Cordless telephone apparatus and a method of controlling same

Claim 2

A cordless telephone apparatus coupled to a telephone network via a local telephone line, comprising: a base unit connected to the local line; a plurality of radio telephone sets coupled to the base unit; means for forming a communication channel for facilitating telephone communication between one of the plurality of radio telephone sets and a remote telephone set on the network via the local line by establishing a radio circuit between the base unit and said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets; means for generating a request for hold from said one of the radio telephone sets to the base unit to temporarily suspend the telephone communication between said one radio telephone set and the remote set and for generating a request for transfer to a receiving one of the radio telephone sets from the transferring radio telephone set to the base unit in response to the request for hold; means responsive to the request for transfer for establishing a radio circuit among the base unit and the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets, and for delivering a ringing signal from the base unit to the receiving and transferring radio telephone sets simultaneously via the radio circuit; and means for releasing the temporary suspension of the telephone communication, inhibiting the delivery of the ringing signal, and forming a communication channel for facilitating the telephone communication between the remote set and at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets when said at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets responds to the ringing signal.

Claim 3

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio circuit includes a plurality of channels; and said radio circuit between the base unit and said one of the radio telephone sets is established by selecting one of the plurality of channels.

Claim 4

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio circuit includes one control channel and a plurality of communication channels; and said means for forming a communication channel between one of the plurality of radio telephone sets and a remote telephone set selects said one radio telephone set for telephone communication with the remote set through the control channel, and connects the selected radio telephone set to the base unit through one of the plurality of communication channels;

Claim 5

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radio telephone sets includes a hold key; and the transferring radio telephone set generates the request for hold in response to manipulation of said hold key.

Claim 6

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of radio telephone sets includes an extension key; and the transferring radio telephone set generates the request for transfer to the receiving radio telephone set in response to manipulation of the extension key to generate a dial number corresponding to the receiving radio telephone set.

Claim 7

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for delivering a ringing signal designates one of the plurality of communication channels for the transferring and receiving telephone sets, couples the base unit to the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets through said designated communication channel, and generates the ringing signal through said designated communication channel.

Claim 8

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of radio telephone sets includes means for generating a ringing tone; and the transferring and receiving telephone sets generate the ringing tone in response to said delivered ringing signal.

Claim 9

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ringing tone generated from the transferring telephone set is different with respect to at least one of tone color, timing and manner of generation from the ringing tone generated from the receiving telephone set.

Claim 10

A cordless telephone apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of the radio telephone sets further includes display means; and the transferring radio telephone set in responsive to the ringing signal causes the display means to display information representing that a telephone communication is transferred to the receiving radio telephone set.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10, wherein each of the radio telephone sets includes a hold key; and the step of generating the request for hold includes the substep of manipulating said hold key included in said transferring radio telephone set.

Claim 14

The method of claim 10, wherein each of the radio telephone sets includes an extension key; and the step of generating the request for transfer includes the substep of generating a dial number corresponding to the receiving radio telephone set in response to manipulation of said extension key of the transferring radio telephone set.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10, wherein the step of establishing the radio circuit between the base unit and one of the plurality of radio telephone sets includes the substeps of designating a communication channel for the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets, coupling the base unit to the transferring and receiving telephone sets through said designated communication channel, and generating the ringing signal through the designated communication channel.

Claim 16

The method of claim 10, wherein the step of delivering a ringing signal includes the substep of generating a ringing tone at the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14, wherein the substep of generating a ringing tone includes the sub-substep of generating a different ringing tone with respect to at least one of tone color, timing and manner of generation for each of the transferring and receiving telephone sets.

Claim 18

The method of claim 10, wherein the step of establishing the radio circuit, delivering a ringing signal and releasing the temporary suspension includes the substeps of generating a ringing tone at each radio telephone set responsive to the ringing signal; and in response to the ringing signal, displaying at each receiving radio telephone set information representing that a telephone communication is being transferred.

Claim 19

A cordless telephone apparatus coupled to a telephone network via a local telephone line comprising: a base unit connected to the local line; a plurality of radio telephone sets coupled to the base unit; means for forming a communication channel for facilitating telephone communication between one of the plurality of radio telephone sets and a remote telephone set on the network via the local line by establishing a radio circuit between the base unit and said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets; means for generating a request for hold from said one of the radio telephone sets to the base unit to temporarily suspend the telephone communication between said one radio telephone set and the remote set and for generating a request for transfer to a receiving one of the radio telephone sets from the transferring radio telephone set to the base unit in response to the request for hold; means responsive to the request of transfer for establishing a radio circuit among the base unit and the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets, and for delivering a ringing signal from the base unit to the receiving and transferring radio telephone sets simultaneously via the radio circuit; and means for releasing the temporary suspension of the telephone communication, inhibiting the delivery of the ringing signal, and forming the communication channel for facilitating the telephone communication between the remote set and at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets whenever said at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets responds to the ringing signal, said means for forming a communication channel forming a communication channel for said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets in response to an incoming call to said one radio telephone set over the local telephone line.

Claim 20

A cordless telephone apparatus coupled to a telephone network via a local telephone line comprising: a base unit connected to the local line; a plurality of radio telephone sets coupled to the base unit; means for forming a communication channel for facilitating telephone communication between one of the plurality of radio telephone sets and a remote telephone set on the network via the local line by establishing a radio circuit between the base unit and said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets; means for generating a request for hold from said one of the radio telephone sets to the base unit to temporarily suspend the telephone communication between said one radio telephone set and the remote set and for generating a request for transfer to a receiving one of the radio telephone sets from the transferring radio telephone set to the base unit in response to the request for hold; means responsive to the request of transfer for establishing a radio circuit among the base unit and the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets, and for delivering a ringing signal from the base unit to the receiving and transferring radio telephone sets simultaneously via the radio circuit; and means for releasing the temporary suspension of the telephone communication, inhibiting the delivery of the ringing signal, and forming the communication channel for facilitating the telephone communication between the remote set and at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets whenever said at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets responds to the ringing signal, said means for forming a communication channel forming a communication channel for said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets in response to an incoming call to said one radio telephone set over the local telephone line.

Claim 21

A cordless telephone apparatus coupled to a telephone network via a local telephone line comprising: a base unit connected to the local line; a plurality of radio telephone sets coupled to the base unit; means for forming a communication channel for facilitating telephone communication between one of the plurality of radio telephone sets and a remote telephone set on the network via the local line by establishing a radio circuit between the base unit and said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets; means for generating a request for hold from said one of the radio telephone sets to the base unit to temporarily suspend the telephone communication between said one radio telephone set and the remote set and for generating a request for transfer to a receiving one of the radio telephone sets from the transferring radio telephone set to the base unit in response to the request for hold; means responsive to the request of transfer for establishing a radio circuit among the base unit and the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets, and for delivering a ringing signal from the base unit to the receiving and transferring radio telephone sets simultaneously via the radio circuit; and means for releasing the temporary suspension of the telephone communication, inhibiting the delivery of the ringing signal, and forming the communication channel for facilitating the telephone communication between the remote set and at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets whenever said at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets responds to the ringing signal, said means for forming a communication channel forming a communication channel for said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets in response to a call at times when said one radio telephone set issues said call.

Claim 22

A cordless telephone apparatus coupled to a telephone network via a local telephone line comprising: a base unit connected to the local line; a plurality of radio telephone sets coupled to the base unit; means for forming a communication channel for facilitating telephone communication between one of the plurality of radio telephone sets and a remote telephone set on the network via the local line by establishing a radio circuit between the base unit and said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets; means for generating a request for hold from said one of the radio telephone sets to the base unit to temporarily suspend the telephone communication between said one radio telephone set and the remote set and for generating a request for transfer to a receiving one of the radio telephone sets from the transferring radio telephone set to the base unit in response to the request for hold; means responsive to the request of transfer for establishing a radio circuit among the base unit and the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets, and for delivering a ringing signal from the base unit to the receiving and transferring radio telephone sets simultaneously via the radio circuit; and means for releasing the temporary suspension of the telephone communication, inhibiting the delivery of the ringing signal, and forming the communication channel for facilitating the telephone communication between the remote set and at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets whenever said at least one of the transferring and receiving radio telephone sets responds to the ringing signal, said means for forming a communication channel forming a communication channel for said one of the plurality of radio telephone sets in response to a call at times when said one radio telephone set issues said call.