Switchboard for multiple data rate communication system
View Patent ↗A switchboard device and methods of operation of same are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention may provide a flexible means of interconnecting wideband and narrowband communications interfaces, where wideband communications interfaces may transfer low-band data and high-band data, and narrowband communication interfaces may transfer low-band data. Low-band data may be combined and sent to a narrowband communications interface or a wideband communications interface. High-band data may be combined and sent to a wideband communications interface. The low-band data may represent audio signals below a predetermined frequency, while the high-band data may represent audio signals above the predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency may be, for example, approximately 4 kHz. The spectral mask of the low-band data may meet the spectral mask of G.712. Methods of operating embodiments of the present invention are included. An additional aspect of the present invention may include machine-readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the foregoing.
1. A switchboard device comprising:
at least one high-band port for receiving high-band data from at least one wideband communications interface;
at least two low-band ports for receiving low-band data from at least one narrowband communications interface and the at least one wideband communications interface; and
a mixer for combining the low-band data received at the at least two low-band ports and for combining the high-band data received at the at least one high-band port.
2. The switchboard of claim 1 , further comprising at least one low-band port for transmitting the combined low-band data to one of the at least one wideband communications interface.
3. The switchboard device of claim 1 , wherein the mixer adds the low-band data to produce summed low-band data, and adds the high-band data to produce summed high-band data.
4. The switchboard device of claim 1 , wherein the low-band data of the at least one wideband communications interface represents spectral components less than a predetermined frequency, and the high-band data of the at least one wideband communications interface represents spectral components greater than the predetermined frequency.
5. The switchboard device of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined frequency is approximately 4 kHz.
6. The switchboard device of claim 1 , wherein the spectral mask of the low-band data meets the spectral mask of G.712.
7. A method for operating a switchboard device, the method comprising:
receiving wideband data from at least one wideband communications interface, the received wideband data comprising low-band data and high-band data;
receiving narrowband data from at least one narrowband communications interface, the received narrowband data comprising low-band data;
combining the low-band data from at least one of the at least one wideband communications interface and low-band data from at least one of the at least one narrowband communications interface to produce combined low-band data to be sent to at least one of a designated narrowband communications interface or designated wideband communications interface;
combining high-band data from at least one of the at least one wideband communications interface to produce combined high-band data to be sent to a designated wideband communications interface;
sending the combined low-band data to at least one of the designated narrowband communications interface or designated wideband communications interface; and
sending the combined high-band data to the designated wideband communications interface.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the combining comprises adding the low-band data to produce summed low-band data, and adding the high-band data to produce summed high-band data.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein low-band data of the at least one wideband communications interface represents spectral components less than a predetermined frequency, and high-band data of the at least one wideband communications interface represents spectral components greater than the predetermined frequency.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined frequency is approximately 4 kHz.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the spectral mask of low-band data meets the spectral mask of G. 712.
12. A method for transmitting audible signals between a first terminal and a second terminal, the method comprising:
receiving high-band data and low-band data representing the audible signals from an interface of the first terminal, wherein the high-band data and the low-band data are received separately; and
transmitting the low-band data to an interface of the second terminal.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting the high-band data to the interface of the second terminal if the second terminal is a wide band device.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving low-band data from the second terminal; and
receiving high-band data from the second terminal if the second terminal is a wideband terminal.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein low-band data represents spectral components less than a predetermined frequency, and wherein high-band data represents spectral components greater than the predetermined frequency.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined frequency is approximately 4 kHz.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the spectral mask of low-band data meets the spectral mask of G. 712.
18. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for implementing a switchboard, the code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:
receiving wideband data from at least one wideband communications interface, the received wideband data comprising low-band data and high-band data;
receiving narrowband data from at least one narrowband communications interface, the received narrowband data comprising low-band data;
combining the low-band data from at least one of the at least one wideband communications interface and low-band data from at least one of the at least one narrowband communications interface to produce combined low-band data to be sent to at least one of a designated narrowband communications interface or designated wideband communications interface;
combining high-band data from at least one of the at least one wideband communications interface to produce combined high-band data to be sent to a designated wideband communications interface;
sending the combined low-band data to at least one of the designated narrowband communications interface or designated wideband communications interface; and
sending the combined high-band data to the designated wideband communications interface.
19. The machine-readable storage of claim 18 , wherein the combining comprises adding the low-band data to produce summed low-band data, and adding the high-band data to produce summed high-band data.
20. The machine-readable storage of claim 18 , wherein the low-band data of the at least one wideband communications interface represents spectral components less than a predetermined frequency, and high-band data of the at least one wideband communications interface represents spectral components greater than the predetermined frequency.
21. The machine readable storage of claim 20 , wherein the predetermined frequency is approximately 4 kHz.
22. The machine readable storage of 18 , wherein the spectral mask of low-band data meets the spectral mask of G. 712.
23. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for transmitting audible signals between a first terminal and a second terminal, the code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:
receiving high-band data and low-band data representing the audible signals from an interface of the first terminal, wherein the high-band data and the low-band data are received separately; and
transmitting the low-band data to an interface of the second terminal.
24. The machine-readable storage of claim 23 , further comprising:
transmitting the high-band data to the interface of the second terminal if the second terminal is a wide band device.
25. The machine-readable storage of claim 23 , further comprising:
receiving low-band data from the second terminal; and
receiving high-band data from the second terminal if the second terminal is a wideband terminal.
26. The machine-readable storage of claim 23 , wherein low-band data represents spectral components less than a predetermined frequency, and wherein high-band data represents spectral components greater than the predetermined frequency.
27. The machine readable storage of claim 26 , wherein the predetermined frequency is approximately 4 kHz.
28. The machine-readable storage of claim 23 , wherein the spectral mask of low-band data meets the spectral mask of G. 712.