Apparatus and method for prolonging battery life in a portable telephone having first and second deactivating conditions
First Claim
1. A method of communicating for a cordless telephone having a base unit and a handset unit employed in a frequency hopping system, the base unit including a first transmitter and a first receiver and the handset unit including a second transmitter and a second receiver for respectively transmitting to the first receiver and receiving from the first transmitter in the base unit over any one of a plurality of communication channels, the method comprising the steps of:
- deactivating the second transmitter and configuring the second receiver in a deactivated condition while the handset unit is in a standby state; and
periodically activating said second receiver from said deactivated condition for either a first predetermined time period or a second predetermined time period while the handset unit is in the standby state, said second receiver being activated for said first predetermined time period while the base unit is communicating with another handset unit and for said second predetermined time period while the base unit is not communicating with said another handset unit.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system provides for conserving battery power in a portable unit when this unit is located remote from its charging station and in a standby state. While in the standby state, the portable unit resides in a low power monitoring mode which includes deactivating certain internal circuitry and periodically activating and deactivating other selected internal circuitry for conserving battery power. When the portable unit is periodically activated from a deactivated state, battery power is conserved through an adaptive operation that reduces considerably the length of time that the selected internal circuitry needs to remain turned on. This reduced on-time period for the selected internal circuitry is provided as long as the base unit is detected as frequency hopping with at least one other of the portable units in the system. If the base unit is not detected as frequency hopping, however, the length of time that the selected internal circuitry remains on is left at its normal, unreduced on-time period. Energy savings for a portable unit operating with the reduced on-time period are significantly greater than those realized when the portable unit is operated with the normal, unreduced on-time period. Another portable unit operating as the base unit may also provide a frequency hopping signal suitable for use by the adaptive operation in providing the reduced on-time period for the internal circuitry of the portable unit.
54 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of communicating for a cordless telephone having a base unit and a handset unit employed in a frequency hopping system, the base unit including a first transmitter and a first receiver and the handset unit including a second transmitter and a second receiver for respectively transmitting to the first receiver and receiving from the first transmitter in the base unit over any one of a plurality of communication channels, the method comprising the steps of:
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deactivating the second transmitter and configuring the second receiver in a deactivated condition while the handset unit is in a standby state; and periodically activating said second receiver from said deactivated condition for either a first predetermined time period or a second predetermined time period while the handset unit is in the standby state, said second receiver being activated for said first predetermined time period while the base unit is communicating with another handset unit and for said second predetermined time period while the base unit is not communicating with said another handset unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a cordless telephone, a handset unit arranged for communicating with a base unit in a frequency hopping system, the handset unit including a first transmitter and a first receiver for respectively transmitting to a second receiver and receiving from a second transmitter in the base unit over any one of a plurality of communication channels, the handset unit comprising:
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a controller for deactivating the first transmitter and configuring the first receiver in a deactivated condition while the handset unit is in a standby state; and said controller periodically activating said first receiver from said deactivated condition for either a first predetermined time period or a second predetermined time period while the handset unit is in the standby state, said first receiver being activated for said first predetermined time period while the base unit is communicating with another handset unit and for said second predetermined time period while the base unit is not communicating with said another handset unit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of communicating with a cordless telephone having a base unit with a first transmitter and a first receiver, and a handset unit with a second transmitter and a second receiver for respectively transmitting to the first receiver and receiving from the first transmitter in the base unit, the method comprising the steps of:
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deactivating the second transmitter while the handset unit is in a standby state wherein no user initiated communications exists between the base unit and the handset unit; and cycling the second receiver between an on-state and an off-state while the handset unit is in the standby state, said cycling step including the steps of configuring said second receiver in said on-state for a first predetermined time period while the base unit is communicating with another handset unit, and configuring said second receiver in said on-state for a second predetermined time period while the base unit is not communicating with another handset unit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification