Appeal No. 1999-1551
Application No. 08/547,736
handsets to be alerted to an incoming call. By using the disclosed broadcast type of
communication, the base station is enabled to cause multiple handsets to simultaneously
generate a ringing signal that alternately goes on and off, thereby alerting multiple users of
the occurrence of the incoming call to be answered. Previously, it would have been
necessary to transmit a paging signal that was directed specifically to each individual
handset to inform each handset of the incoming call. For N handsets, this would require
2N time slots. If 2N time slots were not available, then not all of the handsets could be
notified of the incoming call. This problem is said to be overcome by the instant invention.
Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A base station for a digital cordless radio telephone system comprising at least
one handset, the base station comprising base station communication means for
transmitting signals to the handset; and base station processing means responsive to an
incoming call to the base station for causing the base station communication means to
transmit a page request signal of a type that specifies no single handset.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Connolly et al. (Connolly) 5,325,419 Jun. 28, 1994
Krebs et al. (Krebs) 5,548,631 Aug. 20, 1996
(filed Oct. 1, 1993)
Barnes et al. (Barnes) 5,613,196 Mar. 18, 1997
(filed Sept. 2, 1994)
2
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