Multi-mode mobile terminal and method of triggering communication service using position information thereof

• US 20050282579A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tai Woo
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

The present invention provides a multi-mode mobile terminal and method of triggering a communication service using position information thereof, by which the multi-mode mobile terminal triggers its optimal communication service in a communication environment where various kinds of communications systems co-exist. The present invention includes acquiring a position of a multi-mode mobile terminal configured to operate in a plurality of separate communication modes and operating the multi-mode mobile terminal in the communication mode based on its position.

Claims

1. A communication service triggering method, comprising:

acquiring a position of a multi-mode mobile terminal configured to operate in a plurality of separate communication modes; and

operating the multi-mode mobile terminal in a communication mode based on its position.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, setting a preferential communication mode for each of a plurality of areas.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising, selecting a preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position, wherein the multi-mode mobile terminal is operated in the selected preferential communication mode.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the multi-mode mobile terminal switches a current communication mode to the selected preferential communication mode if the current communication mode of the multi-mode mobile terminal is different than the selected preferential communication mode.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multi-mode mobile terminal switches a currently operating communication mode to a communication mode based on the position of the multi-mode terminal, after which the multi-mode terminal is prevented from switching communication modes again for a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multi-mode mobile terminal receives information corresponding to its position from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multi-mode mobile terminal computes information corresponding to its position using at least one of strength of a reception signal, time of arrival (TOA) of the reception signal, time difference of arrival (TDOA) between reception signals, and angle of arrival (AOA) of the reception signal.

8. A communication service triggering method, comprising:

storing information correlating position information with preferential communication modes in a database of a multi-mode mobile terminal configured to operate in a plurality of separate communication modes;

acquiring a position of the multi-mode mobile terminal;

selecting a preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position from the database; and

triggering the selected preferential communication mode in the multi-mode mobile terminal.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the multi-mode mobile terminal communicates with a base station supporting the triggered communication mode.

10. A multi-mode mobile terminal comprising:

a database that stores information correlating position information with preferential communication modes;

a transceiver unit for transmitting and receiving signals; and

a host processor that controls operations of the transceiver unit based upon the information in the database.

11. The multi-mode mobile terminal according to claim 10, further comprising a position information receiving circuit for receiving position information from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite to acquire a position of the multi-mode mobile terminal.

12. The multi-mode mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the host processor calculates a position of the multi-mode mobile terminal using at least one of strength of a reception signal received via the transceiver unit, time of arrival (TOA) of the reception signal, time difference of arrival (TDOA) between reception signals, and angle of arrival (AOA) of the reception signal.

13. The multi-mode mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the host processor acquires a position of the multi-mode mobile terminal and then searches the database for a preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position.

14. The multi-mode mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein the host processor controls the transceiver unit to operate in the preferential communication mode.

15. The multi-mode terminal according to claim 14, wherein the host processor controls the transceiver unit to switch to the preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position if the multi-mode mobile terminal is not currently operating in the preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position.

16. The multi-mode terminal according to claim 15, further comprising a timer that initiates upon switching the transceiver unit to the preferential communication mode.

17. The multi-mode terminal according to claim 16, wherein the transceiver unit is prevented from switching communication modes within a predetermined amount of time from the initiation of the timer.

18. The multi-mode mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the transceiver unit comprises a plurality of transceiver circuits, and each transceiver circuit is configured to operate in a different communication mode.

19. The multi-mode mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the host processor acquires the position of the multi-mode mobile terminal and then searches the database for a preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position.

20. The multi-mode mobile terminal according to claim 19, wherein the host processor selects a transceiver circuit configured to operate in the preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position.

21. The multi-mode terminal according to claim 20, wherein the host processor stops the operation of a currently operating transceiver circuit and starts the operation of the transceiver circuit configured to operate in the preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position, if the currently operating transceiver circuit is not configured to operate in the preferential communication mode corresponding to the acquired position.