Broadcast receiving system, broadcast receiving method, relay apparatus, mobile station, and control program therefor

• US 20070004334A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tsuchiyama, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/24 Arrangements for distribution of identical information via broadcast system and non-broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/59 for emergency or urgency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A broadcast receiving system capable of keeping low the power consumption of a mobile station having a broadcast receiving unit for receiving an irregular broadcast is realized. A broadcast station transmits a broadcast notice for notifying that predefined contents will be broadcasted. The broadcast notice is transmitted to the mobile station through a relay apparatus and a mobile basestation. The mobile station receives the broadcast notice from the mobile basestation by a communication channel commonly used by mobile stations in the mobile coverage. The mobile station is set to a state capable of receiving the broadcast.

Claims

1. A broadcast receiving system for receiving a broadcast, comprising:

a broadcast station for sending out a first broadcast notice for notifying that predefined contents will be broadcasted;

a relay apparatus for monitoring the first broadcast notice sent out from the broadcast station, and sending a second broadcast notice for notifying that the broadcast station has sent out the first broadcast notice; and

at least one mobile basestation located within a broadcast coverage of the broadcast station for receiving the second broadcast notice, and transmitting a third broadcast notice for notifying mobile stations located within a mobile coverage of the mobile basestation that the broadcast station has sent out the first broadcast notice;

wherein, the mobile station having a broadcast receiving unit that is set to a state capable of receiving the predefined contents broadcasted from the broadcast station when the third broadcast notice is received.

2. The broadcast receiving system according to claim 1,

wherein the relay apparatus selectively sends the second broadcast notice to the mobile basestation in accordance with the contents of the first broadcast notice.

3. The broadcast receiving system according to claim 2,

wherein the first broadcast notice includes information of an emergency location which indicates a place where the emergency has occurred;

and

wherein the relay apparatus sends the second broadcast notice selectively to the mobile basestation in accordance with the emergency location.

4. The broadcast receiving system according to claim 2,

wherein the first broadcast notice includes information of an emergency location which indicates the place where the emergency has occurred;

and

wherein the relay apparatus sends the second broadcast notice selectively to the mobile basestation in the context of both locations of the emergency location and a location of the mobile station.

5. The broadcast receiving system according to claim 4,

wherein the relay apparatus sends the second broadcast notice selectively to the mobile basestation in a case where a distance between the emergency location and the location of the mobile station is within a predetermined distance.

6. The broadcast receiving system according to claim 3,

wherein the relay apparatus sends the second broadcast notice to the mobile basestation only when the emergency location is within the broadcast coverage.

7. A broadcast receiving method for receiving predefined contents broadcasted from a broadcast station by at least one mobile station having a capability of receiving the broadcast contents, the methods comprising the steps of:

monitoring and receiving a first broadcast notice for notifying that the predefined contents will be broadcasted from the broadcast station;

sending a second broadcast notice for notifying, that the broadcast station has sent out the first broadcast notice, to at least one mobile basestation located within a broadcast coverage of the broadcast station;

transmitting a third broadcast notice from the mobile basestation, which has received the second broadcast notice, for notifying mobile station located within a mobile coverage of the mobile basestation that the broadcast station has sent out the first broadcast notice; and

setting the mobile station, which has received the third broadcast notice, to a state capable of receiving the predefined contents broadcasted from the broadcast station.

8. The broadcast receiving method according to claim 7, wherein the step of sending the second broadcast notice includes the step of sending the second broadcast notice selectively to the mobile basestation in accordance with the contents of the first broadcast notice.

9. The broadcast receiving method according to claim 8,

wherein the first broadcast notice includes information of an emergency location which indicates a place where the emergency has occurred;

and

wherein the step of sending the second broadcast notice includes the step of sending the second broadcast notice selectively to the mobile basestation in accordance with the emergency location.

10. The broadcast receiving method according to claim 8,

wherein the first broadcast notice includes information of an emergency location which indicates the place where the emergency has occurred;

and

wherein the step of sending the second broadcast notice includes the step of sending the second notice selectively to the mobile basestation in the context of both locations of the emergency location and a location of the mobile station.

11. The broadcast receiving method to claim 10, wherein the step of sending the second broadcast notice includes the step of sending the second broadcast notice selectively to the mobile basestation in a case where a distance between the emergency location and the location of the mobile station is within a predetermined distance.

12. The broadcast receiving method according to claim 9, wherein the step of sending the second broadcast notice includes the step of selectively sending the second broadcast notice to the mobile basestation only when the emergency location is within the broadcast coverage.

13. A mobile station for communicating with a basestation and having a capability of receiving a broadcast from a broadcast station, comprising:

a broadcast receiving unit for receiving the broadcast from the broadcast station; and

a broadcast notice receiving unit for receiving a broadcast notice for notifying that predefined contents will be broadcasted from the broadcast station, and set the broadcast receiving unit to a state capable of receiving the predefined contents broadcasted from the broadcast station when the broadcast notice is received;

wherein the broadcast notice is received from the basestation.

14. The mobile station according to claim 13, wherein the broadcast receiving unit is powered on in accordance with an instruction by the broadcast notice receiving unit that has-received the broadcast notice and has detected that broadcast receiving unit was powered off.

15. The mobile station according to claim 13, wherein the broadcast notice receiving unit generates a predetermined alarm in the case where the mobile station is under communication at the time of the broadcast notice being received.

16. The mobile station according to claim 13, further comprising a storage unit for storing contents of the broadcast.

17. The mobile station according to claim 13, wherein the broadcast notice is received through a common channel that is commonly used for all mobile stations located within a mobile coverage of the mobile basestation.

18. The mobile station according to claim 13, wherein the broadcast notice receiving unit interrupts communication to receive the broadcast in the case where the mobile station is under communication at the time of the broadcast notice is received.

19. A mobile station control program for a mobile station for communicating with a basestation and having a capability of receiving a broadcast from a broadcast station, comprising the steps of:

receiving a broadcast notice from the basestation for notifying that predefined contents will be broadcasted from the broadcast station; and

setting the mobile station to a state capable of receiving the predefined contents broadcasted from the broadcast station when the broadcast notice is received.

20. A relay apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for monitoring a first broadcast notice sent from a broadcast station for notifying that predetermined contents will be broadcasted, and sending a second broadcast notice for notifying that the broadcast station has sent out the first broadcast notice;

wherein, the communication unit sends the second broadcast notice to at least one mobile basestation within a broadcast coverage of the broadcast station.

21. The relay apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the communication unit sends the second broadcast notice to the mobile basestation in accordance with contents of the first broadcast notice.

22. The relay apparatus according to claim 21,

wherein the first broadcast notice includes information of an emergency location which indicates a place where the emergency has occurred;

and

wherein the communication unit sends the second broadcast notice selectively to the mobile basestation in accordance with the emergency location.

23. A program for controlling a relay apparatus, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a first broadcast notice sent from a broadcast station for notifying that predetermined contents will be broadcasted and;

sending a second broadcast notice for notifying that the broadcast station has sent our the first broadcast notice, to at least one mobile basestation within a broadcast coverage of the broadcast station depending on contents of the first broadcast notice.