GB2335114A

GB2335114A - Reconfiguration of dual mode radio telephones

Info

Publication number: GB2335114A
Application number: GB9804711A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christophe Max Jean Jouin
Original assignee: NEC Technologies UK Ltd
Current assignee: NEC Technologies UK Ltd
Priority date: 1998-03-05
Filing date: 1998-03-05
Publication date: 1999-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-03-05
Also published as: GB9804711D0; GB2335114B; JP3314808B2; AU1859899A; JPH11249884A

Abstract

A dual mode radiotelephone (1) comprises a stand alone unit (2) which is a cellular phone operable with cellular network (5) and, a satellite transceiver unit (3) which is operable with a satellite network (4). The cellular phone may be removed from, and separately operated from the satellite transceiver. The two units are connectable to utilise mutual services and equipment such as the power supply. Additionally, the dual mode radiotelephone can obtain reprogramming data overthe air from either network. The two units may be linked by wires, or optically for reprogramming purposes so that reprogramming data obtained from the satellite network may be installed into the cellular phone and, data obtained from the cellular network may be installed in the satellite transceiver.

Description

2335114 1 Reconfiguration. of dual mode radiotelephones This invention

relates to radio transmitter/receivers and in particular it relates to a method of re-programming radio transmitter/receivers over- the -air.

A radio transmitter/receiver (transceiver) such as a radiotelephone is designed for operation with particular types of networks such as GSM 900 or DCS 1800. Intended use of the radiotelephone with a particular network(s) in a restricted geographical area, however, requires that the telephone be configured so as properly to communicate with the particular network (s). The user of a radiotelephone will usually have a telephone which has been configured for communication with a so called "home network". The home network is the local network usually most used by the subscriber.

The area within which a user of e.g. a GSM radiotelephone may operate, however, is considerable and is not limited to the home network but may be used on many other networks throughout the world. Use of a handset outside the home network is known as "roaming".

When the radiotelephone is to be used for roaming it is often necessary for it to have a configuration different to that for use with the home network. It is possible for re-configuration of radio transmitter/receivers to be effected by means of signals received across the air interface. It is also convenient for the radio to be reconfigurable over the air interface so as to support 2 different types of communication and user applications e.g. addition of address book manager, whether or not it is located in the home network.

Over the air re-programming of radio receivers is well known in the art and reference may be made to US patent 5 381 138 for example. The capability to obtain programming data from a network is particularly useful for a roaming radio transmitter/ receiver.

Dual or multi-mode radio transceivers for use with more than one network are well known in the prior art. These dual or multi-mode transceivers may be manufactured either for use as a single unit or provided as separate units to be linked together or to be used in conjunction with each other.

Presently over-the-air reprogramming is limited to a single network. That is to say that a cellular network will re-programme only that part of the transceiver which operates with that cellular network. It would be of considerable advantage for over-the-air re-programming for more than one network to be available for a dual mode or multi-mode transceiver.

According to the invention there is provided a method of downloading overthe-air reprogramming data for installation in a first radio transceiver configured for operation with a first network, the reprogramming data being supplied from a second network to a radio transceiver operating with the second network and forwarded to the first radio transceiver for installation.

3 One example of the invention will now be described with reference to the sole figure 1 which is a pictorial representation of a dual mode transceiver operable with cellular and satellite networks A dual mode transceiver 1 is shown in figure 1. The transceiver 1 comprises a "stand alone" unit 2 which is a cellular phone and a transceiver 3. The transceiver unit 3 (the satellite unit) operates with a satellite network represented by 4. The cellular phone 2 may be removed from and operate separately from the transceiver unit 3. The two units are connectable, however, so as to take advantage of the mutual support and supplementary services available e.g. the power supply from one unit may be used to supplement or replace the power supply from the other unit.

Additionally the two units may be linked by optical means e.g. IR. When the need or desire for reprogramming arises a request for a programming module download is passed from the cellular unit 2 to the cellular network. 5 or from the satellite unit 3 to the satellite network 4. The programming module requested could be required for a reconfiguration to allow use of the cellular phone in the locality to which it has roamed. Alternatively the request may be for an additional user application module to be downloaded such as an address book manager.

In this example, however the requirement is for the satellite unit 3 to be reprogrammed to provide for operation of the cellular phone 2, in combination with the satellite unit 3, with the satellite network 4. The cellular unit 2 requests a download frorn the cellular network operator 5 and prepares to receive and transfer data. The nature of the transmission of the requested module will depend upon the amount of data to be received by the cellular unit 2, the bandwidth of the communication channel and the amount of memory available in the receivers.

The communication of the data module from cellular unit 2 to satellite unit 3 will also depend on the linkage existing between the two units. When connected together e.g. via plug and socket connection (a wire link), the transfer of the reprogramming module from one unit to the other may be at radio frequency (RF) and reduction of the re-programming module to baseband frequency will not be required.

Where units are physically separated and an optical linkage exists between the two units then in order to transmit the reprogramming module, the incoming R.F signals from the network will need to be reduced to baseband frequency.

Both cellular unit 2 and satellite unit 3 have memory stores, such as flash EPROM, capable of being written to by incoming data. The incoming data for reprogramming is received and stored by cellular unit 2. The reprogramming data in the memory of cellular unit 2 is then transferred to the memory of satellite unit 3. When reception of the reprogramming data in memory of unit 3 is complete the reprogramming data is installed in satellite unit 3 at all levels. With suitable buffering and control the memories of both of the units 2 and 3 may be shared.

Whilst in the above example the two units are separable, in some dual mode designs a single radiotelephone unit mode is constructed for use with two types of network. A dual mode phone therefore may be of unitary construction and include in its design many features common to both modes of use. That is to say that many of the component parts of the phone such as the keypad, power supply and some memory will effectively be shared between the two modes of use.

The method of downloading over-the-air reprogramming data described herein is also applicable to dual mode radiotelephones where a first radio transceiver is that part of the radiotelephone operable with a first network and the second radio transceiver is that part of the radiotelephone operable with a second network.

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Claims

1. A method of downloading over-the-air reprogramming data for installation in a first radio transceiver configured for operation with a first network. the reprogramming data being supplied from a second network to a second radio transceiver operating with the second network and forwarded to the first radio transceiver for installation.

2. A method of downloading over-the-air reprogramming data as in claim 1 where a first radio transceiver is that part of a dual mode radiotelephone operable with a first network and a second radio transceiver is that part of a radiotelephone operable with a second network.

3. A method of downloading over-the-air reprogramming data as in claims 1 and 2 where the first network is a cellular network and the second network is a satellite network.

4. A method of downloading over-the-air reprogramming data as in claims 1 and 2 where the first network is a satellite network and the second network is a cellular network.

5. A method of downloading over-the-air reprogramming data as in any of the previous claims where the reprogramming data is forwarded from the second transceiver to the first transceiver via a wire link.

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6. A method of downloading over-the-air reprogramming data as in any of the previous claims where the reprogramming data is forwarded from the second transceiver to the first transceiver via an infra red link.