Abstract: The method and apparatus of the present invention enable the use of a single wireless mobile user communications device to transact communications sessions using a plurality of communication modes, both wireless and wire-lined. The single wireless mobile user communications device is comprised of a reduced instruction set processing unit, a digital signal processor unit, a novel multi-mode tunable transceiver, and a memory to direct operation of the communications device in such a way that the transceiver continuously samples a plurality of wireless communication modes, and upon receiving a request to establish a communications session, selects the one of the plurality of communication modes having the optimum signal characteristics as the transaction medium for that particular communications session.

Abstract: A telephony call waiting feature is provided wherein a caller ID information related to a third party wishing to converse with a first party already engaged in a conversation with a second party is provided to the first party. When the local office sends an alerting tone (e.g., CAS) to the first party, the first party telephone set responds by attenuating signals going to the first party handset. The local office then transmits the caller ID information relating to the third party and the first party apparatus receives and displays to the first party the caller ID information related to the third party thereby allowing the first party to either accept or reject the waiting call based on the displayed information.

Abstract: A system is disclosed allowing a plurality of conforming customer premise equipment ("CCPEs") on a single telephone line to display a third party's caller information while users are communicating with a second party. Through a self-arbitration process, one CCPE of the plurality of CCPEs is a primary CCPE, whereas the remaining CCPE(s) are secondary CCPE(s). While the users are communicating with the second party using any one or more of the CCPEs, each CCPE detects whether a CPE alerting signal ("CAS") tone has been transmitted by the central office, thereby detecting when the third party is calling. Each CCPE responds by disconnecting the CCPE's telephone from the telephone line. After all of the CCPEs are on-hook, the primary CCPE then goes off-hook and transmits a CAS acknowledgement ("CAS ACK") signal to the central office. All of the CCPEs then wait for the central office to transmit the CID information in response to the CAS ACK signal.