Method And Apparatus For Providing Telephone Service
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorKenneth W. Brent
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A telephony kiosk and method of providing communications services using a telephony kiosk. A preferred telephony kiosk includes a cabinet on which are mounted a user interface and an operator interface, as well as a number of handsets. The handsets preferably include a minimal number of components so that they cost less than fully-functional personal communications devices and to provide a disincentive for theft. Inside the cabinet in this embodiment is an RF module containing a plurality of RF chains that each including a transceiver for sending and receiving communications between one or more handset and a communications network (or networks). A handset manager bridges the handset cord to the RF module. The kiosk is preferably portable.
Claims18
A telephony kiosk, comprising:
- an RF (radio frequency) module comprising a plurality of RF chains, each RF chain including a transceiver for modulating a signal received from a handset that has been associated with the RF chain;
- and
- a controller for controlling the operation of the RF module.
A telephony kiosk, comprising:
- a plurality of handsets;
- an RF module comprising a plurality of RF chains, each RF chain including a transceiver for modulating a signal received from a handset of the plurality of handsets;
- a handset manager for associating a handset of the plurality of handsets with an RF chain of the RF module;
- and
- a controller for directing the RF module.
A method of providing telephony services to the user of a telephony kiosk, comprising:
- assigning a handset to the user;
- bridging communications to and from the handset to an RF chain in an RF module of the kiosk;
- and
- transmitting communications from the handset to a communications network as an RF signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.