Auto sensing home base station for mobile telephone with remote answering capabilites

A system for providing communication services through a mobile telecommunications network, the system comprising:nat least one mobile telephone in communication with the mobile telecommunications network; a home base station having a mobile telephone interface unit for communication with mobile telephones and a mobile telephone registration unit, the home base station being capable of detecting the presence of the at least one mobile telephone in its coverage area and the mobile telephone registration unit being capable of storing information identifying the at least one mobile telephone; and at least one telephone device in communication with the home base station, wherein the telephone device comprises either a traditional telephone or a device specially designed to operate with the home base station, and wherein the home base station is operative to enable communication by the telephone device on the mobile telecommunications network through the at least one mobile telephone when the at least one mobile telephone is in the home base station's coverage area.

A method for providing telephone services in a mobile telecommunications network comprising a home base station, at least one mobile telephone, and at least one telephone device, the method comprising:nregistering the at least one mobile telephone with the home base station by storing information identifying the at least one mobile telephone; detecting by the home base station the presence of the at least one mobile telephone; establishing communication between the at least one telephone device and the home base station; establishing communication between the at least one mobile telephone and the home base station; transmitting the information identifying the at least one mobile telephone to at least one telephone device; detecting the at least one telephone device being off hook; receiving a dialed telephone number; and sending the dialed telephone number to the at least one mobile telephone.

An apparatus for providing telephone services to a plurality of telephone devices, the apparatus comprising:na mobile telephone interface unit for interfacing with mobile telephones, the mobile telephone interface unit interfacing with the mobile telephones through radio signals; a transceiver connected to the mobile telephone interface unit; a local telephone interface unit for interfacing with corded and cordless telephone devices; and a controller for controlling interactions among the mobile telephone interface unit, the local telephone interface unit, a mobile telephone registration unit, and a privacy unit, wherein the controller enables communications to be directed from the corded and cordless telephone devices over a wireless telecommunications network via a mobile telephone.

A method for providing privacy to a user during a telephone call, wherein the user uses a home base station to communicate with a third party, the method comprising:nreceiving a privacy request from an originating device; if the originating device is a mobile telephone, disabling telephone devices connected to the home base station; and if the originating device is one of the telephone devices connected to the home base station, ndisabling other telephone devices, and sending a privacy request to the mobile telephone.