MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, LOCATED AREA MANAGEMENT DEVICE, COMMUNICATION CONTROL DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20110287734A1
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Endoh, Eisuke, Isobe, Shin-ichi
• Application Number:
  US13/128,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20110287734A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A communication control device 50 determines an area Al corresponding to the small area identifier by making an inquiry to a located area management device 40 about the ordinary area identifier associated with the small area identifier, based on the small area identifier contained in the emergency call, upon receipt of the emergency call from the mobile terminal 10 located in an area A2. The communication control device 50 acquires an emergency report destination device 70 associated with the area A1 determined, and to connect the emergency call to the emergency report destination device 70.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising:

a located area management device configured to manage an area in which a mobile terminal is located; and

a communication control device configured to control an emergency report destination to which an emergency call from the mobile terminal is to be connected, according to the area in which the mobile terminal is located,

the mobile terminal sending the emergency call through one of an ordinary radio base station and a small radio base station, the ordinary radio base station forming a first area that is a communicatable area with the mobile terminal, the small radio base station forming a second area that is a communicatable area smaller than the first area, wherein

the located area management device includes;

an area information registration unit configured to register area information when the mobile terminal is located in the second area, the area information having an ordinary area identifier and a small area identifier being associated with each other therein, the ordinary area identifier being for identifying the first area in which the mobile terminal has been located a predetermined time before or is to be located a predetermined time after the second area, the small area identifier being for identifying the second area; and

an area information response unit configured to refer to the area information and to notify the communication control device of the ordinary area identifier associated with the small area identifier, in response to an inquiry from the communication control device, and

the communication control device includes;

an area determination unit configured to determine the first area corresponding to the small area identifier by making an inquiry to the located area management device about the ordinary area identifier associated with the small area identifier, based on the small area identifier contained in the emergency call, upon receipt of the emergency call from the mobile terminal located in the second area; and

a communication control unit configured to acquire the emergency report destination associated with the first area determined by the area determination unit, and to connect the emergency call to the emergency report destination.

2. A located area management device used in a mobile communication system in which a mobile terminal sends an emergency call through one of an ordinary radio base station and a small radio base station, the ordinary radio base station forming a first area that is a communicatable area with the mobile terminal, the small radio base station forming a second area that is a communicatable area smaller than the first area,

the located area management device comprising:

an area information registration unit configured to register area information when the mobile terminal is located in the second area, the area information having an ordinary area identifier and a small area identifier being associated with each other therein, the ordinary area identifier being for identifying the first area in which the mobile terminal has been located a predetermined time before or is to be located a predetermined time after the second area, the small area identifier being for identifying the second area; and

an area information response unit configured to refer to the area information and to notify the communication control device of the ordinary area identifier associated with the small area identifier, in response to an inquiry from the communication control device.

3. The located area management device according to claim 2, wherein

when the mobile terminal is located in the second area, the area information registration unit associates the small area identifier and the ordinary area identifier identifying the first area in which the mobile terminal has been located until just before the mobile terminal moves to the second area.

4. The located area management device according to claim 2, wherein

the area information registration unit cancels registration of the area information when a specific one of the ordinary area identifier and a specific one of the small area identifier are already associated with each other in the area information.

5. The located area management device according to claim 2, wherein

the area information registration unit registers the area information in which a terminal identifier for identifying the mobile terminal located in the second area is additionally associated with the ordinary area identifier and the small area identifier.

6. A communication control device used in a mobile communication system in which a mobile terminal sends an emergency call through one of an ordinary radio base station and a small radio base station, the ordinary radio base station forming a first area that is a communicatable area with the mobile terminal, the small radio base station forming a second area that is a communicatable area smaller than the first area, the communication control device being configured to control an emergency report destination to which the emergency call is to be connected,

the communication control device comprising:

an area determination unit configured to determine the first area corresponding to the small area identifier by making an inquiry to a located area management device managing an area where the mobile terminal is located, about the ordinary area identifier associated with the small area identifier, based on the small area identifier contained in the emergency call, upon receipt of the emergency call from the mobile terminal located in the second area; and

a communication control unit configured to acquire the emergency report destination associated with the first area determined by the area determination unit, and to connect the emergency call to the emergency report destination.

7. The communication control device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a small radio base station database in which the small area identifier for identifying the small radio base station included in the mobile communication system is registered, wherein

upon receipt of the emergency call from the mobile terminal, the area determination unit refers to the small radio base station database and determines whether or not the emergency call contains the small area identifier, and

only when the emergency call contains the small area identifier, the area determination unit makes an inquiry to the located area management device about the ordinary area identifier associated with the small area identifier.

8. The communication control device according to claim 6, wherein

the area determination unit determines the first area corresponding to the terminal identifier by making an inquiry to the located area management device about the ordinary area identifier associated with the terminal identifier based on the terminal identifier of the mobile terminal contained in the emergency call.

9. A communication method used in a mobile communication system in which a mobile terminal sends an emergency call through one of an ordinary radio base station and a small radio base station, the ordinary radio base station forming a first area that is a communicatable area with the mobile terminal, the small radio base station forming a second area that is a communicatable area smaller than the first area,

the method comprising the steps of:

registering area information in a device constituting the mobile communication system when the mobile terminal is located in the second area, the area information having an ordinary area identifier and a small area identifier being associated with each other therein, the ordinary area identifier being for identifying the first area in which the mobile terminal has been located a predetermined time before or is to be located a predetermined time after the second area, the small area identifier being for identifying the second area;

determine the first area corresponding to the small area identifier by making an inquiry to the device for an area where the mobile terminal is located, about the ordinary area identifier associated with the small area identifier, based on the small area identifier contained in the emergency call, upon receipt of the emergency call from the mobile terminal located in the second area; and

acquiring an emergency report destination that is a connection destination of the emergency call associated with the first area determined in the determining step, and connecting the emergency call to the emergency report destination.