Importance

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Abstract

A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which allows multiple cordless telephone portable units to operate in close reception proximity to each other and without interference while either responding to a service request from a cordless telephone base unit or in generating a service request to the base unit, also in the system. Contention between portable units in the system in responding to a service request from the telephone base is resolved through use of a polling process wherein the base unit polls each one of the portable units as part of this polling process. Each portable unit is assigned a number of acquisition channels distributed across the frequency hopping channels used for normal communications between the base unit and the portable units. These channels are different from and do not conflict with other acquisition channels respectively assigned to other portable units, also in the system. In the operation of this polling process, the base unit transmits a broadcast message that requests the status of each of the portable units, one at a time. When the portable units respond back to the base unit with a request for access, caused by a user-initiated response, these portable units each respond on their respectively assigned acquisition channels. Access to the base unit is permitted for up to two of the responding portable units. Contention between portable units when establishing communications with the base unit also is avoided in the cordless telephone system through use of the acquisition channels assigned to each portable unit. When a user at a portable unit wishes to gain access to, for example, an outside line for making a telephone call, responsive to the user-initiated activation, the portable unit sequentially transmits on each of its assigned acquisition channels until the base unit responds. Once two portable units have established communications with the base unit, either in response to a service request from the base unit or in response to the user-initiated activation, other portable units in the system receive a broadcast message indicating that the base unit is busy.

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First Claim