Transmission control method of downgoing control signal in TDMA mobile communications system

• US 5,761,198 A
• Filed: 09/22/1995
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kojima, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, HUY DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/531,896
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/315, 370/327, 370/328, 370/321, 370/324, 370/329, 370/336, 370/337, 370/345, 370/369, 370/350, 370/498, 370/503, 370/504, 370/507, 370/508, 370/509, 370/510, 370/512, 370/514, 370/516, 370/517, 370/518, 370/519, 370/520, 370/522, 375/354, 375/355, 375/356, 375/357, 375/358, 375/359, 375/362, 375/364, 375/365, 375/371, 375/373, 375/375, 379/61, 379/63, 455/51.1, 455/50.1, 455/49.1, 455/53.1, 455/54.1, 455/63, 455/67.3, 455/67.6, 455/67.7, 455/68, 455/69, 455/70, 455/92, 455/134, 455/139, 455/226.2
• US Class Current: 370/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence

Abstract

In a method of controlling the transmission of a downgoing control signal, a mobile terminal detects the presence of radio wave of a downgoing control signal in each time slot in response to an inquiry signal received from a base station. The mobile terminal generates an answer signal indicating the time positions of radio waves received within a predetermined interval, and transmits the answer signal to the base apparatus. The base apparatus, receiving the radio condition answer signal, detects time differences between the downgoing control signal sent by the base apparatus itself and other downgoing control signals sent by other base apparatuses. If at least one time difference becomes lower than a predetermined threshold, the base apparatus changes the transmission timing of the downgoing control signal such that the time difference becomes larger than the threshold.

Claims

1. In a TDMA mobile communications system in which a mobile terminal is located within service areas provided by a plurality of base stations, each said base station independently transmitting a control signal of a predetermined radio frequency at first predetermined intervals, a transmission control method comprising the steps of:

at said mobile terminal,

a) synchronizing with a first control signal received from a first base station of said base stations to allocate a plurality of time slots according to said first control signal;

b) determining whether a radio wave of said predetermined radio frequency exists in each said time slot to generate radio condition information of said time slots;

c) transmitting said radio condition information to said first base station;

at said first base station,

d) detecting a first time interval between adjacent time slots associated with said first base station and another base station during which said radio wave does not exist, on the basis of said radio condition information received from said mobile terminal; and

e) changing in transmission timing of said first control signal when said first time interval is smaller than a predetermined value, such that said first time interval becomes larger than said predetermined value.

2. The transmission control method according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises the steps of:

detecting radio-field strength of said radio wave at a plurality of time positions included in each said time slot;

comparing said radio-field strength with a predetermined threshold; and

determining that said radio wave exists in a time slot of said time slots only when said radio-field strength is not smaller than said predetermined threshold at at least one of said time positions included in said time slot.

3. The transmission control method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step (d) comprises the step of detecting time intervals between adjacent time slots associated with said base stations, respectively, on the basis of said radio condition information; and

said step (e) comprises the steps of;

detecting a second time interval larger than any other time interval among said time intervals when said first time interval is smaller than said predetermined value; and

changing a transmission time position of said first control signal to the center of said second time interval.

4. The transmission control method according to claim 2, wherein:

said step (d) comprises the step of detecting time intervals between adjacent time slots associated with said base stations, respectively, on the basis of said radio condition information; and

said step (e) comprises the steps of;

detecting a second time interval larger than any other time interval among said time intervals when said first time interval is smaller than said predetermined value; and

changing a transmission time position of said first control signal to the center of said second time interval.

5. The transmission control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of performing said steps (a)-(e) at second predetermined intervals.

6. The transmission control method according to claim 5, wherein said steps (a)-(e) are started up by said first base station.

7. The transmission control method according to claim 5, wherein said steps (a)-(e) are started up by said mobile terminal.

8. In a TDMA mobile communications system in which a mobile terminal is located within service areas provided by a plurality of base stations, each said base station independently transmitting a control signal of a predetermined radio frequency at first predetermined intervals, a transmission control method comprising the steps of:

at a first base station of said base stations,

a) transmitting a first control signal to said mobile terminal at second predetermined intervals, said first control signal being a radio condition inquiry signal;

at said mobile terminal,

b) synchronizing with said radio condition inquiry signal received from said first base station to allocate a plurality of time slots;

c) determining whether a radio wave of said predetermined radio frequency exists in each said time slot to generate radio condition information of said time slots;

d) transmitting a radio condition answer signal including said radio condition information to said first base station;

at said first base station,

e) detecting a first time interval between adjacent time slots associated with said first base station and another base station during which said radio wave does not exist, on the basis of said radio condition information received from said mobile terminal; and

f) changing in transmission timing of said control signal when said first time interval is smaller than a predetermined value, such that said first time interval becomes larger than said predetermined value.

9. The transmission control method according to claim 8, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

detecting radio-field strength of said radio wave at a plurality of time positions included in each said time slot;

comparing said radio-field strength with a predetermined threshold; and

determining that said radio wave exists in a time slot of said time slots only when said radio-field strength is not smaller than said predetermined threshold at one or more of said time positions included in said time slot.

10. The transmission control method according to claim 8, wherein:

said step (e) comprises the step of detecting time intervals between adjacent time slots associated with said base stations, respectively, on the basis of said radio condition information; and

said step (f) comprises the steps of;

detecting a second time interval larger than any other time interval among said time intervals when said first time interval is smaller than said predetermined value; and

changing a transmission time position of said control signal to the center of said second time interval.

11. The transmission control method according to claim 9, wherein:

said step (e) comprises the step of detecting time intervals between adjacent time slots associated with said base stations, respectively, on the basis of said radio condition information; and

said step (f) comprises the steps of;

detecting a second time interval larger than any other time interval among said time intervals when said first time interval is smaller than said predetermined value; and

changing a transmission time position of said control signal to the center of said second time interval.

12. A TDMA mobile communications system in which a mobile terminal is located within service areas provided by a plurality of base stations, each said base station independently transmitting a control signal of a predetermined radio frequency at first predetermined intervals,

said mobile terminal comprising:

synchronizing means for synchronizing with a first control signal received from a first base station of said base stations to allocate a plurality of time slots according to said first control signal;

checking means for checking whether a radio wave of said predetermined radio frequency exists in each said time slot to generate radio condition information of said time slots; and

transmitting means for transmitting said radio condition information to said first base station, and

said first base station comprising;

detecting means for detecting a first time interval between adjacent time slots associated with said first base station and another base station during which said radio wave does not exist, on the basis of said radio condition information received from said mobile terminal; and

control means for changing in transmission timing of said first control signal when said first time interval is smaller than a predetermined value, such that said first time interval becomes larger than said predetermined value.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the checking means comprises:

a detector for detecting radio-field strength of said radio wave at a plurality of time positions included in each said time slot;

a comparator for comparing said radio-field strength with a predetermined threshold; and

determining means for determining that said radio wave exists in a time slot of said time slots only when said radio-field strength is not smaller than said predetermined threshold at one or more of said time positions included in said time slot.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

said detecting means comprises an interval detector for detecting time intervals between adjacent time slots associated with said base stations, respectively, on the basis of said radio condition information; and

said control means comprises;

a second detector for detecting a second time interval larger than any other time interval among said time intervals when said first time interval is smaller than said predetermined value; and

changing means for changing a transmission time position of said first control signal to the center of said second time interval.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein:

said detecting means comprises an interval detector for detecting time intervals between adjacent time slots associated with said base stations, respectively, on the basis of said radio condition information; and

said control means comprises;

a second detector for detecting a second time interval larger than any other time interval among said time intervals when said first time interval is smaller than said predetermined value; and

changing means for changing a transmission time position of said first control signal to the center of said second time interval.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said mobile terminal transmits said radio condition information to said first base station at second predetermined intervals.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said mobile terminal transmits said radio condition information in response to a request of said first base station.

18. A TDMA mobile communications system in which a mobile terminal is located within service areas provided by a plurality of base stations, each said base station independently transmitting a control signal of a predetermined radio frequency at first predetermined intervals,

said mobile terminal comprising:

synchronizing means for synchronizing with a radio condition inquiry signal received from a first base station of said base stations to allocate a plurality of time slots;

checking means for checking whether a radio wave of said predetermined radio frequency exists in each said time slot to generate radio condition information of said time slots; and

answer transmitting means for transmitting a radio condition answer signal including said radio condition information to said first base station, and

said first base station comprising;

inquiry means for transmitting a first control signal to said mobile terminal at second predetermined intervals, said first control signal being said radio condition inquiry signal;

detecting means for detecting a first time interval between adjacent time slots associated with said first base station and another base station during which said radio wave does not exist, on the basis of said radio condition information received from said mobile terminal; and

control means for changing in transmission timing of said control signal when said first time interval is smaller than a predetermined value, such that said first time interval becomes larger than said predetermined value.