Radio control station, radio terminal, base station, communication system, and communication method

• US 20050037770A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Hiroshi, Takeda, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A communication system includes a transmission unit configured to transmit control information relating to plural radio communication systems to a radio terminal through a dedicated control channel commonly used by the plural radio communication systems and for transmitting the control information relating to the plural radio communication systems.

Claims

1. A radio control station comprising:

a transmission unit configured to transmit control information relating to plural radio communication systems to a radio terminal through a dedicated control channel commonly used by the plural radio communication systems and for transmitting the control information relating to the plural radio communication systems.

2. A radio control station of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits at least one of frequency band information relating to frequency bands of the plural radio communication systems, control channel information relating to control channels of the plural radio communication systems, and congestion information of the plural radio communication systems, as the control information.

3. A radio control station of claim 2, further comprising an acquisition unit configured to acquire the congestion information of the plural radio communication systems,

wherein the transmission unit transmits the congestion information acquired by the acquisition unit as the control information.

4. A radio control station of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits only the control information through the dedicated control channel.

5. A radio terminal comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive control information relating to plural radio communication systems through a dedicated control channel commonly used by the plural radio communication systems and for transmitting the control information relating to the plural radio communication systems; and

a selection unit configured to select a radio communication system to be used based on the control information received by the reception unit.

6. A radio terminal of claim 5, further comprising a priority decision unit configured to decide priority for selecting a radio communication system to be used based on congestion information of the plural radio communication systems,

wherein the reception unit receives the congestion information as the control information, and

the selection unit selects the radio communication system to be used, based on the priority decided by the priority decision unit.

7. A base station comprising:

a providing unit configured to provide congestion information of plural radio communication systems to a radio control station configured to transmit control information relating to the plural radio communication systems to a radio terminal through a dedicated control channel commonly used by the plural radio communication systems and for transmitting the control information relating to the plural radio communication systems.

8. A communication system comprising:

plural radio communication systems; and

a radio control station including a transmission unit configured to transmit control information relating to the plural radio communication systems to a radio terminal through a dedicated control channel commonly used by the plural radio communication systems and for transmitting the control information relating to the plural the radio communication systems.

9. A communication method comprising:

transmitting control information relating to plural radio communication systems to a radio terminal through a dedicated control channel commonly used by the plural radio communication and for transmitting the control information relating to the plural the radio communication systems.