Wireless Digital Personal Communications System Having Voice/Data/Image Two-Way Calling and Intercell Hand-Off Provided Through Distributed Logic Resident in Portable Handset Terminals, Fixed Terminals, Radio Cell Base Stations and Switched Telephone Network

Abstract

A wireless digital personal communications system (or PCS) having a plurality of radio cell base stations, fixed terminals, and portable handset terminals, each having a predetermined radio cell coverage area. The wireless PCS has a full digital network interface. The personal communications system facilitates the interconnection and switching of PCS call traffic through the digital network interface and the public switched telephone network, or any switched network. The personal communications system has voice / data / image (or any combination thereof) and incoming and outgoing calling capability. The PCS is fully operational and compatible with any and all modulation approaches selected for wireless communications. The intercell protocol hand-off being provided through distributed logic which is implemented in software that is resident in the intelligent portable handset terminals, in the intelligent fixed terminals, in the intelligent base stations, and in the public switched telephone network (or any switched network). Alternative embodiments of the present invention include a wireless digital personal communications system having authentication means for authenticating a remote device; a wireless digital personal communications system having a combination of authentication means for authenticating a remote device and security means for securing signal and message content between an intelligent base station and a remote device, the security means including a predetermined encryption and decryption technique; a wireless digital personal communications system having dynamic zone grouping of portable handset terminals or fixed terminals; and a wireless digital personal communications system having call forwarding for unanswered calls.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 184,298 filed Jan. 21, 1994, titled “Wireless Digital Personal Communications System Having Voice / Data / Image Two-Way Calling And Intercell Hand-Off Provided Through Distributed Logic Resident In Portable Handset Terminals, Radio Cell Base Stations and Switched Telephone Network” and is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to a wireless digital personal communications systems having a plurality of intelligent base stations, intelligent portable handset terminals, and intelligent fixed terminals, each having a predetermined radio cell coverage area, and more particularly to a digital, radio cell, radio-telephone, personal communications system (or PCS) having a full ISDN interface (or any standardized digital network interface), thereby facilitating direct interconnection and switching of PCS call traffic through the ISD...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003]The increasing availability of mobile, portable, and fixed communications over the past decade is freeing business and residential users from the physical constraints of a totally wired telecommunications network. Particularly, cellular communications systems, together with paging and other complementary services (for example, call forwarding, voice mail, facsimile, electronic mail, etc.) has brought true mobility to telecommunications services for the first time. Significant technical advances in mobile, portable and fixed wireless technologies, as well as in new technologies such as digital transmission with respect to wireless telecommunications, have substantially expanded the number and types of wireless telecommunications services utilizing the radio spectrum that can be made available to the user. These prospective services include, but are not limited to, advanced forms of cellular telephone service, advanced digital cordless telephone service, portable facsimile services, wireless CENTREX and other switching center basic services, wireless private branch exchange services, and wireless local area network services, etc., and may be used through the existing public switched telephone network, or any switched network, or through alternative local wired networks (for example, cable television systems). As such, digital personal communications systems can exist independently of, and in conjunction with, local wired networks, filling gaps that are existing in current communications systems, and also in creating important new markets, many of which are yet to be defined. The advent of PCS will have a great impact on the future development and configuration of all telecommunications networks by significantly improving their flexibility and functionality. Accordingly, providers of PCS will have the ability to reach and serve existing and new markets nationally in an economic and responsive manner. It would be an advantage to construct a digital PCS network that could share the functionality of the Public Switched Telephone Network through a standardized digital interface (for example, ISDN), or any standardized digital interface, that may currently exist, or are expected to exist, to effectively and efficiently provide a broad set of standardized functions.

[0004]Personal communications requirements in the United States are rapidly changing as the demand for instantaneous communications increases due to the increased mobility of the user. One of the advantages of PCS is that it will use a portable or fixed communications device, as well as a plurality of communications devices, to reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. PCS will facilitate increased mobility and flexibility of the user, since this approach solves the underlying problem of being in constant communications with the user. PCS wireless will enable users not to miss important calls, as well as reduce the time and expense in returning calls. PCS combines the functionality of radio communications and the Public Switched Telephone Network technologies and infrastructure, and will accommodate full-duplex capabilities (two-way incoming and outgoing calling) and hand-off between radio cells (allowing users to freely move from one radio cell to another without interrupting the user's call within one switching center).

[0005]It is important to remember that there has been a steady increasing demand for new PCS services and technologies for numerous, sometimes incompatible, applications, namely, wireless private branch exchanges, smaller lighter portable cellular phones, portable fax machines, multi-channel cordless telephones, fixed terminals, etc., and additional services which are targeting the facilitation of contacting a particular individual user (rather than contacting a particular station). Current radio equipment and related services presently offered (i.e., cordless telephones, radio paging, and existing cellular radio) cannot fully meet the demands for these new types of PCS services. For example, cordless telephones are used in and around the home or office, operate on only a very few channels (10 or so) and are limited to use in the immediate vicinity of its associated base station. Radio paging services are only one-way and have limited capabilities. Cellular and specialized mobile radio services cannot meet the full range of expected demand for PCS. Generally speaking, PCS will facilitate communications equipment with additional features or functionality. Over time, PCS will have standardized equipment having common modules in hardware resulting in the improved quality and reliability in the associated equipment and which will also be less vulnerable to transient interference from external sources, have automatic call registration, automatic call forwarding, voice mail, faxing capability, easy roaming features, remote data transfer, increased privacy protection / caller ID / class services, increased battery life, and common protocols. Further, wireless PCS may eventually eliminate the need to have a building hardwired for communications.

Problems solved by technology

Current radio equipment and related services presently offered (i.e., cordless telephones, radio paging, and existing cellular radio) cannot fully meet the demands for these new types of PCS services.

For example, cordless telephones are used in and around the home or office, operate on only a very few channels (10 or so) and are limited to use in the immediate vicinity of its associated base station.

Radio paging services are only one-way and have limited capabilities.

Cellular and specialized mobile radio services cannot meet the full range of expected demand for PCS.

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