Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Paul C Weinmann

Brian J Forde

Frank Dunne

Marc Smaak

A broadcast system for communicating a broadcast message in a telecommunications system is provided, where the telecommunications system has at least one fixed terminal for communication with one or more portable terminals. The broadcast system includes means for transmitting a first message from the or each fixed terminal for reception by portable terminals in the reception area of that fixed terminal, the message including information that specifies a channel, selected for that fixed terminal, which will be used to convey the broadcast message. A control means is provided for causing the or each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channel. The transmitter means then transmits from the fixed terminal the broadcast message on the said specified broadcast channel for substantially simultaneous reception and reproduction of the broadcast message, such as an audio broadcast message, by the or each portable terminal. The broadcast message channel is connectionless. The portable terminals may also roam into areas serviced by other fixed terminals and still be capable of receiving the broadcast message. The system is particularly but not essentially based on the Digital Enhanced Telecommunications (DECT) Standard.

Broadcast facility

A location system for establishing the position of a portable terminal that transmits identity information indicative of the identity of the individual terminal is provided. The portable terminals transmit their identity information at a first predetermined power level. The system includes location beacons having a known position and the beacons are capable of receiving the identity information transmitted by the portable terminals. Each location beacon generates an output signal when identity information of a portable terminal is received at that beacon with a power level greater than a predetermined threshold value, which value may be set independently for each beacon. The output signal is indicative that such a portable terminal is within a particular distance range of the beacon and the output signal is made available to a control unit. By providing the control unit with information relating to the position of each of the location beacons, it is possible to establish the position of a particular portable terminal as being within a given range of that known beacon position when the beacon receives identity information associated with that portable terminal with a power level greater than the beacon threshold value. In one embodiment the portable terminals are DECT handsets.

Location beacon system

A broadcast system for communicating multiple simultaneous broadcast messages in a telecommunications system is provided, where the telecommunications system has at least one fixed terminal for communication with one or more portable terminals. The broadcast system includes means for transmitting first messages from the or each fixed terminal for reception by portable terminals in the reception area of that fixed terminal, each first message including information that specifies channels, selected for that fixed terminal, which will be used to convey an associated broadcast message. A control means is provided for causing the or each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channels. The transmitter means then transmits from the fixed terminal the broadcast messages on the said specified broadcast channels for substantially simultaneous reception and reproduction of a broadcast message, such as an audio broadcast message, by the or each portable terminal. Different portable terminals may receive different broadcast messages. The broadcast message channels are connectionless. The portable terminals may also roam into areas serviced by other fixed terminals and still be capable of receiving the broadcast messages. The system is particularly but not essentially based on a modified form of the Digital Enhanced Telecommunications (DECT) Standard.

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Dublin, Ireland

Paul C Weinmann