MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING BASE STATION ANTENNA PROXIMITY STATE

• US 20070254717A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yahagi, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/562.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas

Abstract

Mobile terminals 201 to 203 measure strength of the received signal from plurality of base station antennas 101 to 105 and transmits it to network system 300. Network system 300 determines proximity state between plurality of base station antennas 101 to 105 based on the strength of the received signal from plurality of base station antennas 101 to 105 transmitted from mobile terminals 201 to 203. From that determination, the base station antennas proximity state matching a position or features of an antenna of the mobile terminal can be recognized.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising:

a mobile terminal;

a plurality of base station antennas that communicate with said mobile terminal; and

network controlling means that controls the plurality of base station antennas;

wherein said mobile terminal measures strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas and transmits the strength of the received signal to said network controlling means; and

said network controlling means determines a proximity state between said plurality of base station antennas based on the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas transmitted from said mobile terminal.

2. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said network controlling means classifies the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas transmitted from said mobile terminal into three levels of a first level, a second level and a third level in descending order in the strength of the received signal by two thresholds, selects two base station antennas among said plurality of base station antennas, and if the strength of the received signal from both of the two base station antennas are in said first level, determines that the two base station antennas are a pair of close base station antennas whose antennas are close in terms of a propagation space, and if the strength of the received signal from one of the two base station antennas is in the first level and the strength of the received signal from the other of the two base station antennas is in the second level, determines that the two base station antennas are a pair of adjacent base station antennas whose antennas are farther apart from each other in terms of propagation space than are the antennas in said pair of close base station antennas.

3. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said mobile terminal measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas while said terminal is not communicating with said plurality of base station antennas to transmit and receive a signal.

4. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said mobile terminal measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas while said terminal is communicating with said plurality of base station antennas to transmit and receive a signal.

5. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said mobile terminal autonomously measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas.

6. The mobile communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said mobile terminal measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas based on an instruction from said network controlling means.

7. A method for determining base station antenna proximity state for determining the proximity state between a plurality of base station antennas in a mobile communication system comprising a mobile terminal, the plurality of base station antennas that communicate with the mobile terminal, and network controlling means that controls the plurality of base station antennas, comprising:

a step of measuring strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas and transmitting the strength of the received signal to said network controlling means by said mobile terminal; and

a step of determining a proximity state between said plurality of base station antennas based on the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas transmitted from said mobile terminal by said network controlling means.

8. The method for determining base station antenna proximity state according to claim 7, wherein

said network controlling means classifies the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas transmitted from said mobile terminal into three levels of a first level, a second level and a third level in descending order in the strength of the received signal by two thresholds, selects two base station antennas among said plurality of base station antennas, and if the strength of the received signal from both of the two base station antennas are in said first level, determines that the two base station antennas are a pair of close base station antennas whose antennas are close in terms of propagation space, and if the strength of the received signal from one of the two base station antennas is in the first level and the strength of the received signal from the other of the two base station antennas is in the second level, determines that the two base station antennas are a pair of adjacent base station antennas whose antennas are farther apart from each other in terms of propagation space than the antennas in said pair of the close base station antennas are.

9. The method for determining base station antenna proximity state according to claim 7, wherein

said mobile terminal measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas while said terminal is not communicating with said plurality of base station antennas to transmit and receive a signal.

10. The method for determining base station antenna proximity state according to claim 7, wherein

said mobile terminal measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas while it is holding communication to transmit and receive a signal resulting from user'"'"'s communication.

11. The method for determining base station antenna proximity state according to claim 7, wherein

said mobile terminal autonomously measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas.

12. The method for determining base station antenna proximity state according to claim 7, wherein

said mobile terminal measures the strength of the received signal from said plurality of base station antennas while said terminal is communicating with said plurality of base station antennas to transmit and receive a signal.