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US 5,774,805 AGranted
Multi-mode communication network with handset-selected channel assignments
AssigneeGTE Mobile Communications Service Corporation
InventorRobert G. Zicker
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGTE Mobile Communications Service Corporation
InventorRobert G. Zicker
Estimating the term…
A multi-mode communication network (12) accommodates piloted cellular operation and pilotless cordless operation using a multi-mode handset (18). A common pool of channels (28) serves cellular and cordless operations. At least some channels from a cordless subset (32) of the pool of channels (28) are unused in cellular operations regardless of location. The handset (18) monitors forward portions of all cordless subset channels when the handset (18) is within the coverage area (16) of its cordless base station (22). Unused channels are indicated on a dormant channel list (70), which is passed to the handset's cordless base station (22) when the handset (18) registers for cordless operation. The cordless base station (22) makes an active channel list (62) based upon the dormant channel list (70). Cordless operation messages transmitted from either a handset (18) or cordless base station (22) use a channel selected from the active channel list (62).
In a multi-mode communication network in which a common pool of channels is used for both cellular mode communications and cordless mode communications and in which radio coverage areas of a cellular land station and a cordless base station overlap, a method of operating a portable radiotelephone handset comprising the steps of:
In a multi-mode communication network in which a common pool of channels is used for both cellular mode communications and cordless mode communications and in which radio coverage areas of a cellular land station and a cordless base station overlap, wherein said cellular land station communicates using a first subset of said pool of channels and said cordless base station communicates using channels selected from a second subset of said pool of channels, a method of operating a portable radiotelephone handset configured to communicate with said land station and said cordless base station over any channel included in said common pool of channels, said method comprising the steps of:
In a multi-mode communication network in which a common pool of channels is used for both cellular mode communications and cordless mode communications and in which radio coverage areas of a cellular land station and a cordless base station overlap, a method of operating a cordless radiotelephone communication system comprising the steps of:
In a multi-mode communication network in which a common pool of channels is used for both cellular mode communications and cordless mode communications and in which radio coverage areas of a cellular land station and a cordless base station overlap, a method of operating a cordless radiotelephone communication system comprising the steps of:
In a multi-mode communication network in which a common pool of channels is used for both cellular mode communications and cordless mode communications and in which radio coverage areas of a cellular land station and a cordless base station overlap, wherein said cellular land station communicates using a first subset of said pool of channels and said cordless base station communicates using channels selected from a second subset of said pool of channels, a method of operating a cordless radiotelephone communication system comprising the steps of:
A multi-mode portable radiotelephone which communicates in a cellular mode with a cellular land station having a first radio coverage area and in a cordless mode with a cordless base station having a second radio coverage area, said first and second areas overlapping each other, said portable radiotelephone comprising:
A multi-mode portable radiotelephone configured to communicate in a cellular mode with a cellular land station having a first radio coverage area and in a cordless mode with a cordless base station having a second radio coverage area, said first and second areas overlapping each other, over any channel included in a pool of channels, wherein said cellular land station communicates using a first subset of said pool of channels, said cordless base station communicates using channels selected from a second subset of said pool of channels, said portable radiotelephone comprising:
A multi-mode portable radiotelephone which communicates in a cellular mode with a cellular land station having a first radio coverage area and in a cordless mode with a cordless base station having a second radio coverage area, said first and second areas overlapping each other, said portable radiotelephone comprising:
In a multi-mode communication network in which a common pool of channels is used for both cellular mode communications and cordless mode communications and in which a radio coverage area of a cellular land station overlies radio coverage areas for a plurality of cordless base stations, a method of operating a portable radiotelephone handset comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery: using user query or user detection
Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection: user interfaces…
Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection: cordless telephones
Radio link set-up procedures: searching for available channels
Term ended 24 Feb 2014 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
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The present invention relates generally to radiotelephones which operate as cordless phones using radio frequency channels also used by cellular phones.
Multi-mode communication systems use common components for multiple functions. For example, a multi-mode communication system may use a common portable radiotelephone handset to communicate both in a cordless mode of operation and a cellular mode of operation. In the cordless mode of operation, the handset may communicate at low power with a cordless base station typically located within a few hundred feet of the handset. The cordless base station may couple to one or more local loops of a public switched telecommunication network (PSTN). Thus, the handset may communicate through the cordless base station with telephonic devices that couple to the PSTN. In the cellular mode of operation, the handset may communicate at moderate power with a cellular land station typically located within a few miles of the handset. The cellular land station typically couples to the PSTN through a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO). Thus, the handset may communicate through the cellular land station with telephonic devices that couple to the PSTN.
From a user's perspective, cordless operation is more desirable than cellular operation because cordless communication services are typically provided at lower cost than cellular communication services. From a communication service provider's perspective, the low power characteristic of cordless operation allows a given spectrum bandwidth to carry many more communications in a given area than cellular operation. However, a cordless base station's radio coverage area is much smaller than a cellular land station's coverage area.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar items throughout the Figures, and:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an environment in which a multi-mode communication network may be implemented;
FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of components included in the multi-mode communication network;
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an environment in which a multi-mode communication network 12 may be implemented. FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram view of components included in network 12. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, network 12 supports a cellular communication system defined by a grid of cells 14 and any number of cordless communication systems defined by coverage areas 16. FIG. 1 shows only a seven cell cluster of cells 14 schematically shaped as hexagons and only a few of cordless coverage areas 16 schematically shaped as circles. Many more cells 14 and/or cordless coverage areas 16 may be included. Various ones of cells 14 may be located near each other as may be various ones of cordless coverage areas 16. Cells 14 and cordless coverage areas 16 overlap one another. Desirably, each cordless coverage area 16 is substantially smaller than cells 14. Although not shown, other cellular systems may be overlaid on the same area depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the preferred embodiments, the cellular system is compatible with conventional AMPS standards, and the cordless systems also utilize AMPS standard frequency channels and communication protocols. However, nothing prevents the principles of the present invention from being applied to other types of cellular systems.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, network 12 includes any number of portable multi-mode radiotelephone handsets 18, of which only one is shown, a cellular land station 20 for each cell 14, and a cordless base station 22 for each cordless coverage area 16. Cellular land station 20 and cordless base station 22 each represent base stations. The terms cellular land station and cordless base station are used herein only to distinguish the two from one another and to remain consistent with historical usage. Cellular base stations are not required to be located on the land, and cordless base stations desirably refrain from operating at frequencies and using communication protocols which have historically been used for cordless telephony.
Handset 18 may, when located within both cell 14 and cordless coverage area 16, communicate with either cellular land station 20 or cordless base station 22. When outside cordless coverage area 16 but still within cell 14, handset 18 can communicate only with cellular land station 20. Cordless base station 22 couples to a central telephone office 24 through one or more wired local loops. Cellular land station 20 couples to central telephone office 24 through a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) 26 and appropriate trunks. Through central telephone office 24, user communications may be provided between handset 18 and other telephonic devices coupled to the PSTN (not shown) via either cordless mode communications or cellular mode communications.