Method and system for automatic configuration of fixed cellular terminals

• US 6,195,531 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Aguirre, Fernando, Irizar, Alberto, Ruiz, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMOS FELICIANO, ELISEO
• Application Number:
  US09/199,595
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/426, 455/422, 455/445, 455/403, 455/411, 379/56.3, 379/55.1, 379/338, 379/387
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

A method and system enables a fixed cellular terminal (FCT) to be automatically configured to accommodate landline phones of the country and/or landline network in which it is physically located. The FCT includes a memory and a data structure therein. The data structure includes instructions on how landline phones interface with Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTNs). Consequently, the FCT may be connected to a landline phone in any country and/or landline network once the FCT is informed of the country and/or landline network in which it is being used. According to one embodiment, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), which is needed to activate cellular phones in some systems, is used to inform the FCT of the country and/or landline network. Specifically, the FCT may extract the Mobile Country Code (MCC) and the Mobile Network Code (MNC) from the SIM in order to determine the country and/or mobile network in which it is operatively installed and therefore the associated landline network in which it is physically located and thus the corresponding landline phone interface to be implemented by the FCT.

Claims

1. A method in a telecommunications system for automatically configuring a fixed cellular terminal, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said fixed cellular terminal, a first line interface protocol indicator;

comparing, at said fixed cellular terminal, said first line interface protocol indicator to at least one entry of a line interface protocol data set of said fixed cellular terminal; and

determining an entry in said line interface protocol data set responsive to said first line interface protocol indicator.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a line interface protocol that is associated with said entry; and

activating said line interface protocol that is associated with said entry.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

communicating with a landline telephone using a line interface protocol that is associated with said entry.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first line interface protocol indicator comprises a country code.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said fixed cellular terminal, a second line interface protocol indicator;

comparing, at said fixed cellular terminal, said second line interface protocol indicator to at least one entry of said line interface protocol data set of said fixed cellular terminal; and

wherein said step of determining an entry in said line interface protocol data set responsive to said first line interface protocol indicator further comprises the step of determining said entry in said line interface protocol data set responsive to said first and second line interface protocol indicators.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said second line interface protocol indicator comprises a network/operator code.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving, at said fixed cellular terminal, a first line interface protocol indicator further comprises the step of receiving said first line interface protocol indicator by retrieving said first line interface protocol indicator from a subscriber identity module.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving, at said fixed cellular terminal, a first line interface protocol indicator further comprises the step of receiving said first line interface protocol indicator by wireless transmission from said telecommunications system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of comparing, at said fixed cellular terminal, said first line interface protocol indicator to at least one entry of a line interface protocol data set of said fixed cellular terminal further comprises the step of determining that said first line interface protocol indicator is not within said line interface protocol data set;

wherein said step of determining an entry in said line interface protocol data set responsive to said first line interface protocol indicator further comprises the step of determining a default entry; and

further comprising the step of selecting a default line interface protocol that is associated with said default entry.

10. A telecommunications system in which a fixed cellular terminal may be automatically configured, comprising:

a memory, said memory including a data set having a plurality of entries and a plurality of line interface protocols corresponding thereto;

a line interface unit, said line interface unit in communication with said memory; and

a controller capable of comparing a first received line interface protocol indicator to said data set and of ascertaining a corresponding entry between at least one of said plurality of entries of said data set and said first received line interface protocol indicator.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein said line interface unit is capable of selecting and activating the line interface protocol that is associated with said corresponding entry.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein said line interface unit is capable of communicating with a wire-based phone using the line interface protocol that is associated with said corresponding entry.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein said first received line interface protocol indicator comprises a country code.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein said controller is further capable of comparing said first received line interface protocol indicator and a second received line interface protocol indicator to said data set and of ascertaining said corresponding entry between said at least one of said plurality of entries of said data set and both of said first received line interface protocol indicator and said second received line interface protocol indicator.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 14, wherein said second received line interface protocol indicator comprises at least one of a network code and an operator code.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 10, further comprising:

a subscriber identity module interface, said subscriber identity module interface in communication with said controller; and

wherein said subscriber identity module interface is capable of providing said first received line interface protocol indicator to said controller from a subscriber identity module.

17. The telecommunications system of claim 10, further comprising:

a transceiver, said transceiver in communication with said controller; and

wherein said transceiver is capable of providing said first received line interface protocol indicator to said controller from a wireless transmission.

18. The telecommunications system of claim 10, further comprising:

an infrared port, said infrared port in communication with said controller; and

wherein said infrared port is capable of providing said first received line interface protocol indicator to said controller from a short-range infrared link.

19. The telecommunications system of claim 10, wherein said controller is further capable of ascertaining that said first received line interface protocol indicator is not matched in said line interface protocol data set and of selecting a default line interface protocol from said line interface protocol data set.

20. A method in a telecommunications system for automatically configuring a fixed cellular terminal with a subscriber identity module, comprising the steps of:

receiving a country code from said subscriber identity module;

receiving a network code from said subscriber identity module;

comparing said country code and said network code with at least one entry of a line interface protocol data set;

identifying an entry of said line interface protocol data set that corresponds to at least one of said country code and said network code;

determining a line interface protocol associated with said entry of said line interface protocol data set that corresponds to said at least one of said country code and said network code; and

implementing said line interface protocol for use by said fixed cellular terminal.

21. A fixed cellular terminal of a telecommunications system that may be automatically configured for use in any of a plurality of public switched telephone networks after being manufactured, comprising:

a data connection path;

a line interface unit connected to said data connection path, said line interface unit adapted to interface with a landline phone, said line interface unit in communication with an electronically-accessible memory, said electronically-accessible memory including a line interface protocol data structure, and said line interface protocol data structure including a plurality of line interface protocols corresponding to said plurality of public switched telephone networks, at least one of said plurality of line interface protocols of said line interface protocol data structure capable of being matched to received information;

a control unit connected to said data connection path, said control unit programmed to control at least some features of said fixed cellular terminal; and

a radio unit connected to said data connection path, said radio unit including a transceiver.

22. A fixed cellular terminal, which may be automatically configured to emulate any of a plurality of public switched telephone network line interfaces using a subscriber identity module, that operates in a wireless telecommunications system, comprising:

a data connection path;

a line interface unit connected to said data connection path, said line interface unit adapted to interface with a landline phone, said line interface unit in communication with an electronically-accessible memory, said electronically-accessible memory including a line interface protocol data structure, and said line interface protocol data structure including a plurality of line interface protocols corresponding to said plurality of public switched telephone networks, at least one of said plurality of line interface protocols of said line interface protocol data structure capable of being matched to information in said subscriber identity module;

a radio unit connected to said data connection path, said radio unit including a transceiver; and

a subscriber identity module interface connected to said data connection path, said subscriber identity module interface adapted to receive said subscriber identity module.