Cellular docking station

A communication system comprising:

• a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system having a mobile switching center (MSC) and a plurality of cellular telephones;
• and
• a communications interface for allowing a conventional telephone handset to access the CMR system via a selected cellular telephone, wherein the communications interface comprises
• means for determining whether the selected cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface;
• means for transferring communication signals between the telephone handset and the selected cellular telephone, wherein means for transferring comprises
• a mobile terminal interface unit (MTIU) for delivering and receiving communication signals between the communications interface and the selected cellular telephone,
• a telephony support unit (TSU) for delivering and receiving communication signals between the communication interface and the telephone handset, and
• a controller connected to the MTIU and TSU for controlling the exchange of communication signals;
• and
• means for supplying an indication to the CMR system that the selected cellular telephone is operating through the communications interface,
• wherein the transfer means comprises the MTIU and the controller, the MTIU is operative to detect the connection of the selected cellular telephone to the communications interface, and to relay the detected connection to the controller, thereby enabling use of the traditional telephone handset for initiating the communication signals.

A communication system comprising:

• a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system having a mobile switching center (MSC) and a plurality of cellular telephones;
• and
• a communications interface for allowing a conventional telephone handset to access the CMR system via a selected cellular telephone, wherein the communications interface comprises
• means for determining whether the selected cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface;
• means for transferring communication signals between the telephone handset and the selected cellular telephone;
• and
• means for supplying an indication to the CMR system that the selected cellular telephone is operating through the communications interface, wherein the indicating means is operative to append an identifier that identifies an outgoing communication as originating from the communication interface.

A communication system comprising:

• a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system having a mobile switching center (MSC) and a plurality of cellular telephones;
• and
• a communications interface for allowing a conventional telephone handset to access the CMR system via a selected cellular telephone, wherein the communications interface comprises
• means for determining whether the selected cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface;
• means for transferring communication signals between the telephone handset and the selected cellular telephone;
• and
• means for supplying an indication to the CMR system that the selected cellular telephone is operating through the communications interface,
• wherein the MSC identifies incoming communications intended for subscribers to the communications interface by comparing the telephone exchange number for the incoming communication to a list of subscribers maintained in a database and, if identified as one of the listed subscribers and if the selected cellular telephone is proximate to the communications interface and available to receive the incoming communication, then delivering the incoming communication to the selected cellular telephone.

A communication system comprising:

• a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system having a mobile switching center (MSC) and a plurality of cellular telephones;
• and
• a communications interface for allowing a conventional telephone handset to access the CMR system via a selected cellular telephone, wherein the communications interface comprises
• means for determining whether the selected cellular telephone is in communicative contact with the communications interface;
• means for transferring communication signals between the telephone handset and the selected cellular telephone;
• and
• means for supplying an indication to the CMR system that the selected cellular telephone is operating through the communications interface,
• wherein the MSC identifies incoming communications intended for subscribers to the communications interface by comparing the telephone exchange number for the incoming communication to a list of subscribers maintained in a database and, if identified as one of the listed subscribers and if the selected cellular telephone is located within the cell site in which the selected cellular telephone is registered for operation and available to receive the incoming communication, then delivering the incoming communication to the selected cellular telephone.

A method of communicating a telephone call initiated by a telephone handset via a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system, comprising the steps of:

• responsive to initiation of an outgoing communication from the telephone handset, determining whether a cellular telephone is connected to a communications interface, which communications interface passes outgoing communications from the telephone handset to the cellular telephone,
• in the event that the cellular telephone is connected to the communications interface:
• accepting the outgoing communication from the telephone handset at the communications interface,
• appending the outgoing communication with an identifier indicating that the outgoing communication is initiated by the communications interface,
• providing the appended outgoing communication to the cellular telephone, and
• transmitting the appended outgoing communication from the cellular telephone to the CMR system.

A method of communicating a telephone call to a telephone handset via a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system, the method comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of an incoming communication by the CMR system, first determining whether the intended recipient of the incoming communication is a subscriber to a communications interface by checking a database within the CMR system;
• then determining whether a selected cellular telephone is connected to the communications interface;
• and
• in the event that the cellular telephone is connected to the communications interface, transmitting the incoming communication from the CMR system to the cellular telephone,
• wherein the first determining step further comprises the steps of:
• an authentication unit within the CMR system sending a number sequence to the communications interface;
• the communications interface performing a predetermined algorithm on the number sequence;
• the authentication unit performing the same predetermined algorithm on the same number sequence;
• and
• comparing the two number sequences.

A method of communicating a telephone call to a telephone handset via a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system, the method comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of an incoming communication by the CMR system, first determining whether the intended recipient of the incoming communication is a subscriber to a communications interface by checking a database within the CMR system;
• then determining whether a selected cellular telephone is connected to the communications interface;
• and
• in the event that the cellular telephone is connected to the communications interface, transmitting the incoming communication from the CMR system to the cellular telephone,
• wherein the second determining step identifies the selected cellular telephone when the selected cellular telephone is physically connected to the communications interface.

A method of communicating a telephone call to a telephone handset via a cellular mobile radiotelephone (CMR) system, the method comprising the steps of:

• responsive to receipt of an incoming communication by the CMR system, first determining whether the intended recipient of the incoming communication is a subscriber to a communications interface by checking a database within the CMR system;
• then determining whether a selected cellular telephone is connected to the communications interface;
• and
• in the event that the cellular telephone is connected to the communications interface, transmitting the incoming communication from the CMR system to the cellular telephone,
• wherein the second determining step identifies the selected cellular telephone when the selected cellular telephone is in close geographical proximity to the communications interface.