Automatically configuring wireless pbx system

Abstract

A wireless PBX system provides ease of installation without site engineering or trial-and-error placement of components within the system. In its basic form, the wireless PBX system consists of only two types of components: a control unit including an radio frequency transceiver; and fixed location terminals, such as telephones and voice/data stations, which also include radio frequency transceivers. Portable handsets are optionally included in the system to allow for customer mobility. Installation of the PBX system is achieved simply by placing the system components in the desired locations at a premises, plugging them into line power, and performing some simple programming steps including a final step of initiating an automatic configuring process. Through this process, the system automatically configures itself for optimum operation in view of the radio environment and placement of components within the system at the customer premises. In the operation of this process, the control unit exchanges various radio messages with the terminals, decides which terminals should also serve as repeaters for linking those more distantly located terminals, and determines the appropriate frame structure for the system. A positive display indication at the control unit, following the end of the automatic configuring process, shows that all terminals have been linked and that the system is operating normally.