Analog fax and modem requests in a D-AMPS multi-line terminal system

• US 5,930,727 A
• Filed: 07/21/1995
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Henry, Raymond Charles Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US08/505,665
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• Field of Search: 379/59, 379/63, 379/58, 379/100.01, 455/33.1, 455/54.1, 455/557, 455/550, 455/553, 455/556
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/16 WPBX [Wireless Private Branch Exchange]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus allow a multi-line telephone user in a cellular network to notify a fixed cellular terminal supporting both analog and digital voice channels and/or its controller to request an analog channel for an incoming or outgoing modem, prior to the call. For analog FAX transactions, the cellular terminal automatically requests the analog channel after detecting the starting tones associated with the FAX transaction. This assures that the fixed cellular terminal will set up an analog channel for the incoming or outgoing analog modem data or FAX data, so that the data can be transmitted to and from the analog multi-line user. In the absence of notification of a modem call or fax start tones call, the fixed cellular terminal can use a digital voice channel to transmit voice data, so that more data can be transmitted per frequency band.

Claims

1. In a cellular network comprising at least a base station and a plurality of cellular terminals, a method of transmitting analog tone data between an analog terminal and a cellular terminal via a fixed cellular terminal supporting both analog and digital voice channels and the base station, the method comprising the following steps:

requesting an analog channel over which to transmit the analog tone data via the fixed cellular terminal supporting both analog and digital voice channels and the base station, before the analog tone data is transmitted;

establishing an analog channel in response to the request for an analog channel; and

transmitting the analog tone data between the cellular terminal and the analog terminal over the established analog channel via the fixed cellular terminal supporting both analog and digital voice channels and the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analog tone data is modem data and the step of requesting an analog channel is performed in response to notification from the analog terminal to request an analog channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification comprises a predetermined digit string.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the analog tone data is fax data, and the step of requesting an analog channel is performed, in response to receipt of fax start tones by the fixed cellular terminal.

5. In a cellular network comprising at least a base station and a plurality of cellular terminals, a multi-line terminal system for transmitting analog tone data to and from the cellular terminals, the multi-line terminal system comprising:

a plurality of analog terminals;

a plurality of fixed cellular terminals supporting both analog and digital voice channels;

a private branch exchange (PBX);

a control unit;

a radio frequency (RF) unit; and

an antenna;

wherein, prior to transmitting analog tone data between a cellular terminal and an analog terminal via a fixed cellular terminal, the control unit or the fixed cellular terminal sends a request for an analog channel to the base station, the base station establishes an analog channel in response to the request, and the analog tone data is transmitted between the cellular terminal and the analog terminal over the established analog channel via the antenna, the RF unit, the fixed cellular terminal, the control unit and the PBX.

6. The multi-line terminal system of claim 5, wherein the analog tone data is modem data, and the control unit sends a request for an analog channel to the base station in response to a notification from the analog terminal to request an analog channel.

7. The multi-line terminal system of claim 6, wherein the notification comprises a predetermined digit string.

8. The multi-line terminal system of claim 5, wherein the analog tone data is fax data, and the fixed cellular terminal sends a request for an analog channel to the base station upon detection of fax start tones.