Granted Patent B2

US 9,031,211 · App. 11/708,665 · Granted May 12, 2015

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A voice processing apparatus, comprising:

an analog circuit portion integrated on a first single analog integrated circuit, said analog circuit portion comprising a first interface to connect to a subscriber line, and at least one of an analog filter and an amplifier operationally coupled to the first interface;

a digital circuit portion separate from said analog circuit portion, said digital circuit portion comprising an interface to connect to an IP-based network; and

a connection between said analog circuit portion and said digital circuit portion, wherein said connection is a digital connection and wherein said analog circuit portion comprises a first converter between analog signals and digital signals,

wherein the digital circuit portion is integrated on a single digital integrated circuit, and

wherein the digital circuit portion comprises a battery feed circuit, the battery feed circuit providing a digital value corresponding to an analog DC current value provided on the first interface to connect to the subscriber line.

2. The voice processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said connection comprises a bus system.

3. The voice processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a further analog circuit portion integrated on a second single analog integrated circuit, the further analog circuit portion comprising a second interface to connect to a subscriber line, a second converter between analog signals and digital signals, wherein the further analog circuit portion is coupled with said digital circuit portion via said bus system.

4. The voice processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said digital circuit portion comprises a voice over IP processing unit to convert IP-formatted data to data to be transmitted via said connection to said analog circuit portion and to convert data received from said analog circuit portion to IP-formatted data.

5. An audio processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of integrated analog devices, each integrated analog device comprising:

an analog front-end coupled to a respective analog audio line via a connector,

at least one of an analog-to-digital converter to convert analog audio signals received via said respective analog audio lines into digital signals or a digital-to-analog converter to convert digital signals received by the integrated analog device to analog audio signals, and

at least one of an analog filter and an amplifier operationally coupled to the connector,

wherein each analog integrated device is disposed on a respective single analog integrated circuit;

a digital circuit portion separate from said plurality of integrated analog devices, wherein said digital circuit portion comprises an interface to connect to an IP-based network;

wherein the digital circuit portion is integrated on a single digital integrated circuit, and

wherein the digital circuit portion comprises a battery feed circuit, the battery feed circuit providing a digital value corresponding to an analog DC current value provided on the connector to connect to the audio line; and

a connection between said integrated analog devices and said digital circuit portion, said connection being a digital connection.

6. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein, each of the plurality of integrated analog devices are coupled to the digital circuit portion via a bus system.

7. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said connector comprises a two/four wire conversion unit.

8. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said analog audio signals are telephone signals.

9. The audio processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the audio processing apparatus includes both the analog-to-digital converter and the digital-to-analog converter.

10. An audio processing apparatus, comprising:

an analog circuit portion comprising an analog front-end and a converter to convert between digital and analog signals, the analog circuit portion disposed on a first single analog integrated circuit, the analog circuit portion further comprising at least one of an analog filter and an amplifier operationally coupled to a first connector to be coupled with a subscriber line;

an integrated digital device comprising an audio signal processing unit to convert audio signals between at least two formats, said at least two formats comprising an IP-based format, the integrated digital device being separate from the analog circuit portion, wherein the integrated digital device is integrated on a single digital integrated circuit, and

wherein the integrated digital device comprises a battery feed circuit, the battery feed circuit providing a digital value corresponding to an analog DC current value provided on the first connector; and

a second connector configured to couple said integrated digital device with the analog circuit portion, wherein said second connector comprises a digital connection, and wherein said converter is coupled with said second connector,

a further analog circuit portion disposed on a second single analog integrated circuit, wherein the first analog integrated circuit and the second analog integrated circuit are coupled to said integrated digital device via a bus.

11. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said integrated digital device comprises at least one of a digital filter, an echo compensation filter, line testing equipment, signaling equipment, ringing equipment, battery feeding equipment and/or overvoltage protection equipment.

12. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said integrated digital device comprises a network driver.

13. A method for providing an audio processing apparatus, the method comprising:

providing an analog circuit portion disposed on a single analog integrated circuit, said analog circuit portion comprising

an interface to connect to a subscriber line,

a converter between analog signals and digital signals, and

at least one of an analog filter and an amplifier operationally coupled to the interface;

providing a digital circuit portion disposed on a single digital integrated circuit separate from said analog circuit portion, said digital circuit portion comprising an interface to connect with an IP-based network, wherein the digital circuit portion comprises a battery feed circuit, the battery feed circuit providing a digital value corresponding to an analog DC current value provided on the interface to connect to the subscriber line; and

connecting said analog circuit portion with said digital circuit portion with a digital interface,

providing a further analog circuit portion disposed on a second analog integrated circuit, the further analog circuit portion comprising an interface to connect to a further subscriber line, and a further converter between analog and digital signals.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein connecting comprises providing a bus system.

15. The voice processing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the digital circuit portion comprises an echo compensation filter that supports the first interface to connect to the subscriber line.

Assignments (10)