Cordless telephone arrangement

Abstract

A cordless telephone arrangement, such as a DECT Business Cordless Telecommunications (BCT) system, comprises a PBX base station ( 1 ) and a plurality of mobile stations in the form of portable handsets ( 2 a, 2 b . . . 2 n ). The handsets themselves include no means for independently dialling a telephone number. Instead of a conventional keypad the handsets each comprise only a single “TALK” key 7 . The PBX 1 is adapted to dial on behalf of each handset in response to an instruction received by radio communication therefrom. In one embodiment the instructions are delivered orally to the handset. In this case the PBX includes a voice recognition device 12 . A voice synthesizer 11 may also be included for returning spoken messages to the handset. The TALK key 7 is used to indicate that the handset is required to make a call, to terminate a call, or to accept an incoming call. Otherwise instructions and messages are largely conveyed between the mobile station and the base station by spoken word using radio communication.

1 . A cordless telephone arrangement comprising a base station coupled to a telephone network, and a plurality of mobile stations capable of communicating selectively with other telephones on the network via a radio link with the base station; wherein: 
 a mobile station comprises means for issuing an instruction by radio communication requesting the base station to dial a desired telephone number; and    the base station comprises: 
 means for receiving the instruction from the mobile station, and  
 means responsive to said receiving means for dialling the desired telephone number to establish communication between the respective mobile station and the telephone on the network having the desired telephone number.  
   
     
     
         2 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the mobile station comprises no independent means for dialling a telephone number.  
     
     
         3 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the base station is adapted to dial a telephone number automatically for a mobile station in response to an instruction uttered to the respective mobile station and received at the base station by radio communication therefrom.  
     
     
         4 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the mobile station further includes means for initiating a signal for transmission to the base station indicating a request to open communication therewith.  
     
     
         5 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 4   , wherein the signal initiating means include a button actuable by the user.  
     
     
         6 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 4   , wherein the base station is adapted to send a message by radio communication to the mobile station which has requested communication inviting the user to select a service from a predetermined set of services available.  
     
     
         7 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 6   , wherein the base station includes voice synthesizing means for conveying a spoken message to the mobile station.  
     
     
         8 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 6   , wherein the mobile station includes visual display means adapted to indicate the predetermined set of services available, and means for selecting one of the services indicated on the display.  
     
     
         9 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the base station is adapted additionally to provide automatically for a mobile station a service other than dialling a telephone number in response to an instruction received by radio communication from the respective mobile station.  
     
     
         10 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the mobile station is in the form of a portable handset.  
     
     
         11 . A cordless telephone arrangement as claimed in    claim 1   , wherein the base station is in the form of a private branch exchange (PBX).