Apparatus for interfacing a wireless local network and a wired voice telecommunications system
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.
1. A method for handling an outgoing call in a network from a mobile handset in a wireless communications local area network, comprising the steps of:
detecting, by an access point, when a user activates the mobile handset to make an outgoing call;
determining if a wireless communication channel is available in response to the detection;
transmitting an acknowledgement signal to the mobile hand set when the wireless channel is available;
receiving a destination for the outgoing call after transmittal of the acknowledgement signal;
transmitting a ring signal to a base station corresponding to said destination, said ring signal designed to alert a recipient that a call is attempting to connect; and
periodically transmitting a signal to the mobile handset indicating that the call is being attempted until the call is connected with the recipient.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the receiving step comprise the step of receiving in the mobile handset an indication from the user of a type of call the user desires to make.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of determining in the mobile handset whether the user is making a network address call, an intercom call, or a name call.
4. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving in the mobile 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 the base station.
5. A method as defined in claim 4 , wherein such radio communications is in the 2.4 GHz ISM band using spread spectrum radio communications.
6. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of opening an H323 session through the base station between the mobile handset and the recipient.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of opening a voice channel via a H.323 gateway between an analog voice channel and the mobile handset.
8. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of sending a message from the base station to the mobile handset that association with the base station has been made.
9. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of sending a message from the base station to the mobile handset that the call is declined by the base station.
10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the transmitting the ring signal step is performed by wireless communications to the base station, then by circuit switched wired communications to a destination node, and then by wireless communications to a destination wireless handset.
11. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of receiving by the recipient a sequence of IP data packets, and converting such packets into an analog voice signal.
12. A method as defined in claim 1 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.
13. A method as defined in claim 1 , 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.
14. A method as defined in claim 1 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.