US Patent:
20010000301, Apr 19, 2001
Inventors:
Garrison Zong - Houston TX, US
Shuh Chang - Sugar Land TX, US
Ivo Zinkov - Toronto, CA
Mike Chen - Sugar Land TX, US
International Classification:
G06K001/00
G06F015/16
G06F013/38
H04N001/00
US Classification:
358/001150, 709/217000, 709/227000, 358/402000
Abstract:
The present invention is an expansion of the IFB device that provides a means to enable multiple devices to access a global computer network (such as the “Internet”) from a single network connection. The present invention comprises an input modem for communicating directly with a personal computer. This device can have a second input modem that communicates directly with a second device such as a facsimile machine. The invention has an output modem that communicates with the Internet or computing network. The present invention also contains a Central Processing Unit (“CPU”) to run various application software programs, a ROM that will store the software and a RAM that can store information sent or received over the computer network. The invention also contains software utility programs that will establish a dial-up connection with the computer network that will enable a personal computer to access the network.
