Docking station for enabling landline telephones to send/receive calls via a docked walkie-talkie-type mobile telephone
First Claim
1. A docking station for connecting a cellular telephone with one or more landline telephones of a premises, the docking station comprising:
- a line-connection switch configured to detect a condition of at least one landline of the premises and to establish a connection with a landline based on a detected condition, wherein each of the one or more landline telephones is connected to the docking station through the landline;
a processor configured to control a plurality of functions of the docking station; and
a cellular-telephone interface configured to connect with any of a plurality of types of cellular telephones, wherein the cellular-telephone interface includes a connector configured to connect with a plurality of types of cables through which the docking station communicates with corresponding cellular telephones, and to connect with one or more types of wireless modules through which the docking station communicates wirelessly with corresponding cellular telephones, wherein an electrical characteristic of a cable or a wireless module connected to the cellular-telephone interface is used by the processor to identify a type of a cellular telephone connected to the docking station, and wherein the processor is programmed to enable a landline telephone connected to the docking station to send or to receive calls via a walkie-talkie (PTT-type) cellular telephone connected to the docking station;
by translating signals transmitted from the landline telephone to the PTT-type cellular telephone into signals recognizable by the PTT-type cellular telephone, and by translating signals from the PTT-type cellular telephone to the landline telephone into signals recognizable by the landline telephone.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A docking station is provided, which functions to enable landline telephones connected to the docking station to send and receive “walkie-talkie” or “push-to-talk” (PTT)-type messages via a mobile telephone docked in the docking station. A processor of the docking station is programmed to recognize that when a predefined key of a landline telephone is used, the call is a PTT-type call. The predefined key functions in a manner similar a PTT button on a conventional PTT-type mobile telephone. However, unlike for conventional PTT-type calls, the user need not keep the predefined key pressed when speaking.
65 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A docking station for connecting a cellular telephone with one or more landline telephones of a premises, the docking station comprising:
-
a line-connection switch configured to detect a condition of at least one landline of the premises and to establish a connection with a landline based on a detected condition, wherein each of the one or more landline telephones is connected to the docking station through the landline;
a processor configured to control a plurality of functions of the docking station; and
a cellular-telephone interface configured to connect with any of a plurality of types of cellular telephones, wherein the cellular-telephone interface includes a connector configured to connect with a plurality of types of cables through which the docking station communicates with corresponding cellular telephones, and to connect with one or more types of wireless modules through which the docking station communicates wirelessly with corresponding cellular telephones, wherein an electrical characteristic of a cable or a wireless module connected to the cellular-telephone interface is used by the processor to identify a type of a cellular telephone connected to the docking station, and wherein the processor is programmed to enable a landline telephone connected to the docking station to send or to receive calls via a walkie-talkie (PTT-type) cellular telephone connected to the docking station;
by translating signals transmitted from the landline telephone to the PTT-type cellular telephone into signals recognizable by the PTT-type cellular telephone, and by translating signals from the PTT-type cellular telephone to the landline telephone into signals recognizable by the landline telephone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of using a landline telephone of a premises to send or to receive a PTT-type telephone call via a cellular telephone connected to a docking station, the method comprising the steps of:
-
connecting any of a plurality of types of cellular telephones to the docking station via a cable or wirelessly via a wireless module;
detecting a condition of at least one landline of the premises;
establishing a connection with a landline of the premises based on a detected condition, wherein the premises includes one ore more landline telephones and each landline telephone is connected to the docking station through the landline;
identifying a type of the cellular telephone to be a walkie-talkie (PTT-type) cellular telephone, based on an electrical characteristic of a cable or a wireless module connected to the docking station, and utilizing a processor of the docking station to enable a landline telephone connected to the docking station to send or to receive calls via a walkie-talkie (PTT-type) cellular telephone connected to the docking station;
by translating signals transmitted from the landline telephone to the PTT-type cellular telephone into signals recognizable by the PTT-type cellular telephone, and by translating signals from the PTT-type cellular telephone to the landline telephone into signals recognizable by the landline telephone. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification