Adaptive Omni-Modal Radio Apparatus and Methods

Abstract

The present invention provides, among other things, a multi-modal device for facilitating wireless communication over any one of a plurality of wireless communication networks operating pursuant to differing transmission protocols and/or over differing radio frequencies.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . An advanced cellular telephone for facilitating voice and data communication over a plurality of wireless communication networks, at least two of which are digital cellular networks using different protocols for communication, comprising
 a housing small enough to form a portable handset;   an antenna supported by the housing for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic energy;   a first display, supported by the housing, for displaying information that is visually perceptible to a user including information related to use of the device to establish wireless communication links;   a second display, relatively expanded in size with respect to the first display screen and supported by the housing, for displaying information, that is visually perceptible to a user and that includes information procured, in response to a user request, from a remote computer with which the cellular telephone is linked wirelessly via one of the wireless communication networks;   memory contained within the housing for storing an operating program and data including network information, telephone numbers and text messages;   a touch-sensitive device for receiving user supplied commands and data including said user requests for information;   an omni-modal communication circuit for accessing the wireless communication networks using a communications protocol appropriate to the wireless communication network accessed to establish a communication link for voice or data communication over the accessed network, the omni-modal communication circuit including
 a transceiver, electrically connected to the antenna, for sending and receiving radio frequency voice signals and data signals, 
 digital modulator circuitry for modulating digital voice signals and digital data signals onto a carrier for transmitting by the transceiver in accordance with a communications protocol compatible with the communication network being accessed, 
 digital demodulator circuitry for demodulating digital voice signals and digital data signals from radio frequency signals received by the transmitter in accordance with the communications protocol compatible with the communication network being accessed, and 
 a processor for setting up appropriate cross connections between the first and second displays, memory, touch-sensitive device, digital modulator circuitry and digital demodulator circuitry and transceiver to cause the transceiver to access the plurality of wireless communication networks, one or more at a time, for sending and receiving both voice signals and data signals over the accessed network and to receive user commands, to provide information to the first and second displays, to carry out arithmetic calculations, to request information from remote computers and to retrieve data from memory; 
   
     wherein the functions of information retrieval from remote computers, data processing and placing or receiving telephone calls may be carried out by selective access, under the control of the processor, to the plurality of wireless communication networks through operation of the omni-modal communication circuit. 
   
   
       25 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said touch sensitive device further includes an incrementing button and a decrementing button to cause the information displayed on said second display to scroll up and scroll down when actuated, respectively, by the user. 
   
   
       26 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said processor includes a microprocessor, operating under the operating program, to selectively set up the cross connections and a data processing circuit for formatting data as required for devices sending data to and receiving data from the omni-modal communication circuit. 
   
   
       27 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said transceiver includes a local oscillator,
 a receive mixer connected to the local oscillator, an amplifier,   a transmit mixer connected to the local oscillator and to the amplifier, and   a diplexer connected to the amplifier, to the receive mixer and to the antenna.   
   
   
       28 . An advanced cellular telephone for facilitating voice and data communication over a plurality of wireless communication networks, at least one of which is a digital cellular network using a protocol appropriate for communication on a cellular network and at least one other non-cellular wireless communication network operating on a different protocol, comprising
 a housing small enough to form a portable handset;   an antenna supported by the housing for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic energy;   a display, supported by the housing, for displaying information that is visually perceptible to a user;   a touch-sensitive device for receiving user supplied commands and data including said user requests for information;   an omni-modal communication circuit for accessing the wireless communication networks using a communications protocol appropriate to the wireless communication network accessed to establish a communication link for either or both of voice and data communication over the accessed network,
 the omni-modal communication circuit including a transceiver, electrically connected to the antenna, for sending and receiving radio frequency voice signals and data signals, 
 a processor for setting up appropriate cross connections between the display, touch-sensitive device, and transceiver to cause the transceiver to access the plurality of wireless communication networks, one or more at a time, for sending and receiving signals over the accessed network, and 
 a memory, connected with the processor, for storing an operating program including instructions which cause the processor to set up automatically connections to access the non-cellular wireless communication network whenever the advanced cellular telephone is called upon to provide a particular type of communication service and for reverting to the cellular network for access only when the non-cellular wireless communication network is unavailable; and 
   
     wherein the functions of information retrieval from remote computers, data processing and placing or receiving telephone calls may be carried out, under the control of the processor, by selective access to the plurality of wireless communication networks through operation of the omni-modal communication circuit with preference given to the non-cellular wireless network over the cellular network whenever one particular type of communication service is desired. 
   
   
       29 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 28 , wherein the alternative wireless communication network is a wireless paging network and the type of communication service, that causes the processor to automatically prefer the wireless paging network unless it is unavailable, is a paging service. 
   
   
       30 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said processor includes a microprocessor, operating under the operating program, to selectively set up the cross connections and a data processing circuit for formatting data as required for devices sending data to and receiving data from the omni-modal communication circuit. 
   
   
       31 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said transceiver includes a local oscillator,
 a receive mixer connected to the local oscillator, an amplifier,   a transmit mixer connected to the local oscillator and to the amplifier, and   a diplexer connected to the amplifier, to the receive mixer and to the antenna.   
   
   
       32 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said touch sensitive device further includes an incrementing button and a decrementing button to cause the information displayed on said second display to scroll up and scroll down when actuated, respectively, by the user. 
   
   
       33 . An advanced cellular telephone as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said processor includes a microprocessor, operating under the operating program, to selectively set up the cross connections and a data processing circuit for formatting data as required for devices sending data to and receiving data from the omni-modal communication circuit.