Data communication using a dual mode radiotelephone

• US 5,898,920 A
• Filed: 04/25/1996
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jacobs, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/636,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/79, 379/58, 380/23
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A data communication system which enables an electronic accessory, such as a computer, to communicate data in both an analog type radiotelephone system and a digital type radiotelephone system. The data communication system first determines in which type of system it is operating and the dual mode radiotelephone (101) then uses the data signal at either the analog input port (104) or the digital input port (105), depending on the type of system.

Claims

1. A data communications system for communicating data in a digital radio network or an analog radio network, the data communications system comprising:

an electronic accessory that generates a digital data signal;

a modulator/demodulator, coupled to the electronic accessory, for generating a modulated data signal from the digital data signal; and

a radiotelephone, coupled to the modulator/demodulator and said electronic accessory, the radiotelephone having

means for determining whether the radiotelephone is in the digital radio network or the analog radio network,

means for selecting the digital data signal from the electronic accessory when the radiotelephone is operating in the digital radio network, and

means for selecting the modulated data signal from the modulator/demodulator when the radiotelephone is operating in the analog radio network,

wherein the radiotelephone communicates the digital data signal when the radiotelephone is operating in the digital radio network and wherein the radiotelephone communicates the modulated data signal when the radiotelephone is operating in the analog radio network.

2. The data communications system of claim 1 wherein the digital radio network is a code division multiple access compatible network and the analog radio network is an advanced mobile phone system compatible network.

8. The data communications system of claim 1 wherein said electronic accessory interrogates said radiotelephone to determine whether said radiotelephone is operating in said digital radio network or said analog radio network and wherein said electronic accessory instructs said modulator/demodulator to provide said digital signal to said radiotelephone when said radiotelephone is operating in said digital radio network and to provide said modulated data signal to said radiotelephone when said radiotelephone is operating in said analog radio network.

9. The data communications system of claim 1 wherein said modulator/demodulator interrogates said radiotelephone to determine whether said radiotelephone is operating in said digital radio network or said analog radio network and wherein said modulator/demodulator provides said digital data signal to said radiotelephone for said radiotelephone to communicate when said radiotelephone is operating in said digital radio network and provides said modulated data signal to said radiotelephone for said radiotelephone to communicate when said radiotelephone is operating in said analog radio network.

3. A method for communicating data with an electronic accessory coupled to a radiotelephone through a modem, the radiotelephone having a digital mode for use in a digital type radiotelephone system and an analog mode for use in an analog type radiotelephone system, the electronic accessory generating a digital signal and the modem generating an analog signal from the digital signal, the radiotelephone coupled to the modem by a first input for accepting the digital signal and a second input for accepting the analog signal, the method comprising the steps of:

determining, in said radiotelephone, whether the radiotelephone is operating in the digital or the analog type radiotelephone system;

selecting, by said radiotelephone, the digital signal from the electronic accessory via said first input when the radiotelephone is operating in the digital type radiotelephone system;

selecting, by said radiotelephone, the analog signal generated by the modem via said second input when the radiotelephone is operating in the analog type radiotelephone system;

the radiotelephone communicating the digital signal when the radiotelephone is operating in the digital type radiotelephone system; and

the radiotelephone communicating the analog signal when the radiotelephone is operating in the analog type radiotelephone system.

4. A method for communicating data by a radiotelephone coupled to a computer, the radiotelephone having a digital operating mode for use in a digital cellular radiotelephone system and an analog operating mode for use in an analog cellular radiotelephone system, the method comprising the steps of:

the radiotelephone determining whether to operate in the digital operating mode or the analog operating mode;

the computer interrogating the radiotelephone to determine the operating mode of the radiotelephone; and

the radiotelephone indicating the operating mode to the computer.

5. A data communications system for communicating data in a digital radiotelephone network or an analog radiotelephone network, the data communications system comprising:

a computer that generates a digital data signal;

a radiotelephone, having a digital mode and an analog mode, for transmitting and receiving data in the digital and analog radiotelephone networks; and

a modulator/demodulator coupling the computer to the radiotelephone, the modulator/demodulator having

means for transmitting a mode command to the radiotelephone to determine whether the radiotelephone is operating in the digital mode or the analog mode,

means for providing a modulated data signal generated from the digital data signal to the radiotelephone if the radiotelephone is in the analog mode, and

means for providing the digital data signal to the radiotelephone if the radiotelephone is in the digital mode,

wherein the radiotelephone communicates the digital data signal when the radiotelephone is operating in the digital mode and wherein the radiotelephone communicates the modulated data signal when the radiotelephone is operating in the analog mode.

6. A method for communicating data by a radiotelephone coupled to a computer through a modem, the radiotelephone having a digital operating mode for use in a digital cellular radiotelephone system and an analog operating mode for use in an analog cellular radiotelephone system, the radiotelephone coupled to the modem by a digital input for accepting a digital signal and an analog input for accepting a modulated signal, the method comprising the steps of:

the modem interrogating the radiotelephone to determine an operating mode of the radiotelephone;

the radiotelephone indicating the operating mode to the modem;

the modem providing the digital signal to the digital input of the radiotelephone in response to the radiotelephone operating in the digital operating mode;

the modem providing the modulated signal to the analog input of the radiotelephone in response to the radiotelephone operating in the analog operating mode,

the radiotelephone selecting the digital input to retrieve the digital signal when operating in the digital operating mode, and

the radiotelephone selecting the analog input to retrieve the modulated signal when operating in the analog operating mode.

7. The method of claim 6 and further including the steps of:

the radiotelephone providing a received signal to the modem;

if the radiotelephone is operating in the analog operating mode, the modem demodulating the received signal;

if the radiotelephone is operating in the analog operating mode, the modem transmitting the demodulated, received signal to the computer; and

if the radiotelephone is operating in the digital operating mode, the modem transmitting the received signal to the computer.

10. An interface device in a communication system in which an electronic accessory having a digital data port generates a digital data signal for transmission by a radiotelephone having an analog port and a digital port, said interface device comprising:

a modulator/demodulator, having an accessory input coupled to said digital data port of said electronic assembly and having an analog output coupled to said analog input of said radiotelephone, said modulator/demodulator for generating an analog data signal from said digital data signal and providing said analog data signal to said radiotelephone at said analog input; and

a transmission line, coupled at a first end to said digital data port of said electronic assembly and coupled at a second end to said digital port of said radiotelephone, said transmission line for passing said digital data signal to said radiotelephone.

11. The interface device of claim 10 wherein said electronic accessory interrogates said radiotelephone through said interface device to determine whether said radiotelephone is operating in a digital mode or an analog mode, and wherein said radiotelephone indicates to said electronic accessory, in response to said interrogation, through said interface device whether said radiotelephone is operating in said digital mode or said analog mode.

12. The interface device of claim 10 wherein said modulator/demodulator transmits a mode command to said radiotelephone to determine whether said radiotelephone is operating in a digital mode or an analog mode, said modulator/demodulator generating a modulated signal from said digital data signal if said radiotelephone is in said analog mode, and said modulator/demodulator conducting said digital data signal to said radiotelephone if said radiotelephone is in said digital mode.

13. A mobile telecommunications system for communicating data over either of a digital radio network and an analog radio network, comprising:

an electronic device for generating unmodulated digital data signals;

a modulator/demodulator coupled to said electronic device for modulating said digital data signals; and

a remote communications device coupled to said modulator/demodulator for communicating by radio signals with one or more base stations, said remote communications device having;

mode determining means for determining when said remote communications device is operating in a digital radio network environment and in an analog radio network environment; and

means for transmitting said unmodulated digital data signals directly between said electronic device and said one or more base stations when said mode determining means determines that said remote comunications device is operating in a digital radio network environment and for transmitting modulated digital data signals when said mode determining means determines that said remote comunications device is operating in an analog radio network environment.

14. An interface device for use with a mobile telecommunications device for communicating with one or more base stations over either of a digital radio network and an analog radio network, comprising:

a modulator/demodulator for modulating digital data signals generated by an electronic device;

mode determining means for determining when the remote communications device is operating in a digital radio network environment and in an analog radio network environment; and

means for transmitting unmodulated digital data signals generated by the electronic device directly between the electronic device and the one or more base stations when said mode determining means determines that the remote comunications device is operating in a digital radio network environment and for transmitting modulated digital data signals when said mode determining means determines that the remote comunications device is operating in an analog radio network environment.