Abstract: A cordless telephone network comprises a base unit (12) that is interconnected into a normal telephone network (19) and a plurality of hand-held cordless telephones (20). Each of the hand-held cordless telephones has a distinctive identification code and the base unit temporarily stores the identification code of the hand-held unit with which it is communicating during a call and will not communicate with other hand-held units having different identification codes during that call. Each of the hand-held units has the ability to scan a plurality of cordless telephone channels for either receiving a call on a channel on which its identification code is transmitted or placing a call on a channel on which a base unit transmits a "free-channel" signal. The hand-held units each have a voice activation/deactivation circuit which allows the hand-held unit to send and receive audio signals only when it has been given permission to do so by a base unit.

Abstract: A cordless telephone network comprises a base unit (12) that is interconnected into a normal telephone network (19) and a plurality of hand-held cordless telephones (20). Each of the hand-held cordless telephones has a distinctive identification code and the base unit temporarily stores the identification code of the hand-held unit with which it is communicating during a call and will not communicate with other hand-held units having different identification codes during that call. Each of the hand-held units has the ability to scan a plurality of cordless telephone channels for either receiving a call on a channel on which its identification code is transmitted or placing a call on a channel on which a base unit transmits a "free channel" signal. The hand-held units each have a voice activation/deactivation circuit which allows the hand-held unit to send and receive audio signals only when it has been given permission to do so by a base unit.