Abstract: Improved radio receiver designs are disclosed that can be used in the operational environment of wireless communications. The radio receiver includes a signal input terminal, a variable-current RF signal amplifier, a demodulator, and a controller. The variable-current RF signal amplifier has an input terminal for accepting RF input signals, an output terminal for generating an amplified version of the RF input signals, and a current control terminal for controlling the current consumption of the RF signal amplifier. The signal input terminal is coupled to the input terminal of the variable-current RF signal amplifier, the output terminal of the variable-current RF signal amplifier is coupled to the demodulator, and the current control terminal is coupled to the controller. The controller is also coupled to the demodulator. A received signal, including any noise and/or interference, is coupled to the signal input terminal.

Abstract: Automatic call forwarding techniques for use in conjunction with a telephonic communications system such as a PBX or a central switching office. A telephonic device is associated with a smart card reader/writer and a communications unit RF transceiver. Subscribers are each provided with a smart card and an RF jacket transceiver adapted to partially and removably encase the smart card. In response to input received from the smart card reader/writer, the telephonic device instructs the communications system to forward incoming telephone calls for a given subscriber to the associated telephonic device. The communications unit RF transceiver periodically transmits an interrogation signal to the RF jacket transceiver. If the interrogation signal is received by the RF jacket transceiver, the RF jacket transceiver sends an acknowledgment signal to the communications unit RF transceiver, and incoming calls will continue to be forwarded to the associated telephonic device.