1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixed wireless terminal (FWT) which is constructed by a mobile phone, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for limiting a communication range of a fixed wireless terminal, which interrupt communication through a mobile phone when the mobile phone is not within a predetermined range from a fixed device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the conventional art, in order to use a telephone in a mountainous region or an island, it is necessary to install a telephone line, which requires a significant expense.
In this consideration, recently, telecommunication through a fixed wireless terminal (FWT) has been disclosed in the art. The fixed wireless terminal is fixed indoors to serve only as a fixed device.
The FWT allows a mobile phone to be used in a room as if it were a wired telephone at a place where a telephone line is not installed or in a region where a call charge when using the FWT is cheaper than that when using a wired telephone. The FWT is one type of communication services, which is suggested by a communication service provider.
In the FWT, as shown in FIG. 1, a fixed device 100 can communicate with a base station 150 using an antenna 120 of a mobile phone. Power is supplied to the fixed device 100 using an adapter 110. The fixed device 100 and a handset 140 are connected to each other by a cord 130 to allow the FWT to perform the same function as a wired telephone.
FIG. 2 illustrates another conventional FWT. In this type of FWT, a battery of a mobile phone 130 is removed, and the mobile phone 130 is connected with a fixed device 100 by a cord 120. The fixed device 100 is connected with a power supply device 110 so that power can be supplied to the mobile phone 130 through the fixed device 100 and the mobile phone 130 can directly communicate with a base station 140 to perform the same function as a wired telephone.
However, in these types of FWTs, since communication is made possible only at a place where a fixed device is installed, mobility of the terminal in a room cannot but be limited to a certain extent. That is to say, it is possible to make and receive telephone calls only at a place where the fixed device is installed.
Therefore, because the FWT cannot be used as a cordless telephone and only can be used as if it were a wired telephone, it is inconvenient to use the FWT.