Mobile radio communication apparatus

• US 20020002051A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishikura, Akira, Aoki, Ippo
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a mobile radio communication apparatus, wherein priority data items representing the priorities of base stations are stored. The SID of the base station seized when the apparatus was turned off last is stored in the apparatus, too. When the apparatus is turned on, it may identify a base station of higher priority than the base station it seized when it was turned off. In this case, the apparatus seizes the base station of higher priority and goes into an idle state. Thus, the apparatus that can seize a base station of high priority even if it seized a base station of low priority when it was turned off last and if it now exits in an area formed by the overlapping of the two service areas in which the low-priority base station and the high-priority base station operate, respectively.

Claims

1. A mobile radio communication apparatus for use in a mobile radio communication system which includes base stations, mobile radio communication apparatuses to be connected to the base stations over radio channels, and in which each of the base stations broadcasts a system ID number for identifying the base station, said apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing system ID numbers and priority data items, each item associated with each of the system ID numbers and representing priority assigned to each base station, so as to be used to seize one base station;

seizing means for receiving the broadcast system ID number in accordance with the priority data item stored in said first memory means, for seizing the base station having the system ID number received, and for setting the apparatus in an idle state;

second memory means for storing the system ID number of the seized base station when a user operates the apparatus and inputs a turn-off instruction for turning off the apparatus, while the apparatus remaining in the idle state; and

control means for turning off the apparatus in response to the turn-off instruction, for determining whether the apparatus receives a system ID number of higher priority than the system ID number stored in said second memory means, in response to the turn-on instruction and by referring to the contents of said first memory means, and for seizing the base station having the system ID number of higher priority and setting the apparatus in the idle state when the apparatus receives the system ID number of higher priority.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system ID number stored in said second memory means is written into said first memory means if the system ID number is not stored in said first memory means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises receiving means for receiving the broadcast system ID number, and said control means writes the received system ID number into said first memory means when the received broadcast system ID number is different from any one of the system ID numbers stored in said first memory means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means operates such that a geographical area into which the apparatus has moved is identified, said seizing means receives one of the broadcast system ID numbers in accordance with the geographical area identified, and seizes a base station having the one of the system ID number received by said seizing means and sets the apparatus in the idle state.

5. A mobile radio communication apparatus for use in a mobile radio communication system which includes base stations, mobile radio communication apparatuses to be connected to the base stations over radio channels, and in which each of the base stations broadcasts a system ID numbers for identifying the base station, said apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing system ID numbers and priority data items, each item associated with each of the system ID numbers and representing priority assigned to each base station, so as to be used to seize one base station;

first seizing means for receiving the broadcast system ID number in accordance with the priority data item stored in said first memory means, for seizing the base station having the system ID number received, and for setting the apparatus in an idle state;

second memory means for storing the system ID number of the seized base station when a user operates the apparatus and inputs a turn-off instruction for turning off the apparatus, while the apparatus remaining in the idle state;

second seizing means for seizing the base station having the system ID number stored in said second memory means and setting the apparatus in an idle state when the apparatus is turned on; and

control means for determining whether the apparatus receives a system ID number of higher priority than the system ID number of the base station seized by said second seizing means, by referring to the contents of said first memory means, and for seizing the base station having the system ID number of higher priority and setting the apparatus in the idle state when the apparatus receives the system ID number of higher priority.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the system ID number stored in said second memory means is written into said first memory means if the system ID number is not stored in said first memory means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, which further comprises receiving means for receiving the broadcast system ID number, and said control means writes the received system ID number into said first memory means when the received broadcast system ID number is different from any one of the system ID numbers stored in said first memory means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, which further comprises decision means for determining whether the system ID number of the base station seized by said second seizing means is stored in said first memory means, if the system ID number is not stored in said first memory means, said control means sets the apparatus into an idle state after detecting a control signal broadcast from a base station and identifying, based on the control signal, a geographical area in which the base station is provided.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means operates such that a geographical area into which the apparatus has moved is identified, said seizing means receives one of the broadcast system ID numbers in accordance with the identified geographical area, and seizes a base station having the one of the system ID number received by said first seizing means and sets the apparatus in the idle state.

10. A mobile radio communication apparatus for use in a mobile radio communication system which includes base stations, mobile radio communication apparatuses to be connected to the base stations over radio channels, and in which each of the base stations broadcasts a system ID number for identifying the base station, said apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing system ID numbers, priority data items, each item associated with each of the system ID numbers and representing priority assigned to each base station, so as to be used to seize one base station;

seizing means for receiving the broadcast system ID number in accordance with the priority data item stored in said first memory means, for seizing the base station having the system ID number received, and for setting the apparatus in an idle state;

second memory means for storing the system ID number of the seized base station if the system ID number of the seized base station is included in said first memory means in accordance with turn-off operation during the idle state; and

control means for turning off the apparatus in response to the turn-off instruction and for seizing the base station having the system ID number stored in said second memory means and setting the apparatus in the idle state when the user operates the apparatus and inputs a turn-on instruction for turning on the apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the system ID number stored in said second memory means is written into said first memory means if the system ID number is not stored in said first memory means.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, which further comprises receiving means for receiving the broadcast system ID number, and said control means writes the received system ID number into said first memory means when the received broadcast system ID number is different from any one of the system ID numbers stored in said first memory means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control means operates such that a geographical area into which the apparatus has moved is identified, said seizing means receives one of the broadcast system ID numbers in accordance with the geographical area identified, and seizes a base station having the one of the system ID number received by said seizing means and sets the apparatus in the idle state.