Portable telephones
First Claim
1. A communications system for use in conjunction with an existing cellular radio telecommunications network, having a network control, and a plurality of base stations each servicing a cell, said system including a plurality of gateway devices, each gateway device including a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, and control means operatively connected to said transmitter, receiver and memory to provide two way radio communication with said network control via a base station, and a plurality of portable telephones, each having a memory for an identification number and a transmitter and a receiver operative when said portable telephone is in an "on" state to provide two way radio communication on a plurality of fixed channels at low power with said transmitter and receiver of any said gateway device within range, and through said device to a said base station of the cell within which said gateway device is located, each said portable telephone when in said "on" state and in the vicinity of a said gateway device being operative to transmit its identification number from its memory to said gateway device, said control means of said gateway device being operative to store said identification number in said memory of said gateway device, and to transmit said identification number to said network control via a said base station, said control means of the gateway device thereafter being operative as a control for the portable telephone for setting up and handling off calls for the portable telephone, all communications between the portable telephone and the gateway device while the portable telephone is in an "on" state being carried out on a single fixed channel of said plurality of channels, said portable telephone and gateway device only being operable together as a conventional terminal of said existing cellular radio telecommunications network.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A personal portable telephone (11) allows the user access to the cellular radio network via a number of different gateways including a communal unit (15, 16), user'"'"'s mobile telephone set (9), home telephone (13) or office PABX (14). The telephone (11) can also be used as a paging unit for use within the cellular radio network. The communal radio unit (15) is a multi-channel arrangement capable of servicing a large number of personal telephones within its service area which is small compared to that of a normal cellular radio cell. Communal units (15) may be transportable and located in public areas such as railway stations, airports and on trains or coaches. The telephone (11) automatically transmits its identification number to a gateway (9, 13, 14, 15, 16) when it enters its service area enabling the subscriber to be accessed by callers without their knowing his whereabouts.
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Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A communications system for use in conjunction with an existing cellular radio telecommunications network, having a network control, and a plurality of base stations each servicing a cell, said system including a plurality of gateway devices, each gateway device including a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, and control means operatively connected to said transmitter, receiver and memory to provide two way radio communication with said network control via a base station, and a plurality of portable telephones, each having a memory for an identification number and a transmitter and a receiver operative when said portable telephone is in an "on" state to provide two way radio communication on a plurality of fixed channels at low power with said transmitter and receiver of any said gateway device within range, and through said device to a said base station of the cell within which said gateway device is located, each said portable telephone when in said "on" state and in the vicinity of a said gateway device being operative to transmit its identification number from its memory to said gateway device, said control means of said gateway device being operative to store said identification number in said memory of said gateway device, and to transmit said identification number to said network control via a said base station, said control means of the gateway device thereafter being operative as a control for the portable telephone for setting up and handling off calls for the portable telephone, all communications between the portable telephone and the gateway device while the portable telephone is in an "on" state being carried out on a single fixed channel of said plurality of channels, said portable telephone and gateway device only being operable together as a conventional terminal of said existing cellular radio telecommunications network.
- 8. A communications system for use in conjunction with a cellular radio telecommunications network having a network control, a plurality of base stations and switching centers with a standard communications protocol, a plurality of subscribers each having a portable telephone, said system including a plurality of distributed gateway devices each defining a service area and having a transmitter/receiver operative to communicate with said base stations or said switching centers of said cellular radio telecommunications network in accordance with said standard protocol, and with said portable telephones by means of at least one channel, each said telephone having a memory containing a subscriber identification number which is transmitted over a channel to a said gateway device when the telephone enters said service area of that gateway device and is registered via the gateway device with said network control of said cellular radio telecommunications network to establish the location of the portable telephone subscriber for receipt of calls, said portable telephone and gateway device only being operable together as a conventional terminal of said existing cellular radio telecommunications network.
Specification