Cordless telephone with corded operability

• US 6,256,519 B1
• Filed: 02/09/1998
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Newton, Kenneth Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US09/020,315
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575, 455/90, 455/550, 455/572, 455/573, 455/574, 455/462, 455/556, 455/557, 455/461, 455/465, 455/569, 455/67.1, 455/561, 320/110, 320/111, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 379/428, 379/431, 379/433
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention provides a cordless telephone having the ability to operate when power fails to the base unit. In a first embodiment, the handset includes a switch and a telephone line interface to connect a speaker and microphone directly to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) bypassing the base unit and allowing corded telephone operability of the handset of the cordless telephone. In a second embodiment the handset provides power to the base unit in the event of an AC power failure to the base unit. In this corded mode, the battery of the handset provides auxiliary power to the base unit. To further reduce power consumption and increase operation time of the battery in the handset, the RF transceivers of the base unit and handset can be unpowered by the provided direct serial connection between serial interfaces of the base unit and handset. In both embodiments, the cordless telephone operates in conventional fashion when in a wireless mode.

Claims

1. A handset of a cordless telephone, said handset comprising:

a processor;

an RF transceiver in communication with said processor;

a microphone to provide audio data to said processor;

a speaker to output audio data from said processor;

a keypad in communication with said processor; and

a battery to power said processor, said battery including access external to said handset to provide electrical power to a base unit when said base unit is unpowered.

2. The handset of a cordless telephone according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external cord for directly interconnecting said handset with said base unit.

3. The handset of a cordless telephone according to claim 1, wherein:

said external cord interconnects said battery of said handset with said base unit.

4. A handset of a cordless telephone comprising:

a plurality of internal components; and

a battery to power at least some of said plurality of internal components, said battery including access external to said handset to provide electrical power to a base unit of said cordless telephone.

5. A cordless telephone comprising:

a base unit; and

a handset comprising;

a plurality of internal components, and

a battery to power at least some of said plurality of internal components, said battery including access external to said handset to provide electrical power to said base unit of said cordless telephone.

6. The cordless telephone according to claim 5, wherein:

said base unit is adapted to receive power from said handset.

7. The cordless telephone according to claim 5, wherein said at least some of said internal components include:

an audio circuit; and

a transceiver circuit.

8. A handset of a cordless telephone, said handset comprising:

a processor; and

a battery to power said processor, said battery including access external to said handset to provide electrical power to a base unit of said cordless telephone.

9. The handset of a cordless telephone according to claim 8, further comprising:

an external cord for directly interconnecting said handset with said base unit.

10. The handset of a cordless telephone according to claim 9, wherein:

said external cord interconnects said battery of said handset with said base unit.

11. A method of supplying power by a handset of a cordless telephone, comprising:

coupling a battery of said handset of said cordless telephone to a base unit of said cordless telephone; and

powering said base unit from said battery of said handset.

12. A method of overcoming a power shortage to a cordless telephone, comprising a selection of one of the following steps to operate said cordless telephone during said power shortage:

powering a base unit of a cordless telephone from a remote handset of said cordless telephone; and

connecting said remote handset of said cordless telephone directly to a telephone line from a PSTN, bypassing said base unit of said cordless telephone.

13. The method of overcoming a power shortage to a cordless telephone according to claim 12, wherein:

said bypassed base unit is unpowered while said remote handset remains powered.