Telephone apparatus adaptable to different communication systems

• US 6,198,942 B1
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Akatsuka, Hidehiko, Hayashi, Keisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Naghmeh
• Application Number:
  US09/273,255
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/418, 455/426, 455/432, 455/550, 455/552, 455/553, 455/556, 455/564, 455/565, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In a system having a response hold function as a standard function such as CDMA system, a telephone apparatus transmits a response hold request to a control center when an End key is operated upon arrival of an incoming telephone call from another telephone apparatus. Receiving the response hold request, the control center notifies the other telephone apparatus originating the telephone call of a response hold state. In a system with no response hold function provided as a standard function such as TACS system, the telephone apparatus transmits a response hold request to the control center when the End key is operated upon arrival of an incoming telephone call from the other telephone apparatus. Receiving the response hold request, the control center establishes a telephone conversation state between the telephone apparatuses. Then, hold state sound is transmitted by the telephone apparatus to the other telephone apparatus. Thus, the portable telephone apparatus operating under the TACS system is enabled to execute the response hold function of the CDMA system.

Claims

1. A telephone apparatus comprising:

a keypad for manually entering predetermined commands;

a control unit for carrying out predetermined processing which is individually tailored to one of a plurality of communication systems and varies in dependence on at least one of a control signal transmission system, a frequency in use, wireless service provider or, the type of service, in response to one of a plurality of predetermined commands;

wherein the predetermined commands entered via the keypad are each provided for one of a plurality of wireless communication systems that serves as a standard system; and

,

said control unit is programmed to execute, when one of said predetermined commands is entered via said keypad during operation under a nonstandard system for which processing for the standard system cannot be successfully executed, other predetermined processing of the nonstandard system in response to the entered command, said other predetermined processing substantially serving as a substitute for said predetermined processing that would otherwise have been executed under said standard system.

2. A telephone apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said control unit is programmed to transmit a response hold request to the control center of a wireless service provider for executing predetermined communication processing, when a response hold command is entered via the keypad upon arrival of an incoming telephone call from another telephone apparatus, so that a service provider'"'"'s control center notifies said another telephone apparatus of a response hold state instead of establishing a state of communication with said another telephone apparatus upon receiving the response hold request; and

the control unit is programmed to communicate with said another telephone apparatus when a response hold command is entered via the keypad upon arrival of the incoming telephone call from said another telephone apparatus during operation under the nonstandard system, and send command signals to notify the said another telephone apparatus of a response hold state.

3. A telephone apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a notification of the response hold state is executed by transmission of at least one of sound tones, music, or speech to to said another telephone apparatus to indicate the response hold state.

4. A telephone apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

at least one of random access memory, read only memory, or storage memory for storing a relation between predetermined feature access numbers for the standard system and other feature access numbers for the nonstandard system in advance,

wherein the controller is programmed to call a service provider'"'"'s control center by said predetermined access number so that the control center transfers the incoming telephone call to a predetermined telephone number or stores a message from the other telephone, when the incoming telephone call is made from the other telephone, and

the control unit is programmed to, when operating under the nonstandard system, search an access number for the nonstandard system from an access number for the standard system entered by the keypad by using the previously stored relation, thereby transmitting the access number for the nonstandard system to the control center.

5. A telephone apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined access numbers are used for setting, enabling and disabling an incoming telephone call transferring function.

6. A telephone apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined access numbers are used for setting, enabling and disabling a unattended automatic answering function.