Radio telephone system control method

• US 5,140,628 A
• Filed: 11/30/1989
• Issued: 08/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Kazuhiro, Murata, Yoshitoshi, Ito, Koichi, Yotsutani, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US07/443,334
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 379/61, 379/62, 379/63, 379/58, 379/56
• US Class Current: 455/463
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72508 using a control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/00 Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for controlling a radio telephone system, a speech channel is established between the slave radio set of a plurality of radio telephone sets and a radio set of a base unit. An intercom switch for selecting intercom performances is provided for respective radio telephone sets. The slave radio sets of the radio telephone sets are turned OFF when the intercom switch is OFF, and transmitters of the slave radio sets of the radio telephone sets are turned ON. Consequently the connection between a wired telephone channel and the plurality of radio telephone sets can be controlled with a single base unit connected to the wired telephone channel.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a radio telephone system of a type wherein connections between a wired telephone line and a plurality of radio telephone handsets are controlled by a single base unit connected to said wired telephone line, comprising the steps of:

establishing a speech radio channel among said plurality of radio telephone handsets and said base unit;

turning OFF a transmitter of one of said radio telephone handsets when an intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is turned OFF; and

turning ON a transmitter of said radio telephone handset when said intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is turned ON;

wherein the step of establishing a speech radio channel comprises;

detecting a ring signal on said wired telephone line;

sending a paging signal on a first radio channel including a channel designating signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit when said ring signal is detected;

sending a paging response signal to said base unit from a responding one of said radio telephone handsets when said paging signal is received;

switching a radio channel of said responding radio telephone handset to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal; and

switching a radio channel of said base unit to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal, when said paging response signal is received by said base unit within a predetermined time interval after sending out said paging signal from said base unit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending a paging signal comprises:

sequentially sending the paging signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit according to a predetermined order of priority.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending a paging signal comprises:

sequentially sending out the paging signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit according to an order of priority that is randomly set for each detection of said paging signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending a paging signal comprises:

sequentially sending out the paging signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit according to a predetermined order of priority which is set according to a speech hysteresis of respective radio telephone handsets.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said predetermined order of priority is set such that a last one of said radio telephone handsets for which a speech channel was previously established has the highest priority.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of establishing a speech radio channel comprises:

sending a bell ringing signal to said responding one of said radio telephone handsets from said base unit after said base unit has been switched to the speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal;

producing an audible call tone in said responding one of said radio telephone handsets in response to said bell ringing signal; and

sending an off-hook signal to said base unit from said responding one of said radio telephone handsets when said responding one of said radio telephone handsets is taken off-hook, thereby interconnecting said wired telephone line and said responding one of said radio telephone handsets.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of establishing a speech radio channel comprises:

sending a bell ringing signal to said responding one of said radio telephone handsets from said base unit when said ring signal is detected and sending a bell-not-ringing signal when said ring signal is not detected after said base unit has been switched to said speech radio channel;

producing an audible call tone in said responding one of said radio telephone handsets in reponse to said bell ringing signal;

sending, in response to said call tone, an off-hook signal to said base unit from said responding one of said radio telephone handsets when said selected radio telephone handset is taken off-hook; and

resetting said radio telephone system to a waiting state when said responding one of said radio telephone handsets does not receive either said bell ringing signal or said bell-not-ringing signal, so as to interconnect said wired telephone line with said responding one of said radio telephone handsets.

8. A method of controlling a radio telephone system of the type wherein connections between a wired telephone line and a plurality of radio telephone handsets are controlled by a single base unit connected to said wired telephone line, said base unit and each said radio telephone handset having a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, said base unit connected to said radio telephone handsets by a radio channel, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a first radio channel for said plurality of radio telephone handsets in response to a ring signal on said telephone line;

establishing a speech radio channel among said plurality of radio telephone handsets and said base unit;

turning OFF the transmitter of a respective one of said radio telephone handsets when an intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is OFF; and

turning ON the transmitter of the respective one of said radio telephone handsets when said intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is turned ON.

9. A method of controlling a radio telephone system of the type wherein connections between a wired telephone line and a plurality of radio telephone handsets are controlled by a single base unit connected to said wired telephone line, said base unit and each said radio telephone handset having a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a first radio channel for said plurality of radio telephone handsets in response to a ring signal on said telephone line;

establishing a speech radio channel among said plurality of radio telephone handsets and said base unit;

turning OFF the transmitter of a respective one of said radio telephone handsets when an intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is OFF; and

turning ON the transmitter of the respective one of said radio telephone handsets when said intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is turned ON;

wherein the step of establishing a speech radio channel includes the substeps of;

detecting a ring signal on said wired telephone line;

sending a paging signal on said first radio channel including a channel designating signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit when said ring signal is detected;

sending a paging response signal to said base unit from a responding one of said radio telephone handsets when said paging signal is received;

switching a radio channel of said responding one of said radio telephone handsets to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal; and

switching a radio channel of said base unit to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal, when said paging response signal is received by said base unit within a predetermined time interval after sending out said paging signal from said base unit.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of sending a paging signal comprises:

sequentially sending the paging signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit according to a predetermined order of priority.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of sending a paging signal comprises:

sequentially sending out the paging signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit according to an order of priority that is randomly set for each detection of said paging signal.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of sending a paging signal comprises:

sequentially sending out the paging signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit according to a predetermined order of priority which is set according to a speech hysteresis of respective radio telephone handsets.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined order of priority is set such that a last one of said radio telephone handsets for which a speech channel was previously established has the highest priority.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of establishing a speech radio channel comprises:

sending a bell ringing signal to said responding one of said radio telephone handsets from said base unit after said base unit has been switched to the speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal;

producing an audible call tone in said responding one of said radio telephone handsets in response to said bell ringing signal; and

sending an off-hook signal to said base unit from said responding one of said radio telephone handsets when said responding one of said radio telephone handsets is taken off-hook, thereby interconnecting said wired telephone line and said responding one of said radio telephone handsets.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of establishing a speech radio channel comprises:

sending a bell ringing signal to said responding one of said radio telephone handsets from said base unit when said ring signal is detected and sending a bell-not-ringing signal when said ring signal is not detected after said base unit has been switched to said speech radio channel;

producing an audible call tone in said responding one of said radio telephone handsets in response to said bell ringing signal;

sending, in response to said call tone, an off-hook signal to said base unit from said responding one of said radio telephone handsets when said selected radio telephone handset is taken off-hook; and

resetting said radio telephone system to a waiting state when said responding one of said radio telephone handsets does not receive either said bell ringing signal or said bell-not-ringing signal, so as to interconnect said wired telephone line with said responding one of said radio telephone handsets.

16. A method of controlling a radio telephone system of the type wherein connections between a wired telephone line and a plurality of radio telephone handsets are controlled by a single base unit connected to said wired telephone line, said base unit and each said radio telephone handset having a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a first radio channel for said plurality of radio telephone handsets in response to a ring signal on said telephone line;

detecting in said base unit a ring signal on said wired telephone line;

sending a paging signal to said plurality of radio telephone handsets from said base unit when said ring signal is detected;

sending a paging response signal to said base unit from said radio telephone handsets in response to said paging signal;

sending a channel designating signal to said radio telephone handsets in response to said paging response signal;

switching a radio channel of said base unit to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal;

switching, in response to said channel designating signal, a radio channel of said radio telephone handsets to a speech radio channel corresponding to said channel designating signal;

turning OFF the transmitter of a respective one of said radio telephone handsets when an intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is OFF; and

turning ON the transmitter of the respective one of said radio telephone handsets when said intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is turned ON.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of sending a channel designating signal comprises:

sending said channel designating signal to said radio telephone handsets so as to switch the radio channels of said radio telephone handsets to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal.

18. The method of claim 16 further including the steps of:

sending a bell ringing signal to said radio telephone handsets from said base unit after the radio channel of said base unit has been switched to the speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal;

producing, in each of said radio telephone handsets, a call tone in response to said bell ringing signal; and

sending an off-hook signal to said base station from each of said radio telephone handsets when each of said radio telephone handsets is taken off-hook in response to said call tone, this interconnecting said wired telephone line with a first one of said radio telephone handsets to send out an off-hook signal.

19. A method of controlling a radio telephone system of the type wherein connections between a wired telephone line and a plurality of radio telephone handsets are controlled by a single base unit connected to said wired telephone line, said base unit and each said radio telephone handset having a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a first radio channel for said plurality of radio telephone handsets in response to a ring signal on said telephone line;

sending a call originating signal from an originating one of said radio telephone handsets;

sending, from said base unit and in response to said originating signal, a channel designating signal to said originating radio telephone handset;

switching a radio channel of said base unit to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal;

switching, in response to said channel designating signal, the radio channel of said originating radio telephone handset to a speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal;

turning OFF the transmitter of a respective one of said radio telephone handsets when an intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is OFF; and

turning ON the transmitter of the respective one of said radio telephone handsets when said intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is turned ON.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of sending a channel designating signal comprises:

sending said channel designating signal to said radio telephone handsets, to switch the radio channels of said radio telephone handsets to the speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of sending a channel designating signal comprises:

sending said channel designating signal to only said originating radio telephone handset from said base unit; and

switching only the radio channel of said originating radio telephone handset to the speech radio channel designated by said channel designating signal.

22. The method of claim 19 further including the steps of:

sending, in response to said originating signal, a call signal from said base unit to a selected one of said radio telephone handsets other than said originating radio telephone handset; and

sending, in response to said call signal, a call response signal to said base unit from said selected one of said radio telephone handsets.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of sending a channel designating signal comprises:

sending a channel designating signal to said selected one of said radio telephone handsets after a call response signal from said one of said radio telephone handsets has been confirmed in response to said call signal.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of sending a channel designating signal comprises:

sending the channel designating signal at a predetermined interval after sending said call signal when a call response signal sent from said selected one of said radio telephone handsets has not been confirmed in response to said call signal.

25. A method of controlling a radio telephone system of the type wherein connections between a wired telephone line and a plurality of radio telephone handsets are controlled by a single base unit connected to said wired telephone line, said base unit and each said radio telephone handset having a radio transmitter and a radio receiver, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a first radio channel for said plurality of radio telephone handsets in response to a ring signal on said telephone line;

establishing a speech radio channel between said radio telephone handsets and said base unit;

turning OFF the transmitter of a respective one of said radio telephone handsets when an intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is OFF;

turning ON the transmitter of the respective one of said radio telephone handsets when said intercom switch on said radio telephone handset is turned ON;

sending an intercom signal to said base unit from one of said radio telephone handsets in response to an ON operation of said intercom switch;

sending, in response to receipt of the intercom signal, a bell ringing signal to an addressed one of said radio telephone handsets from said base unit;

generating, in said addressed radio telephone handset, an audible call tone in response to said bell ringing signal; and

enabling said transmitter of said addressed radio telephone handset when said addressed radio telephone handset is taken off-hook in response to said call tone.