Patent ID: 7197340

Claim:
A radio module which may be operated in at least two modes of operation, comprising: a radio device; an internal microprocessor device connected to the radio device; and an interface which is connected to the internal microprocessor device, the interface including a plurality of connection pins for connecting the radio module to at least one external electrical apparatus; wherein in a passive mode of operation, an external microprocessor device is connected to the radio module as an external electrical apparatus, the radio module is used as a modem for the external microprocessor device, and the radio module may be actuated by the external microprocessor device using attention (AT) commands; wherein in at least one active mode of operation, at least one actuator or sensor is connected to the radio module as an external apparatus, the radio module at least one of actuates and reads the at least one actuator or sensor and may be actuated externally via the radio device; and wherein an electrical assignment of the plurality of connection pins is reconfigurable such that the internal microprocessor device uses at least one of the plurality of connection pins both for the passive mode of operation and for one of the active modes of operations.