System for connecting a data communication device over wireless terminals to a communication network

• US 6,526,288 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Guyard, David J. E., Khalifa, Nabil
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTEE, JOY KIMBERLY
• Application Number:
  US09/294,861
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/550, 455/552, 455/554, 455/555, 455/556, 455/557, 455/420, 455/559, 370/522, 370/343
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A wireless terminal includes a line interface which is connectable to a modem of an external apparatus. A controller of the wireless terminal is connected to the line interface. In response to connection of the wireless terminal to the modem, the controller switches the wireless terminal from a telephony mode into a transparent transmission mode for transmitting signals received from the modem to a communication network via an air interface.

Claims

1. A transmission system comprising a data communication device coupled by a connector to a first wireless terminal, the first wireless terminal being arranged for communicating with a second wireless terminal,

said first and second wireless terminals comprising means for transmitting and receiving digitized signals, said transmission system further comprising:

a network interface for coupling the second wireless terminal to a communications network, the combination of the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal being arranged for transparently transmitting digitized signals received from the data communication device to the communications network, and transparently transmitting digitized signals received from the communications network back to the data communication device; and

additional error protecting means provided in each first wireless terminal and second wireless terminal for protecting said transmitted digitized signals, said error protecting means being activated only when transparently transmitting digitized signals between said data communication device and said communications network via said first and second wireless terminal,

wherein the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal comprise telephone terminals, the first wireless terminal comprises detection means for detecting a connection of said data communication device to said first wireless terminal and an off hook condition when said device initiates transparent transmission of digitized signals via said first wireless terminal, and switching means for switching, in response to detection of said connection and said off hook condition, the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal from a telephony mode into a transparent transmission mode for respectively enabling transmission of digitized signals from the data communication device to the communications network and for transmission of digitized signals from the communications network to the data communication device.

2. The transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the switching means in said first and second wireless terminals are arranged for activating the additional error protecting means in response to detection of said off hook condition.

3. The transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless terminal is arranged for transparently transmitting signals received from the communications network via an air interface to the first wireless terminal, and wherein the second wireless terminal is arranged for transparently transmitting signals received from the first wireless terminal via the air interface to the communication network, the first wireless terminal generating a dedicated control message for transmission to said second wireless terminal via said air interface prior to transparent digitized signal transmission in response to detection of an off hook condition, said second wireless terminal further comprising:

detection means for detecting the reception of said dedicated control message from the air interface, and in response to receipt of said control message, said switching means for switching the second wireless terminal from a telephony mode into a transparent transmission mode for transmitting the signals from the air interface to the communications network.

4. The transmission system according to claim 3, wherein the switching means are arranged for activating the additional error protecting means in said second wireless terminal when the dedicated control message is received via the air interface.

5. The transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the detection means includes a line interface which signals to the switching means that said data communication device is connected to the first wireless terminal when a line current drawn from the line Interface by the data communication device exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. The transmission system according to claim 3, wherein said first

wireless terminal further comprises:

a line interface which is connectable to a modem of an external apparatus;

a controller connected to said line interface;

wherein, in response to said off hook condition of said modem while said modem is connected to said first wireless terminal, said controller switches said first wireless terminal from said telephony mode into said transparent transmission mode for transmitting signals received from said modem.

7. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein said line interface signals to said controller to switch said first wireless terminal from said telephony mode into said transparent transmission mode when a line current drawn from said line interface by said modem exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The transmission, system of claim 1, wherein said detection means includes a switch integrated with a connector for receiving said data communication device.

9. A transmission system comprising:

a wireless terminal for wireless communication with a network, said wireless terminal being configured to operate in a telephony mode for communicating speech signals, and in a data mode for communicating data signals; and

a data communication device configured to be coupled to said wireless terminal for exchanging said data signals with said wireless terminal;

wherein said wireless terminal includes;

a detector which detects presence of said data communication device by detecting a connection of said data communication device to said wireless terminal; and

a controller which changes a mode of said wireless terminal to said data mode in response to detection of said presence of said data communication device;

said wireless terminal transparently exchanging said data signals between said data communication device and said network in said data mode, while processing said speech signals in said telephone mode.

10. The transmission system of claim 9, wherein said wireless terminal further comprises error protecting means which are activated only in said data mode.

11. The transmission system of claim 9, wherein said detector includes a switch integrated with a connector for receiving said data communication device.

12. The transmission system of claim 9, wherein said detector detects a line current drawn from the line interface by the data communication device, said controller changing a mode when said line current exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The transmission system of claim 9, wherein said a detector detects said presence of said data communication device by detecting an off hook condition of said data communication device.