Automatic handoff for wireless piconet multimode cell phone

• US 6,941,156 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Northern Research, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mooney, Philip D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/888,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20020198020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/426.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 455/553.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

A technique and apparatus for transferring a communication link between two different modes of a multimode cell phone. For instance, an active telephone call using a cordless telephone RF communication link may be automatically switched (with user prompt if desired) to a cell phone call when desired (e.g., when the cordless telephone goes out of range of its base unit), and vice versa. CallerID Type 2 and Call Waiting may be used to switch the far end telephone from one line to the other with minimal (or even unnoticeable) disruption to the participants or content of the telephone connection.

Claims

1. A multimode cell phone, comprising:

a cell phone functionality; and

an RF communication functionality separate from said cell phone functionality;

a module to establish simultaneous communication paths from said multimode cell phone using both said cell phone functionality and said RF communication functionality; and

an automatic switch over module, in communication with both said cell phone functionality and said RF communication functionality, operable to switch a communication path established on one of said cell phone functionality and said RF communication functionality, with another communication path later established on the other of said cell phone functionality and said RF communication functionality.

2. The multimode cell phone according to claim 1, wherein:

said RF communication functionality is a cordless telephone.

3. The multiphone cell phone according to claim 2, wherein:

said cordless telephone utilizes a piconet to communicate between a base unit and a matching remote handset.

4. A method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link, comprising:

participating in said first type RF communication link;

sensing an availability of said second type RF communication link;

establishing from said multimode cell phone said second type RF communication link while said first type RF communication link remains active at said multimode cell phone; and

switching parties participating in said first type RF communication link to active utilization of said second type RF communication link.

5. The method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 4, further comprising, after said switching parties step:

terminating said first type RF communication link.

6. The method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 4, further comprising:

prompting a user of said availability of said second type RF communication link.

7. The method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 4, wherein:

at least one of said RF communication links is a telephone call.

8. The method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 4, wherein:

said first type RF communication link is a cell phone call.

9. The method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 8, wherein:

said second type RF communication link is a cordless telephone call.

10. The method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 9, wherein:

a cordless telephone used to participate in said cordless telephone call utilizes a piconet to communicate between a cordless telephone base unit and a matching remote handset.

11. The method of automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 4, wherein:

said second type RF communication link is a walkie-talkie link.

12. Apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link, comprising:

means for participating in said first type RF communication link;

means for sensing an availability of said second type RF communication link;

means for establishing said second type RF communication link, when said second type RF communication link is sensed to be available by said means for sensing; and

means for switching parties participating in said first type RF communication link to active utilization of said second type RF communication link.

13. The apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for terminating said first type RF communication link after said means for switching switches said parties.

14. The apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 12, further comprising:

means for prompting a user of said availability of said second type RF communication link.

15. The apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 14, wherein:

said second type RF communication link is a walkie-talkie link.

16. The apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 12, wherein:

at least one of said RF communication links is a telephone call.

17. The apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 12, wherein:

said first type RF communication link is a cell phone call.

18. The apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 17, wherein:

said second type RF communication link is a cordless telephone call.

19. The apparatus for automatically switching between a first type RF communication link at a multimode cell phone and a second type RF communication link at said multimode cell phone different from said first type RF communication link according to claim 18, wherein:

a cordless telephone used to participate in said cordless telephone call is adapted to implement a piconet protocol to communicate between a cordless telephone base unit and a matching remote handset.