Telephone base unit having dynamically configurable software

• US 20040203738A1
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wong, Sean, Janssen, Holger, Dury, James, Louie, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 6,983,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4415 Self describing peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line

Abstract

A cordless telephone base unit having a dynamically changeable cellular telephone adapter and partially reconfigurable software is provided. The software includes a static portion containing core application software, and a dynamic portion containing reconfigurable driver software for interfacing with an external device such as a cellular telephone. The driver software can be downloaded from a removable cellular telephone adapter. The core software and the driver software each contain interface portions at fixed locations. The interface portions provide for transparent interaction between core application and driver software.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone system comprised of:

a cellular telephone adapter providing operative interconnection with a cellular telephone having a communications port, the adapter comprising;

a base interface connector capable of conveying a plurality of electrical signals;

a cellular telephone interface connector configured to engage with the communications port of the cellular telephone, which cellular telephone interface connector is also operatively linked with the base interface connector providing for the conveyance of electrical signals between the cellular telephone interface connector and the base interface connector;

an adapter digital memory device electrically interconnected with the base interface connector, the adapter digital memory device containing driver-core interface code and driver code;

a base unit comprised of;

an adapter interface connector configured to electrically engage with the base interface connector;

a base unit digital memory having core application code, core-driver interface code, a storage region for driver-core interface code, and a storage region for driver code, the core-driver interface code and the driver-core interface region each being located at predetermined positions within the base unit digital memory;

a microprocessor operatively connected to the adapter interface connector and the base unit digital memory, the microprocessor being configured to read the driver-core interface code from the adapter digital memory device and to store the driver-core interface code within the driver-core interface region of the base unit digital memory;

the microprocessor being further configured to read the driver code from the adapter digital memory device and to store the driver code within the driver code region of the base unit digital memory.

2. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, in which the cordless telephone system is further comprised of a cordless telephone handset configured for telephonic communications with the base unit, whereby the handset is configured to initiate communications between the base unit and the cellular telephone.

3. The cordless telephone system of claim 1, in which the adapter is further configured to provide physical support for the cellular telephone when the communications port of the cellular telephone is engaged with the cellular telephone interface connector.

4. A method for updating the software of a cordless telephone base unit having digital memory, the base unit being configured for use with a cellular telephone adapter providing interconnectivity with a cellular telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

reading by the base unit of driver-core interface code and driver code stored within the cellular telephone adapter;

storing the driver-core interface code in a driver-core interface region of the base unit digital memory, the driver-core interface region being located at a first predetermined position within the memory;

storing the driver code in a driver code region of the base unit digital memory, the driver code region being located at a second position within the digital memory.

5. The method of claim 4, the method further including the preceding steps of:

detecting that the base unit is electrically connected with the device adapter;

determining that the contents of the driver code region and driver-core interface code region of the base unit digital memory do not correspond to the driver code and the driver-core interface code, respectively, stored within the cellular telephone adapter.

6. The method of claim 4, the method further including the subsequent steps of:

verifying that the driver-core interface code and the driver code stored within the base unit digital memory do not contain errors;

enabling the driver-core interface code and the driver code for execution by the base unit.

7. The method of claim 4, the method further including the subsequent steps of:

determining that the driver-core interface code or the driver code stored within the base unit digital memory contain errors;

preventing the driver-core interface code and the driver code from being executed by the base unit.

8. A method for implementing digital communications between a base unit and a cellular telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

providing core application code and core-driver interface code for execution by a microprocessor within the base unit;

providing driver-core interface code and driver code for execution by a microprocessor within the base unit;

prompting the execution of a portion of the driver code by the core application code, which step is further comprised of the substeps of;

providing procedural calls within the core application code which invoke the execution of a portion of the core-driver interface code;

making a call to the driver-core interface code by the core-driver interface code, the call invoking execution of a portion of the driver-core interface code that corresponds to the portion of the core-driver interface code from which the call is made;

calling a portion of the driver code referred to by the executed portion of the driver-core interface code;

whereby the core application code can prompt communications with the cellular telephone without directly calling the driver code.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the step of providing driver-core interface code and driver code is comprised of the substep of downloading driver-core interface code and driver code from a digital memory device provided within an adapter configured for electrical connection with the cellular telephone.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the step of providing driver-core interface code and driver code is further comprised of the subsequent substeps of:

verifying that the driver-core interface code and the driver code do not contain errors;

enabling the driver-core interface code and the driver code for execution by the base unit.

11. A method for implementing digital communications between a base unit and a cellular telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

providing core application code and core-driver interface code for execution by a microprocessor within the base unit;

providing driver-core interface code and driver code for execution by a microprocessor within the base unit;

prompting the execution of a portion of the core application code by the driver code, which step is further comprised of the substeps of;

calling a function within the driver-core interface code by the driver code;

making a call to the core-driver interface code by the driver-core interface code, the call invoking execution of a portion of the core-driver interface code that corresponds to the portion of the driver-core interface code from which the call is made;

calling a portion of the application code corresponding to the executed portion of the core-driver interface code;

whereby the driver code can prompt the execution of a portion of the application code without directly calling the application code.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the step of providing driver-core interface code and driver code is comprised of the substep of downloading driver-core interface code and driver code from a digital memory device provided within an adapter configured for electrical connection with the cellular telephone.

13. The method of claim 12, in which the step of providing driver-core interface code and driver code is further comprised of the subsequent substeps of:

verifying that the driver-core interface code and the driver code do not contain errors;

enabling the driver-core interface code and the driver code for execution by the base unit.