Wireless telephony ring detection method for extended battery life

• US 6,311,079 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsemi Semiconductor (U.S.) Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Legerity Incorporated (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hebeler, Steven E., Alton, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/570,644
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/575, 455/567, 455/462, 455/343, 455/574, 455/38.3, 455/465, 455/464, 379/106.09, 379/372, 379/377
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72505 Radio link set-up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/73 Battery saving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/287 when the channel is in stand-by
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/288 taking into account the usage mode, e.g. hands-free, data transmission, telephone
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A cordless telephone apparatus and method of use thereof with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring and silence periods over a telephone line. The cordless telephone comprises a handset that is configured and arranged to operate in a low power mode during periods of inactivity on the telephone line and, in response to receiving a least one ring message, in a normal power mode in which the battery-powered handset acknowledges receipt of the ring message. The cordless telephone further comprises a base unit is configured and arranged to respond to a ring signal received over the telephone line by sending the ring message to the battery-powered handset through the end of each ring period, and for a portion of the subsequent silent period, until the handset reverts to the normal power mode and acknowledges receipt of the ring message. Accordingly, as soon as the handset acknowledges receipt of the ring message, the base unit can cease sending of the ring message if the ring period has ended. This method of operation for the cordless telephone provides extended battery life for a cordless telephone operation by permitting the handset to operate in a low-power, standby mode for greater periods of time through the use of a particular method of ring detection.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone apparatus for use with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods, the cordless telephone apparatus comprising:

a handset configured and arranged to operate in a low-power mode during periods of inactivity and, in response to receiving at least one ring message, in a normal-power mode in which the handset acknowledges receipt of said at least one ring message; and

a base unit having a handset/telephone-line interface circuit configured and arranged to respond to said series of alternating ring periods and silence periods by sending a series of the ring messages to the handset during each of said ring periods and extending into only a portion of each silence period following each of said ring periods.

2. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the handset/telephone line interface circuit is further configured and arranged to send the ring message to the handset as a series of data messages.

3. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the handset/telephone line interface circuit includes a processor circuit having a program, that when executed, causes the base unit to send the series of ring messages as set forth in claim 1.

4. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein the handset is battery powered.

5. A method of operating a communicatively-coupled battery-powered handset and base unit with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods over a telephone line, the method comprising:

operating the battery-powered handset in a low-power mode during periods of inactivity and, in response to receiving at least one ring message, in a normal-power mode in which the battery-powered handset acknowledges receipt of said at least one ring message; and

using the base unit to respond to said series of alternating ring periods and silence periods by sending a series of the ring messages to the battery-powered handset during each of said ring periods and extending into only a portion of each silence period following each of said ring periods.

6. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 5, wherein a duty cycle of the handset is less than 10 percent.

7. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 6, wherein the duty cycle of the handset is about 6 percent.

8. A cordless telephone apparatus for use with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods over a telephone line, the cordless telephone apparatus comprising:

a battery-powered handset including;

means for operating in a low-power mode during periods of inactivity on the telephone line; and

in response to receiving at least one ring message, means for operating in a normal-power mode in which the battery-powered handset acknowledges receipt of said at least one ring message; and

a base unit including;

means for detecting the series of alternating ring periods and silence periods; and

means for responding to the series of alternating ring periods and silence periods by sending the ring message to the battery-powered handset during each of the ring periods and extending into only a portion of each of the silence periods following each of the ring periods.

9. A method extending the useful lifetime of a handheld, battery-operated telephone handset and a base unit, in which the handset alternates its operation between one of two modes, wherein the modes include a low-power, standdown mode and a high-power active mode, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) the telephone base unit begins transmitting a series of ring messages to the handset upon assertion of a valid ring signal from a telephone central office, wherein the valid ring signal includes a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods, wherein at least one of the series of ring messages is transmitted during each of the ring periods and into only a portion of the silence period immediately following each of the ring periods;

(b) the handset switches from the standdown mode to the active mode after having been in the standdown mode for a first period of time;

(c) the handset listens for ring messages while operating in the active mode;

(d) the handset switches from the active mode to the standdown mode if the handset has not received any of the ring messages from the base unit within a second period of time;

(e) the handset transmits a response message to the base unit upon receipt of each ring message received from the base unit; and

(f) the base unit stops transmitting the series of ring messages to the handset after the occurrence of the following;

(1) receipt of at least one response message after beginning the transmission of the series of ring messages; and

(2) deactivation of the ring signal by the central telephone office.

10. A cordless telephone apparatus, comprising:

a base unit, comprising;

means for receiving ring signal from a central telephone office a ring signal having a first duration followed by a silent period having a second duration;

means for receiving messages transmitted from a handset; and

means for transmitting a series of ring messages to the handset while the ring signal is present and into only a portion of each silent period, unless a response message has not been received from the handset in response to one or more ring messages, wherein the ring messages continue to be transmitted to the handset until either one or more response messages are received by the base unit, or no response message is received by the base unit within a first period of time from the end of the ring signal; and

the handset, comprising;

means for switching the operation of the handset from a low-power, shutdown mode to a high-power, active mode after being in the shutdown mode for a first period of time extending substantially equal to or longer than the first duration;

means for receiving the ring messages transmitted by the base unit while operating in the active mode;

means for transmitting the response message back to the base unit upon receipt of each ring message while operating in the active mode; and

means for switching the operation of the handset from the active mode to the shutdown mode if no ring messages have been received from the base unit after listening for the ring messages in the active mode for a second period of time.

11. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 10, wherein the handset is battery powered.

19. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 10, wherein the handset is battery powered.

12. A cordless telephone apparatus for use with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods over a telephone line in response to a telephone call, the cordless telephone apparatus comprising:

a handset including;

means for operating in a low-power mode during periods of inactivity on the telephone line;

in response to receiving at least one ring message, means for operating in a normal-power mode in which the handset acknowledges receipt of said at least one ring message; and

means for providing an indication of said at least one ring message to provide a notification of said telephone call; and

a base unit including;

means for detecting the series of alternating ring periods and silence periods; and

means for responding to the ring periods by sending one or more ring messages to the handset during each of the ring periods and extending into only a portion of each of the silence periods following each of the ring periods.

13. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 12, wherein said means for providing an indication of said at least one ring message is configured to provide said indication for at least a portion of a first one of the ring periods of said series of alternating ring periods and silence periods.

14. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 12, wherein the base unit is further configured and arranged to send the ring message to the handset as a series of data messages.

15. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 12, wherein the handset is battery powered.

16. A cordless telephone apparatus for use with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods, the cordless telephone apparatus including a base unit comprising a handset/telephone-line interface circuit configured and arranged to respond to said series of alternating ring periods and silence periods by transmitting a series of the ring messages to a handset during each of said ring periods and extending into only a portion of each silence period following each of said ring periods.

17. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 16, wherein the handset/telephone line interface circuit is further configured and arranged to send the ring message to the handset as a series of data messages.

18. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 16, wherein the handset/telephone line interface circuit includes a processor circuit having a program, that when executed, causes the base unit to send the series of ring messages as set forth in claim 16.

20. A cordless telephone base unit configured along with a handset configured and arranged to operate in a low-power mode during periods of inactivity and in a normal-power mode in which the handset detects one or more ring messages to interoperate with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods over a telephone line, the cordless telephone base unit comprising:

means for detecting the ring cadence as the series of alternating ring periods and silence periods; and

means for responding to the ring periods by sending the one or more ring messages to the handset during each of the ring periods and extending into only a portion of each of the silence periods following each of the ring periods.

21. A cordless telephone apparatus for use with a telephone system providing a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods, the cordless telephone apparatus including a handset configured and arranged to operate in a low-power mode during periods of inactivity and, in response to receiving at least one ring message from a base unit configured to respond to said series of alternating ring periods and silence periods by transmitting a series of the ring messages during each of said ring periods and extending into only a portion of each silence period following each of said ring periods, in a normal-power mode in which the handset acknowledges receipt of said at least one ring message.

22. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 21, wherein a duty cycle of the handset is less than 10 percent.

23. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 22, wherein the duty cycle of the handset is about 6 percent.

24. A cordless telephone handset configured along with a base unit that detects a ring cadence as a series of alternating ring periods and silence periods and responds to the ring cadence by sending one or more ring messages to the cordless telephone handset during each of the ring periods and extending into only a portion of each of the silence periods following each of the ring periods to interoperate with a telephone system providing the ring cadence as the series of alternating ring periods and silence periods over a telephone line, in respons to a telephone call the cordless telephone handset comprising:

means for operating in a low-power mode during periods of inactivity on the telephone line;

in response to receiving at least one of the ring messages from the base unit, means for operating in a normal-power mode in which the handset acknowledges receipt of said at least one of the ring messages from the base unit; and

means for providing an indication of said at least one of the ring messages from the base unit to provide a notification of said telephone call including for at least a portion of a first one of the ring periods of said series of alternating ring periods and silence periods.

25. A cordless telephone handset, according to claim 24, wherein the cordless telephone handset is battery powered.

26. A cordless telephone handset, according to claim 24, wherein a duty cycle of the cordless telephone handset is less than 10 percent.

27. A cordless telephone handset, according to claim 26, wherein the duty cycle of the cordless telephone handset is about 6 percent.

28. A cordless telephone apparatus including a base unit, the base unit comprising:

means for receiving from a central telephone office a ring signal having a first duration followed by a silent period having a second duration;

means for receiving messages transmitted from a handset; and

means for transmitting a series of ring messages to the handset while the ring signal is present and into only a portion of each silent period, unless a response message has not been received from the handset in response to one or more ring messages, wherein the ring messages continue to be transmitted to the handset until either one or more response messages are received by the base unit, or no response message is received by the base unit within a first period of time from the end of the ring signal.

29. A cordless telephone apparatus including a handset, the handset comprising:

means for switching the operation of the handset from a low-power, shutdown mode to a high-power, active mode after being in the shutdown mode for a first period of time;

means for operating in the high-power, active mode while receiving ring messages transmitted by a base unit in response to a central telephone office transmitting a ring signal having a first duration followed by a silent period having a second duration substantially equal to or less than the first period of time;

means for transmitting a response message back to the base unit upon receipt of each ring message while operating in the high-power, active mode; and

means for switching the operation of the handset from the high-power, active mode to the low-power, shutdown mode if no ring messages have been recieved from the base unit after listening for the ring messages in the active mode for a second period of time less than the first period of time.

30. A cordless telephone apparatus, according to claim 29, wherein the handset is battery powered.