Arrangement for configuring multiple portable units for communicating

Abstract

A cordless telephone arranged for operation in a frequency hopping system includes an arrangement which achieves optimum utilization of multiple cordless telephone portable units by permitting these units to not only access a common base unit, but also to access each other. In establishing communications between portable units, a first portable unit in the system, in response to a user-initiated request at this unit, transmits a broadcast or page signal to other portable units, also in the system, using a multiple channel frequency hopping sequence. Once a second portable unit in the system responds, a communication link between the first and second portable units is established. A third portable unit in the system may also respond to the user initiated request and join the communication link existing between the first and second portable units. Such portable-unit-to-portable-unit communication link may be established irrespective of whether a base unit to portable unit communication link then exists in the system. After the communication link with the first, second and possibly third portable unit is established, these portable units move to and use a multiple channel frequency hopping sequence that is different from the frequency hopping sequence used to establish the communication link. In this way, the original hopping sequence remains available for other portable units to build similar communication links. Thus, an unlimited number of portable-unit-to-portable-unit communication links may be built and maintained in the system.