Multiple user base stations and methods for radio personal communications systems

• US 5,771,453 A
• Filed: 06/19/1995
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Haartsen, Jacobus Cornelius
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US08/492,336
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 379/57, 379/58, 379/59, 379/61, 455/33.1, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/409, 455/449, 455/561, 455/426, 455/552
• US Class Current: 455/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/105 PBS [Private Base Station] network H04W84/12 - H04W84/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A telephone base station allows a wire telephone network to be accessed by multiple cellular terminals within the local region of the base station. The users are generally members of a specified group such as a family or business. The base station is connected to the wire telephone network by a single line so that the radio transceiver of the base station communicates with the multiple cellular terminals serially. Each of the cellular terminals is authenticated upon entry of the local area. During communication with a given terminal, the remaining terminals in the local area are prevented from accessing the base station. Upon receipt of an incoming call, a message is transmitted to the caller to identify the desired cellular terminal. The base station then communicates with the identified cellular terminal and prevents access by the remaining terminals.

Claims

1. A telephone base station which connects a wire telephone network to a plurality of cellular terminals within a local region in a cell of a wide area cellular network which uses a plurality of channels within a cellular network spectrum, said telephone base station comprising:

a portable housing;

wire telephone network connecting means extending within said portable housing; and

radio transceiving means in said portable housing, said radio transceiving means communicating with said plurality of cellular terminals within said local region using a channel selected from said cellular network spectrum;

terminal identifying means;

responsive to receipt of an inbound call to said base station from said wire telephone network connecting means, for identifying a cellular terminal to which the inbound call is directed;

wherein said terminal identifying means comprises;

inbound call accepting means, for accepting an inbound call to said base station from said wire telephone network connecting means;

terminal identification requesting means, responsive to said inbound call accepting means, for requesting via said wire telephone network connecting means, identification of a cellular terminal to which the inbound call is directed;

terminal identification accepting means, responsive to said terminal identification requesting means, for accepting identification of a cellular terminal via said wire telephone network connecting means; and

call placing means, for controlling said transceiving means to communicate with the identified cellular terminal.

2. A telephone base station according to claim 1 wherein said terminal identification requesting means comprises means for transmitting a stored audible message requesting identification via said wire telephone network connecting means.

3. A telephone base station according to claim 2 wherein said terminal identification accepting means comprises means for decoding DTMF tones received from said wire telephone line connecting means to identify a cellular terminal.

4. A telephone base station according to claim 2 wherein said terminal identification accepting means comprises means for decoding voice messages received from said wire telephone line connecting means to identify a cellular terminal.

5. A telephone base station which connects a wire telephone network to a plurality of cellular terminals within a local region in a cell of a wide area cellular network which uses a plurality of channels within a cellular network spectrum, said telephone base station comprising:

a portable housing;

wire telephone network connecting means extending within said portable housing;

radio transceiving means in said portable housing, said radio transceiving means communicating with said plurality of cellular terminals within said local region using a channel selected from said cellular network spectrum;

access preventing means, responsive to placement of a telephone call by one of said cellular terminals and responsive to receipt of a telephone call by one of said cellular terminals via said base station from said wire telephone network connecting means, for preventing remaining ones of said cellular terminals in said local region from accessing said wire telephone network connecting means, such that only a single cellular terminal communicates with said wire telephone network via said base station at any time;

wherein said access preventing means further comprises means for preventing access to said wide area cellular network by the remaining cellular terminals within said local region;

terminal identifying means, responsive to receipt of an inbound call to said base station from said wire telephone network connecting means, for identifying a cellular terminal to which the inbound call is directed;

wherein said terminal identifying means comprises;

inbound call accepting means, for accepting an inbound call to said base station from said wire telephone network connecting means;

terminal identification requesting means, responsive to said inbound call accepting means, for requesting via said wire telephone network connecting means, identification of a cellular terminal to which the inbound call is directed;

terminal identification accepting means, responsive to said terminal identification requesting means, for accepting identification of a cellular terminal via said wire telephone network connecting means; and

call placing means, for controlling said transceiving means to communicate with the identified cellular terminal.

6. A telephone base station according to claim 5 wherein said terminal identification requesting means comprises means for transmitting a stored audible message requesting identification via said wire telephone network connecting means.

7. A telephone base station according to claim 6 wherein said terminal identification accepting means comprises means for decoding DTMF tones received over said wire telephone line connecting means to identify a cellular terminal.

8. A telephone base station according to claim 6 wherein said terminal identification accepting means comprises means for decoding voice messages received from said wire telephone line connecting means to identify a cellular terminal.

9. A method of operating a portable telephone base station which includes a cellular radio transceiver which transmits and receives within a local region, said method comprising the steps of:

locating said portable telephone base station in a cell of a wide area cellular network which uses a plurality of channels within a cellular network spectrum;

connecting said portable telephone base station to a wire telephone network;

controlling said radio transceiver to communicate with a predetermined plurality of cellular terminals within said local region, using a channel selected from said cellular network spectrum, such that said predetermined plurality of cellular terminals within said local region access said wire telephone network via said portable base station;

identifying a cellular terminal from said predetermined plurality of cellular terminals, to which an inbound call is directed responsive to receipt of said inbound call to said base station from said wire telephone network;

wherein said identifying step comprises the steps of;

requesting via said wire telephone network, identification of said cellular terminal to which said inbound call is directed;

accepting identification of said cellular terminal from said wire telephone network; and

controlling said transceiver to communicate with the identified cellular terminal.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said requesting step comprises the step of:

transmitting a stored audible message to said wire telephone network which requests identification of said cellular terminal to which said inbound call is directed.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said accepting step comprises the step of:

decoding DTMF tones received from said wire telephone network to identify said cellular terminal to which said inbound call is directed.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein said accepting step comprises the step of:

decoding voice messages received from said wire telephone network to identify said cellular terminal to which said inbound cell is directed.