Multi-modal handy phone

• US 5,987,334 A
• Filed: 02/24/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kaku, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GANTT, ALAN T
• Application Number:
  US08/804,813
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552, 455/553, 455/426, 455/421, 455/462, 455/74
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In order to provide a handy phone which enables a user of a radio telephone network to reopen automatically a communication disconnected because of communication quality degradation by way of another available radio telephone network with a simple configuration, a multi-modal handy phone (1) of the invention comprises a plurality of radio modules each prepared for accessing corresponding each of the plurality of radio telephone networks; monitoring means for monitoring communication quality; a change-over unit for selecting one of the plurality of radio modules according to result of the monitoring; a telephone number register for storing telephone number of the other party; a calling unit for calling the telephone number registered in the telephone number register 4 by way of one of the plurality of radio modules selected by said changeover unit; and a user interface unit.

Claims

1. A radio telephone system having a multi-modal handy phone accessible to a plurality of radio telephone networks, said multi-modal handy phone comprising:

a plurality of radio modules, each of said radio modules adapted to access a corresponding one of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a communication monitor monitoring communication quality between said multi-modal handy phone and each of the plurality of radio telephone networks, the communication monitor detecting a degradation in communication quality and providing a signal for controlling a changeover to an alternative radio module in the event of a degradation in communication quality;

a changeover unit selecting one of the plurality of radio modules in response to the signal from the communication monitor;

a telephone number register storing a telephone number of the other party with which said multi-modal handy phone is in communication, said telephone number of the other party being transmitted from one of the plurality of radio telephone networks when the multi-modal handy phone is called through said one of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a calling unit calling a telephone number registered in said telephone number register by way of one of said plurality of radio modules selected by said changeover unit, said calling unit being controlled by said changeover unit to automatically call the telephone number registered in the telephone number register through one of said radio modules when the communication monitor determines that a presently used one of the radio telephone networks has become unavailable; and

a user interface unit interfacing signals to be sent and received through said one of said plurality of radio modules selected by said changeover unit with a user.

2. The radio telephone system recited in claim 1, wherein said multi-modal handy phone further comprises a network selector for selecting an available network among the plurality of radio telephone networks according to priority preset by a user.

3. The radio telephone system recited in claim 2, wherein said multi-modal handy phone further comprises a display for displaying selection results of said network selector.

4. The radio telephone system recited in claim 1, wherein said communication monitor monitors said communication quality making use of signal amplitude received from said each of the plurality of radio telephone networks.

5. The radio telephone system recited in claim 1, wherein said communication monitor monitors said communication quality referring to carrier strength of said each of the plurality of radio telephone networks.

6. The radio telephone system recited in claim 1, wherein said communication monitor monitors said communication quality by counting bit errors of signals received from said each of the plurality of radio telephone networks.

7. The radio telephone system recited in claim 1, wherein said communication monitor monitors said communication quality by counting frame errors of signals received from said each of the plurality of radio telephone networks.

8. The radio telephone system recited in claim 1, wherein said communication monitor monitors said communication quality by counting symbol errors of signals received from said each of the plurality of radio telephone networks.

9. The radio telephone system recited in claim 1, wherein said communication monitor detects degradation of said communication quality referring to monitoring results for a certain period of said communication quality.

10. A radio telephone system having a multi-modal handy phone accessible to a plurality of radio telephone networks, said multi-modal handy phone comprising:

a plurality of radio modules, each of said radio modules adapted to access a corresponding one of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a communication monitor monitoring communication quality between said multi-modal handy phone and each of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a changeover unit selecting one of the plurality of radio modules according to a result of monitoring of said monitor;

a telephone number register storing a telephone number of the other party with which said multi-modal handy phone is in communication, said telephone number of the other party being transmitted from one of the plurality of radio telephone networks when the multi-modal handy phone is called through said one of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a calling unit calling a telephone number registered in said telephone number register by way of one of said plurality of radio modules selected by said changeover unit; and

a user interface unit interfacing signals to be sent and received through said one of said plurality of radio modules selected by said changeover unit with a user; and

further

wherein at least one of the plurality of radio telephone networks comprises;

a quality monitor detecting abnormal interruption of each communication performed through said at least one of the plurality of radio telephone networks; and

a pre-announce unit pre-announcing reopening of a communication to the other party that has been detected by said quality monitor to be interrupted abnormally between said multi-modal handy phone and said at least one of the plurality of radio telephone networks.

11. A radio telephone system having a multi-modal handy phone accessible to a plurality of radio telephone networks, said multi-modal handy phone comprising:

a plurality of radio modules, each of said radio modules adapted to access a corresponding one of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a communication monitor monitoring communication quality between said multi-modal handy phone and each of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a changeover unit selecting one of the plurality of radio modules according to a result of monitoring of said monitor;

a telephone number register storing a telephone number of the other party with which said multi-modal handy phone is in communication, said telephone number of the other party being transmitted from one of the plurality of radio telephone networks when the multi-modal handy phone is called through said one of the plurality of radio telephone networks;

a calling unit calling a telephone number registered in said telephone number register by way of one of said plurality of radio modules selected by said changeover unit, said calling unit being controlled by said changeover unit to automatically call the telephone number registered in the telephone number register through one of said radio modules when the communication monitor determines that a presently used one of the radio telephone networks has become unavailable;

a user interface unit interfacing signals to be sent and received through said one of said plurality of radio modules selected by said changeover unit with a user; and

a network selector selecting one of the radio modules for further communication based on user set priority data.

12. The radio telephone system of claim 11, wherein the user set priority data include at least one of:

service charge of each of the radio telephone networks;

extent of the service area of each of the radio telephone networks; and

robustness of each radio telephone network with respect to movement of mobile terminals of the radio telephone network.