WO1997050269A1

WO1997050269A1 - Mobile telephone arrangements

Info

Publication number: WO1997050269A1
Application number: PCT/GB1997/001657
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eric Richard Sullivan
Original assignee: Ericsson Omc Limited
Priority date: 1996-06-21
Filing date: 1997-06-19
Publication date: 1997-12-31
Also published as: GB2314483A; AU3182397A; JO1964B1; GB9613008D0

Abstract

A mobile telephone unit (1) is disclosed, which is capable of being used as a standard mobile telephone (3) for initiating and receiving telephone calls on a GSM network, which on connection to a second section (13) becomes capable of initiating and receiving telephone calls on a satellite-based network. The first section (3) acts as an interface for the second section (13), the first section providing the keypad (5), the display (7), the earpiece (9) and the microphone (11) for the second section. The second section (13) contains all the means necessary for initiating and receiving calls within the satellite based network, whilst also being provided with means for powering the unit (1). The user can initiate and receive telephone calls on the satellite-based network by using the interface means on the first section (3).

Description

MOBILE TELEPHONE ARRANGEMENTS

The invention relates to a mobile telephone arrangement,

comprising: a mobile telephone unit operable for making and

receiving calls on a first telecommunications system and

including interface means and transmitting and receiving means,

the interface means being adapted to control the transmitting and

receiving means in the mobile telephone unit and interface

between the user and the first telecommunications system; and an

additional part adapted to be releasably mechanically and

electrically connectable to the mobile telephone unit and

operative only when so connected for making and receiving calls

on a second telecommunications system.

Such a mobile telephone arrangement is known from European Patent

Publication Number 0 521 609.

According to the invention the known arrangement is characterised

by the additional part includes transmitting and receiving means

for the second telecommunications system; and in that the

interface means in the mobile telephone unit includes means for

interfacing between the user and the second telecommunications

system and controlling the transmitting and receiving means in

the additional part when the latter is connected to the mobile telephone unit.

Mobile telephones embodying the invention will now be described,

by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying

diagrammatic drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a schematic side perspective view of one of the

telephones;

Figure 2 is a schematic front view of the telephone of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic side perspective view of the telephone

of Figure 1 , showing a first section removed;

Figure 4 is a schematic side perspective view of another of the

telephones;

Figure 5 is a schematic front view of the telephone of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of another of the

telephones;

Figure 7 is a schematic front view of the telephone of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a schematic perspective viev; of a further telephone;

and

Figure 9 is a schematic front view of the telephone of Figure 8.

The telephone unit 1 of Figures 1 to 3 comprises two main

sections 3, 13. The first section 3 is provided with a keypad

5, a display 7, an earpiece 9, a microphone 11 and an antenna 16

laid out in a conventional manner. The first section 3 is

further provided with means for initiating and receiving

telephone calls within a first telecommunications system such as

a digital GSM network. The first section 3 may comprise a

conventional handportable telephone.

The antenna 16 on the first section 3 is any form of antenna

suitable for receiving and transmitting signals on the GSM

network. Such an antenna 16, may be an omnidirectional antenna

but other suitable forms of antenna 16 may be used to transmit

and receive signals on other networks.

The first section 3 is releasably connected to a second section

13, by means of suitable clips 12. These clips 12 are of a form

capable of electrically and mechanically connecting the first section 3 to the second section 13. The second section 13 comprises means for initiating and

receiving telephone calls within a second telecommunications

system such as the "Globalstar" satellite-based network. The

second section 13 further comprises a battery pack 15 and a

separate antenna 19.

The antenna 19 on the second section 13 is a non-directional

antenna preferably having a hemispherical radiation pattern suitable for receiving and transmitting signals on a Globalstar satellite-based network. Such an antenna 19 may be a helically

shaped antenna, a quadra-filar helix antenna, a patch antenna or

any form of suitable non-directional antenna 19 appropriate for direct connection to the second section 13 of the telephone unit

may be used.

In use, the first section 3 may be removed from the second

section 13. It then operates on its own as an independent GSM

mobile telephone transmitting and receiving signals via the

antenna 16 on the GSM network. On separation of the two

sections, it will be necessary for a separate battery pack 17 to

be connected to the first section 3 in order to power it if the

first section 3 does not have its own integral battery pack. The

first section 3 may require a SIM card to be inserted to allow normal function of the GSM telephone.

When the two sections 3,13 are clipped together, the first

section 3 controls and acts as an interface for the second

section 13. That is to say, the keypad 5, display 7, earpiece

9 and microphone 11 are then connected to the communications

means in the second section 13 and the user can initiate and

receive telephone calls on the second telecommunications systems

via the controls on the first section 3. As the signals

transmitted and received via the antennae 16, 19 will be of

different forms, depending on the networks that are being utilised for communication, it is necessary for the antenna 16

and its control electronics only to be operational when the first

section 3 alone is in use.

When the second section 13 is clipped to the first section 3 in order to communicate on the satellite-based network, the antenna

19 carried on the second section 13 becomes operational,

transmitting and receiving signals on the satellite-based

network. Power is provided by the battery pack 15.

Normally, the first section 3 would only be usable when separated

from the second section 13. However, a switch could be provided to allow the use of either section when they are connected t oge the r .

The user is able to communicate on both the first and second

telecommunication systems, in this example a GSM network and a

satellite-based system, using one handportable telephone unit.

Telephones capable of reliable communication on satellite

networks require features which do not lend themselves easily to

mobile telephone design. For example, the electrical and physical requirements of the antenna imposed by the system, and the requirement for a large battery pack would necessitate a

large, bulky telephone. A mobile telephone capable of communicating on both a GSM network and a satellite-based network

would therefore be large and expensive. This would have many

disadvantages when the unit was being used within the GSM

network, where a small, cheap mobile telephone handset would

perform equally well.

In the manner described previously, it is possible for a user to

have a small and inexpensive pocket phone when GSM coverage is available, whilst retaining the possibility of satellite-based

communication for the times when GSM coverage is not available.

It will be appreciated that the first network need not be a GSM network but can be any digital or analogue terrestrial network,

additionally, the second network need not be a Globalstar network

but can be any other suitable telecommunications network.

It will also appreciated that the first section 3 need not be

directly connected to the second section 13, but any suitable

connection means may be used. For example, a spring-loaded

mechanism may be used.

It will further be appreciated that the battery pack 17 for the

first section 3 need not be removed before connection to the second section 13, but that the second section 13 can be designed

to accommodate the battery pack 17.

Figures 4 to 9 show further embodiments of the invention in which

the first section 3 is connected in a different manner to the

second section 13. All parts corresponding to parts in other

Figures are similarly referenced.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone arrangement (1) , comprising: a mobile

telephone unit (3) operable for making and receiving calls on a

first telecommunications system and including interface means and

transmitting and receiving means, the interface means being

adapted to control the transmitting and receiving means in the

mobile telephone unit (3) and interface between the user and the

first telecommunications system; and an additional part (13)

adapted to be releasably mechanically and electrically

connectable to the mobile telephone unit (3) and operative only

when so connected for making and receiving calls on a second

telecommunications system; characterised in that, the additional part (13) includes transmitting and receiving means for the

second telecommunications system; and in that the interface means

in the mobile telephone unit includes means for interfacing

between the user and the second telecommunications system and

controlling the transmitting and receiving means in the

additional part (13) when the latter is connected to the mobile

telephone unit (3) .

2. An arrangement (1) according to claim 1, characterised in

that the transmitting and receiving means of the mobile telephone

unit (3) are operative via a first antenna (16) which is carried by the mobile telephone unit (3) and which is of a first predetermined type suited to the first telecommunications system,

and the transmitting and receiving means of the additional part

(13) are operative via a second antenna (19) which is carried by

the additional part (13) and which is suited to the second

telecommunications system and of a second, different,

predetermined type.

3. An arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the interface means includes at least one of a keypad

(5) , an earpiece (9) , a display (7) and a microphone (11) .

4. An arrangement (1) according to any preceding claim,

characterised in that the additional part (13) includes a battery pack (15) for supplying power to both parts when they are

connected together.

5. An arrangement (1) according to any preceding claim,

characterised in that the first telecommunications system is a

terrestrial system and the second telecommunications system is

a satellite-based system.

6. An arrangement (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the first telecommunications system is a GSM network.

7. An arrangement (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterised

in that the second telecommunications system is a Globalstar

network.

8. An arrangement (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

characterised in that the first and second telecommunications

systems are terrestrial systems.

9. An arrangement (1) according to any preceding claim,

characterised in that the additional part (13) is mounted in a vehicle.

10. A mobile telephone arrangement (1) according to claim 1

characterised in that the mobile telephone unit (3) is substantially smaller than the additional part (13) .

11. A mobile telephone arrangement (1) according to claim 1

characterised in that the mobile telephone unit (3) when

electrically and mechanically connected to the additional part

(13) fits into a recess in the additional part (13) .