Automatically configuring wireless PBX system
First Claim
1. A wireless telephone system comprising:
- a control unit for connecting to a switched network; and
a plurality of stations for communicating with the control unit over a wireless communication channel, the plurality of stations being dispersed so as to divide a location of the telephone system into multiple areas from which telephone service for each area is provided by one of the plurality of stations located in an associated one of the multiple areas, the control unit including means for configuring at least a selected first one of the plurality of stations for simultaneously providing telephone service with the control unit for both the area associated with said selected first one of the plurality of stations and for areas associated with selected second ones of the plurality of stations located outside of the communication range of the control unit, and wherein the control unit includes means for storing a unique signal code for communicating with each of the plurality of stations and comparison means for comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the plurality of stations requesting service, the comparison means causing the control unit to be unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the control unit.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless PBX system provides ease of installation without site engineering or trial-and-error placement of components within the system. In its basic form, the wireless PBX system consists of only two types of components: a control unit including an radio frequency transceiver; and fixed location terminals, such as telephones and voice/data stations, which also include radio frequency transceivers. Portable handsets are optionally included in the system to allow for customer mobility. Installation of the PBX system is achieved simply by placing the system components in the desired locations at a premises, plugging them into line power, and performing some simple programming steps including a final step of initiating an automatic configuring process. Through this process, the system automatically configures itself for optimum operation in view of the radio environment and placement of components within the system at the customer premises. In the operation of this process, the control unit exchanges various radio messages with the terminals, decides which terminals should also serve as repeaters for linking those more distantly located terminals, and determines the appropriate frame structure for the system. A positive display indication at the control unit, following the end of the automatic configuring process, shows that all terminals have been linked and that the system is operating normally.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wireless telephone system comprising:
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a control unit for connecting to a switched network; and a plurality of stations for communicating with the control unit over a wireless communication channel, the plurality of stations being dispersed so as to divide a location of the telephone system into multiple areas from which telephone service for each area is provided by one of the plurality of stations located in an associated one of the multiple areas, the control unit including means for configuring at least a selected first one of the plurality of stations for simultaneously providing telephone service with the control unit for both the area associated with said selected first one of the plurality of stations and for areas associated with selected second ones of the plurality of stations located outside of the communication range of the control unit, and wherein the control unit includes means for storing a unique signal code for communicating with each of the plurality of stations and comparison means for comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the plurality of stations requesting service, the comparison means causing the control unit to be unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a wireless telephone system, an arrangement for automatically configuring a plurality of stations for operating in said system, the arrangement comprising:
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a control unit for connecting to a switched network; and a plurality of stations for communicating with the control unit over a wireless communication channel, the plurality of stations being dispersed so as to divide a location of the telephone system into multiple areas from which telephone service for each area is provided by one of the plurality of stations, the control unit comprising means for selecting at least a first one of the plurality of stations during an auto-configuring operation for simultaneously providing telephone service with the control unit for both the area associated with said selected first one of the plurality of stations and for areas associated with said selected second ones of the plurality of stations, and wherein the control unit includes means for storing a unique signal code for communicating with each of the plurality of stations and comparison means for comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the plurality of stations requesting service, the comparison means causing the control unit to be unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of configuring a plurality of stations for operation in a wireless telephone system, the method comprising the steps of:
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connecting a control unit to a switched network, the control unit being arranged for communicating over a wireless communication channel; configuring a first station for communicating over the communication channel and for operating as a repeater for a more remote station upon receipt of a signal from the control unit, the first station simultaneously operating as a station for originating and receiving calls directed to it and as a repeater station for providing communications between the control unit and the more remote unit, storing in the control unit a unique signal code for communicating with each of the plurality of stations; and comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the plurality of stations requesting service, the control unit being unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the control unit.
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16. A wireless PBX comprising:
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a first telephone station; central control means for interconnecting said first telephone station with a telephone network via a first wireless communications channel between said first telephone station and said control means; and a second telephone station interconnected to said central control means via a communications channel which includes a second wireless communications channel between said second telephone station and said first telephone station and which further includes said first wireless communications channel, and wherein the central control means includes means for storing a unique signal code for communicating with each of the telephone stations and comparison means for comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the telephone stations requesting service, the comparison means causing the central control means to be unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the central control means, the central control means configuring said first telephone station for simultaneously operating as a station for originating and receiving calls directed to it and as a repeater station for communicating calls between the telephone network and said second telephone station via both the first wireless communications channel and the second wireless communications channel.
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17. A central control unit for use in a wireless PBX which includes at least first and second telephone stations, said central control unit comprising:
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means for connecting said central control unit to a telephone network; means for establishing a direct wireless connection between said central control unit and said first telephone station; and means for establishing a repeatered wireless connection between said central control unit and said second telephone station, said repeatered wireless connection including said first telephone station, and wherein said control unit includes means for storing a unique signal code for communicating with each of the first and second telephone stations and comparison means for comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the first and second telephone stations requesting service, the comparison means causing the control unit to be unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the control unit, the control unit configuring said first telephone station for simultaneously operating as a station for originating and receiving calls directed to it and as a repeater station for operating within said repeatered wireless connection, said first telephone station communicating calls between said central control unit and said second telephone station via both the direct wireless connection and the repeatered wireless connection.
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18. A wireless PBX system comprising:
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a central control unit and a plurality of wireless telephone stations which permit originating and receiving calls at each station, said central control unit comprising; means for establishing a wireless telephonic communications channel with each of said wireless telephone stations and for simultaneously interconnecting said wireless communications channels to a telephone network, ones of said wireless telephonic communications channels being unrepeatered and at least one other of them being a repeatered channel which includes at least one of said unrepeatered channels; means for storing a unique signal code for communicating with each of the plurality of stations; and comparison means for comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the plurality of stations requesting service, the comparison means causing the control unit to be unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the control unit.
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19. A plurality of telephone stations for use in a wireless PBX system which includes a central control unit for interconnecting said telephone stations with a telephone network via a wireless communications channel between said telephone stations and said control unit, a first one of the telephone stations comprising:
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means for establishing a direct wireless connection between said central control unit and said first one of the telephone stations; means for establishing a repeatered wireless connection between said central control unit and a second one of the telephone stations, said repeatered wireless connection existing simultaneously with said direct wireless connection; and means for simultaneously operating as a station for originating and receiving calls directed to said first station and as a repeater station for operating within said repeatered wireless connection for communicating calls between said central control unit and said second telephone station via both the direct wireless connection and the repeatered wireless connection, and wherein the control unit includes means for storing a unique signal code for communicating with each of the plurality of stations and comparison means for comparing said unique signal code with a signal code received in said control unit from each of the plurality of stations requesting service, the comparison means causing the control unit to be unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing said unique signal code recognized by the control unit.
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20. A method of operation for a central control unit arranged for use in a wireless PBX which includes a plurality of telephone stations, said method comprising the steps of:
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connecting said central control unit to a telephone network; storing in said central control unit a unique signal code for communicating with each of the plurality of telephone stations, the control unit being unresponsive to any requests for service from a station not providing a unique signal code recognized by the control unit; establishing a direct wireless connection between the control unit and each one of said plurality of telephone stations; using as a repeater a first one of the plurality of telephone stations with which a direct wireless connection between the control unit and said first one of the plurality of telephone stations is established for establishing a repeatered wireless connection between the control unit and a second one of said plurality of telephone stations with which a direct wireless connection is not established during the establishing step; and configuring said first telephone station for simultaneously operating as a station for originating and receiving calls directed to it and as a repeater station for operating within said repeatered wireless connection, said first telephone station communicating calls between said central control unit and said second telephone station via both the direct wireless connection and the repeatered wireless connection.
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Specification