Method and apparatus for configuring dispersed components in a communications system
First Claim
1. In a telecommunications system comprising a base station, an RF means for communicating from the base station to a remote telephone and plural remote telephones, each of said telephones having an alphanumeric display associated therewith, and a switch for connecting the base station with a public telephone network, the improvement comprising:
- providing user-selectable telephone control features in the remote telephone by initiating at the switch the identification of the user-selectable telephone control features, by sending feature-activating programming messages from the switch to the base station and by sending different but related programming messages from the base station to the remote telephones using said RF means.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for readily varying the configuration of a telephone system and the functions/features available to the users of wireless telephone instruments on the system. The telephone instruments may include a display which can be configured by interaction with a base station to vary the interpretation given to inputs received from the user. Features available to the user of a particular telephone instrument may be specifically adapted to the user and may be readily modified as the user changes, as the user'"'"'s authorization changes, and/or as the telephone system'"'"'s capabilities are changed.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. In a telecommunications system comprising a base station, an RF means for communicating from the base station to a remote telephone and plural remote telephones, each of said telephones having an alphanumeric display associated therewith, and a switch for connecting the base station with a public telephone network, the improvement comprising:
- providing user-selectable telephone control features in the remote telephone by initiating at the switch the identification of the user-selectable telephone control features, by sending feature-activating programming messages from the switch to the base station and by sending different but related programming messages from the base station to the remote telephones using said RF means.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a telecommunication system comprising a switch, plural base stations functionally connected to said switch, plural remote telephones and an RF means for communicating between said base stations and said telephones, the improvement comprising a boot prom associated with said base stations and a means for downloading configuration information from said switch whereby additional base stations may be added to the telecommunication system without substantial programming.
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6. In a telecommunications system comprising a base station, an RF means for communicating from the base station to a remote telephone and plural remote telephones, each of said telephones having an alphanumeric display associated therewith, and a switch for connecting the base station with a public telephone network, the improvement comprising:
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programming a remote telephone to provide available features through the unidirectional sending of programming messages, the unidirectional sending occurring from the switch to the remote telephone via said RF means of the base station; maintaining at said base station a map of available features programmed for certain keys of the remote telephone; and
,maintaining at said base station the associated codes to be transmitted to the switch to carry out said features, such that detection of a depressed remote telephone key by the base station results in the transmission from the base station to the switch of the associated code needed to effect the programmed feature of the depressed key. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a telecommunications system comprising a base station, an RF means for communicating from the base station to a remote telephone and plural remote telephones, each of said telephones having an alphanumeric display associated therewith, and a switch for connecting the base station with a public telephone network, the improvement comprising:
- providing available features to the remote telephone and plural remote telephones from a central location by initiating the provision of available features from the switch, and in response to initiating the provision of available features, unidirectionally sending programming messages, the sending occurring from the switch to the remote telephone via said RF means of the base station.
- View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
Specification