Method and apparatus for interfacing telephone apparatus to a digital, analog or hybrid telephone switching system

A method of interfacing a telephony appliance to a telephone switching system, the method comprising steps of:

• a. providing a signal path for communicating signals between the telephony appliance and the telephone switching system;
• b. identifying a first communication protocol utilized by the telephony appliance from among a plurality of communication protocols;
• c. identifying a second communication protocol utilized by the telephone switching system from among the plurality of communication protocols, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol must first be identified before the telephony appliance and the telephone switching system begin communicating with one another;
• and
• d. configuring the signal path according to the protocol utilized by the telephony appliance and according to the protocol utilized by the telephone switching system, wherein configuring the signal path includes dynamically programming a control circuit within the signal path according to the identified first communication protocol and according to conversion parameters associated with the identified second communication protocol.

A method of interfacing a telephony appliance to a telephone switching system, the method comprising steps of:

• a. determining whether the telephone switching system communicates voice signals as digital samples or as analog signals;
• b. determining whether the telephony appliance communicates voice signals as digital samples or as analog signals;
• c. activating a first signal path when the telephone system communicates voice signals as digital samples, the first signal path for communicating the voice signals between the telephony appliance and the telephone switching system wherein the first signal path includes a converter for converting the digital samples into an analog signal;
• d. activating a second signal path when the telephone system communicates voice signals in analog format, the second signal path for communicating the voice signals between the telephony appliance and the telephone switching system wherein the second signal path includes analog signal processing circuits;
• e. identifying a first communication protocol utilized by the telephone switching system, wherein the identified first communication protocol includes associated conversion parameters which are used to dynamically program a first control circuit within the first signal path or a second control circuit within the second signal path such that the programmed first control circuit or the programmed second control circuit translates the voice signals passed between the telephone switching system and the telephony appliance;
• and
• f. identifying a second communication protocol utilized by the telephony appliance, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol must first be identified before the telephony appliance and the telephone switching system begin communicating with one another.

A method of interfacing a telephony appliance to a telephone switching system, the method comprising steps of:

• a. determining a first communication protocol of the telephone switching system;
• b. determining a second communication protocol of the telephony appliance, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol must first be identified before the telephony appliance and the telephone switching system begin communicating with one another;
• c dynamically programming a control circuit according to conversion parameters associated with the determined first communication protocol;
• and
• d. translating a communication according to the first communication protocol of the telephone switching system using the programmed control circuit and further according to the second communication protocol of the telephony appliance.