Audio Modulation for Wireless Voice Channel Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pay television set-top boxes face communication challenges with central data collection systems due to the increasing absence of wired lines in homes, leading to high costs for short-message-service (SMS) data transmission and unavailability of features like pay-per-view services for many subscribers.
Innovation Solution
Modulating data into audio signals with characteristics of human speech for transmission over wireless telephone networks, utilizing techniques like linear predictive coding (LPC) and M-ary frequency shift-keying (FSK) to minimize distortion during compression and transmission, allowing data exchange through voice channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If short-message-service (SMS) is used for data transmission, then communication between set-top box and call processing system is enabled, but transmission cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an audio modem as an intermediary device that enables direct data communication between the set-top box and call processing system through the voice channel, eliminating the need for expensive SMS-based communication. The audio modem modulates data onto audio frequencies that can be transmitted through the wireless telephone network's voice channel, providing a cost-effective alternative to SMS.
2Loss of energy
If voice channel is used for data transmission, then transmission cost is reduced, but voice channel is not originally designed for data communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modulating data onto audio frequency carriers that are suitable for transmission through the voice channel. The audio modem transforms digital data into analog audio signals with specific frequency characteristics (typically 300-3400 Hz range) that match the voice channel's transmission parameters, enabling reliable data communication over the voice channel despite it being originally designed for voice.
3Ease of operation
If audio modulation is used for data transmission, then data can be transmitted over voice channel, but audio signal may be distorted during compression and transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-processing the audio signal through compression and encoding before transmission. The audio modem compresses the audio data and encodes it in a manner that is resilient to the compression and processing that will occur in the wireless telephone network. This preliminary preparation of the signal ensures that the essential data information can be recovered even after the audio signal undergoes compression and transmission processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and cost-effective data transmission between client devices and remote servers over wireless telephone networks, ensuring features like pay-per-view services are accessible to a broader audience without incurring excessive SMS costs.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing techniques like linear predictive coding (LPC) and M-ary frequency shift-keying (FSK) to minimize distortion during compression and transmission
Data Source
AI summary
The various embodiments described herein generally provide apparatus, systems and methods which facilitate the transmission of data between a client device and a remote device over a voice channel of a telephone network. More particularly, data from a client device is modulated into an audio signal using multiple frequency shift keying (MFSK) techniques and transmitted to the remote device over a voice channel of a wireless telephone network during a phone call. The frequency of the audio signal is selected based on the value of the data to be transmitted. The remote device receives the audio signal and determines the frequency of the audio signal to extract the transmitted data.