes:
• means for generating a uniquely addressed control message;
• means for placing the uniquely addressed control message in a transmit buffer;
• means for finding an appropriate time slot corresponding to a uniquely addressed destination circuit module within the integrated data frame for placing the uniquely addressed control message;
• means for placing the uniquely addressed control message on the bus with a destination datum;
• and
• wherein the receiver of the control data communications circuit includes:
• means for receiving the control messages on the bus and sorting from the control messages a plurality of simultaneous uniquely addressed control messages sent by other circuit modules, acting as source circuit modules, intended for the circuit module as a destination circuit module;
• and
• means for accepting the sorted, uniquely addressed control messages into separate receiving buffers assigned to the corresponding source circuit modules.