Cordless phone and cordless phone system using such cordless phone

A cordless phone in combination with a digital highway, the cordless phone comprising a base station coupled to a line connected to an external station, and a personal station communicating with said base station by radio, said digital highway being connected to at least one communication equipment, said base station of the cordless phone comprising:

• first channel means for operatively coupling said personal station to the line so that communication between said personal station and the external station is carried out via the line and said base station;
• second channel means for operatively coupling said personal station to the digital highway through which digital data is transmitted so that extension communication between said personal station and said at least one communication equipment connected to said digital highway is carried out via said digital highway and said base station;
• third channel means for operatively coupling the line to the digital highway so that communication between said external station and said at least one communication equipment connected to said digital highway is carried out via the line, said base station and said digital highway;
• and
• control means, coupled to the line, said personal station and the digital highway, for activating one of said first, second and third channel means based on control information supplied from a line, said personal station or the digital highway.

A cordless phone system comprising:

• a digital highway through which digital data is transmitted;
• highway control means, coupled to said digital highway, for performing a time sharing control of digital data transmitted through said digital highway;
• and
• a plurality of cordless phones, each cordless phone comprising a base station coupled to a line connected to an external station, and a personal station communicating with said base station by radio, said base station comprising:
• first channel means for operatively coupling said personal station to the line so that communication between said personal station and the external station is carried out via the line and said base station;
• second channel means for operatively coupling said personal station to said digital highway so that extension communication between said personal station and a cordless phone connected to said digital highway is carried out only via said digital highway and said base station;
• and
• control means, coupled to the line, said personal station and the digital highway, for activating either of said first and second channel means based on control information supplied from the line, said personal station or the digital highway.