Base station for a telecommunications system

• US 5,898,931 A
• Filed: 08/08/1996
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Stuart, I'Anson, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Application Number:
  US08/694,011
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 455/560, 455/561, 455/554, 455/555, 455/422, 455/426, 455/524
• US Class Current: 455/560
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]

Abstract

In a mobile communications system each radio unit (14, 16) is associated with a respective base station (12) as its `home` base station; any radio unit can communicate with any base station in whose service area it is located. Each base station has a radio interface (20) for communication with radio units, a telephone interface (24) for connection to a telephone line, for example via a PABX (44), and a LAN interface (28) for connection to a local area network (40) to which all the base stations are coupled. Voice communications for a handset are always routed through the home base station for that handset, e.g. to another handset or to the PABX, irrespective of the identity of the base station in whose service area the handset is currently located.

Claims

1. A base station for a telecommunications system, comprising:

a wireless interface;

a LAN interface;

a third interface;

a switching arrangement for selectively interconnecting said interfaces for transfer of signals therebetween in any of the following configurations;

a) said wireless interface is connected for transfer of signals directly to and from said third interface;

b) said wireless interface is connected for transfer of signals directly to and from said LAN interface;

c) said LAN interface is connected for transfer of signals directly to and from said third interface,

said switching arrangement also converting signals between respective forms appropriate for each interface in accordance with prevailing selection of the interfaces for interconnection;

a store containing information indicating a specific association between said base station and a selected communication device, signals transferred between said selected device and said base station being transferable both via said wireless interface and via said LAN interface together with signals transferred between said base station and other devices; and

a comparator for comparing said information in said store with association information for signals traversing said wireless interface and said LAN interface, and for recognizing a device associated with such signals as being said selected device having a specific association with said base station;

said switching arrangement selecting signals traversing either one of said wireless interface and said LAN interface and associated with said recognized selected device, and causing only such selected signals to be transferred to said third interface.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the third interface is any of a public switched telephone network interface, a serial communications interface or an integrated services digital network interface.

3. The base station according to claim 1, wherein said information indicating a specific association between said base station and said selected device includes an address identifying said base station on a network coupled to said LAN interface.

4. The base station according to claim 1, wherein said third interface is a public switched telephone interface and said wireless interface is arranged to support wireless communication with a wireless handset comprising said selected communication device.

5. A method of operating a telecommunications system base station, comprising:

a wireless interface;

a LAN interface;

a third interface;

a switching arrangement for selectively interconnecting said interfaces for transfer of signals therebetween in any of the following configurations;

a) said wireless interface is connected for transfer of signals directly to and from said third interface;

b) said wireless interface is connected for transfer of signals directly to and from said LAN interface;

c) said LAN interface is connected for transfer of signals directly to and from said third interface,

said switching arrangement also converting signals between respective forms appropriate for each interface in accordance with prevailing selection of the interfaces for interconnection;

said method comprising the steps of;

storing information indicating a specific association between said base station and a selected communication device, signals transferred between said selected device and said base station being transferable both via said wireless interface and via said LAN interface together with signals transferred between said base station and other devices; and

comparing said information in said store with association information for signals traversing said wireless interface and said LAN interface, and recognizing a device associated with such signals as being said selected device having a specific association with said base station;

controlling said switching arrangement to select signals traversing either one of said wireless interface and said LAN interface and associated with said recognized selected device, and to cause only such selected signals to be transferred to said third interface.