Desktop telephone with wlan base station functionality or wlan client functionality

Translation of description of equivalent WO 2005112352 A1

description

COMMUNICATION TERMINAL WITH FUNCTIONALITY AS WLAN BASE STATION OR WLAN CLIENT The present invention relates to a communication terminal according to the preamble of claim 1.

In the telecommunications sector is generally made between a corded and cordless communications. This corded communication terminals are directly connected via a cable or remotely over a network with a central communication device, such as a PBX system (often referred to as a communications server or switching system). In a wireless communication is carried out then go to data transmission between a wireless communication terminal and the central communication device via a base station, which is connected via an air interface with the wireless communication terminal. A connection of the base station to the central communication device is generally implemented via a separate, fixed broadband connection. The transmission of data between the wireless communication terminal and the base station via the air interface is based on well-known standards such as, for example, DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecom- tions), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) or wireless (wireless local area network). A defined geographic area to a base station in the wireless communication of predetermined quality between a wireless communication terminal and a base station can be produced is often referred to in the literature as a radio cell of this base station. To provide a wider geographical area with connectivity, more base stations are distributed over the area to be supplied geographic usually that their Radio cells form a nationwide radio network. A registered in such a radio network wireless communication terminal can be any exchange between the 5th respectively located within radio range of base stations this radio network. The "handover" of a wireless communication terminal from a first base station to a second base station when a connection is often referred to as "handover" referred to in the literature. 0 A disadvantage of the described arrangement is that the creation of such consisting of a plurality of base stations radio network is connected to a high expenditure. 5 The present invention therefore has the object to provide for measures, is made possible by the easy access of wireless terminals to a central communication device. A problem is solved according to the invention starting from the features of the preamble of independent claim 1 by its characterizing features.

An essential advantage of the invention is that a conventional "desktop terminal" means commercially available, plug bears components in a simple manner in a base station for the radio network - for example, a wireless network - converted and in this way a connection between the wireless terminal and the central communication device can be set up via the desktop terminal. An inserting additional base stations to increase the radio network not yet covered radio areas is not necessary. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims. An advantage of indicated in the dependent claims of the invention is that a high data transfer rate can be realized by using a wireless network (wireless LAN) as the second network in the second network, so that a comfortable transmission of multimedia data enables becomes.

Another advantage of indicated in the dependent claims of the invention is that the communication can be used as a mobile communication terminal nikationsendgerät addition, so that existing conventional cordless phones limitations in the area of ​​ease of use, the battery life or the handsfree communication be circumvented.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated below with reference to the drawing.

In which:

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram for the schematic representation of the inventive communication terminal in a corresponding network infrastructure.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of the communication terminal KE-D according to the invention, with a first network N via a first interface SSI - for example, an ISDN communications network or an IP-based (Internet Protocol) network - point and via a second interface SS2 with a WLAN network WLAN-N is connected. In the communication terminal KE-D is a corded "desktop terminal". For a better overview of the necessary for the invention functional units, no further units of the communication terminal KE-D are shown. In the present embodiment, the second interface SS2 as USB (Universal Serial Bus) Removing gestaltebv-'Über the second interface SS2 is a -sogenannter USB WLAN dongle D to the communication terminal KE-D can be connected, via a connection with the WLAN network WLAN-N is performed. Alternatively it can be configured as a PCMCIA WLAN plug-in card, the second interface SS2 as PCMCIA interface (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) and the USB wireless dongle D. Such USB wireless dongle or PCMCIA wireless cards are already available.

In the first network N a central communication device Z is - in the literature often referred to as a central communication server or communication facility - arranged, via which a control of the communication terminal KE. Understeer is understood in the present exemplary embodiment, among others, the implementation of kommunikationsein- direction-specific features to the communication terminal KE. Furthermore, the central communication device Z via a wireless base station WLAN AP - frequently in the literature as a WLAN access point called - connected to the WLAN network WLAN-N.

In addition, -in the WLAN network WLAN-N arranged a wireless communication terminal KE-M, from which a connection to the central communication device Z is to be built. The wireless communication terminal KE-M is, for example, a cordless phone, or configured with a connection to the WLAN network WLAN-N data processing device, eg a laptop. According to the prior art a first compound VI with the wireless base station wireless AP and from the central communication device Z is built starting from the wireless communication terminal KE-M. In cases where the wireless communication terminal KE-M is outside the radio cell of the wireless base station wireless AP, usually can not connect to the central communication device Z listed be built. This is indicated in the figure by the broken, the first compound VI performing line between the wireless communication terminal KE-M and the wireless base station wireless AP.

The invention therefore provides that the communication terminal KE-D with the connection of the USB wireless dongles D on the wireless network Wireless N is automatically set up as a wireless base station. Thus it is possible alternatively to the first compound VI a second connection V2 between the wireless communication terminal KE-M and the communication terminal KE-D set up, wherein the communication terminal KE-D takes over the function of a wireless base station. A bi-directional data transmission between stringless communication terminal KE-M and the central communication device Z is therefore provided via the USB WLAN dongle D, the communication terminal KE-D and the first communication network N.

Because usually a high availability of desktop devices is given, devices can be easily achieved high coverage by the design of the desktop to an inventive communication terminal KE. For example, an existing in the meeting room desktop terminal can be used as a wireless base station in a meeting room, where no coverage exists.

It should be noted that the stationary available between the wireless communication terminal KE-M and the central communication device Z transmission bandwidth is limited by the connection of the communication terminal KE to the first network N. If, for example, to an ISDN-oriented communication network to which the communication terminal KE-D is connected via an So interface, are 64 kbit / s and at a usage of both "user data in a user data channel using a maximum times 128 kbit / s for data transmission. Because usually speech data to be replaced, however, this data transfer rate is sufficient in most cases. In one configuration, the first network (N) as IP-oriented network by contrast is a higher data transfer rate available, so that multimedia data can be easily exchanged.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the inventive communication terminal KE-D can directly - ie without the interposition of the network N - at the central communications device Z are connected.

Alternatively to the configuration of the communication terminal KE-D inventive tion as a wireless base station, the communication terminal KE-D can also be operated as a mobile communication terminal. In this case, a bi-directional data transmission between the communication terminal KE-D and the central communication device Z not via the first network N, but via the USB WLAN dongle D, the

WLAN network WLAN-N and the wireless base station wireless AP. The fact that the communication terminal KE-D can also be used as a mobile communication terminal, the existing conventional cordless communication terminals restrictions in the area of ​​ease of use, the battery life or the handsfree communication be circumvented.

Supplying power to the communication terminal of the invention device KE-D is carried out - as in desktop devices usual - by a - not shown - separate power supply. Alternatively it is possible the power supply via the first interface SSI and the first network N to realize.