Wireless communications device and method

• US 6,704,567 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith Helen, Chapman, Robert Ellis Jr., Willner, Barry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US09/664,478
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41, 455/426, 455/552, 455/553, 455/422, 455/422.1, 455/426.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

The present invention is a wireless device and method capable of being wirelessly connected to one or more network node devices that in turn is connected to one or more of a plurality of wirelines, preferably telephone wirelines. The wireless device has one or more wireless signal generators supporting one or more wireless connections, one or more memories that store an identifier, and a negotiator that negotiates with the network node device in order to establish a connection to one or more of the wirelines connected to the network node.

Claims

1. A wireless device for wirelessly connecting to one or more remote network node devices, the network node device connected to a plurality of wirelines, the wireless device comprising:

one or more wireless signal generators supporting one or more wireless connections;

one or more memories to store an identifier unique to said wireless device for wireless communication to said remote network node device; and

a negotiator that negotiates with the network node device in order to dynamically establish a connection to one or more wirelines connected to the network node by communicating the identifier to said network node device, scanning frequencies to locate the identifier returned from said network node device as a verified identifier with an assigned frequency, and returning the identifier along the said assigned frequency for establishing communication along said frequency.

2. A wireless device, as in claim 1, further comprising a speaker and a microphone.

3. A wireless device as in claim 2, further comprising a telephone handset.

4. A wireless device, as in claim 1, further comprising a computer modem.

5. A wireless device, as in claim 1, further comprising a connection for a computer modem to a network node device.

6. A wireless device, as in claim 1, further comprising an encryption component that encrypts and decrypts signals transmitted and received, respectively, from the network node device.

7. A wireless device, as in claim 1, further comprising a removable storage medium.

8. A wireless device, as in claim 7, where said identifier is derived from information contained on the removable medium.

9. A wireless device, as in claim 7, where the removable medium is a smart card.

10. A wireless device, as in claim 7, where the removable medium is a memory stick.