Apparatus for interfacing a wireless local network and a wired voice telecommunications system

Abstract

An apparatus for interfacing a wireless local area network with a wide area, cellular or public switched telephone network including the function of a wireless LAN base station or access point, and a gateway. The interface may contain one or more different types of gateways, including a PSTN voice gateway, an analog modem gateway, and others. The apparatus may also include a well designed to receive the handset or mobile computer device to recharge the battery as well as to automatically transfer data when the phone or device is secured in the well.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A data communications network including a plurality of stationary access points and a plurality of remote mobile units, the mobile units being capable of wirelessly communicating with at least two of the access points when located within a predetermined range therefrom and being normally associated with and in communications with a single one of such access points, a mobile unit having a single network address that is selectable from a set of network addresses and is utilized by the mobile unit only while such mobile unit is active, comprising: 
 a processor located at one of said access points for detecting a message sent by a first mobile unit and determining from the message whether it is to be routed to another mobile unit or to another communication station; and    a gateway connected to said access points and functioning to provide a two-way voice channel of communications between the first mobile unit and said another communication station.    
     
     
         2 . A network as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said message includes the addressing mode selected by the user of the mobile unit, said addressing modes including IP address, intercom number, name, and extension number.  
     
     
         3 . A network as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said gateway is a H.323 gateway located in the same housing as an access point and directly connected to the public switched telephone network.  
     
     
         4 . A network as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said gateway is capable of handling multiple channels of communications simultaneously, and includes a protocol converter for converting the messages received from the access points into a format suitable for communication over a wide area network and vice versa.  
     
     
         5 . A network as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said gateway includes an analog modem for transmitting and receiving digital data from an access point and converting it into a form suitable for transmission over the public switched telephone network.  
     
     
         6 . A network as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a communications controller having a plurality of communications ports, with each access point in a set of access points being connected by wire to a predetermined port of said communications controller so that messages received by said controller destined for a particular mobile unit are transferred to the corresponding port of the communications controller and thereby to the associated access point and the first mobile unit.  
     
     
         7 . A network as defined in  claim 1 , wherein each of the mobile units use frequency hoping spread spectrum radio frequency communications.  
     
     
         8 . A telecommunications network comprising a wireless local area network including a plurality of stationary access points connected in a wired network and a plurality of mobile units, each mobile unit being capable of communicating with an access point at a predetermined range therefrom in the form of data packets including a destination network address and a circuit switched network; 
 a mobile unit for providing voice communications on the subnetwork for a user, including a microphone, a speaker, a keypad, a display and an RF transceiver for frequency-hopping spread spectrum communications; and    a combined gateway access point including an RF transceiver for communicating with mobile units at a range therefrom, and a processor for converting the network addressed packetized voice or data signal from the mobile unit to an analog signal for transmission over the circuit-switched network, and for transmitting such voice or data signal to the selected destination station on the telecommunications network.    
     
     
         9 . A wireless desk telephone capable of communicating with a stationary base station located on a wired communications network comprising 
 a portable housing including a keypad;    a handset including a microphone and a speaker;    a cable connecting said housing and said handset;    a codec in said housing for converting audio signals from said microphone into packetized digital signals;    a keypad processor in said housing for processing data entered on said keypad by the user into a destination network address to be used with said packetized digital signals;    a protocol stack processor in said housing for assembling a frame including said network address and said digital signals to be transferred over a radio communication link; and    a radio transceiver for communicating frames including said packetized digital signals to and from a stationary base station.    
     
     
         10 . A telecommunications base station and mobile unit for use in a wireless local area network comprising in combination: 
 a battery operated mobile unit for acquiring and storing data;    a base station including; 
 (a) cradle adapted to receive and secure the mobile unit when not in use,  
 (b) a radio transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals from mobile units;  
 (c) a processor for downloading data received from the mobile unit when it is placed in the cradle;  
 (d) an interface between the base station and the public switched telephone network for transferring downloaded data to a selected destination; and  
 (e) a battery re-charger for recharging the battery of the mobile unit handset when it is placed in the cradle.  
   
     
     
         11 . A method for handling an outgoing call in a network from a handset in a wireless communications local area network, comprising the steps of; 
 detecting when the user activates the mobile handset to make an outgoing call;    receiving in the mobile handset the identification of the destination of the outgoing call from the user;    transmitting a ring signal to a network station corresponding to said destination, said ring signal designed to alert the recipient that a call is attempting to connect; and    transmitting an acknowledgment signal to the mobile handset, said acknowledgement signal designed to alert the user that the call made by the user is attempting to connect.    
     
     
         12 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of receiving in the handset an indication from the user of the type of call the user desires to make.  
     
     
         13 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising the steps of determining in the handset whether the user is making a network address call, an intercom call, or a name call.  
     
     
         14 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising the steps of receiving in the handset an audio signal and converting such signal into a sequence of IP data packets and transmitting said IP data packets by radio communications to a base station.  
     
     
         15 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , wherein such radio communications is in the 2.4 GHz ISM band using spread spectrum radio communications.  
     
     
         16 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of opening an H323 session through the base station between the headset and the destination station.  
     
     
         17 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising the steps of opening a voice channel via a H.323 gateway between an analog voice channel and the mobile handset.  
     
     
         18 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising the steps of sending a message from the base station to the mobile handset that association with the base station has been made.  
     
     
         19 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of sending a message from the destination station to the mobile handset of the call is declined by the destination station.  
     
     
         20 . A method as defined in  claim 11  wherein the transmitting step is performed by wireless communications to a base station, then by circuit switched wired communications to a destination node, and then by wireless communications to a destination wireless handset.  
     
     
         21 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of receiving in the destination handset a sequence of IP data packets, and converting such packets into an analog voice signal.  
     
     
         22 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of receiving in the destination handset a sequence of IP data packets and converting such packets into text for storage and display by the handset.  
     
     
         23 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the step of producing a ringing sound in the earpiece of a destination wireless handset to indicate that a call is attempting to go through.  
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 11  further comprising the step of producing a call waiting indication in the destination wireless handset to indicate that a call is attempting to go through when the wireless handset is in use.  
     
     
         25 . A method of handling an incoming call in a wireless local area network including mobile IP phones comprising the steps of: 
 receiving an incoming ring message which includes the IP address of a calling mobile IP phone;    displaying the IP address of the calling phone on a display on the called mobile IP phone;    determining whether the destination user of the called mobile IP phone accepts or declines the incoming call;    returning a call declined message to the calling mobile IP phone if the destination user declines the incoming call; and    opening an H.323 session between the calling mobile IP phone and the called mobile IP phone if the destination user accepts the incoming call.    
     
     
         26 . A method of operating a data communications network including a plurality of sets of stationary access points and a gateway connected to the access points, and a plurality of remote mobile units, the mobile units being capable of wirelessly communicating with at least two of the access points when located within a predetermined range therefrom and being normally associated with and in communications with a single one of such access points, each mobile unit having a single network address that is selectable from a set of network addresses and is utilized by the mobile unit only while such mobile unit is active, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) storing a set of IP addresses available for use by users in a server computer on the network;    (b) providing identification information of the user to said first mobile unit;    (c) validating the user privileges in said first mobile unit;    (d) assigning an IP address from the set of IP addresses available for use by said first mobile unit; and    (e) transmitting the assigned IP address associated with the user and with said first mobile unit to the telephony gateway.    
     
     
         27 . A method as defined in  claim 26  wherein the mobile unit communicates with the associated access point using a MAC address, and with other mobile units using an IP network address.  
     
     
         28 . A method of operating a data communications network including a plurality of sets of stationary access points and a gateway connected to the access points, and a plurality or remote mobile units, the mobile units being capable of wirelessly communicating with at least two of the access points when located within a predetermined range therefrom and being normally associated with and in communications with a single one of such access points, each mobile unit having a single network address that is selectable from a set of network addresses and is utilized by the mobile unit only while such mobile unit is active, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) storing a set of network addresses available for use by users in a server computer on the network;    (b) transmitting a network address request to the server computer from a first mobile unit;    (c) assigning a network address from the set of network addresses available to said first mobile unit;    (d) providing identification information of the user from said first mobile unit to an authentication server;    (e) validating the user privileges by the authentication server and communicating such validation to said first mobile unit; and    (f) transmitting the network address associated with the user's mobile unit to the telephony gateway.    
     
     
         29 . A method as defined in  claim 28  further comprising the step of downloading user-specific operating parameters to the mobile unit form the server computer.  
     
     
         30 . A method as defined in  claim 28 , further comprising the step of associating the network address associated with the user's mobile unit, transmitted to the telephony gateway with the user identification at said gateway, so that voice communications directed to the user and transmitted to the gateway are translated into packetized voice communications and transmitted to the user at the current network address of the user.