Mobile communication apparatus

• US 5,825,763 A
• Filed: 11/25/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Masaki, Kato, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/753,241
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 370/320, 370/328, 370/335, 370/342, 370/321, 370/337, 370/347, 455/33.1, 455/33.4, 455/54.1, 455/56.1, 455/62, 455/63, 455/422, 455/450-452, 455/449, 379/59, 379/60
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures

Abstract

A mobile communication system is provided for increasing the capacity for personal stations and ensuring a radio channel for use with a micro cellular system irrespective of environment in which the system is installed. In the mobile communication system which allows the coexistence of a cellular automobile telephone system and a micro cellular system, communications in the cellular automobile telephone systems and the micro cellular systems are performed in a digital form, and a personal station accessing to each of these systems is connected thereto by using a time-division multiplex access mode or a code division multiplex access mode. Since the time-division multiplex access mode or code division multiplex access mode is used, a radio channel at the same frequency can be used by a plurality of personal stations. Thus, the capacity of the system can be increased for personal stations without extending a used frequency band.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising:

a public switched telephone network;

a cellular automobile telephone system covering a service area which is divided into a plurality of zones, said cellular automobile telephone system comprising;

a mobile telephone switching office coupled to said public switched telephone network; and

a plurality of base stations which are located in said plurality of zones and are coupled to said mobile telephone switching office;

a micro cellular system covering a coverage area which is divided into a plurality of areas all of which are located within one of said zones, said micro cellular system comprising;

a control unit coupled to said public switched telephone network; and

a plurality of fixed stations which are located in said plurality of areas and are coupled to said control unit; and

a personal station comprising means for accessing both said cellular automobile telephone system through one of said plurality of base stations and said micro cellular system through one of said plurality of fixed stations;

wherein;

said means for accessing connects said personal station to said cellular automobile telephone system and said micro cellular system by using a code-division multiplex access mode; and

separate frequency bands are provided for use in said cellular automobile telephone system and said micro cellular system, respectively.

2. A mobile communication system as in claim 1, wherein the means for accessing comprises means for (i) detecting whether the personal station can access the micro cellular system and (ii) automatically accessing the cellular automobile telephone system when the personal station cannot access the micro cellular system.

3. A mobile communication method for use with a mobile communication system comprising:

a public switched telephone network;

a cellular automobile telephone system covering a service area which is divided into a plurality of zones, said cellular automobile telephone system comprising;

a mobile telephone switching office coupled to said public switched telephone network; and

a plurality of base stations which are located in said plurality of zones and are coupled to said mobile telephone switching office;

a micro cellular system covering a coverage area which is divided into a plurality of areas all of which are located within one of said zones, said micro cellular system comprising;

a control unit coupled to said public switched telephone network; and

a plurality of fixed stations which are located in said plurality of areas and are coupled to said control unit; and

a personal station comprising means for accessing both said cellular automobile telephone system through one of said plurality of base stations and said micro cellular system through one of said plurality of fixed stations;

said method comprising;

(a) connecting said personal station selectively and alternately to said cellular automobile telephone system and said micro cellular system by using a code-division multiplex access mode; and

(b) employing separate frequency bands in said cellular automobile telephone system and said micro cellular system, respectively.

4. A mobile communication method as in claim 3, wherein step (a) comprises (i) detecting whether the personal station can access the micro cellular system and (ii) automatically accessing the cellular automobile telephone system when the personal station cannot access the micro cellular system.