Automatic mobile radio telephone system

• US 3,894,194 A
• Filed: 02/16/1973
• Issued: 07/08/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Edward G. Frost
• Original Assignee: Edward G. Frost
• Inventors: Frost, Edward G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brigance, Gerald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/333,142
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 179/41A,7.1R,7.1TP 325/55,64 343/176
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

In a multi-channel radio telephone system, each mobile station is assigned a home channel for receiving calls but can initiate calls on any idle channel. Communication is normally in a duplex mode but automatically reverts to semi-duplex when a calling mobile initiates a call to a called mobile on the called mobile'"'"''"'"'s home channel. Automatic subscriber ticketing is accomplished at the base station, and each channel communicates with the public telephone system via a respective dedicated line. A nonsubscribing mobile attempting to initiate a call on the system is automatically connected to the base station operator for completion of the call, the caller'"'"''"'"'s I.D. number being automatically displayed for the operator. When called, a mobile automatically returns a decode complete signal to the base station. If the decode complete signal is not received within a predetermined time interval, the call is terminated and the base station automatically proceeds to determine if the called mobile is busy or out-of-service and returns a corresponding signal to the calling party. The mobiles are adapted to operate in other systems wherein the normally assigned home channel is unavailable. In such cases the mobile automatically seeks a channel bearing a predetermined code which identifies that channel as an alternate home channel for the mobile.

Claims

1. A multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay-link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, said system being characterized in that different channels are assigned as home channels to respective groups of mobile stations such that each mobile station can receive a call only on its assigned home channel but can initiate calls on any idle channel, said system comprising:

channel marker means at said base station for transmitting an idle marker signal on each channel on which no call is in progress;

automatic tuning means at each mobile station for automatically tuning that mobile station to its home channel when that mobile station is not party to a call in progress; and

selectively actuable call-initiating means at each mobile station for automatically seizing an idle channel upon actuation, said call-initiating means comprising;

means for automatically scanning said channels to detect the presence of said idle marker signal;

channel seizing means responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for automatically tuning the mobile station to one of the channels on which said idle marker signal is detected;

means at said base station for automatically removing said idle marker sIgnal from a channel which is seized;

wherein each mobile station is assigned a unique identification number, and wherein each mobile station includes means responsive to seizure of a channel by that mobile station in initiating a call for automatically transmitting the identification of that channel in coded form to said base station in the seized channel;

wherein said mobile stations constitute subscribers for the system assigned to said base station, and wherein said base station includes ticketing means for each subscriber for monitoring the time duration of calls initiated by that subscriber; and

wherein said base station further includes;

means responsive to reception of a coded mobile station identification on a channel seized by a calling mobile station for determining whether or not ticketing means is present at said base station for said calling mobile station; and

means responsive to a determination that ticketing means is present at said base station for said calling mobile station for returning a dial tone signal to said calling mobile station via said seized channel.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said base station includes:

means for detecting calls intended for mobile station subscribers assigned to said base station;

means responsive to a detected call for one of said mobile station subscribers for determining if the home channel for that mobile station is busy by detecting the presence of said idle marker signal on that channel;

means responsive to a determination that the home channel of a called mobile station is busy for transmitting a busy signal to the calling station; and

means responsive to a determination that the home channel of a called mobile station is idle for transmitting on that channel in coded form the identification number of the called subscriber; and

wherein each mobile station includes;

decoding means, operative when that mobile station is idle, for monitoring each coded identification number transmitted on its home channel and providing a decode complete signal when the monitored identification number corresponds to the identification number for that mobile station; and

means for transmitting said decode complete signal, when provided, back to said base station via said home channel.

3. The system according to claim 2 further comprising timing means at said base station for restoring said idle marker signal to the home channel of a called mobile station if the decode complete signal is not received from the called mobile station at said base station within a predetermined time period after the coded identification signal for that mobile station is transmitted by said base station.

4. A multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay-link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, said system being characterized by the absence of channel-switching at each mobile station when a call is not in progress at that station and in that each mobile station can initiate calls on any idle channel, said system comprising:

channel marker means at said base station for transmitting an idle marker signal on each channel on which no call is in progress; and

selectively actuable call-initating means at each mobile station for automatically seizing any idle channel upon actuation, said call-initiating means comprising;

means for automatically scanning said channels to detect the presence of said idle marker signal; and

channel seizing means responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for automatically tuning the mobile station to one of the channels on which said idLe marker signal is detected;

wherein said base station includes;

a plurality of memory circuits, one for each mobile station;

means responsive to seizure of a channel by a mobile station in initiating a call for providing an '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'in-use'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' indication in the memory circuit for that mobile station; and

means for clearing said in-use indication from said memory circuit when that channel is released from the initiated call.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein said base station includes:

means for detecting calls intended for mobile station subscribers assigned to said base station;

means responsive to a detected call for one of said mobile station subscribers for determining if that mobile station is busy;

means responsive to a determination that the called mobile station is busy for transmitting a busy signal to the calling station; and

means responsive to a determination that the called mobile station is idle for transmitting to the called mobile station in coded form the identification number of the called mobile station; and

wherein each mobile station includes;

decoding means, operative when that mobile station is idle, for monitoring each coded identification number transmitted thereto, and providing a decode complete signal when the monitored identification number corresponds to the identification number for that mobile station; and

means for transmitting said decode complete signal, when provided, back to said base station.

6. A multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay-link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, said system being characterized in that different channels are assigned as home channels to respective groups of mobile stations such that each mobile station can receive a call only on its assigned home channel but can initiate calls on any idle channel, said system comprising:

channel marker means at said base station for transmitting an idle marker signal on each channel on which no call is in progress;

automatic tuning means at each mobile station for automatically tuning that mobile station to its home channel when that mobile station is not party to a call in progress; and

selectively actuable call-initiating means at each mobile station for automatically seizing an idle channel upon actuation, said call-initiating means comprising;

means for automatically scanning said channels to detect the presence of said idle marker signal;

channel seizing means responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for automatically tuning the mobile station to one of the channels on which said idle marker signal is detected;

means at said base station for automatically removing said idle marker signal from a channel which is seized;

wherein said base station includes;

means for detecting calls intended for mobile station subscribers assigned to said base station;

means responsive to a detected call for one of said mobile station subscribers for determining if the home channel for the mobile station is busy by detecting the presence of said idle marker signal on that channel;

means responsive to a determination that the home channel of a called mobile station is busy for transmitting a busy signal to the calling station; and

means responsive to a determination that the home channel of a called mobile station is idle for transmitting on that channel in coded form the identification number of the called subscriber; and

wherein each mobile station includes;

decoding means, operative when that mobile station is idle, for monitoring each coded identification number transmitTed on its home channel and providing a decode complete signal when the monitored identification number corresponds to the identification number for that mobile station; and

means for transmitting said decode complete signal, when provided, back to said base station via said home channel.

7. The system according to claim 6 further comprising timing means at said base station for restoring said idle marker signal to the home channel of a called mobile station if the decode complete signal is not received from the called mobile station at said base station within a predetermined time period after the coded identification signal for that mobile station is transmitted by said base station.

8. The system according to claim 7 further comprising:

means at said base station, responsive to non-reception of said decode complete signal from a called mobile station within said predetermined time period, for examining the memory circuit assigned to the called mobile station to detect if an in-use indication is present;

means responsive to detection of an in-use indication in the memory circuit of the called mobile station for returning a busy signal to the calling party; and

means responsive to the absence of an in-use indication in the examined memory circuit of a called mobile station for returning an out-of-service signal to the calling party.

9. A multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay-link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, said system being characterized in that different channels are assigned as home channels to respective groups of mobile stations such that each mobile station can receive a call only on its assigned home channel but can initiate calls on any idle channel, said system comprising:

channel marker means at said base station for transmitting an idle marker signal on each channel on which no call is in progress;

automatic tuning means at each mobile station for automatically tuning that mobile station to its home channel when that mobile station is not party to a call in progress;

selectively actuable call-initiating means at each mobile station for automatically seizing an idle channel upon actuation, said call-initiating means comprising;

means for automatically scanning said channels to detect the presence of said idle marker signal; and

channel seizing means responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for automatically tuning the mobile station to one of the channels on which said idle marker signal is detected; and

means for establishing a semi-duplex communication mode between a calling mobile station and a called mobile station when the calling mobile station seizes the home channel of the called mobile station.

10. A multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay-link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, said system being characterized in that different channels are assigned as home channels to respective groups of mobile stations such that each mobile station can receive a call only on its assigned home channel but can initiate calls on any idle channel, said system comprising:

channel marker means at said base station for transmitting an idle marker signal on each channel on wHich no call is in progress;

automatic tuning means at each mobile station for automatically tuning that mobile station to its home channel when that mobile station is not party to a call in progress;

selectively actuable call-initiating means at each mobile station for automatically seizing an idle channel upon actuation, said call-initiating means comprising;

means for automatically scanning said channels to detect the presence of said idle marker signal; and

channel seizing means responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for automatically tuning the mobile station to one of the channels on which said idle marker signal is detected;

wherein said mobile stations each comprise;

tunable transmitter and receiver means capable of being tuned to each of said channels individually;

detector means responsive to signals received by said transmitter and receiver means for determining if the channel to which said transmitter and receiver is tuned is idle or is carrying a call in process;

means for automatically tuning said transmitter and receiver means to a predetermined home channel when said mobile station is not party to a call in process;

switch means actuable when a call is to be initiated from said mobile station;

control means responsive to actuation of said switch means for monitoring said detector means and, if the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned is carrying a call in progress, successively tuning said transmitter and receiver means to individual channels until an idle channel is determined by said detector means; and

wherein said mobile stations are adapted for use in regions wherein the predetermined home channel may be unavailable for transmission and reception by a mobile station, each mobile station further comprising;

means for detecting unavailability of said predetermined home channel;

means for establishing an alternate home channel; and

tuning means responsive to unavailability of said predetermined home channel for automatically tuning said transmitter and receiver means to said alternate home channel when said mobile station is not party to a call in process.

11. A multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, and wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each assigned a unique identification number and are individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, said system being characterized in that mobile stations which are normally serviced by other base stations are able to utilize said system for initiating calls, said system comprising:

operator-actuable equipment at said base station for enabling an operator to transmit and receive signals and to initiate and receive calls on any of said channels;

actuable call-initiating means at each mobile station;

means at each mobile station responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for seizing an unused channel and transmitting thereon a coded identification signal representing the identification number of the mobile station;

metering means at said base station for monitoring the elapsed time of calls within and outside said system initiated by mobile stations normally assigned to said base station; and

means at said base station responsive to reception of a coded identification signal from a mobile station having no metering means at said base station for automatically connecting said operator-actuable equipment to the channel which was seized by the calling mobile station.

12. In a multi-channel mobile radio-telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from Other mobile stations and a public telephone system, and wherein a base station serves as a relay link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, the method comprising the steps of:

conducting calls between a mobile station and a station in said public telephone system in a duplex communication mode;

conducting calls between a calling mobile station and a called mobile station in a duplex communication mode, utilizing two of said channels, when the called mobile station initiates the call by seizing a channel other than the home channel of the called mobile station; and

conducting calls between a calling mobile station and a called mobile station in a semi duplex communication mode, utilizing only one of said channels, when the calling mobile station seizes the home channel of the called mobile station in initiating a call.

13. In a multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay-link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, a method of communication characterized in that said mobile stations seize any channel upon initiating calls, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting from said base station an idle marker signal on each channel on which no call is in progress;

initiating a call at a mobile station on an idle channel by;

monitoring said channels at each mobile station to detect the presence of said idle marker signal; and

automatically tuning the mobile station to a channel on which said idle marker is detected when a call is to be initiated from that mobile station;

wherein each mobile station is assigned a unique identification number, and wherein each mobile station responds to seizure of a channel by that mobile station in initiating a call by automatically transmitting the identification of that channel in coded form to said base station via the seized channel; and

wherein said mobile stations constitute subscribers for the system assigned to said base station, and wherein said base station automatically monitors and accumulates charges for calls initiated by each subscriber on a meter dedicated to that subscriber.

14. The method according to claim 13 comprising the further steps, at said base station, of:

responding to reception of a coded mobile station identification signal on a channel seized by a calling mobile station by determining whether or not a meter is present at said base station for said calling mobile station; and

responding to a determination that ticketing means is present at said base station for said calling mobile station by returning a dial tone signal to said calling mobile station via said seized channel.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein each mobile station is responsive to a dial tone on a channel seized by that mobile station to selectively transmit to said base station the telephone number in coded form of a telephone station being called, wherein said base station responds to reception of a coded telephone number from a calling mobile station by removing dial tone from the channel seized by the calling mobile station and transmitting the received telephone number in coded form to the telephone station having the received telephone number.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein said base station is connected to a plurality of lines in said public telephone system, each line beng dedicated to carrying telephone calls for a respective onE of said channels, and comprising the further steps, at said base station, of:

detecting whether a received telephone number correspsonds to a number in said public telephone system or to the identification number of another mobile station in said radiotelephone system; and

responding to detection of a received telephone number in said public telephone system for applying the received telephone number to the line dedicated to the channel seized by the calling mobile station.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step, at said base station, of responding to detection of a received telephone number corresponding to the identification number of another of said mobile stations by transmitting that identification number in coded form to the corresponding mobile station.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the step of establishing a semi-duplex communication mode between a calling mobile station and a called mobile station when the calling mobile station seizes the channel to which the called mobile station is tuned.

19. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

at said base station;

detecting calls intended for its mobile station subscribers;

responding to a detected call for one of said mobile stations by determining if that mobile station is busy;

responding to a determination that the called mobile station is busy by transmitting a busy signal to the calling station; and

responding to a determination that the called mobile station is idle by transmitting to the called mobile station in coded form the identification number of the called subscriber; and

at each mobile station;

monitoring, when the mobile station is idle, each coded identification number transmitted to that mobile station and providing a decode complete signal when the monitored identification number corresponds to the identification number for that mobile station; and

transmitting said decode complete signal, when provided, back to said base station.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein each mobile station is assigned a home channel on which the mobile station may be called and to which the mobile station is automatically tuned when not party to a call, said method further comprising the step, at said base station, of restoring said idle marker signal to the home channel of a called mobile station if the decode complete signal is not received from the called mobile station at said base station within a predetermined time period after the coded identification signal for that mobile station is transmitted by said base station.

21. The method according to claim 20 further characterized in that said base station is capable of automatically indicating the difference between a called mobile station being out-of-service and being party to another call, said method including the steps at said base station of:

storing a busy indication for each mobile station which initiates a call in progress;

automatically detecting whether a busy indication is stored for a called mobile station if a decode complete signal is not received within said predetermined time period from said called mobile station;

returning a busy signal to the calling party if a busy indication is detected for said called mobile station;

returning an out-of-service signal to the calling party if a busy indication is not stored for a called mobile station for which a decode complete signal has not been received in said predetermined time period.

22. A radio telephone system having multiple radio channels of the type wherein mobile subscriber stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone company, wherein a base station serves as a relay link for calls to and from said mobile stations, said system being characterized by:

one telephone voice channel for each radio channel, each telephone voice channel connecting said base staTion to said public telephone system, each telephone voice channel serving a respective radio channel exclusively;

transmitter-receiver means at each subscriber station capable of operating on each of said radio channels;

automatic metering means at said base station for registering charges incurred by individual mobile subscriber stations in initiating calls via said system; and

means for periodically automatically printing out billing statements for said mobile subscriber stations, said billing statements indicating the charges registered by said automatic metering means.

23. A mobile station for use in a radio telephone system employing multiple communication channels via each of which said mobile station is capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals, said mobile station comprising:

tunable transmitter and receiver means capable of being tuned to each of said individual channels;

detector means responsive to signals received by said transmitter and receiver means for determining whether the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned is idle or is carrying a call in process;

means for automatically tuning said transmitter and receiver means to a predetermined home channel when said mobile station is not party to a call in process;

switch means actuable when a call is to be initiated from said mobile station; and

control means responsive to actuation of said switch means for monitoring said detector means and, if the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned is carrying a call in progress, successively tuning said transmitter and receiver means to individual channels until an idle channel is determined by said detector means;

wherein said mobile station is adapted for use in a region wherein said predetermined home channel is unavailable for transmission and reception by said mobile station, said mobile station further comprising;

means for detecting unavailability of said predetermined home channel;

means for establishing an alternate home channel; and

tuning means responsive to unavailability of said predetermined home channel for automatically tuning said transmitter and receiver means to said alternate home channel when said mobile station is not party to a call in process.

24. The mobile station according to claim 23:

wherein said alternate home channel carries a predetermined coded signal;

wherein said means for establishing an alternate home channel comprises a decoder arranged to recognizing said predetermined coded signal when received by said transmitter and receiver means; and

wherein said tuning means comprises means for operating said control means, in response to unavability of said predetermined home channel and no call in progress at said mobile station, to successively tune said transmitter and receiver means to different channels until said predetermined coded signal is recognized by said decoder.

25. The mobile station according to claim 24 further comprising call recognition means, operative when said mobile station is not party to a call in process and responsive to reception of a predetermined identification code by said transmitter and receiver means, for applying a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'decode complete'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' signal to said transmitter and receiver means for transmission via the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned.

26. A mobile station for use in a radio telephone system employing multiple communication channels via each of which said mobile station is capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals, said mobile station comprising:

tunable transmitter and receiver means capable of being tuned to each of said individual channels;

detector means responsive to signals received by said transmitter and receiver means for determining whether the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned is idle or is carrying a call in process;

means for automatically tuning sAid transmitter and receiver means to a predetermined home channel when said mobile station is not party to a call in process;

switch means actuable when a call is to be initiated from said mobile station;

control means responsive to actuation of said switch means for monitoring said detector means and, if the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned is carrying a call in progress, successively tuning said transmitter and receiver means to individual channels until an idle channel is determined by said detector means; and

call recognition means, operative when said mobile station is not party to a call in progress and responsive to reception of a predetermined identification code by said transmitter and receiver means, for applying a decode complete signal to said transmitter and receiver means for transmission via the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned.

27. A mobile station for use in a radio telephone system employing multiple communication channels via each of which said mobile station is capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals, said mobile station having a home channel on which it receives calls, said mobile station being characterized in that it is adapted for use in areas where its home channel is not available, said mobile station comprising:

means for detecting unavailability of the home channel of said mobile station;

means for establishing an alternate home channel; and

tuning means responsive to unavailability of said home channel for automatically tuning said mobile station to said alternate home channel.

28. The mobile station according to claim 27:

wherein said alternate home channel carries a predetermined coded signal;

wherein said means for establishing an alternate home channel comprises a decoder arranged to recognize said predetermined signal when received at said mobile station; and

wherein said tuning means is responsive to unavailability of said home channel and no call in progress at said mobile station for successively tuning said mobile station to different channels until said predetermined coded signal is recognized by said decoder.

29. A multi-channel mobile radio-telephone system of the type wherein mobile subscriber stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from both other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, said base station communicating with a central office in said public telephone system via a plurality of telephone circuits, and wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to said channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, and wherein each mobile station is assigned a unique identification number, and system including:

one of said telephone circuits for each of said channels, each of said telephone circuits being dedicated to conducting calls for only one respective channel;

operator-actuable call-initiating means at each mobile station;

means at each mobile station responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for automatically transmitting to said base station a coded identification signal representing the identification number of the mobile station;

a plurality of call metering circuits at said base station, one for each mobile subscriber station in said system;

decoding means at said base station for receiving and decoding identification signals received from calling mobile stations;

means for determining whether or not a metering circuit for a calling mobile station is present at said base station; and

control means responsive to determination that a metering circuit for a calling mobile is present at said base station for enabling the calling mobile station to place a call.

30. The system According to claim 29 further comprising:

operator equipment at said base station for permitting an operator to transmit and receive signals and to initiate and receive calls on any selected channel; and

means responsive to a determination that no metering circuit is present for a calling mobile station at said base station for automatically connecting said operator equipment to the channel on which the calling mobile station initiated its call.

31. The system according to claim 30 wherein said operator-equipment includes display means for automatically displaying the identification number of a calling mobile station which has no metering circuit at said base station.

32. The system according to claim 29 further comprising:

a plurality of memory circuits at said base station, one memory circuit for each mobile subscriber station of said system;

means responsive to initiation of a call at one of said mobile subscriber stations for storing an in-use indication in the memory circuit for that mobile subscriber station; and

means for clearing the in-use indication from the memory circuit of a mobile subscriber station upon termination of a call to which that mobile subscriber station is a party.

33. In a multi-channel mobile radio-telephone system of the type wherein mobile subscriber stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from both other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels. said base station communicating with a central office in said public telephone system via a plurality of telephone circuits, and wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to said channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, and wherein each mobile station is assigned a unique identification number, a method comprising the steps of:

in response to initiation of a call at each mobile station, automatically transmitting to said base station a coded identification signal representing the identification number of the mobile station;

decoding identification signals received at said base station from calling mobile stations;

determining whether or not a metering circuit for a calling mobile station is present at said base station; and

in response to a determination that a metering circuit for a calling mobile is present at said base station, enabling the calling mobile station to place a call.

34. A multi-channel mobile radio telephone system of the type wherein mobile stations are capable of initiating and receiving calls to and from other mobile stations and stations in a public telephone system, wherein a base station serves as a relay-link for all calls and is capable of transmitting and receiving signals via each of said channels, wherein a plurality of mobile stations are each individually tunable to respective channels for purposes of transmitting and receiving signals during calls, said system being characterized by the absence of channel-switching at each mobile station when a call is not in progress at that station and in that each mobile station can initiate calls on any idle channel, said system comprising:

channel marker means at said base station for transmitting an idle marker signal on each channel on which no call is in progress; and

selectively actuable call-initiating means at each mobile station for automatically seizing any idle channel upon actuation, said call-initiating means comprising;

means for automatically scanning said channels to detect the presence of said idle marker signal; and

channel seizing means responsive to actuation of said call-initiating means for automatically tuning the mobile station to one of the channels on which said idle marker signal is detected;

wherein each mobile station is assigned a unique identification number;

wherein each mobIle station includes means responsive to seizure of a channel by that mobile station for automatically transmitting the identification number of that mobile station in coded form to said base station;

wherein said mobile stations constitute system subscribers assigned to said base station; and

wherein said base station includes;

ticketing means for each system subscriber for monitoring the time duration of at least subscriber-initiated calls;

means for removing said idle marker signal from a chanel seized by a calling mobile station;

logic means responsive to reception of a coded identification number on a channel seized by a calling mobile station for determining whether or not ticketing means is present at said base station for said calling mobile station; and

means responsive to a determination that ticketing means is present at said base station for said calling mobile station for returning a dial tone signal to said calling mobile station via the channel seized by the calling mobile station.

35. The system according to claim 34 further characterized in that said base station communicates with said public telephone system via a number of telephone lines equal to the number of channels capable of conducting calls in said system.

36. The system according to claim 35 further comprising means for automatically printing out charges accumulated by said mobile station subscriber in utilizing said system.

37. The system according to claim 34 further comprising at said base station;

a meter for each of said mobile stations; and

circuit means responsive to a call in progress initiated by a mobile station for actuating the meter for that mobile station.

38. The system according to claim 34 wherein said mobile stations each comprise:

tunable transmitter and receiver means capable of being tuned to each of said channels individually;

detector means responsive to signals received by said transmitter and receiver means for determining if the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned is idle or is carrying a call in process;

switch means actuable when a call is to be initiated from said mobile station;

control means responsive to actuation of said switch means for monitoring said detector means and, if the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned is carrying a call in progress, successively tuning said transmitter and receiver means to individual channels until an idle channel is determined by said detector means.

39. The system according to claim 38 further comprising at each mobile station:

call recognition means, operative when said mobile station is not party to a call in process and responsive to reception of a predetermined identification code by said transmitter and receiver means, for applying a decode complete signal to said transmitter and receiver means for transmission via the channel to which said transmitter and receiver means is tuned.

40. The system according to claim 34 further comprising at said base station:

operator-actuable equipment to permit an operator to transmit and receive signals and to initiate and receive calls on any selected channel; and

means responsive to a determination that no ticketing means is present for a calling mobile station at said base station for automatically connecting said operator-actuable equipment to the channel seized by said calling mobile station.

41. The system according to claim 40 wherein said operator-equipment includes display means for automatically displaying the identification number of a calling mobile station which has no ticketing means at said base station.

42. The system according to claim 34 wherein each mobile station includes means responsive to a dial tone on a channel seized by that mobile station for selectively transmitting to said base station the telephone number in coded form of a telephone station being called, wherein said base station incluDes means responsive to reception of a coded telephone number from a calling mobile station for removing dial tone from the channel seized by the calling mobile station and transmitting the received telephone number in coded form to the telephone station having the received telephone number.

43. The system according to claim 42 wherein said base station is connected to a plurality of call-carrying lines in said public telephone system, the number of lines being equal to the number of said channels, and wherein said base station includes:

means for detecting whether a received telephone number corresponds to a number in said public telephone system or to the identification number of another mobile station in said radio-telephone system; and

means responsive to detection of a received telephone number in said public telephone system for initiating a call to the telephone corresponding to the received telephone number via one of said telephone lines.

44. The system according to claim 43 further comprising means at said base station responsive to detection of a received telephone number corresponding to the identification number of another of said mobile stations for transmitting that identification number in coded form to the corresponding mobile station.

45. The system according to claim 44 further comprising means for establishing a semi-duplex communication mode when one mobile station calls another mobile station in said system.