Mixed-mode transceiver system

• US 5,249,302 A
• Filed: 02/11/1991
• Issued: 09/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kiem, Joshua P., Metroka, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charouel, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US07/653,835
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/15, 455/17, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/33.3, 455/34.1, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/22, 455/56.1, 455/88, 455/89, 455/90, 455/93, 455/186.1, 455/74, 455/78 , 455/101, 455/102, 455/103, 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/63, 307/350, 375/5, 375/7, 375/56, 375/110, 370/11
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A radiotelephone system comprised of a radiotelephone-pair suitably intercoupled theretogether to permit transfer of data, such as NAM information, therebetween. A first of the radiotelephone-pair comprises a radiotelephone of conventional construction. A second radiotelephone of the radiotelephone-pair comprises a radiotelephone having circuitry to transmit efficiently an information signal upon a cellular, communication system of increased capacity. The data sequence contained in the first radiotelephone is transferred to the second radiotelephone to permit a communication link to be formed between the second radiotelephone and a cellular, communication network.

Claims

1. A mixed-mode transceiver system operable on a communication network having at least one fixed site including receiver circuitry for receiving information signals modulated at least in a first transmission mode to form modulated signals of first modulation characteristics, and alternately, modulated in a second transmission mode to form modulated signals of a type having other than the first modulation characteristics, said transceiver system comprising:

at least two transceivers wherein a first transceiver of the at least two transceivers is operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site the information signals modulated in the first transmission mode to form the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics and a second transceiver of the at least two transceivers is operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site the information signals modulated in the second transmission mode to form the modulated signals of the type having other than the first modulation characteristics, and wherein at least one of said first transceiver and said second transceiver of the at least two transceivers contains a code which, when modulated and transmitted to a fixed site of the at least one fixed site of the communication network, causes a communication link to be created therewith; and

Plug connector means for intercoupling said first transceiver and said second transceiver to transfer said code from the first transceiver to the second transceiver when the code is contained in the first transceiver to modulate the code in the second transmission mode to form the modulated signals having other than the first modulation characteristics or from the second transceiver to the first transceiver when the code is contained in the second transceiver to modulate the code in the first transmission mode to form the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics.

2. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein the code contained by at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver is contained by both the first transceiver and the second transceiver.

3. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said code contained by at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver comprises a data set for uniquely identifying the first transceiver when the code is contained in the first transceiver and for uniquely identifying the second transceiver when the code is contained in the second transceiver.

4. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 3 wherein said data set comprises number assignment module data.

5. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said plug connector means for intercoupling comprises a bus interconnecting the first transceiver and the second transceiver.

6. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 5 wherein the bus interconnecting the first transceiver and the second transceiver comprises a three-line bus formed of a true, complement, and return line.

7. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 5 wherein the bus interconnecting the first transceiver and the second transceiver comprises a single-line, serial communications interface bus.

8. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics comprise frequency-modulated signals of conventional bandwidths.

9. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said modulated signals having the other than the first modulation characteristics comprise modulated signals formed by a discrete-modulation technique.

10. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said modulated signals having the other than the first modulation characteristics comprise frequency-modulated signals of reduced bandwidths.

11. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said first transceiver of the at least two transceivers comprises a portable radiotelephone.

12. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said second transceiver of the at least two transceivers comprises a mobile radiotelephone.

13. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 wherein said second transceiver of the at least two transceivers is further operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site information signals modulated in a third transmission mode also to form the modulates signals having other than the first modulation characteristics.

14. The mixed-mode transceiver system of claim 1 further comprising means disposed within at least one of the first transceiver and the second transceiver for determining times when the plug connector means for intercoupling couples the first transceiver and the second transceiver theretogether.

15. A radiotelephone system operable on a cellular communication network having at least one fixed site including receiver circuitry for receiving information signals modulated at least in a first transmission mode to form modulated signals of first modulation characteristics, and alternately, modulated in a second transmission mode to form modulated signals of a type having other than the first modulation characteristics, said radiotelephone system comprising:

two radiotelephones wherein a first radiotelephone is operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site the information signals modulated to form the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics and a second radiotelephone is operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site the information signals modulated to form the modulated signals of the type having other than the first modulation characteristics and wherein at least one of said first radiotelephone and said second radiotelephone contains a code which, when modulated and transmitted to a fixed site of the at least one fixed site of the communication network, causes a communication link to be created therewith; and

Plug connector means for intercoupling said first radiotelephone and said second radiotelephone to transfer said code provided to the cellular communication network from the first radiotelephone to the second radiotelephone or from the second radiotelephone to the first radiotelephone to transmit the code when modulated to form either the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics of the modulated signals of the type having the other than the first modulation characteristics.

16. A radiotelephone-pair operable on a cellular communication network having at least one fixed site including receiver circuitry for receiving information signals modulated at least in a first transmission mode to form modulated signals of first modulation characteristics, and alternately, modulated in a second transmission mode to form modulated signals of a type having other than the first modulation characteristics, said radiotelephone-pair comprising:

a portable radiotelephone operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site information signals modulated to form the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics;

a mobile radiotelephone operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site the information signals modulated in the second transmission mode to form the modulated signals of the type having other than the first modulation characteristics wherein at least one of said portable radiotelephone and said mobile radiotelephone contains a code which, when modulated and transmitted to a fixed site of the at least one fixed site of the communication network, causes a communication link to be created therewith; and

Plug connector means for intercoupling said portable radiotelephone and said mobile radiotelephone to transfer said code from the portable radiotelephone to the mobile radiotelephone to modulate the code in the second transmission mode to form the modulated signal having other than the first modulation characteristics or from the mobile radiotelephone to the portable radiotelephone to modulate the code in the first transmission mode to form the modulated signals having the first modulation characteristics.

17. A method for communicating with a communication network having at least one fixed site including receiver circuitry for receiving information signals modulated at least in a first transmission mode to form modulated signals of first modulation characteristics, and alternately, modulated in a second transmission mode to form modulated signals of a type having other than the first modulation characteristics, said method comprising the steps of:

intercoupling by a plug connector, at least two transceivers theretogether wherein a first of the at least two transceivers is operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site information signals modulated to form the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics and a second transceiver is operable to transmit to the at least one fixed site information signals modulated to form the modulated signals of the type having other than the first modulation characteristics, and wherein at least one of said first transceiver and said second transceiver of the at least two transceivers contains a code which, when transmitted to a fixed site of the at least one fixed site of the communication network, permits a communication link to be created therewith;

transferring said code to the first transceiver when the code is contained in the second transceiver and said information signal is to be modulated to form the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics;

transferring said code to the second transceiver when the code is contained in the first transceiver and said information signal is to be modulated to form the modulated signals of the type other than modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics; and

transmitting the code to a fixed site of the at least one fixed site of the communication network either by modulating the code to form the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics or by modulating the code to form the modulated signals of the type other than the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics to permit formation thereby of said communication link between one of the at least two transceivers and the at least one fixed site of the communication network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first of the at least two transceivers intercoupled during said step of intercoupling comprises a portable radiotelephone.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the second of the at least two transceivers intercoupled during said step of intercoupling comprises a mobile radiotelephone.

20. A radio arrangement for communicating on a radio system having a fixed site and a plurality of radio units, the arrangement comprising:

a first radio unit for transmitting information signals modulated to form modulated signals of first modulation characteristics and having at least one information set for establishing a radio frequency communication link between itself and the fixed site;

a second radio unit for transmitting information signals modulated to form modulated signals of a type having other than the first modulation characteristics and having a second information set for establishing a radio frequency communication link between itself and the fixed site; and

intercoupling plug connector means for intercoupling said first and second radio units and for allowing said first and second radio units to transfer a code therebetween, which code designates said first information set to be used by said second radio unit for communication with the fixed site during said intercoupling.

21. A radio arrangement for communicating on a radio system having a fixed site and a plurality of radio units, the arrangement comprising:

a first radio unit having a first transceiver for transmitting information signals modulated to form modulated signals of first modulation characteristics for enabling radio communication with the fixed site;

a second radio unit having a second radio transceiver for transmitting information signals modulated to form modulated signals of a type other than the modulated signals of the first modulation characteristics for enabling radio communications with the fixed site; and

intercoupling plug connector means for intercoupling said first radio unit to said second radio unit such that said first radio unit employs said second transceiver for radio communications with the fixed site during said intercoupling.