Mobile telephone location system

• US 5,873,041 A
• Filed: 11/15/1995
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ishii, Katsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US08/558,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/33.3, 455/54.1, 455/56.1, 455/67.6, 455/456, 455/457, 455/525, 455/517, 455/435, 364/460, 379/59, 379/60, 340/990, 340/995, 342/457, 342/359, 342/368
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/12 by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

In response to a position registration request transmitted from a mobile telephone terminal 1a (or 1b), at least one base station 2_l (or 2_N) selected by the mobile telephone terminal transmits a response signal to the mobile telephone terminal which measures a receiving electric field strength of the received response signal and a time between the transmission of the position registration request and the reception of the response signal. The mobile telephone terminal calculates a distance between it and the base station and a direction to the base station on the basis of the measured electric field strength and the measured time and displays the results of calculation. The mobile telephone terminal reports the results of calculation to a central controller 4 through the base station and a control station 3 to store it in a portion of a subscriber information memory 5 corresponding thereto. The central controller 4 reads out a stored information from the subscriber information memory 5 in response to a notice request from the fixed telephone terminal 6 and notifies it to the fixed telephone terminal 6 to display it on a display device of the latter.

Claims

1. A mobile radio telephone terminal capable of communicating with another telephone terminal through a selected base station, the mobile radio telephone terminal comprising:

first detection means for detecting a distance between said mobile radio telephone terminal and said selected base station sending a first signal to said mobile radio telephone terminal;

second detection means for detecting a direction of said selected base station as seen from said mobile radio telephone terminal;

display means for displaying the distance and the direction;

control means for controlling a direction of an antenna in accordance with an electric field strength of the first signal to obtain a maximum gain;

transmitting means for transmitting a second signal to said selected base station;

receiving means for receiving a third signal transmitted from said base station in response to the second signal; and

measuring means for measuring a time period from the transmission of the second signal to the reception of the third signal;

wherein said first detection means detects the distance on the basis of the time period measured by said measuring means, and the second signal is a position registration request signal requesting a registration of the position of said mobile telephone terminal.

2. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving means comprises a phased-array antenna.

3. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

third detection means for detecting a receiving electric field strength of said third signal;

azimuth information generating means for generating an azimuth information on the basis of the receiving electric field strength detected by said third detection means; and

control means for controlling said phased-array antenna on the basis of the azimuth information generated by said azimuth information generating means.

4. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 3, wherein said second detection means detects the azimuth information when the receiving electric field strength becomes maximum, as the direction.

5. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 4, wherein said display means displays the distance and the direction in the form of an area name and a compass direction, respectively.

6. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 5, wherein said second signal is a position registration request signal for requesting a registration of position.

7. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 4, wherein said transmitting means is adapted to transmit the distance and the position to said selected base station.

8. A mobile radio telephone system in which an available service area is constituted with radio zones of a plurality of base stations and a mobile telephone terminal selects at least one base station and communicates with a fixed telephone terminal through the selected base station, said mobile telephone terminal comprising:

first detection means for detecting a distance between said mobile radio telephone terminal and said selected base station sending a first signal to said mobile radio telephone terminal;

second detection means for detecting a direction of said selected base station as seen from said mobile radio telephone terminal;

display means for displaying the distance and the direction;

control means for controlling a direction of an antenna in accordance with an electric field strength of the first signal to obtain a maximum gain;

transmitting means for transmitting a second signal to said selected base station;

receiving means for receiving a third signal transmitted from said base station in response to the second signal; and

measuring means for measuring a time period from the transmission of the second signal to the reception of the third signal,

wherein said first detection means detects the distance on the basis of the time period measured by said measuring means, and the second signal is a position registration request signal requesting a registration of the position of said mobile telephone terminal.

9. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 8, wherein said receiving means comprises a phased-array antenna.

10. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 9, wherein said mobile radio telephone terminal further comprises:

third detection means for detecting a receiving electric field strength of the third signal;

azimuth information generating means for generating azimuth information on the basis of the receiving electric field strength detected by said third detection means; and

control means for controlling said phased-array antenna on the basis of the azimuth information generated by said azimuth information generating means.

11. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 10, wherein said second detection means detects the azimuth information when the receiving electric field strength becomes maximum, as the direction.

12. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 11, wherein said display means displays the distance and the direction as an area name and a compass direction, respectively.

13. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 11, wherein said transmitting means is adapted to transmit a signal indicative of the distance and the direction to said base station.

14. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 13, wherein said base station receives and stores the signal indicative of the distance and the direction transmitted from said mobile telephone terminal.

15. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 14, wherein said base station responds to a calling position notice request from said fixed telephone terminal to transmit the distance and the position of said mobile telephone terminal to said fixed telephone terminal.

16. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 15, wherein said base station responds to the calling position notice request when said base station receives a notice enabling signal transmitted from said mobile telephone terminal.

17. A control method for controlling a mobile radio telephone terminal, comprising, at said mobile terminal, the steps of:

detecting a distance between said mobile radio telephone terminal and a signal source sending a first signal to said mobile radio telephone terminal;

detecting a direction of said signal source as seen from said mobile radio telephone terminal;

displaying the distance and the direction;

controlling a direction of an antenna according to an electric field strength of the first signal to obtain a maximum gain;

transmitting a second signal from said mobile radio telephone terminal to said signal source, said second signal is a position registration request signal requesting a registration of the position of said mobile telephone terminal;

receiving a third signal transmitted from said signal source, in response to the second signal;

measuring a time period from the transmission of the second signal to the reception of the third signal; and

detecting the distance on the basis of the time period.

18. The control method claimed in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a receiving electric field strength of the third signal;

generating azimuth information on the basis of the receiving electric field strength; and

detecting the azimuth information when the receiving electric field strength becomes maximum, as the direction.

19. The control method claimed in claim 18, wherein the distance and the direction are displayed as an area name and a compass direction, respectively.

20. The control method claimed in claim 19, further comprising the step of transmitting a signal indicative of the distance and the position to said signal source.

21. A control method for controlling a mobile radio telephone system in which an available service area includes radio zones of a plurality of base stations and a mobile telephone terminal selects at least one base station and communicates with a fixed telephone terminal through the selected base station, said mobile telephone terminal:

detecting a distance between said mobile radio telephone terminal and said base station sending a first signal to said mobile radio telephone terminal;

detecting a direction of said base station as seen from said mobile radio telephone terminal;

displaying the distance and the direction;

controlling a direction of an antenna according to an electric field strength of the first signal to obtain a maximum gain;

transmitting a second signal to said base station, said second signal is a position registration request signal requesting a registration of the position of said mobile telephone terminal;

receiving a third signal transmitted from said base station, in response to the second signal;

measuring a time period from the transmission of the second signal to the reception of the third signal; and

detecting the distance on the basis of the measured time period measured.

22. The control method claimed in claim 21, wherein said mobile telephone terminal further:

detecting a receiving electric field strength of the third signal;

generating an azimuth information on the basis of the receiving electric field strength; and

detecting the azimuth information when the receiving electric field strength becomes maximum, as the direction.

23. The control method claimed in claim 22, wherein said mobile telephone terminal further transmits a signal indicative of the distance and the direction to said base station.

24. The control method claimed in claim 23, wherein said base station receives and stores the signal indicative of the distance from said mobile telephone terminal and the direction as seen from said base station.

25. The control method claimed in claim 24, wherein said base station notifies said fixed telephone terminal the distance and the direction, in response to a calling position notice request from said fixed telephone terminal.

26. The control method claimed in claim 25, wherein said base station responds to the calling position notice request when it receives a notice enable signal from said mobile telephone terminal.

27. A mobile radio telephone terminal capable of communicating with another telephone terminal through a selected base station, the mobile radio telephone terminal comprising:

a first detector detecting a distance between said mobile radio telephone terminal and selected base station sending a first signal to said mobile radio telephone terminal;

a second detector detecting a direction of said selected base station as seen from said mobile radio telephone terminal;

a display displaying the distance and the direction;

a controller controlling a direction of an antenna in accordance with an electric field strength of the first signal to obtain a maximum gain;

a transmitter transmitting a second signal to said selected base station;

a receiver receiving a third signal transmitted from said base station in response to the second signal; and

a measuring device measuring a time period from the transmission of the second signal to the reception of the third signal;

wherein said first detector detects the distance on the basis of the time period measured by said measuring device, and the second signal is a position registration request signal requesting a registration of the position of said mobile telephone terminal.

28. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 27, wherein said receiver comprises a phased-array antenna.

29. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

a third detector detecting a receiving electric field strength of said third signal;

an azimuth information generating device generating an azimuth information on the basis of the receiving electric field strength detected by said third detector; and

a control device controlling said phased-array antenna on the basis of the azimuth information generated by said azimuth information generating device.

30. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 29, wherein said second detector detects the azimuth information when the receiving electric field strength becomes maximum, as the direction.

31. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 30, wherein said display displays the distance and the direction in the form of an area name and a compass direction, respectively.

32. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 31, wherein said second signal is a position registration request signal for requesting a registration of position.

33. The mobile radio telephone terminal claimed in claim 30, wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit the distance and the position to said selected base station.

34. A mobile radio telephone system in which an available service area includes radio zones of a plurality of base stations and a mobile telephone terminal selects at least one base station and communicates with a fixed telephone terminal through the selected base station, said mobile telephone terminal comprising:

a first detector detecting a distance between said mobile radio telephone terminal and said selected base station sending a first signal to said mobile radio telephone terminal;

a second detector detecting a direction of said selected base station as seen from said mobile radio telephone terminal;

a display displaying the distance and the direction;

a controller controlling a direction of an antenna in accordance with an electric field strength of the first signal to obtain a maximum gain;

a transmitter transmitting a second signal to said selected base station;

a receiver receiving a third signal transmitted from said base station in response to the second signal; and

a measuring device measuring a time period from the transmission of the second signal to the reception of the third signal,

wherein said first detector detects the distance on the basis of the time period measured by said measuring device, and the second signal is a position registration request signal requesting a registration of the position of said mobile telephone terminal.

35. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 34, wherein said receiver comprises a phased-array antenna.

36. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 35, wherein said mobile radio telephone terminal further comprises:

a third detector detecting a receiving electric field strength of the third signal;

an azimuth information generating device generating azimuth information on the basis of the receiving electric field strength detected by said third detector; and

a control device for controlling said phased-array antenna on the basis of the azimuth information generated by said azimuth information generating device.

37. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 36, wherein said second detector detects the azimuth information when the receiving electric field strength becomes maximum, as the direction.

38. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 37, wherein said display displays the distance and the direction as an area name and a compass direction, respectively.

39. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 37, wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit a signal indicative of the distance and the direction to said base station.

40. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 39, wherein said base station receives and stores the signal indicative of the distance and the direction transmitted from said mobile telephone terminal.

41. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 40, wherein said base station responds to a calling position notice request from said fixed telephone terminal to transmit the distance and the position of said mobile telephone terminal to said fixed telephone terminal.

42. The mobile radio telephone system claimed in claim 41, wherein said base station responds to the calling position notice request when said base station receives a notice enabling signal transmitted from said mobile telephone terminal.