Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Including public cordless extension system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-03
2001-07-31
Hunter, Daniel (Department: 2749)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Including public cordless extension system
C455S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269248
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to telecommunications and in particular to a method and apparatus for wireless telecommunication. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for programming a cellular line access unit utilizing an extension telephone.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many developing countries, there is an increasing demand for access to telephone networks. However, because of the remoteness of many regions of developing countries from existing telephone land lines and because the relatively small number of potential subscribers can render extension of existing land lines to remote regions of developing countries unfeasible, cellular technology has emerged as a cost-effective method of rapidly expanding the availability of access to telephone networks in developing countries.
One type of equipment that can be utilized at a subscriber premises (e.g., a business or residence) in a developing country is a so-called fixed access cellular unit, which is typically too cumbersome to be utilized as a mobile unit and is therefore typically “fixed” at the subscriber premises. Often, such fixed access cellular units have no keypad or display, but merely provide a communication path through which conventional extension telephones can connect to a cellular network. Without a keypad, the on-site programming of a fixed access cellular unit that is necessary to, for example, set the subscriber's telephone number, is conventionally accomplished by an installer utilizing a portable computer that executes specialized programming software.
While a fixed access cellular unit can easily be programmed utilizing a portable computer, often the cost of equipping each installer in a developing country with a portable computer is prohibitive. As should thus be apparent, there exists a need for a simple and inexpensive method and apparatus for on-site programming of a fixed access cellular unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for telecommunication.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for wireless telecommunication.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for programming a cellular line access unit utilizing an extension telephone.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. An extension telephone having a numeric keypad for entering inputs including programming data is connected to a cellular line access unit via an I/O connector. The cellular line access unit, which includes a processor and a memory, stores programming data received from the extension telephone within the memory and accesses the programming data in the memory to establish communication between the extension telephone and a cellular communication network. In a preferred embodiment, programming data that is input utilizing the keypad of the extension telephone is transmitted to the cellular line access unit as a series of dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signals, and the cellular line access unit provides feedback in response to the programming data, for example, by generating a tone or displaying a message within a display of the extension telephone.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
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Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Corsaro Nick
Crane John D.
Hunter Daniel
Nortel Networks Limited
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