Abstract: A cordless telephone provides for increased features available at a portable unit that have heretofore been available only at a base unit which combines a cordless telephone fixed station and telephone answering device. The cordless telephone includes a call screening feature which allows a user at the portable unit to monitor incoming messages received over telephone lines as they are being recorded at the telephone answering device without the user having to configure the portable unit in any way during actual receipt of the message. A built-in loudspeaker is incorporated into the portable unit so that the user may easily listen to the incoming messages. Once receipt of the incoming message is completed, amplifier circuitry driving the loudspeaker is turned off. The cordless telephone also includes a caller-ID feature which informs the user at the portable unit of the identity of a preidentified calling party before the call is answered.

Abstract: A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which allows multiple cordless telephone portable units to operate in close reception proximity to each other and without interference while either responding to a service request from a cordless telephone base unit or in generating a service request to the base unit, also in the system. Contention between portable units in the system in responding to a service request from the telephone base is resolved through use of a polling process wherein the base unit polls each one of the portable units as part of this polling process. Each portable unit is assigned a number of acquisition channels distributed across the frequency hopping channels used for normal communications between the base unit and the portable units. These channels are different from and do not conflict with other acquisition channels respectively assigned to other portable units, also in the system.

Abstract: A multichip module is assembled using flip-chip bonding technology, a stencil printable solder paste and standard surface mount equipment for interconnecting signaling input/output contact pads on devices within such multichip module.

Abstract: Communication links are quickly and reliably established between units of a cordless telephone configured for operating in a frequency hopping system. This is achieved through specific processes which detects frequency hopping patterns that are embedded in radio frequency noise. A first process is executed by the base unit and/or each of multiple handset units in the cordless telephone for performing a link acquisition with another unit, also in the cordless telephone. In the execution of this process, multiple profile scans of the frequency hopping channels are executed to build up over time tables with information about energy in all of the channels in the frequency spectrum that are used by the units in the cordless telephone for frequency hopping. In the tables will be spectrum energy from a frequency hopping base unit or handset unit that appears as a recognizable pattern.

Abstract: A low cost radio frequency identification tag is provided for attaching to and identifying objects such as, for example, a passenger's luggage. The tag is programmed to contain information such as the origin, destination, and name of a passenger accompanying the luggage. This information is programmed into the tag at the time when the customer checks his or her luggage at a terminal. The tag includes an integrated circuit with all radio and data functions incorporated onto this integrated circuit, and an antenna for radio communication. The integrated circuit in the tag is suitably powered from the incident radio frequency energy provided by a interrogator while the tag is located in the radiation pattern of this interrogator. The luggage tag is assembled inexpensively by packaging the integrated circuit between paper or plastic substrates on which printed identifying information is also added at the point of check-in at the terminal.

Abstract: A cordless telephone system achieves synchronism for each one of multiple portable units to the same communication channel for communicating with a common base unit. The cordless system uses a dual channel process to allow both the freedom to dynamically change channels as needed to avoid interference while simultaneously providing a capability to resynchronize any portable unit with the base unit on a selected active channel. This is achieved through the use of a fixed service channel and an active channel which changes as needed. If a channel change is made during a call, after the call is completed, the base unit returns to the previous active channel and broadcasts a message to the multiple portable units indicative of the new active channel. Also, any portable unit that attempts to communicate with the base unit on the wrong channel and fails to get a response will transmit a message on the fixed service channel requesting the current active channel from the base unit.

Abstract: An antenna design for a tag operating in an radio frequency identification system minimizes the influence of reflecting surfaces upon the antenna radiation pattern. The antenna advantageously provides near uniform performance when the tag is in varying proximity to different metal reflecting surfaces. The antenna operates as a quarter wave patch antenna and is constructed from a rectangular metal patch separated from a larger metallic plane. This metallic plane serves as the reference ground plane for a circuit attached to the antenna, with a direct short between the patch and the ground plane along one edge of the patch. The dimensions of the metal patch are selected such that one quarter of a wavelength of incident radiation forms a standing wave on the antenna. A careful choice of dielectric material and lateral dimensions determine the bandwidth of the antenna.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for speech recognition in which a single criterion or set of criteria is selected manually by the user, from plural classes of recognition criteria. The stored classes of recognition criteria include a default class optimized for an average user in normal conditions, at least one class having a probability of recognition greater than said default class, and at least one class having a probability of recognition less than said default class. Accordingly, the user may select that class of criteria which provides the best results for him or her, as measured by greater accuracy (fewer false positive detections) or fewer instances of non-rejection. An utterance is compared to one or more models of speech to determine a similarity metric for each such comparison. The model of speech which most closely matches the utterance is determined based on the one or more similarity metrics.

Abstract: A location registering apparatus provides for redirecting of telephone calls intended for a mobile station to, for example, a land-line subscriber telephone number through the use of a station registering device and a suitably configured cellular recharger for charging a battery located in the mobile station. In operation, when a user places the mobile station in the cellular recharger, a signal from the cellular recharger and reflective of this action is provided to the station registering device. Upon receiving this signal, the station registering device initiates a call to a location register in the telephone network and reconfigures information for the mobile station in this network so that all calls intended for this mobile station are rerouted to the previously provided subscriber telephone number, for example, the station user's home or office number.

Abstract: In a radio frequency identification communication system, a communication protocol advantageously controls communication between an interrogator and one or more identifying labels or read/write tags. This protocol is configurable in two modes in which a read/write tag can be expected to operate. In the first mode, a rapid transfer of a limited amount of data takes place between the interrogator and one or more tags. In the second mode, a slower or less time critical transfer of a large quantity of data in a packet format takes place. In this second mode, a communication to the other tags causes these tags to remain "silent" so that they do not corrupt the data transfer in progress. The interrogator automatically determines the quantity of data and the correct mode in which to operate. Either mode can be initiated on successive communication periods by the communication protocol.

Abstract: A cordless telephone system is arranged for extending the operating range of a cordless telephone portable unit within such system. The cordless telephone system comprises a plurality of cordless telephone stations that are connected to a plurality of intrapremises telephone wire-pairs and support independent simultaneous telephone calls without interference. Each cordless telephone station consists of a cordless telephone base unit and its associated cordless telephone portable unit. Although each of the portable units is associated with a particular base unit, all of the portable units are able to operate with any of the base units in the system. As a user of a portable unit with a call in progress roams about a premises, all base units monitor the quality of the radio frequency signal received from the portable unit.

Abstract: Cross-over modulation between radio frequency circuits and audio circuits is minimized in a wireless portable transceiver by locating all audio circuitry in a first section of the portable transceiver and all radio frequency circuitry in a second, separate section of the portable transceiver. In view of modality considerations in small portable transceivers, an audio signal is either radiated or received in the vicinity of the radio frequency circuitry. Isolation of the audio signal is achieved by routing this signal while in its acoustic form. Since audio signals in an electrical form are not routed around or near the radio frequency circuitry, cross-over modulation does not occur between the radio frequency circuitry and the audio circuitry.

Abstract: A menu level indicator facilitates ease of use of a telephone terminal by a user by providing easily understandable information about selectable menu options available in an interactive display on the telephone terminal. The menu level indicator provides a visual indication for permitting the user to directly determine the number of menu options available while at one of multiple selectable menu levels in the menu. The menu level indicator also provides a visual indication for the user as to the relative position of a displayed, selectable menu option with respect to other selectable menu options commonly located at one of the multiple selectable menu levels. As a user maneuvers through the menu levels, such user is able to quickly develop a mental model of the feature menus and easily navigate through these menu selections.

Abstract: A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which achieves optimum utilization of multiple cordless telephone portable units by permitting these units to access a common base unit and also access each other. The portable units are configured for subsequent operation with the base unit and each other during a registration process by having the base unit select from a plurality of communication channels available in the frequency hopping system a different starting channel for each one of the portable units. The portable units are thereby advantageously selectably addressable by the base unit and by each other. Any one of the registered portable units, for example, is capable of selectively paging and communicating with any other one of the registered portable units over selected ones of the plurality of communication channels.

Abstract: A user of a telephone terminal with an interactive display is provided complete access to all feature choices in a hierarchical menu through a minimum number of menu keys. These menu keys include a "Next" key, a "Back" key, a "Select" key and a "Home" key. These menu keys occupy minimal space on the housing of the telephone terminal, yet enable the user of the terminal to easily scroll to and select every feature in the interactive display. The user is able to quickly develop a mental model of the feature choices and easily navigate through these menu selections. Context-sensitive functionality also is provided for using the interactive display. As a user completes a command function, the feature choice presented to the user for this function is the one most likely to be accessed by the user, thus advantageously avoiding the necessity of having a dedicated key for allowing the user to select this feature choice.

Abstract: A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which achieves optimum utilization of multiple cordless telephone portable units by permitting these units to access a common base unit and also access each other. The portable units are configured for subsequent operation with the base unit and each other during a registration process by having the base unit select from a plurality of communication channels available in the frequency hopping system a different starting channel for each one of the portable units. The portable units are thereby advantageously selectably addressable by the base unit and by each other. Any one of the registered portable units, for example, is capable of selectively paging and communicating with any other one of the registered portable units over selected ones of the plurality of communication channels.

Abstract: A technique for packet-switching suitable for interference-limited wireless communication systems is provided. Long bursty packets of data are broken into shorter units or packet-slots. This advantageously provides for averaging and minimizing interference in time--one of the requirements for achieving high system capacity in interference-limited systems. Transmit-start times and durations of packet slots are controlled by packet-slot distribution patterns. The patterns are representable by unipolar binary codes/sequences whose properties are based on number-theoretic principles. The technique minimizes the time variance of composite interference due to simultaneous transmissions of numerous signals over the same frequency channel. By minimizing the variance of overall interference, this technique satisfies the demand of multi-media traffic and also increases system capacity in a fading multipath environment.