Personal mobile communications device having multiple units

• US 6,882,870 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Savilampi, Erkki, Murphy, Ciaron Daniel, Kivelä, Seppo Kalervo, Okkonen, Harri, Rautila, Heikki, Heinonen, Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, SHEILA B
• Application Number:
  US09/771,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20010031622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/567, 455/557, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A mobile communication device is constructed for use in communicating with a wireless communications network. The device is adapted for carrying on or near the person of the user. For ease of use and adaptability, the various functions of the device are separated into multiple units. The units communicate with each other through a localized communication system in which at least one local traffic channel is generated by the primary unit. To permit bi-directional communication among the units, multiple access protocols are used, either TDMA or CDMA.

Claims

1. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with a radio telephone network over a network assigned channel;

an antenna connected to the transceiver for receiving and transmitting signals from and to said radio telephone network;

a controller connected to said transceiver to control the communications and for processing the information being transmitted or received in said communication by said radio telephone;

a user interface connected to said controller constructed to allow said user to receive and send audio and data information via communication with said radio telephone network;

a local communication module connected to said controller for generating a first bidirectional local wireless communication link to allow the transmission and reception of communications processed by said controller, said local communications link using time division multiple access with frequency hopping or code controlled multiple access with individual pseudorandom binary sequencing to avoid interference with said radio telephone network communication; and

a first remote unit adapted to be supported on the person of said user, said remote unit having a transceiver and a controller for receiving and sending information over said first local communication link, said remote unit constructed to allow said user to receive and send information over said local communication link to said radio telephone network through said radio telephone.

2. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 1, wherein the user interface of said radio telephone is constructed as part of the remote unit.

3. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 1, wherein a second user interface is constructed as part of the remote unit to allow the user to communicate over said local communication link.

4. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 1, further comprising;

a second remote unit, adapted to be supported on the person of the user, said second remote unit connected to said first remote unit by a second local wireless communication link generated by said first remote unit, and wherein said first and second remote units have tranceivers and controllers for communicating over said second wireless communication link, said second remote unit further comprising headset for communicating audio data to and from said first remote unit.

5. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 1, wherein the first local communication link is transmitted on a first frequency channel and the reception channel frequency is set at a at a frequency having a predetermined fixed relation with said transmission frequency.

6. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 1, wherein said local communication module is turned on only during a call and said transceiver of said remote unit is turned on periodically to check said local communication link for a message or a call in order to conserve power.

7. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 1, wherein said first remote unit comprises a fully functional radio telephone operational on said first local channel.

9. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 4, wherein the first and second remote units communicate over the second local communication channel using time division multiple access.

8. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with a radio telephone network over a network assigned channel;

an antenna connected to the transceiver for receiving and transmitting signal from and to said radio telephone network;

a controller connected to said transceiver to control the communications and for processing the information being transmitted or received in said communication;

a user interface connected to said controller constructed to allow said user to receive and send audio and data information via communication with said radio telephone network;

a local communication module connected to said controller for generating a first bidirectional local wireless communication link to allow the transmission and reception of communications processed by said controller, said local communications link using time division multiple access with frequency hopping or code controlled multiple access with individual pseudorandom binary sequencing to avoid interference with said radio telephone network communication; and

a first remote unit adapted to be supported on the person of said user, said remote unit having a transceiver and a controller for receiving and sending information over said first local communication link, said remote unit constructed to allow said user to receive and send information over said local communication link; and

wherein said local communication module further comprises;

a synthesizer for establishing a frequency for operation of said first local communication link, said synthesizer having a phase locked loop and a voltage controlled oscillator operationally associated therewith wherein said synthesizer changes the frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator by changing a division ratio in said phase looked loop, said synthesizer setting the frequency of said local communication link at a fixed relation to said network assigned channel.

10. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with a radio telephone network over a network assigned channel;

an antenna connected to the transceiver for receiving and transmitting signals from and to said radio telephone network;

a controller connected to said transceiver to control the communications and for processing the information being transmitted or received in said communication by said radio telephone;

a user interface connected to said controller constructed to allow said user to receive and send audio and data information via communication with said radio telephone network;

a local communication module connected to said controller for generating a first bidirectional local wireless communication link to allow the transmission and reception of communications processed by said controller, said local communications link using time division multiple access with frequency hopping or code controlled multiple access with individual pseudorandom binary sequencing to avoid interference with said radio telephone network communication; and

a first remote unit adapted to be supported on the person of said user, said remote unit having a transceiver and a controller for receiving and sending information over said first local communication link, said remote unit constructed to allow said user to receive and send information over said local communication link to said radio telephone network through said radio telephone;

a second remote unit, adapted to be supported on the person of the user, said second remote unit connected to said first remote unit by a second local wireless communication link generated by said first remote unit, and wherein said first and second remote units have tranceivers and controllers for communicating over said second wireless communication link, said second remote unit further comprising headset for communicating audio data to and from said first remote unit; and

wherein said second remote unit requires identification by said first remote unit to complete the second local communication link and said identification is provided by the transmission of a password consisting of the equipment identification code by said second remote unit.

11. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with a radio telephone network over a network assigned channel;

an antenna connected to the transceiver for receiving and transmitting signals from and to said radio telephone network;

a controller connected to said transceiver to control the communications and for processing the information being transmitted or received in said communication, by said radio telephone;

a local communication module connected to said controller for generating a first bidirectional local wireless communication link to allow the transmission and reception of communications processed by said controller, said local communications link using time division multiple access with frequency hopping or code controlled multiple access with individual pseudorandom binary sequencing to avoid interference with said radio telephone network communication; and

at least one remote unit adapted to be supported on the person of said user, said remote unit having a transceiver and a controller for receiving and sending information over said first local communication link, said at least one remote unit having a user interface for allowing communication over said network assigned channel via said local communication link to said radio telephone network through said radio telephone.

12. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 11 wherein said user interface is constructed as a credit card sized module comprising an earpiece, a microphone, a numeric keypad, and an LCD display.

13. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 11 wherein said at least one remote unit is comprised of a palm-top computer or a personal digital assistant.

14. A radio telephone for use in close proximity to a user, according to claim 11 wherein said at least one remote unit further comprises a plurality of additional remote units selected from the group consisting of a credit sized module comprising an earpiece, a microphone, a numeric keypad, and an LCE display, palm-top computer, or a personal digital assistant.