Abstract: A wireless terminal or other type of user terminal in a communication system is configured so as to be permitted to enter an enhanced feature access mode based at least in part on a communication of designated information between the user terminal and a corresponding switch of the system. The designated information may comprise, e.g., a feature access code associated with the enhanced feature access mode and entered by a user at the user terminal, or a pre-specified signal transmitted from the user terminal to the switch of the system. When in the enhanced feature access mode, the user terminal is provided with navigation and activation mechanisms which utilize a keypad of the user terminal in conjunction with a display of the user terminal to provide access to features of the communication system from the user terminal. For example, the navigation and activation mechanisms may each utilize disjoint subsets of a given set of keys on a terminal keypad, e.g., an otherwise conventional 12-key keypad.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transmitting a synchronization beacon from a wireless base station to a wireless terminal in a wireless communication network installed in a building. The wireless network comprises a private branch exchange (PBX) connected to a wireless fixed base station (WFB) having a plurality of cell antennae units (CAUs) connected thereto. In a first embodiment, the plurality of CAUs are located in a single cell of the wireless network and are configured to receive two synchronization beacons from the WFB. In a second embodiment, each CAU is located in a separate cell in the network and is configured to receive a single synchronization beacon from the WFB. The synchronization beacon(s) is/are managed by the WFB and WT to virtually eliminate loss of synchronization between the WFB and WT if the frequency-timeslot at which the beacon is transmitted is changed or if transmission of the beacon is temporarily discontinued.

Abstract: A upper medium access control processor is functionally defined by a set of tasks, where each task has a linked list queue for holding messages. Communications between tasks are achieved by placing the message onto the linked list queue of the desired task. The tasks are arranged into a plurality of prioritized groups for execution. The scheduler utilizes a N-phase scheme where tasks in a specific set of groups are executed at each phase. All tasks are guaranteed to run at least once during a complete cycle, thus preventing task starvation. The scheduler accommodates both synchronous and asynchronous tasks and still maintains the given priority scheme.