Personal mobile communications device having multiple units

• US 6,272,359 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• 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: Okkonen, Harri, Savilampi, Erkki, Rautila, Heikki, Heinonen, Pekka, Murphy, Ciaron Daniel, Kivelä, Seppo Kalervo
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/960,918
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/436, 455/552, 455/461, 455/556, 455/11.1, 455/568, 455/100, 455/567, 455/426, 455/557, 455/575, 455/74, 455/73, 455/349, 340/825.44, 340/573.1, 370/330, 379/430, 379/428, 379/433, 379/434, 379/419, 330/315
• 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. Apparatus for wireless communication with a mobile telephone network, the apparatus comprising:

a primary unit, adapted for carrying on or near the person of the user, having means to communicate with the mobile telephone network over a network traffic channel, and having a first local wireless communication means constructed to generate a first local traffic channel using multiple access protocols selected from TDMA and individual frequency hopping or CDMA and individual pseudorandom binary sequence;

a secondary unit, adapted for carrying on or near the person of the user, having a second local wireless communication means constructed to communicate over said first local traffic channel with said first local wireless communication means to bidirectionally transfer data between said primary unit and said secondary unit;

wherein said local traffic channel accommodates communications in both directions utilizing the selected multiple access protocol, and wherein said secondary unit generates a second local traffic channel; and

a third unit adapted for carrying on or near the person of the user, having a third local wireless communication means arranged to communicate over said second local traffic channel with said second local wireless communication means to bi-directionally transfer data between said secondary unit and said third unit.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third unit is a headset coupled to said second unit.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein communication from the primary unit to the third unit is linked through said secondary unit.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first local traffic channel is received and processed by said secondary unit and said secondary unit generates said second local traffic channel based on said first local traffic channel.