Digital radio communications apparatus

• US 7,050,821 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Shinji, Ito, Takatsugu, Takehisa, Yoshihiro, Nakagawa, Katsumi, Nitta, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US10/693,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20040087323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 455/462, 455/465, 455/554.2, 379/428.02, 379/422.01
• US Class Current: 455/462
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

For the purpose of being capable of performing direct inter-handset communications while maintaining inter-handset communications via a base unit, smoothly making a transition from inter-handset communications via a base unit to direct inter-handset communications, and switching to inter-handset communications via a base unit without releasing the communications even in case direct inter-handset communications cannot be established, a local handset includes a direct inter-handset communications controller and a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with a base unit as well as transmitting control channels for direct inter-handset communications in vacant slots in the receiving time zones for communications with the base unit, while a distant handset includes a direct inter-handset communications controller and a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for scanning control channels for direct inter-handset communications in the time zones other than the slots occupied by communications with the base unit 100.

Claims

1. Digital radio communications apparatus comprising:

a base unit;

a local handset communicable with said base unit; and

a distant handset communicable with said base unit,

wherein said local handset comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications;

a base unit communications controller for performing radio communications with said base unit;

a direct inter-handset communications controller for performing direct radio communications between handsets;

a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with a base unit as well as transmitting control channels for direct inter-handset communications in vacant slots in the receiving time zones for communications with said base unit; and

a basic controller for controlling the components of the local handset; and

said

distant handset comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications;

a base unit communications controller for performing radio communications with said base unit;

a direct inter-handset communications controller for performing direct radio communications between handsets;

a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit as well as scanning control channels for direct inter-handset communications in the time zones other than the slots occupied by communications with said base unit; and

a basic controller for controlling the components of the distant handset.

2. The digital radio communications apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said direct inter-handset communications transition controller makes control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit and scans control channels for direct inter-handset communications in the time zones other than the slots occupied by communications with said base unit as well as determines whether to release or maintain communications with said base unit depending on the success or failure of establishment of direct inter-handset communications.

3. Digital radio communications apparatus comprising:

a base unit; and

a handset communicable with said base unit, wherein said handset comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications;

a base unit communications controller for performing radio communications with said base unit;

a direct inter-handset communications controller for performing direct radio communications between handsets;

a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit as well as determines whether to release or maintain communications with said base unit depending on the success or failure of establishment of direct inter-handset communications; and

a basic controller for controlling the components of the handset, and said direct inter-handset communications transition controller releases radio communications with said base unit in case direct inter-handset communications has been successfully established and maintains communications via said base unit in case direct inter-handset communications cannot be established.

4. The digital radio communications apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said direct inter-handset communications transition controller makes control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit as well as transmits control channels for direct inter-handset communications in vacant slots in the receiving time zones for communications with said base unit.

5. Digital radio communications apparatus comprising:

a base unit;

a local handset communicable with said base unit; and

a distant handset communicable with said base unit,

wherein said base unit comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications; and

a controller for controlling the components as well as communicating to the local handset the channels used by the distant handset as channels used by said distant handset and said base unit communicated from said distant handset, and

said local handset comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications;

a base unit communications controller for performing radio communications with said base unit;

a direct inter-handset communications controller for performing direct radio communications between handsets;

a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit, determining whether to release or maintain communications with said base unit depending on the success or failure of establishment of direct inter-handset communications, requesting said base unit to communicate the channels used by said distant handset, and checking whether the channels transmitted from said distant handset to said base unit can be received in the channels used by said distant handset at a transition to direct inter-handset communications; and

a basic controller for controlling the components of the local handset.

6. Digital radio communications apparatus comprising:

a base unit;

a local handset communicable with said base unit; and

a distant handset communicable with said base unit,

wherein said base unit comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications; and

a controller for controlling the components as well as communicating to the local handset the channels used by the distant handset as channels used by said distant handset and said base unit communicated from said distant handset, and

said local handset comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications;

a base unit communications controller for performing radio communications with said base unit;

a direct inter-handset communications controller for performing direct radio communications between handsets;

a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit, determining whether to release or maintain communications with said base unit depending on the success or failure of establishment of direct inter-handset communications, and communicating the channels used by said local handset requested; and

a basic controller for controlling the components of the local handset, and

said distant handset comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications;

a base unit communications controller for performing radio communications with said base unit;

a direct inter-handset communications controller for performing direct radio communications between handsets;

a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit, determining whether to release or maintain communications with said base unit depending on the success or failure of establishment of direct inter-handset communications, and checking whether the channels transmitted from the distant handset to the base unit can be received at a transition to direct inter-handset communications; and

a basic controller for controlling the components of the distant handset.

7. Digital radio communications apparatus comprising:

a base unit and handsets communicable with said base unit,

wherein said handset comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications;

a base unit communications controller for performing radio communications with said base unit;

a direct inter-handset communications controller for performing direct radio communications between handsets;

a direct inter-handset communications transition controller for making control to establish direct inter-handset communications while maintaining communications with said base unit, determining whether to release or maintain communications with said base unit depending on the success or failure of establishment of direct inter-handset communications, requesting said base unit to communicate the channels used by a distant handset and said base unit, and checking whether the channels transmitted from the distant handset to said base unit can be received in said requested channels used; and

a basic controller for controlling the components of the handset,

said base unit comprises;

a radio section for performing radio communications; and

a controller for controlling the components of said base unit as well as communicating the channels used for communications with a distant handset in response to an inquiry from said local handset, and

said direct inter-handset communications transition controller checks whether the channels transmitted from the distant handset to said base unit can be received at a transition to direct inter-handset communications.