Mobile communications equipment which detects and notifies when it is moved into or out of a service area

• US 5,450,613 A
• Filed: 08/27/1993
• Issued: 09/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Shuuichi, Sudo, Shigeyuki, Takahara, Yasuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, MARY
• Application Number:
  US08/112,801
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 455/32.1, 455/38.2, 455/38.5, 455/54.1, 455/54.2, 455/56.1, 455/67.7, 340/825.4
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72516 with means for out-of-range alerting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile communications equipment which communicates with another equipment through a base station, and in which the state change of the mobile communications equipment based on the movement thereof, such as the movement from outside a service area into the service area, is detected and is notified to the user of the mobile communications equipment. The notification is given by a method comprising the steps of accepting an instruction as to whether or not the user is to be notified that the state change has occurred between a state in which the equipment is communicable and a state in which it is incommunicable; analyzing if the communications are possible, on the basis of a signal sent from the base station, subject to the instruction of giving the notification; detecting the state change from the incommunicable state into the communicable state on the basis of the analyzed result; and notifying the user of the occurrence of the state change into the communicable state in response to the detection of the state change, by at least one notifying expedient selected from among production of a voice message, a notifying sound, a notifying light, and vibrations.

Claims

1. A mobile communications equipment for communicating with another equipment through a base station, comprising:

a radio-frequency signal circuit which receives a signal sent from the base station, and which transmits a signal directed toward said base station;

a demodulation circuit which demodulates the signal received by said radio-frequency signal circuit;

input/output means for delivering the signal demodulated by said demodulation circuit, to a user of said mobile communications equipment, and for accepting an input signal from said user;

a modulation circuit which modulates the signal accepted by said input/output means, and which delivers the modulated signal to said radio-frequency signal circuit;

analysis means for analyzing whether the signal sent from said base station is possible to be received;

detection means for conducting a first detection of movement of said mobile communications equipment coming into an area where said signal can be received and a second detection of movement of said mobile communications equipment going out of the area where said signal can be received, in accordance with an output of said analysis means;

notification means which includes at least two constituent means selected from the group having message output means for producing a voice message, sound output means for producing a notifying sound, optical indication means for producing an notifying light, and vibration means for producing vibrations; and

control means which controls to let one of the plurality of means provided at said notification means notify that said first detection has been conducted and to let another of the plurality of means provided at said notification means notify that said second detection has been conducted using a different means from the means used to notify that said first detection has been conducted.

2. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 1,

further comprising:

an instruction input unit which accepts an instruction which selects from which of the plurality of means provided at said notification means should the notice be given that said first detection has been conducted, and that said second detection has been conducted at a means different from the one which gave the notice that said fist detection has been conducted; and

said control means conducting said control by selecting from the plurality of means provided at said notification means based on each of said first and second detection.

3. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 2, wherein said instruction input unit further accepts an instruction for giving said notification from said notification means for either of the first and second detection;

and

said control means controls said notification means to suppress notification given by said notification means for the detection not to notify, when the instruction accepted at said instruction input unit is to notify from said notification means only for either of said first and second detection.

4. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 2, wherein

said instruction input unit further accepts, as a condition for giving said notification an instruction for conducting said notification from said notification means only for the first conduct of said first detection at said detection means after said instruction is given;

and

said control means controls said notification means in accordance with said instruction accepted by said instruction input unit.

5. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

timekeeping means for detecting that said mobile communications equipment is within an area where said signal can be received for a predetermined time period when said mobile communications equipment has moved into the area where said signal can be received from outside; and

said control means disables, when said first detection has been conducted at said detecting means, notification from said notification means that said first detection has been conducted and controls notification from said notification means that said first detection has been conducted when said detection is conducted at said timekeeping means.

6. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 5, wherein said instruction input unit further accepts an instruction, as a conduction for giving said notification, that said mobile communications equipment is detected at said timekeeping means to be within an area where said signal can be received for a predetermined time period since said mobile communications equipment has moved into the area where said signal can be received from outside;

and

said control means conducts said control when said instruction is received at said instruction input unit.

7. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

electric field strength detection means for detecting a received electric field strength of said signal received by said radio-frequency signal circuit;

said control means which disables the notification form said notification means that said fist detection has been conducted when said fist detection has been conducted at said detection means, and gives the notification form said notification means that said first detection has been conducted when the detected electric field strength of said electric field strength detection means has reached a predetermined electric field strength.

8. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 7, wherein said instruction input unit further accepts an instruction to conducted said first detection at said detection means and to notify a state where detected electric field strength of said electric field strength detection means has reached a predetermined electric field strength as a condition for giving said notification;

and

said control means conducts said control when said instruction is accepted at said instruction input unit.

9. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

network registration means for registering sorts of available network;

said analysis means further analyzing whether said signal can be received at each of the registered network at said network registration means based on the signal received at said radio-frequency signal circuit;

said detection means conducting said first detection for each of said network; and

said notification means notifying the sorts of network where said signal can be received when said first detection is conducted at said detection means.

10. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 9, further comprising network priority setting means for setting at least one type of network which preferentially selects circuits from the sorts of said networks;

said detection means detecting the network set by said network priority setting means where said signal is within an area that can be received based on the analysis of said analysis means; and

said notifying means further notifies the sorts of network that allow said signal to be received at said detection means.

11. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of means provided at said notification means is furnished with at least two sorts of output aspects, respectively;

said instruction input unit further accepts an instruction for selecting which of the output aspects of the plurality of means provided at said notification means is to be used to notify said first detection has been conducted and which of the output aspects, different from the one used to notify said first detection, is to be used to notify said second detection has been conducted; and

said control means selects said output aspects of said notification means based on each of said first detection and said second detection in accordance with the selection instruction accepted by said instruction input unit.

12. A mobile communications equipment for communicating with another equipment through a base station, comprising:

a radio-frequency signal circuit which receives a signal sent from the base station, and which transmits a signal directed toward said base station;

a demodulation circuit which demodulates the signal received by said radio-frequency signal circuit;

input/output means for delivering the signal demodulated by said demodulation circuit, to a user of said mobile communications equipment, and for accepting an input signal from said user;

a modulation circuit which modulates the signal accepted by said input/output means, and which delivers the modulated signal to said radio-frequency signal circuit;

analysis means for analyzing whether the signal sent from said base station is possible to be received;

detection means for detecting when said mobile communications equipment has moved into the area where said signal can be received, in accordance with an output of said analysis means;

an instruction input unit which accepts identification information of the other equipment from said user;

a memory which stores therein the identification information accepted by said instruction input unit;

a starter unit which performs calls origination in accordance with the stored identification information of said memory; and

a checker which is furnished with an autodialing mode for commanding said starter unit to perform call origination in a condition where a command for calling origination is accepted at said instruction input unit when said mobile communications equipment is within the area where said signal can be received, to disable the call origination in a condition where a command for calling origination is accepted at said instruction input unit when said mobile communications equipment is outside the area where said signal can be received, and to perform call origination when said mobile communications equipment is detected, at said detection means, to have moved into the area where said signal can be received.

13. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 12, wherein said instruction input unit further accepts, from said autodialing mode, the instruction to call;

said checker enables said autodialing mode when an instruction for calling by said autodialing mode is accepted at said instruction input unit and disables said autodialing mode when an instruction for calling by said autodialing mode is not accepted at said instruction input unit.

14. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

network registration means for registering sorts of available network;

said analysis means further analyzing whether said signal can be received at each network registered at said network registration means based on the signal received at said radio-frequency signal circuit; and

the autodialing mode of said detection means instruction said starter to call origination of the network where said signal can be received.

15. A mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 14, further comprising:

network priority level setting means for setting priority levels for said sorts of network;

said detection means detecting any network of higher priority level selected by said network priority level setting means when there is a plurality of networks which can receive said signal;

the autodialing mode of said detection means instructing said starter to call origination of the network with a higher priority level detected by said detection means.

16. A method for notification in a mobile communications equipment which communicates with another equipment through transmitting and receiving of signals with a base station, comprising the steps of:

accepting an instruction as to a user of said mobile communications equipment is to be notified that the first detection which detects the movement of said mobile communications equipment coming into the area where the signal transmitted from said base station can be received and the second detection which detects the movement of said mobile communications equipment going out of the area where said signal can be received;

analyzing whether said signal sent from said base station can be received;

conducting said first and second detection based on said analysis; and

notifying that said first detection has been conducted by at least one notifying expedient selected from the group consisting of production of a voice message, that of a notifying sound, that of a notifying light, and that of vibrations, when said first detection has been conducted, and notifying that said second detection has been conducted when said second detection has been conducted by a method different from the one used in informing said first detection among said plurality of methods of notification, subject to the instruction of giving the notification.

17. A method for notification in a mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 16, comprising the steps of:

further accepting an instruction which selects from which of the plurality of means provided at said notification means should the notice be given that said first detection has been conducted, and that said second detection has been conducted at a means different from the one which gave the notice that said first detection has been conducted; and

selecting the notifying expedient in accordance with the accepted selection instruction, and then notifying each of the first detection and the second detection has been conducted by the selected notifying expedient.

18. A method for notification in a mobile communications equipment as defined in claim 16 comprising the steps of:

conducting said first detection for each of said registered network; and

notifying the sorts of network where said signal can be received when said first detection has been conducted.

19. A mobile communications system comprising a mobile communications equipment which communicates with another equipment through a base station, and a peripheral equipment which is connected to the mobile communications equipment;

said mobile communications equipment including;

a radio-frequency signal circuit which receives a signal sent from the base station, and which transmits a signal directed toward said base station;

a demodulation circuit which demodulates the signal received by said radio-frequency signal circuit;

input/output means for delivering the signal demodulated by said demodulation circuit, to a user of said mobile communications equipment, and for accepting an input signal from said user;

a modulation circuit which modulates the signal accepted by said input/output means, and which delivers the modulated signal to said radio-frequency signal circuit;

analysis means for analyzing whether the signal sent from said base station is possible to be received;

detection means for detecting when said mobile communications equipment has moved into the area where said signal can be received in accordance with an output of said analysis means; and

output means for delivering predetermined notifying information to said peripheral equipment when said detection means has detected;

said peripheral equipment including;

input means for receiving the notifying information delivered from said output means of said mobile communications equipment;

an instruction input unit which accepts identification information of said another equipment from the user of said mobile communications equipment;

a memory which stores therein the identification information accepted by said instruction input unit;

a starter unit which calls origination in accordance with the stored identification information of said memory; and

a checker which is furnished with an autodialing mode;

for commanding said starter unit to call origination in a condition where a command for calling origination is accepted at said instruction input unit when said mobile communications equipment is within the area where said signal can be received, for disabling the call origination in a condition where a command for calling origination is accepted at said instruction input unit when said mobile communications equipment is outside the area where said signal can be received, and for calling origination when said mobile communications equipment is detected, at said detection means, to have moved into the area where said signal can be received;