Patent ID: 6212396
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A base apparatus in a cordless telephone for communicating with a handset of said cordless telephone on at least one communications channel within a channel set, the base apparatus comprising:a) a receiver for receiving signals from said handset;b) a transmitter for transmitting signals from said base to said handset;c) a base working channel transmit buffer for storing a transmit channel indicator defining a channel on which said transmitter transmits said signal;d) a base processor in communication with said receiver, said transmitter and said base working channel transmit buffer, said base processor being programmed to:i) produce a first new channel message including a preferred channel identifier;ii) direct said transmitter to transmit said first new channel message in said signals transmitted from said base to said handset, on a channel defined by the contents of said base working channel transmit buffer;iii) successively load said base working channel transmit buffer with channel indicators corresponding to different channels within said channel set such that said first new channel message is successively transmitted on different channels;iv) receive an acknowledgement signal from said receiver when an acknowledgement signal is received from said handset; andv) in response to said acknowledgement signal from said receiver, maintain in said base working channel transmit buffer a channel indicator associated with a last channel on which said message was transmitted immediately before said acknowledgment signal was received such that further communications between said base and said handset are conducted on said last channel.