Private radiotelephone system with enhanced telephone system interface

• US 5,995,839 A
• Filed: 08/20/1996
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Southwestern Bell Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Southwestern Bell Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reddy, Ramgopal Kankara V, Williams, Gregory Gene, Ferry, Thomas Edward, Harbin, Steven Anthony, Coursey, Cameron Kelly, Bridges, Jesse Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US08/697,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/426, 455/436, 455/450, 455/452, 455/445, 455/465, 455/464, 455/461, 455/458, 455/456, 455/444, 455/513, 455/552, 455/553, 455/417, 455/422, 455/432, 455/439 , 455/428, 455/462, 379/156, 379/165, 379/198
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface

Abstract

The personal communication system of the present invention includes one or more mobile stations which operate in conjunction with a Private/Residential Base Station and a Mobile Station Emulator to provide seamless rerouting of existing telephone connections between the Private/Residential Base Station and a cellular telephone system. The Mobile Station Emulator associated with the Private/Residential Base Station communicates with either a cellular network or a personal communications service (PCS) over a digital channel to enable hand-in and hand-out, control the emissions of the Private/Residential Base Station, and provide control and monitoring functions to other devices connected to the Private/Residential Base Station. Calls directed to a mobile station may be coupled to the Private/Residential Base Station via a landline connection to the public-switched telephone network or via a radio-frequency link between the mobile station and a cellular network, either directly or via the Mobile Station Emulator. Devices that are controlled and/or monitored from the cellular network may be connected to the Private/Residential Base Station via a radio frequency link or via a wired connection to either the Private/Residential Base Station or the Mobile Station Emulator.

Claims

1. A personal communication system for use within a business or residential environment comprising:

a Private/Residential Base Station within said personal communication system for communicating with one or more mobile stations within a limited geographic area utilizing radio-frequency communications;

a link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network;

a Mobile Station Emulator within said personal communication system for communicating with a cellular telephone system utilizing radio-frequency communications, wherein said cellular telephone system is coupled to said switched telephone network; and

control means within said personal communication system coupled to said Private/Residential Base Station and said Mobile Station Emulator for seamlessly rerouting an existing telephone connection between a mobile station and said switched telephone network utilizing both said link and said cellular telephone system in response to determined communication channel parameters.

2. The personal communication system according to claim 1 wherein said link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network comprises a wired connection.

3. The personal communication system according to claim 1 wherein said communication channel parameters comprise an indication of received signal strength.

4. The personal communication system according to claim 1 wherein said communication channel parameters comprise a bit error rate signal.

5. A personal communication system for use within a business or residential environment comprising:

a Private/Residential Base Station within said personal communication system for communicating with one or more mobile stations within a limited geographic area utilizing radio-frequency communications.

a link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network;

a Mobile Station Emulator within said personal communication system for communicating with a cellular telephone system utilizing radio-frequency communications, wherein said cellular telephone system is coupled to said switched telephone network; and

control means within said personal communication system coupled to said Private/Residential Base Station and said Mobile Station Emulator for seamlessly rerouting an existing telephone connection between a mobile station and said switched telephone network utilizing both said link and said cellular telephone system and for controlling operation of said Private/Residential Base Station in response to commands transmitted from said cellular telephone system to said Mobile Station Emulator.

6. The personal communication system according to claim 5 further including one or more control devices and a link between said control means and said one or more control devices.

7. The personal communication system according to claim 6 wherein said control means includes means for directing said one or more control devices via said link between said control means and said one or more control devices.

8. The personal communication system according to claim 5 wherein said link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network comprises a wired connection.

9. The personal communication system according to claim 5 wherein said control means further includes means for controlling power transmitted by said Private/Residential Base Station.

10. A personal communication system for use within a business or residential environment comprising:

a Private/Residential Base Station within said personal communication system for communicating with one or more mobile stations within a limited geographic area utilizing radio-frequency communications.

a link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network;

a Mobile Station Emulator within said personal communication system for communicating with a cellular telephone system utilizing radio-frequency communications, wherein said cellular telephone system is coupled to said switched telephone network;

notification means within said personal communication system coupled to said Private/Residential Base Station and said Mobile Station Emulator for notifying a user at a particular mobile station of an impending rerouting of an existing telephone connection between said mobile station and said switched telephone network utilizing both said link and said cellular telephone system; and

control means within said personal communication system coupled to said Private/Residential Base Station and said Mobile Station Emulator for seamlessly rerouting an existing telephone connection between a mobile station and said switched telephone network utilizing both said link and said cellular telephone system in response to an input from said user at said particular mobile station and determined communication channel parameters.

11. The personal communication system according to claim 10 wherein said link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network comprises a wired connection.

12. The personal communication system according to claim 10 wherein said communication channel parameters comprise an indication of received signal strength.

13. The personal communication system according to claim 10 wherein said communication channel parameters comprise a bit error rate signal.

14. A personal communication system for use within a business or residential environment comprising:

a Private/Residential Base Station within said personal communication system for communicating with one or more mobile stations within a limited geographic area utilizing radio-frequency communications.

a link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network;

a Mobile Station Emulator within said personal communication system for communicating with a cellular telephone system utilizing radio-frequency communications, wherein said cellular telephone system is coupled to said switched telephone network; and

control means within said personal communication system coupled to said Private/Residential Base Station and said Mobile Station Emulator for seamlessly rerouting an existing telephone connection between a mobile station and said switched telephone network utilizing both said link and said cellular telephone system and for causing said Private/Residential Base Station to emit a Digital Control Channel (DCCH) signal in response to a determination within said cellular telephone system that a particular mobile station is within a specified proximity of said Private/Residential Base Station and for notifying said particular mobile station to consider said Private/Residential Base Station for reselection.

15. The personal communication system according to claim 14 wherein said link connecting said Private/Residential Base Station and a switched telephone network comprises a wired connection.

16. The personal communication system according to claim 14 further including means for directing said cellular telephone system to direct telephone connections addressed to said particular mobile station to said Private/Residential Base Station in response to a reselection of said Private/Residential Base Station by said particular mobile station.