Portable radiotelephone vehicular converter and remote handset

Claim 2

A portable radiotelephone having a logic unit, which communicates information with a first internal data device via a data bus and adapted to accept a detachable second external data device on the data bus comprising: means for detecting the presence of the second data device on the data bus; means, responsive to said detection of the presence of the second data device, for excluding the first data device and including the second data device in the logic unit information communication; and means for detecting a subsequent absence of the second data device from the data bus and for including the first data device while excluding the second data unit from the logic unit information communications.

Claim 3

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and secono data devices each further comprise a keypad and an information display.

Claim 4

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1, wherein the portable radiotelephone further comprises means for storing information.

Claim 5

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 3, wherein additional means for storing information is associated with the second data device.

Claim 6

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data bus is a serial bidirectional three conductor data bus.

Claim 7

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first data device has a first address for information to be communicated on the data bus and the second data device has a second address for information to be communicated on the data bus.

Claim 8

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 6, wherein said means for excluding the first data device and including the second data device further comprises means for converting information addressed to said first address to information addressed to said second address.

Claim 9

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 6, wherein said second address is a logic complement of said first address.

Claim 10

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 6 wherein said second data device presence detector further comprises: means for sending a message addressed to the second data device; means for receiving a reply from the second data device; and means for setting a flag indicating that the second data device is present on the data bus.

Claim 11

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 9 wherein said second data device subsequent absence detector further comprises: means for determining that said second data device presence flag is set; means for testing the status of the second data device if said flag is set: and means for resetting said second data device presence flag if said status test indicates the second data device is not on the data bus.

Claim 12

A portable radiotelephone having a logic unit, communicating with a first internal keypad at a first address via a data bus, and being adapted to accept a second external keypad at a second address, comprising: means for detecting the presence of the second keypad on the data bus; means, responsive to said detection of the presence of the second keypad, for directing communications away from the first address to the second address; and means for detecting a subsequent absence of the second keypad from the data bus and for redirecting communications to the first address of the first keypad.

Claim 13

A portable radiotelephone having a logic unit, communicating with a first internal keypad at a first address via a data bus, and being adapted to accept a second external keypad at a second address, comprising: means for detecting the presence of the second keypad on the data bus; means, responsive to said detection of the presence of the second keypad, for directing communications away from the first address to the second address; and means for detecting a subsequent absence of the second keypad from the data bus and for redirecting communications to the first address of the first keypad.

Claim 14

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 11, wherein the portable radiotelephone further comprises means for storing communications.

Claim 15

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 11, wherein additional means for storing communications is associated with the second keypad.

Claim 16

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 11, wherein the data bus is a serial bidirectional three conductor data bus.

Claim 17

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 11, wherein the second address is a logic complement of the first address.

Claim 18

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 11, wherein said means for detecting presence of the second keypad further comprises: means for sending a message addressed to the second keypad; means for receiving a message reply from the second keypad; and means for setting a flag indicating that the second keypad is present on the data bus.

Claim 19

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 16, wherein said second keypad subsequent absence detector further comprises: means for determining that said second keypad presence flag is set: means for testing the status of the second keypad if the second keypad presence flag is set; and means for resetting the second keypad presence flag if said status test indicates said second keypad is not on the data bus.

Claim 20

A portable radiotelephone for use in a cellular radiotelephone system and adapted for handheld and mobile service comprising: a logic unit with a data bus; a keypad, integral to the portable radiotelephone, having a first data bus address; a mobile converter having a remote keypad with a second data bus address; means for detachably coupling said mobile converter and remote keypad to the data bus of the portable radiotelephone: means for detecting the presence of said remote keypad on the data bus; means, responsive to said detection of said remote keypad on the data bus, for changing the keypad data bus address used by said logic unit in communications with a keypad from said first data bus address to said second data bus address; and means for detecting a subsequent absence of said remote keypad from the data bus and for changing the data bus address used by said logic unit in communications with a keypad from said second data bus address to said first data bus address.

Claim 21

A portable radiotelephone for use in a cellular radiotelephone system and adapted for handheld and mobile service comprising: a logic unit with a data bus; a keypad, integral to the portable radiotelephone, having a first data bus address; a mobile converter having a remote keypad with a second data bus address; means for detachably coupling said mobile converter and remote keypad to the data bus of the portable radiotelephone: means for detecting the presence of said remote keypad on the data bus; means, responsive to said detection of said remote keypad on the data bus, for changing the keypad data bus address used by said logic unit in communications with a keypad from said first data bus address to said second data bus address; and means for detecting a subsequent absence of said remote keypad from the data bus and for changing the data bus address used by said logic unit in communications with a keypad from said second data bus address to said first data bus address.

Claim 22

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 18. wherein said mobile converter further comprises means for storing telephone numbers.

Claim 23

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 19, wherein the logic unit further comprises means for placing telephone numbers into said mobile converter storage means and for recalling telephone numbers from said mobile converter storage means if said remote data receiver presence has been detected.

Claim 24

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 18, wherein the data bus is a bidirectional three conductor serial data bus.

Claim 25

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 18, wherein said second address is a logic complement of said first address.

Claim 26

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 18 wherein said remote keypad presence detector further comprises: means for sending a message addressed to said remote keypad via the data bus; means for receiving a reply from said remote keypad; and means for setting a flag indicating that said remote keypad is present on the data bus.

Claim 27

A portable radiotelephone in accordance with claim 23 wherein said remote keypad subsequent absence detector further comprises: means for determining that said remote keypad presence flag is set; means for testing the status of the remote keypad if said flag is set; and means for resetting said remote keypad presence flag if said status test indicates said remote keypad is not on the data bus.

Claim 30

A method in accordance with the method of claim 25, wherein the step of diverting information communications further comprises the step of converting information addressed to the first data device to information addressed to the second data device.

Claim 31

A method in accordance with the method of claim 25, wherein the step of detecting the presence of the second data device further comprises the steps of: sending a message addressed to the second data device; receiving a reply from the second data device; and setting a flag indicating that the second data device is present on the data bus.

Claim 32

A method in accordance with the method of claim 27, wherein the step of detecting a subsequent absence of the second data device further comprises the steps of: determining that said second data device presence flag is set; testing the status of the second data device if said flag is set; and resetting the second data device presence flag if said status test indicates the second data device is not on the data bus.

Claim 35

A method in accordance with the method of claim 29, wherein the step of detecting the presence of the second address data device further comprises the steps of: sending a message addressed to the second address data device; receiving a reply from the second address data device: and setting a flag indicating that the second address data device is present on the data bus.

Claim 36

A method in accordance with the method of claim 30, wherein the step of detecting a subsequent absence of the second address data device further comprises the steps of: determining that the second address data device presence flag is set; testing the status of the second address data device; and resetting the second address data device presence flag if said status test indicates the second address data device is not on the data bus.

Claim 37

A portable radio transceiver having a logic unit which communicates information with a first data device via at least two of plurality of data signal lines and adapted to communicate information with a detachable second data device via at least two of the plurality of data signal lines, comprising: means for detecting the presence of the second data device via at least one of the plurality of data signal lines; means, responsive to said detection of the second data device, for inactivating the first data device and including the second data device in the logic unit information communication; and means for detecting a subsequent absence of the second data device via at least one of the plurality of data signal lines and for reactivating said first data device.

Claim 38

A portable radio transceiver having a logic unit which communicates information with a first data device via at least two of plurality of data signal lines and adapted to communicate information with a detachable second data device via at least two of the plurality of data signal lines, comprising: means for detecting the presence of the second data device via at least one of the plurality of data signal lines; means, responsive to said detection of the second data device, for inactivating the first data device and including the second data device in the logic unit information communication; and means for detecting a subsequent absence of the second data device via at least one of the plurality of data signal lines and for reactivating said first data device.

Claim 39

A portable radio transceiver in accordance with claim 32 wherein said first and second data devices each further comprise means for storing communicated information.

Claim 40

A portable radio transceiver in accordance with claim 32 wherein said means for detecting the presence of the second data device further comprises: means for sending a message to the second data device; means for receiving a reply from the second data device; and means for storing an indication that the second data device is present on said at least one of the plurality of data signal lines.

Claim 41

A portable radio transceiver in accordance with claim 34 wherein said means for detecting a subsequent absence of the second data device further comprises: means for detecting said stored indication; means for testing the status of the second data device via said at least one of the plurality of data signal lines; and means for removing said stored indication if said status test indicates the second data device is not present on said at least one of the of the plurality of data signal lines.

Claim 44

A method in accordance with the method of claim 36 wherein the step of detecting the presence of the second data device further comprises the steps of: sending a message to the second data device via said at least one of the plurality of data signal lines; receiving a reply from the second data device; and storing an indication that the second data device is present on said at least one of the plurality of data signal lines.

Claim 45

A method in accordance with the method of claim 37 wherein the step of detecting a subsequent absence of the second data device further comprises the steps of: detecting said indication; testing the status of the second data device via said at least one of a plurality of data signal lines in response to said indication detection; and deleting said stored indication if said status test indicates that the second data device is not present on said at least one of a plurality of data signal lines.