Sound channel for networks

Claim 2

A network sound channel according to Claim 1, wherein each computer device determines whether other computer devices are operating in the talk mode prior to operating in the talk mode.

Claim 3

A network sound channel according to Claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a file server.

Claim 4

A network sound channel according to Claim 3, wherein said file server includes a predetermined amount of file space reserved based on a number of computer devices connected to said LAN.

Claim 5

A network sound channel according to Claim 4, wherein the predetermined amount of file space includes a beginning and an end and the digital information is written circularly into the file space from the beginning through to the end and then from the beginning again.

Claim 6

A network sound channel according to Claim 1, wherein when operating in the talk mode, sound is divided into utterances for conversion into digital information, files having a predetermined length are created using the digital information, and the files are transferred over said LAN to be stored by said storage means.

Claim 7

A network sound channel according Claim 6, wherein the files are stored by said storage means together with corresponding serialization information

Claim 8

A network sound channel according to Claim 7, wherein the serialization information is comprised by an utterance serial number, a file name and a time tag indicating a present real time.

Claim 9

A network sound channel according to Claim 6, wherein the files are transferred at predetermined time intervals over said LAN to be stored by said storage means.

Claim 10

A network sound channel according to Claim 8, wherein in the listen mode the utterance serial number, the file name and the time tag are retrieved from said storage means over said LAN.

Claim 11

A network sound channel according to Claim 8, wherein in the listen mode files stored in said storage means are searched for a file having a predetermined file name and when the predetermined file name is found the file having the predetermined file name is retrieved along with the utterance serial number and the time tag.

Claim 12

A network sound channel according to Claim 10, wherein the retrieved utterance serial number is compared with a stored utterance serial number and if the retrieved utterance serial number is greater than the stored utterance serial number the corresponding files are retrieved.

Claim 13

A network sound channel according to Claim 11, wherein the retrieved time tag is compared with a time generated by a real time clock and a rate at which the information is retrieved from said storage means is determined accordingly.

Claim 14

A local area network (LAN) comprising: file means for storing digital files; plural computer devices connected via respective connection nodes to said LAN, each computer device including a sound processor for converting sound into digital information and digital information into sound, each computer device being operable in a first mode in which the sound processor converts sound into digital information and a second mode in which the sound processor converts digital information into sound, wherein when one of said computer devices is operating in the first mode, an information processor transfers the digital information converted by said sound processor over said LAN to be stored in said file means and other of said computer devices are operated only in the second mode.

Claim 16

A method according to Claim 15, further comprising a step for storing serialization information with the sound file in the file server.

Claim 17

A method according to Claim 16, wherein the serialization information is comprised by an utterance serial number, a filename and a time tag indicating a present real time.

Claim 19

A method according to Claim 18, wherein when a sound file named in accordance with the predetermined naming convention is found, a corresponding serial number and time stamp are retrieved prior to the corresponding sound file.

Claim 20

A method according to Claim 19, wherein the retrieved corresponding serial number is compared with a stored serial number and if the retrieved serial number is greater than the stored serial number the corresponding sound file is retrieved.

Claim 21

Programmed computer equipment for communicating over a local area network using a file server, said computer equipment comprising: a sound processor for converting sound into digital information and digital information into sound; a memory for storing programs used for performing computer implemented steps and for storing sound files; and a computer processor for performing the computer implemented steps using the stored programs, the computer implemented steps comprising steps for operating the computer equipment in (a) a talk mode in which the sound processor converts sound into digital information and the digital information is stored in the file server, and (b) a listen mode in which the digital information is retrieved from the file server over the LAN and the sound processor converts the digital information into sound.

Claim 22

Programmed computer equipment connected to a local area network (LAN) including a file server for performing voice communication between a plurality of programmed computer equipment, each said programmed computer equipment comprising: a sound processor for converting sound into digital information and digital information into sound; memory for storing computer code used for performing computer implemented steps and for storing sound files; and a processor for performing the computer implemented steps using the stored computer code, the computer implemented steps comprising steps for operating said processor in a talk mode and in a listen mode, wherein the computer code includes code to (1) determine if another computer device is storing sound files in the file server, (2) convert sound into digital data using the sound processor if the LAN is available for talking, (3) create files using the digital data, and (4) transmit the files over the LAN to the file server; and includes code to (5) search sound files stored on the file server for a sound file named in accordance with a predetermined naming convention, (6) retrieve files from the file server if it is determined that a file named in accordance with the predetermined naming convention exists to be listened to, and (7) convert the retrieved files into sound using the sound processor.

Claim 23

A computer device having all the technical features of a computer device in the local area network of any of claims 14 to 20.

Claim 24

A computer device according to claim 23 wherein said local area network implements a sound channel having the features of any combination of claims 1 to 13.