Telephone regulation system and portable telephone terminal device used in such a system

• US 20020198028A1
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tsumura Research Institute Co.
• Original Assignee: Tsumura Research Institute Co.
• Inventors: Tsumura, Toshihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/157,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198028A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A telephone terminal includes: a first radio frequency communication unit; a second radio frequency communication unit that communicates through a weak wave; an optical communication unit; a telephony unit; a first switch that selectively couples the first or the second radio frequency communication unit to the telephony unit in response to an externally applied command; a incoming call detecting circuit connected to the first switch; and a second switch that selectively enables communication by the telephony unit through the first radio frequency communication unit or the optical communication unit in response to an incoming call detected by the incoming call detecting circuit, depending on the status of the first switch.

Claims

1. A telephone regulation system to regulate usage of a telephone terminal that effects conversation through a wireless radio wave, each said telephone terminal having a function to disable and enable conversation through a wireless radio wave upon receiving through radio communication a predetermined first command and a predetermined second command, respectively, comprising:

an approach recognition device to be provided at a neighborhood of an approach path to a predetermined region, transmitting said first command through a weak wave to a telephone terminal passing through said neighborhood and entering said predetermined region, and

a departure recognition device to be provided at a neighborhood of a departure path from said predetermined region, transmitting said second command through a weak radio wave to a telephone terminal passing through said neighborhood to depart from said predetermined region,

whereby communication by a telephone terminal using said wireless radio wave is regulated in said predetermined region.

2. The telephone regulation system according to claim 1, wherein each of said approach recognition device and said departure recognition device has a function to obtain a telephone number of a telephone terminal by communication through a weak radio wave with said telephone terminal passing the neighborhood,

said telephone regulation system further comprising:

a storage device provided in said predetermined region to store a telephone number, and

a base station provided in said predetermined region to govern the telephone number stored in said storage device according to a telephone number transmitted from said approach recognition device and said departure recognition device.

3. The telephone regulation system according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for sensing a call to a telephone terminal by a wireless radio wave from an external source,

match detection means connected to said storage device and said call sense means for detecting whether the telephone number included in the call sensed by said call sense means matches the telephone number stored in said storage device,

calling means for calling in said predetermined region the telephone number stored in said storage device when a match with the telephone number included in said call is detected by said match detection means, and

a call relay device to relay conversation between a telephone terminal responding to a call by said calling means and a telephone terminal issuing the call sensed by said call sense means.

4. The telephone regulation system according to claim 3, wherein each said telephone terminal further includes means for switching among a function carrying out conversation through optical communication, a function carrying out conversation through said optical communication in response to said first or second command, and a function to carry out conversation through a normal radio wave,

said telephone regulation system further comprising an optical communication device provided in said predetermined region to carry out optical communication with a telephone terminal,

wherein said calling means further comprises means for calling a telephone terminal through optical communication using said optical communication device.

5. The telephone regulation system according to claim 3, further comprising a weak wave communication device provided in said predetermined region to carry out communication with a telephone terminal through a weak wave,

wherein said calling means comprises means for calling a telephone terminal by a weak wave communication using said weak wave communication device.

6. The telephone regulation system according to claim 5, further comprising an optical communication device provided in said predetermined region to carry out optical communication with a telephone terminal,

wherein said call relay device comprises means for relaying a conversation between a telephone terminal responding to a call by said calling means and a telephone terminal that issued a call sensed by said call sense means through optical communication using said optical communication device in response to said telephone terminal responding to a call using a weak radio wave by said calling means.

7. The telephone regulation system according to claim 3, further comprising automatic answer means for effecting a predetermined automatic answer to a telephone terminal issuing the call sensed by said call sense means when a telephone terminal that responds to the call by said calling means is not present.

8. The telephone regulation system according to claim 7, wherein said automatic answer means comprises

means for transmitting a predetermined voice guidance to a telephone terminal issuing the call sensed by said call sense means when a telephone terminal that responds to the call by said calling means is not present, and

means for storing in said storage device in relation with said telephone number a message transmitted from the telephone terminal issuing said call with respect to said voice guidance,

said telephone regulation system further comprising means for transmitting said message stored in said storage device to the telephone terminal corresponding to said telephone number in response to transmission of said telephone number from said departure recognition device.

9. A telephone regulation system to regulate usage of a telephone terminal that carries out conversation using a wireless radio wave, comprising:

a plurality of telephone terminals, each said telephone terminal having a function to disable conversation by a wireless radio wave upon receiving a predetermined first command through radio communication,

an approach recognition device provided in a neighborhood of an approach path to a predetermined region to transmit said first command through a weak wave to a telephone terminal passing said neighborhood and entering said predetermined region,

whereby conversation using said wireless radio wave by a telephone terminal is regulated in said predetermined region.

10. The telephone regulation system according to claim 9, wherein each said telephone terminal further has a function to enable conversation through a wireless radio wave upon receiving a predetermined second command through radio communication,

said telephone regulation system further comprising a departure recognition device provided in a neighborhood of a departure path from said predetermined region to transmit said second command through a weak wave to a telephone terminal passing through said neighborhood to depart from said predetermined region,

whereby conversation by a telephone terminal using said wireless radio wave is regulated in said predetermined region, and allowing conversation by a telephone terminal using said wireless radio wave outside said predetermined region.

11. A portable telephone terminal device comprising:

first communication means for carrying out communication using a wireless radio wave,

second communication means for carrying out communication using light,

a telephone unit, and

switch means for selectively coupling one of said first communication means and said second communication means with said telephone unit in response to a command received via said first communication means.

12. The portable telephone terminal device according to claim 11, further comprising means for setting said first communication means at an operation mode allowing reception of only a weak wave upon receiving a predetermined first command via said first communication means, and setting said first communication means at an operation mode allowing conversation through said wireless radio wave upon receiving a predetermined second command via said first communication means.

14. The portable telephone terminal device according to claim 13, further comprising a switch control circuit setting said radio wave communication device at an operation mode capable of receiving only a weak wave upon receiving a predetermined first command via said radio communication device, and setting said radio communication device at an operation mode capable of conversation through a radio wave having power greater than the power of said weak wave upon receiving a predetermined second command via said radio communication device.

16. The method of regulating conversation by a portable telephone according to claim 15, further comprising the step of transmitting a signal through radio commanding restoration to a normal conversation mode to a telephone set passing through said boundary from said second region to said first region.

13. A portable telephone terminal device comprising:

a telephone circuit,

a radio communication device,

an optical communication device, and

a communication interface selectively coupling one of said radio communication device and said optical communication device with said telephone circuit in response to a command received via said radio communication device.

15. A method of regulating conversation by a portable telephone comprising the steps of:

by communicating through a weak wave with a portable telephone set passing a boundary of a first region and a second region, maintaining a table of a telephone number of a portable telephone set present within said second region in a storage device, said portable telephone set being capable of communication by radio and communication by light,

searching said storage device to determine whether a telephone number corresponding to said call is stored in said storage device in response to a call to a portable telephone from an external source through radio,

calling a telephone set of the telephone number corresponding to said call in said second region using an optical communication device provided in said second region in response to determination that said telephone number corresponding to said call is stored in said storage device, and

in response to a response from said portable telephone set towards the call carried out in said second region, relaying said call to said responding portable telephone set in said second region.