Telephone equipment

• US 6,959,204 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications (BT Group Plc) (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Buttery, Stephen J, Townend, Jonathan R
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/959,956
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/569, 455/556, 455/568, 455/420, 455/419, 455/517, 379/93.02, 379/93.03
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/021 adapted for Wireless Local Loop operation

Abstract

An interface device allows communication between a first telephone terminal, a second, wireless telephone terminal, and a telephone network. The device includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from the wireless terminal, the wireless signals including authentication data identifying the terminal, such as the data carried by a SIM card. A data processor processes the authentication data. The processed authentication data can be transmitted to the fixed network. The first telephone terminal is connected to the interface such that communication between the first terminal and the network can be enabled by the authentication data received from the wireless telephone terminal. The wireless signals may be carried over an “ad hoc piconet” system.

Claims

1. An interface device for allowing data communication between a first telephone terminal, a second, wireless, telephone terminal, and a fixed telephone network, the device comprising:

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from the wireless terminal,

the wireless signals including authentication data identifying the wireless terminal,

a data processor for processing the authentication data,

a telephone network interface for transmitting the processed authentication data to the fixed network, and

a terminal connection for connecting the first telephone terminal to the interface,

communication between the first telephone terminal and the fixed network being enabled by the authentication data received from the wireless telephone terminal.

2. An interface device as in claim 1, the telephone network interface comprising means for a connection for a standard PSTN (public switched telephone network).

3. An interface device as in claim 1, the telephone network interface comprising a connection for an ISDN (integrated services digital network).

4. An interface device as in claim 1, the telephone network interface comprising a connection for an xDSL digital subscriber line system.

5. An interface device as in claim 1, incorporated in a first terminal, the terminal connection providing access to a telephone network through the telephone network interface.

6. An interface device as in claim 1, the terminal connection being arranged to connect to a terminal fitted for connection to a standard PSTN (public switched telephone network).

7. An interface device as in claim 1, the terminal connection being arranged to connect a terminal fitted for connection to an ISDN (integrated services digital network).

8. An interface device as in claim 1, the terminal connection being arranged to connect to a terminal fitted for connection to an xDSL digital subscriber line system.

9. An arrangement of a wireless telephone terminal device and an interface device, the interface device being as in claim 1 and the wireless telephone terminal device having a terminal identifier capable of generating authentication data, the wireless telephone device having a transmitter for transmission of said authentication data to an associated communications device to enable operation of said associated communications device and arranged to communicate with each other by wireless signals.

10. A device or arrangement of devices as in claim 9, wherein the wireless signals include IrDA (Infra Red Data Acquisition) signals.

11. A device or combination as in claim 9, wherein the wireless signals are carried over a wireless local area network (WLAN).

12. A device or combination as in claim 9, wherein the wireless signals use a piconet radio system.

13. A device or arrangement of devices as in claim 1, wherein the wireless signals include IrDA (Infra Red Data Acquisition) signals.

14. A device or combination as in claim 1, wherein the wireless signals are carried over a wireless local area network (WLAN).

15. A device or combination as in claim 1, wherein the wireless signals use a piconet radio system.

16. An interface method for allowing data communication between a first telephone terminal, a second, wireless, telephone terminal, and a fixed telephone network, the method comprising:

transmitting and receiving wireless signals to and from the wireless terminal, the wireless signals including authentication data identifying the wireless terminal, processing the authentication data, transmitting the processed authentication data to the fixed network through an interface, and

connecting the first telephone terminal to the interface,

communication between the first telephone terminal and the fixed network being enabled by the authentication data received from the wireless telephone terminal.

17. A method as in claim 16 being conducted in a first terminal, the terminal connection providing access to a telephone network through the telephone network interface.

18. A method as in claim 16 wherein the wireless telephone terminal includes a terminal identifier capable of generating authentication data, the wireless telephone device having a transmitter for transmission of said authentication data to an associated communications device to enable operation of said associated communications device and arranged to communicate with each other by wireless signals.