Efficient and flexible communication device and system with base-to-base communication

Claim 2

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the first base is configured to receive a communication from the second base over the base-to-base communication link indicating that the second base has received an incoming communication from the second network line interfaced to the second base through the second line interface contained in the second base, and wherein the first base will communicate the presence of the incoming communication to the second base to a first handset associated with the first base.

Claim 3

The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first base further comprises a speaker and a microphone, and wherein the first processor is configured to generate an audio drive signal from the incoming communication and couple the drive signal to the speaker to generate the outgoing communication from a voice signal received from the microphone.

Claim 4

The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication transceiver is a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver.

Claim 5

The communication device of claim 3 , wherein the RF transceiver operates in the 900 Mhz-ISM band or the 1.2 GHz-ISM band.

Claim 6

The communication device of claim 4 , wherein the storage medium is further configured to store radio control software, and wherein the first processor is further configured to control the operation of the RF transceiver in accordance with the radio control software.

Claim 7

The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the base-to-base communication link is a phone line home network link or a power line home network link.

Claim 8

A communication system comprising a first base, a second base and a first handset, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base; and the first handset including: a speaker configured to receive an audio drive signal; a microphone configured to generate a voice signal; a first RF communication transceiver configured to generate an incoming RF signal over a RF communication channel and to transmit an outgoing RF signal over the RF communication channel; and a second processor coupled to the speaker, the microphone, and the first RF transceiver, the processor configured to generate the outgoing RF signal from the voice signal and to generate the audio drive signal from the incoming RF signal, wherein the first base further comprises a second RF communication transceiver, the second RF transceiver configured to transmit the incoming RF signal to the first RF transceiver over the RF communication channel and to receive the outgoing RF signal from the first RF transceiver over the RF communication channel.

Claim 9

A communication system comprising a first base, a second base and a first handset, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base; and the first handset including: a speaker configured to receive an audio drive signal; a microphone configured to generate a voice signal; a first RF communication transceiver configured to generate an incoming RF signal over a RF communication channel and to transmit an outgoing RF signal over the RF communication channel; and a second processor coupled to the speaker, the microphone, and the first RF transceiver, the processor configured to generate the outgoing RF signal from the voice signal and to generate the audio drive signal from the incoming RF signal, wherein the first base further comprises a second RF communication transceiver, the second RF transceiver configured to transmit the incoming RF signal to the first RF transceiver over the RF communication channel and to receive the outgoing RF signal from the first RF transceiver over the RF communication channel.

Claim 10

The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first processor is coupled to the second RF transceiver, and wherein the first processor is configured to generate the outgoing communication from the outgoing RF signal received by the second RF transceiver and to generate the incoming RF signal from the incoming communication received through the line interface.

Claim 11

The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first handset is configured to perform handset-to-handset communication with a second handset in the same in-home network.

Claim 12

The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the first handset accomplishes handset-to-handset communication using the first RF transceiver to communicate directly with the second handset over a RF communication link.

Claim 13

The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first handset is configured to enter a sleep mode for a specified sleep period to conserve power, and wherein the first handset is configured to wake up after the sleep period, establish communication with the first base over the RF communication channel, and then re-enter sleep mode if the first base does not have an incoming communication from the network line.

Claim 14

The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first base is configured to hand the first handset off to a second base in the same in-home network, when the first handset is closer to the second base.

Claim 15

The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the RF communication channel is in the 900 MHz-ISM band.

Claim 16

The communication device of claim 7 , wherein the first handset further comprises a set of switches or keys for selecting one of the first and the second network line that the first handset is to be connected to in order to place an outgoing communication.

Claim 17

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the storage medium is configured to store messages from unanswered incoming communications.

Claim 18

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the storage medium is configured to store messages from unanswered incoming communications.

Claim 19

The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first base is configured to communicate the presence of an incoming communication over the base-to-base communication link to a second base in the same in-home network, and wherein the second base will communicate the presence of the incoming communication to a second handset associated with the second base, causing the second handset to activate an incoming communication indicator included in the second handset.

Claim 20

The communication system of claim 16 , wherein the first base will negotiate with the second base in order to connect the second handset to the first line interface in the first base so that the second handset can receive the incoming communication.

Claim 21

The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first base is configured to negotiate with the second base in order to interface the first handset to the line interface included in the second base so that the first handset can receive the incoming communication.

Claim 22

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the user functionality is a voice recognition functionality in the first base, and wherein the first base makes the voice recognition functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base.

Claim 23

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the user functionality is a voice recognition functionality in the first base, and wherein the first base makes the voice recognition functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base.

Claim 24

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the user functionality is an answering machine functionality in the first base, and wherein the first base makes the answering machine functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base.

Claim 25

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the user functionality is an answering machine functionality in the first base, and wherein the first base makes the answering machine functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base.

Claim 26

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the user functionality is a caller identification functionality in the first base, and wherein the first base makes the caller identification functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base.

Claim 27

A communication system comprising a first base and a second base, the first base including: a first line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a first network line and to send outgoing communications over the first network line; a first communication transceiver configured to interface the first base over a base-to-base communication link to the second base; a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the first base to communicate with the second base through the first communication transceiver; a first processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the first line interface, the processor configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the first line interface and send an outgoing communication through the first line interface; a first user functionality; wherein the first base makes the first user functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base, and wherein the user functionality is a caller identification functionality in the first base, and wherein the first base makes the caller identification functionality available to the second base over the base-to-base communication link for use by a user of the second base.