Cordless telephone system including detachable radio unit for communicating with a base unit and a mobile unit

• US 5,365,573 A
• Filed: 03/23/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Naruhiko, Ishida, Shinjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/035,727
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/61, 379/67, 379/433, 379/110, 455/89, 455/90, 455/11.1, 455/15, 455/74, 455/95
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line

Abstract

In a cordless telephone system, a radio communication unit is detachably connected to a base unit of the cordless telephone system. While the radio communication unit is electrically and physically separated from the telephone base unit, and brought out from a home or a firm, a radio communication is established between the radio communication unit and a telephone mobile unit, but also between the telephone mobile unit and a telephone subscriber via the base unit. Thus, an outdoor type telephone mobile unit is available in the cordless telephone system.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone system comprising:

a telephone base unit having a main body;

a radio communication unit detachably connected to said main body of the telephone base unit, said radio communication unit including a transmitting/receiving means for performing a radio communication with a telephone mobile unit, wherein said transmitting/receiving means performs radio communication with said telephone mobile unit when said radio communication unit is detached from said telephone base unit, and performs radio communication with said telephone mobile unit and further is connectable to a telephone subscriber line when said radio communication unit is connected to said telephone base unit; and

a telephone channel interface unit provided within said main body of said telephone base unit, for interfacing said radio communication unit with a telephone subscriber line.

2. A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body of said telephone base unit has a storage portion for storing said radio communication unit.

3. A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio communication unit is electrically connected to said telephone channel interface unit when said radio communication unit is electrically connected to said main body of said telephone base unit.

4. A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio communication unit includes a battery, and is powered by said battery when said radio communication unit is separated from said main body of the telephone base unit.

5. A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio communication unit includes:

mobile unit selecting means for selectively calling one of a plurality of telephone mobile units.

6. A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio communication unit includes a speaker and a microphone, by which a radio communication is carried out between the telephone mobile unit and said radio communication unit.

7. A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio communication unit includes:

a terminal unit for connection to a speaker and a microphone.

8. A cordless telephone system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main body of said telephone base unit includes:

a handset independent of the telephone mobile unit, and capable of communicating with said telephone subscriber line, irrespective of a connection/disconnection state between said radio communication unit and said main body of said telephone base unit.

9. A cordless telephone apparatus with an automatic telephone message recording function, comprising:

a telephone base unit having a main body;

a radio communication unit detachably connected to said main body of the telephone base unit, said radio communication unit including a transmitting/receiving means for performing a radio communication with a telephone mobile unit, wherein said transmitting/receiving means performs a radio communication with said telephone mobile unit when said radio communication unit is detached from said telephone base unit, and performs radio communication with said telephone mobile unit and further is connectable to a telephone subscriber line, when said radio communication unit is connected to said telephone base unit;

a telephone channel interface unit provided within said main body of said telephone base unit, for interfacing said radio communication unit with a telephone subscriber line; and

an automatic telephone message recording unit provided within said main body of said telephone base unit, for automatically recording a telephone message.

10. A cordless telephone apparatus with an automatic telephone message recording function, as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

sensing means for sensing that said radio communication unit is separated from said main body of said telephone base unit, thereby producing a separation sensing signal; and

control means for controlling an operation mode of said cordless telephone apparatus to be set to an automatic telephone message recording mode in response to said separation sensing signal derived from said sensing means.

11. A cordless telephone apparatus with an automatic telephone message recording function, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said radio communication unit is electrically connected to said telephone channel interface unit when said radio communication unit is electrically connected to said main body of said telephone base unit.

12. A cordless telephone apparatus with an automatic telephone message recording function, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said radio communication unit includes:

a key input unit for inputting a telephone number;

a speaker for audibly reproducing a voice of a telephone user; and

a microphone for picking up a voice of a telephone user.

13. A cordless telephone apparatus with an automatic telephone message recording function, as claimed in claim 12, wherein when said radio communication unit is connected to said main body of the telephone base unit, said main body of the telephone base unit performs a telephone communication with the telephone subscriber line with employment of said key input unit, said speaker, and said microphone.

14. A cordless telephone apparatus with an automatic telephone message recording function, as claimed in claim 13, wherein when said radio communication unit is connected to the main body of said telephone base unit, said cordless telephone apparatus with the automatic telephone message recording function is operable as a hands-free telephone apparatus.