Portable phone bank

Details Portable phone bank Portable phone bank

1999-06-16

2002-12-03

Trost, William (Department: 2683)

Telecommunications

Radiotelephone system

Including private cordless extension system

C455S465000, C455S166200, C379S153000, C379S144050

Reexamination Certificate

active

06490458

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to public communication systems and, more particularly, to a portable bank of cordless, wireless, or disposable public telephones.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Public telephones have remained relatively static over the last decade.
FIG. 1
is a diagram of a conventional bank of public telephones
100
. The telephone bank
100
includes several telephone units
110
. Each telephone unit
110
includes a housing
120
, a handset
130
connected to the housing
120
via a cord or cable
140
, a coin reception slot
150
that receives coins as payment for a call, a card reception slot
160
that receives a debit or credit card as payment for a call, and a coin return slot
170
that returns the coin payment in the event of incomplete placement of a call.
Typically, a provider permanently installs the telephone bank
100
at a predetermined location, such as at an airport or a shopping mall, or temporarily installs it at a location where temporary telephone service is needed, such as at a convention or a sporting event. The provider connects the telephone bank
100
to a public telephone line at the location.
One problem that exists with the conventional telephone bank
100
is that callers must congregate in the telephone area to wait for a telephone to become available and to place a call. The telephone cord
140
limits a caller's movement during the call to an area of usually less than a foot. The cord
140
also limits the telephone's use by callers who cannot comfortably reach the telephone handset
130
, such as individuals in wheelchairs.
FIG. 2
is a diagram of a conventional bank of public telephones
200
that addresses the above problem. The telephone bank
200
includes several telephone units
210
. Each telephone unit
210
includes a housing
220
, a cordless handset
230
, a coin reception slot
240
that receives coins as payment for a call, a card reception slot
250
that receives a debit or credit card as payment for a call, and a coin return slot
260
that returns the coin payment in the event of incomplete placement of a call. The cordless handset
230
permits a caller to roam outside the immediate area of the telephone bank
200
.
Both of the above conventional telephone banks
100
and
200
have an additional problem in that they require a physical connection to a public telephone network. Also, the physical connection must be capable of handling the maximum telephone service provided by the telephone bank. As a result, providers are limited as to the locations at which these telephone banks can be installed, thereby limiting the availability of public telephone service.
Therefore, a need exists for a mechanism that provides public telephone service at any location, regardless of whether the location contains a physical connection to the public telephone network.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention address this need by providing a portable bank of cordless, wireless, or disposable telephones that provide public telephone service at any location.
In accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a system consistent with the present invention includes a group of public telephones connected to a central communication unit. The public telephones permit callers to place telephone calls over a public telephone network. Each of the telephones includes a portable handset that permits a caller to roam outside an immediate area of the system. The central communication unit transmits communication signals from the telephones to the public telephone network via wireless communication channels.
In another implementation consistent with the present invention, a system includes at least one satellite, a gateway connected to the at least one satellite by a wireless communication channel and to the public telephone network by a wireline communication channel, and a portable public telephone bank. The portable telephone bank includes a plurality of public telephones and a central communication unit.
The public telephones permit callers to place telephone calls. Each of the public telephones includes a portable handset that permits a caller to roam within a predetermined range of the portable telephone bank. The central communication unit connects to the public telephones and the at least one satellite to transmit communication signals between the public telephones and the public telephone network via the at least one satellite and the gateway.
In a different implementation consistent with the present invention, the central communication unit transmits communication signals from the public telephones to a public telephone network via a high-speed data link.
In other implementations consistent with the present invention, the public telephones include cordless, wireless, or disposable handsets.


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