Portable telephone system and control method therefor

• US 6,081,725 A
• Filed: 10/27/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ishida, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US08/957,826
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/456, 455/457, 455/528, 455/461, 455/566, 455/462, 455/567, 329/164
• US Class Current: 455/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72505 Radio link set-up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72516 with means for out-of-range alerting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

The invention has the object of notifying a caller terminal when it is not possible to connect with a call destination terminal in a portable telephone system, in order to avoid further calls to the call destination terminal while it is still not possible to achieve a connection with the call destination terminal. With the invention, it is possible to confirm whether or not the call destination terminal is capable of connecting, continually monitor the status of the call destination terminal, and to be informed immediately when it becomes possible to achieve a connection due to the activation of a ringer. Additionally, even if the ringer which gives notification that connection is possible is activated while the caller is away from the caller terminal, the caller is able to be notified that connection is possible later by looking at a display on the caller terminal.

Claims

1. A portable telephone system comprising:

a caller terminal;

at least one base station; and

a call destination terminal which is sortable, a base station associated with said caller terminal being provided with;

status detection means for detecting a status of said call destination terminal, the status including stages of being busy, out of communication range and capable of connecting; and

status notification means for notifying said caller terminal of the status of said call destination terminal found by said status detecting means,

wherein said status notification means determines whether or not said call destination terminal is busy by sending an inquiry to a base station associated with said call destination terminal, determines whether or not said call destination terminal is outside communication range by determining whether or not a position of said call destination terminal is registered in a base station associated with said call destination terminal, and determines whether or not said call destination terminal is free for connection by determining if said call destination terminal is within communication range and is not busy.

2. A portable telephone system comprising:

a base station having

subscriber number storage means for storing a subscriber number A of a caller terminal and a subscriber number B of a call destination terminal;

status detection means for detecting a status of said call destination terminal based on the subscriber number B stored in said subscriber number storage means, the status including states of being busy, out of communication range and capable of connecting;

status notification means for notifying said caller terminal of the status of said call destination terminal found by said status detection means based on the subscriber number A stored in said subscriber number storage means; and

status notification registration means for registering a status detected by said status detection means; and

a portable telephone having

status display means for displaying a status of said call destination terminal found by said status notification means;

connectability detection means for detecting information indicating that a connection is possible from among information obtained from said status notification means; and

reporting means for reporting to a caller when said connectability detection means finds that a connection is possible;

wherein

when the caller is notified that said call destination terminal is busy or outside communication range, and registers for status notification at said status notification registration means with respect to said base station, said base station stores the subscriber number A of said caller terminal and the subscriber number B of said call destination terminal, periodically detects the status of said call destination terminal by said status detection means based on the subscriber number B, and notifies said caller terminal of the detected information by said status notification means, upon which said caller terminal displays the information obtained from said status notification means on said status display means and detects whether or not a connection is possible from the information obtained from said status notification means, such that if connection is possible, then the caller is reported that connection is possible by activating said report means for a standard period of time.

3. A portable telephone system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said reporting means is a ringer activation means.

4. A portable telephone system in accordance with claim 3, wherein when the caller is not available to hear the ringer which reports that connection is possible, said base station continues to periodically notify said caller terminal of the status of said call destination terminal until said caller terminal connects with said call destination terminal, and if a connection is not made within a predetermined period of time after connection becomes possible, the registration of the status notification of the call destination terminal is automatically canceled and the registration of the status notification of the call destination terminal can also be canceled from said caller terminal.

5. A method of controlling a portable telephone system, comprising steps of:

storing a subscriber number A of a caller terminal and a subscriber number B of a call destination terminal in subscriber number storage means;

detecting the status of the call destination terminal by status detection means based on the subscriber number B stored in the subscriber number storage means, the status including states of being busy, out of communication range and capable of connecting;

notifying the caller terminal by status notification means of the status of the call destination terminal detected by the status detection means based on the subscriber number A stored in the subscriber number storage means; and

registering the status detected by said status detection means by status notification registration means;

displaying the status of the call destination terminal obtained by said status notification means on display means provided in a portable telephone connected to said base station;

detecting information indicating that a connection is possible from among information obtained by the status notification means by connectability detection means; and

reporting to a caller when the connectability detection means finds that connection is possible by report means.

6. A method of controlling a portable telephone system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said report means is a ringer activation means.

7. A method of controlling a portable telephone system in accordance with claim 6, wherein when the caller is notified that the call destination terminal is busy or outside communication range, and registers for status notification at the status notification registration means with respect to the base station, the method further comprises steps of:

storing the subscriber number A of the caller terminal and the subscriber number B of the call destination terminal;

periodically detecting the status of the call destination terminal by the status detection means based on the subscriber number B; and

notifying the caller terminal of the detected information by the status notification means, upon which the caller terminal displays the information obtained from the status notification means on the status display means and detects whether or not a connection is possible from the information obtained from the status notification means, such that if connection is possible, then the caller is reported that connection is possible by activating the report means for a standard period of time.

8. A method of controlling a portable telephone system in accordance with claim 7, wherein when a state of being capable of connecting is detected, the method further comprises steps of:

activating a ringer for a standard period of time by the ringer activation means, and

displaying a message to the caller stating that it is possible to connect, by said display means.