Transmission of interconnection information for next generation cordless telephone networks

• US 5,259,021 A
• Filed: 03/09/1993
• Issued: 11/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Brian K., Lambrecht, Frank E., Krupczynski, Felix W., Antilla, Gary A., Patsiokas, Stelios J., Stuglik, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Application Number:
  US08/028,758
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/60, 379/61, 379/62, 379/63, 379/134, 455/54.1, 455/58.2
• US Class Current: 455/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

A public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device (20) is provided. At least one transceiver (30a-n) interconnects a plurality of portable telephones (12) to the public telephone network (16). A channel monitor (38) monitors the transceivers (30a-n and 82) to provide information. At least one information transceiver (82) interconnects the plurality of portable telephones (12) to and is responsive to the monitor (38) for transmitting (104) the information to the plurality of portable telephones (12).

Claims

1. A two-way communication system having a public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device for allocating at least one communication channel, out of a plurality of predetermined radio communication channels, among a plurality of portable telephones, said interconnection device having the capability of interconnecting a predetermined maximum number of phone lines linked with a predetermined number of a radio communication channel subset of said plurality of predetermined radio communication channels, said system comprising:

each of said plurality of requesting portable telephones comprising;

transmitting means for transmitting a message representing a request to communicate on one of said radio communication channels;

means for receiving a signal representing a time duration approximation indicating an average phone-line access wait time estimate during which time other portable telephones may communicate prior to said requesting portable telephone being allowed to communicate; and

means for indicating said average wait time estimate; and

said public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device comprising;

a predetermined corresponding plurality of transceiving means, operating over said subset, for providing communication links with said communication channel subset and said predetermined maximum number of phone lines and for interconnecting as many of said plurality of portable telephones to the public telephone network, as connectable, when one channel of said communication channel subset becomes available;

monitoring means for monitoring said communication links of said plurality of transceiving means with said phone lines to determine an availability of portable telephones to public telephone network interconnections for approximating how long is said wait time, based on past statistics, in order to provide said average wait time estimate for apprising a requesting user of said requesting portable telephone of said approximate duration until an available communication channel out of said subset becomes free; and

information transceiving means, operating over said one of said plurality of predetermined radio communication channels, for interconnecting said portable telephone to and responsive to said monitoring means for transmitting information to said requesting portable telephone for indicating that the number of portable telephone to public telephone network interconnections equals said predetermined maximum number of phone lines, said information including said average wait time estimate, said information transmitted over said one of said communication channels not currently linked with said predetermined number of phone lines to serve as a temporary information link for receiving said request, said information transceiving means dropping said temporary information link with said requesting portable telephone when said available communication channel of said predetermined subset of communication channels becomes available to provide said grant to communicate.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising in said public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device:

memory means for logging said availability of portable telephones to public telephone network interconnections.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said monitoring means includes memory means for storing traffic statistics of said plurality of transceiving means previously monitored to determine the average wait time estimate before availability of a portable telephone to public telephone network interconnection.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein

said monitoring means comprises monitoring means for monitoring said information transceiving means receiving said request for providing a in-service determination if said requesting portable telephone is within a service area of said information transceiving means, in order for said information transceiving means to transmit said information, including said in-service determination to said requesting portable telephone.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said monitoring means comprises means for determining a placement of said requesting portable telephone in a queue.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one information transceiving means transmits said information representing a calling back of said requesting portable telephone in said queue.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one information transceiving means transmits said information representing a calling back of said requesting portable telephone in said queue if all of said predetermined plurality of phone-lines are unavailable.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said transmitting means comprises means for transmitting a request for an in service area determination.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said at least one information transceiver means comprises means for transmitting said in service area determination, responsive to receiving said request for said determination.

3. A two-way communication system having a public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device for allocating at least one communication channel, out of a plurality of predetermined radio communication channels, among a plurality of portable telephones, said interconnection device having the capability of interconnecting a predetermined maximum number of phone lines, less than said plurality of predetermined communication channels, to a subset of requesting portable telephones within a service area operating over said maximum number of a radio communication channel subset, said system comprising:

each of said plurality of requesting portable telephones comprising;

transmitting means for transmitting a message representing a request to communicate on one of said radio communication channels;

receiving means for receiving a signal representing a time duration approximation indicating an average phone-line access wait time estimate during which time other portable telephones may communicate prior to said requesting portable telephone being allowed to communicate; and

indicating means for indicating said average wait time estimate; and

said public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device comprising;

a predetermined corresponding plurality of transceiving means operating over said radio communication channel subset for providing a corresponding number of communication links for linking said communication channel subset with said predetermined maximum number of phone lines and for interconnecting as many of said plurality of portable telephones within said service area to the public telephone network, as connectable, when one channel of said communication channel subset becomes available;

monitoring means for monitoring said communication links of said plurality of transceiving means with said phone lines to determine an availability of portable telephones to public telephone network interconnections for approximating how long is said wait time, based on past statistics, in order to provide said average wait time estimate for apprising a requesting user of said requesting portable telephone of said approximate duration until an available communication channel out of said subset becomes free; and

information transceiving means, operating over said one of said plurality of predetermined radio communication channels, for interconnecting said requesting portable telephone to and responsive to said monitoring means for transmitting information to said requesting portable telephone for indicating that the number of portable telephone to public telephone network interconnections equals said predetermined predetermined maximum number of phone lines, said information including said average wait time estimate,

said information further includes an in range message to said requesting portable telephone requesting said in range message when said requesting telephone is within said service area.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said indicating means include means for generating and indicating an out-of-service representation when said receiving means did not receive said in range message after said request was transmitted.

5. A cordless communication system having a public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device for connecting a plurality of portable telephones to a public telephone network operating over a predetermined number of a radio communication channel subset of a plurality of predetermined radio communication channels, said system comprising:

a requesting portable telephone comprising;

transceiver means for transmitting a message representing a request for communicating with said public telephone network and for receiving information from said public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device for indicating how long of an average wait time estimate for phone-line access, prior to said request of said requesting portable telephone will be granted on one channel of said predetermined subset of communication channels;

indicating means for representing said information as an approximate duration of said wait time until one channel of said communication channel subset becomes available for said portable telephone to be allowed to communicate; and

said public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device comprising;

a predetermined corresponding plurality of transceiving means for providing said communication channel subset and interconnecting as many of said plurality of portable telephones to the public telephone network, as connectable, when one channel of said communication channel subset becomes available;

monitoring means for allocating at least one communication channel of said subset among said plurality of portable telephones to be used with said plurality of transceiving means and for monitoring a usage of said transceiving means for determining how long is said wait time, based on past statistics, to provide said information including said average wait time estimate for apprising a requesting user of said requesting portable telephone of said approximate duration until an available communication channel out of said subset becomes free;

interfacing means for providing a predetermined number of phone lines corresponding to said predetermined number of said subset of communication channels for connecting one of said plurality of portable telephones to the public telephone network when one of said transceiving means is available, responsive to said monitoring means; and

information transceiving means for interconnecting said requesting portable telephone to and responsive to said monitoring means for transmitting said information to said requesting portable telephone over one of said communication channels not currently linked with said predetermined number of phone lines to serve as a temporary information link for receiving said request, said information transceiving means dropping said temporary information link with said requesting portable telephone when said available communication channel of said subset of communication channels becomes available.

6. The cordless communication system of claim 5 wherein said information transceiving means includes scanning means for scanning the remaining free channels of said plurality of predetermined communication channels to receive said request.

7. The cordless communication system of claim 5 wherein said public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device comprises a public base station operating in accordance with the standard protocol of the second-generation digital cordless telephony (CT2).

8. A two-way communication system having a public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device for allocating at least one communication channel among a plurality of portable telephones, said system comprising:

a requesting portable telephone comprising;

transmitting means for transmitting a message representing a request to communicate;

means for receiving a signal representing a time duration approximation indicating an average phone-line access wait time estimate during which time other portable telephones may communicate prior to said requesting portable telephone being allowed to communicate; and

means for indicating said average wait time estimate; and

said public telephone network to portable telephone interconnection device comprising;

a predetermined corresponding plurality of transceiving means for interconnecting a predetermined corresponding plurality of phone-lines from a corresponding number of said plurality of portable telephones to the public telephone network;

monitoring means for monitoring said transceiving means to determine said average wait time estimate approximating how long of a delay is required in order to grant the requests to communicate of other portable telephones prior to said request of said portable telephone and to provide information, said information including said average wait time estimate; and

information transceiving means receiving said message representing said request to communicate and for interconnecting said requesting portable telephone to and responsive to said monitoring means for transmitting said information including said average wait time estimate to said requesting portable telephone.