Mobile communication scheme for efficiently regulating service through micro-cell system in coordination with service through macro-cell system

• US 5,983,097 A
• Filed: 10/02/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Kiyohito, Kakinuma, Kazuhiko, Wakabayashi, Tatsuaki, Yoshimi, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Application Number:
  US08/942,674
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/426, 455/431, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435, 455/436, 455/442, 455/444, 455/450, 455/458, 455/456, 455/550, 455/575, 455/FOR 101
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells

Abstract

A mobile communication scheme capable of notifying a communication regulation information efficiently by using radio interfaces from the macro-cell system to the micro-cell system, without requiring communications through a fixed communication network, so as to be able to regulate the service through the micro-cell system efficiently in coordination with the regulation of the service through the macro-cell system. In this mobile communication scheme, the communication regulation information is notified from the macro-cell system to the mobile station while the mobile station is located within the macro-cell system, and stored in a memory of the mobile station. Then, the communication regulation information is notified from the mobile station to the micro-cell system while the mobile station is located within the micro-cell system after moving from the macro-cell system to the micro-cell system, so that the communication regulation is applied to the mobile station at the micro-cell system according to the received communication regulation information.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system, comprising:

at least one mobile station;

a macro-cell system formed by a mobile communication network and macro-cell base stations connected to the mobile communication network; and

a micro-cell system formed by micro-cell base stations and/or a control device for controlling plural micro-cell base stations which are connected with a fixed communication network;

wherein the macro-cell system has a function for notifying a communication regulation information to the mobile station while the mobile station is located within the macro-cell system, the communication regulation information indicating a communication regulation with respect to the mobile station that is applied at the macro-cell system;

the mobile station has a memory unit for storing the communication regulation information received from the macro-cell system, and a notification unit for notifying the communication regulation information stored in the memory unit to the micro-cell system while being located within the micro-cell system after moving from the macro-cell system to the micro-cell system; and

the micro-cell system has a function for applying the communication regulation to the mobile station according to the communication regulation information received from the mobile station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication regulation information contains either a temporal service prohibition information indicating a temporal service suspension with respect to the mobile station or a permanent service prohibition indicating a service contract cancellation with respect to the mobile station.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the macro-cell system also has a function for notifying a removal of the communication regulation at the macro-cell system to the mobile station;

the mobile station also has a recognition unit for recognizing the removal of the communication regulation as notified from the macro-cell system, and the notification unit also notifies a communication regulation removal information to the micro-cell system when the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation, the communication regulation removal information indicating a resuming of a service with respect to the mobile station at the macro-cell system; and

micro-cell system also has a function for removing the communication regulation with respect to the mobile station according to the communication regulation removal information received from the mobile station.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by stopping a notification of the communication regulation information to the mobile station;

and

the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon detecting non-reception of the communication regulation information from the macro-cell system.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by notifying the communication regulation removal information to the mobile station;

and

the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon receiving the communication regulation removal information from the macro-cell system.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by enabling the mobile station to carry out a normal operation within an area of the macro-cell system;

and

the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon detecting that the mobile station is capable of carrying out the normal operation within the area of the macro-cell system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile station also has a special signal transmission unit for transmitting a prescribed special signal for temporarily resuming a service with respect to the mobile station within the micro-cell system;

and

the micro-cell system also has a function for temporarily removing the communication regulation with respect to the mobile station upon receiving the special signal from the mobile station.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the micro-cell system is provided for private service, and when the communication regulation is applied to one mobile station which has an ownership of the micro-cell base stations or the control device, the micro-cell system also has a function for stopping radio transmission from the micro-cell base stations or the plural micro-cell base stations controlled by the control device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the micro-cell system is provided for private service, and when the communication regulation is applied to all mobile stations which are registered as being capable of receiving service of the micro-cell system, the micro-cell system also has a function for stopping radio transmission from the micro-cell base stations or the plural micro-cell base stations controlled by the control device.

10. A method for controlling a mobile communication system having at least one mobile station, a macro-cell system formed by a mobile communication network and macro-cell base stations connected to the mobile communication network, and a micro-cell system formed by micro-cell base stations and/or a control device for controlling plural micro-cell base stations which are connected with a fixed communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

notifying a communication regulation information from the macro-cell system to the mobile station while the mobile station is located within the macro-cell system, the communication regulation information indicating a communication regulation with respect to the mobile station that is applied at the macro-cell system;

storing the communication regulation information received from the macro-cell system at the mobile station;

notifying the communication regulation information stored at the mobile station from the mobile station to the micro-cell system while the mobile station is located within the micro-cell system after moving from the macro-cell system to the micro-cell system; and

applying the communication regulation to the mobile station at the micro-cell system according to the communication regulation information received from the mobile station.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication regulation information contains either a temporal service prohibition information indicating a temporal service suspension with respect to the mobile station or a permanent service prohibition indicating a service contract cancellation with respect to the mobile station.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

notifying a removal of the communication regulation at the macro-cell system from the macro-cell system to the mobile station;

recognizing the removal of the communication regulation as notified from the macro-cell system at the mobile station, and notifying a communication regulation removal information from the mobile station to the micro-cell system upon recognizing the removal of the communication regulation at the mobile station, the communication regulation removal information indicating a resuming of a service with respect to the mobile station at the macro-cell system; and

removing the communication regulation with respect to the mobile station at the micro-cell system according to the communication regulation removal information received from the mobile station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by stopping a notification of the communication regulation information to the mobile station;

and

the mobile station recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon detecting non-reception of the communication regulation information from the macro-cell system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by notifying the communication regulation removal information to the mobile station;

and

the mobile station recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon receiving the communication regulation removal information from the macro-cell system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by enabling the mobile station to carry out a normal operation within an area of the macro-cell system;

and

the mobile station recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon detecting that the mobile station is capable of carrying out the normal operation within the area of the macro-cell system.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting from the mobile station a prescribed special signal for temporarily resuming a service with respect to the mobile station within the micro-cell system; and

temporarily removing the communication regulation with respect to the mobile station at the micro-cell system upon receiving the special signal from the mobile station.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the micro-cell system is provided for private service, and when the communication regulation is applied to one mobile station which has an ownership of the micro-cell base stations or the control device, the micro-cell system stops radio transmission from the micro-cell base stations or the plural micro-cell base stations controlled by the control device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the micro-cell system is provided for private service, and when the communication regulation is applied to all mobile stations which are registered as being capable of receiving service of the micro-cell system, the micro-cell system stops radio transmission from the micro-cell base stations or the plural micro-cell base stations controlled by the control device.

19. A mobile station device for use in a mobile communication system having at least one mobile station, a macro-cell system formed by a mobile communication network and macro-cell base stations connected to the mobile communication network, and a micro-cell system formed by micro-cell base stations and/or a control device for controlling plural micro-cell base stations which are connected with a fixed communication network, the mobile station device comprising:

a memory unit for storing a communication regulation information notified from the macro-cell system while the mobile station device is located within the macro-cell system, the communication regulation information indicating a communication regulation with respect to the mobile station device that is applied at the macro-cell system; and

a notification unit for notifying the communication regulation information stored in the memory unit to the micro-cell system while the mobile station device is located within the micro-cell system after moving from the macro-cell system to the micro-cell system, so that the micro-cell system applies the communication regulation to the mobile station device according to the communication regulation information notified from the mobile station device.

20. The mobile station device of claim 19, further comprising:

a recognition unit for recognizing a removal of the communication regulation notified from the macro-cell system, wherein the notification unit also notifies a communication regulation removal information to the micro-cell system when the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation, the communication regulation removal information indicating a resuming of a service with respect to the mobile station device at the macro-cell system, so that the micro-cell system removes the communication regulation with respect to the mobile station device according to the communication regulation removal information notified from the mobile station device.

21. The mobile station device of claim 20, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by stopping a notification of the communication regulation information to the mobile station device;

and

the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon detecting non-reception of the communication regulation information from the macro-cell system.

22. The mobile station device of claim 20, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by notifying the communication regulation removal information to the mobile station device;

and

the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon receiving the communication regulation removal information from the macro-cell system.

23. The mobile station device of claim 20, wherein the macro-cell system notifies the removal of the communication regulation by enabling the mobile station device to carry out a normal operation within an area of the macro-cell system;

and

the recognition unit recognizes the removal of the communication regulation upon detecting that the mobile station device is capable of carrying out the normal operation within the area of the macro-cell system.

24. The mobile station device of claim 19, further comprising:

a special signal transmission unit for transmitting a prescribed special signal for temporarily resuming a service with respect to the mobile station device within the micro-cell system, so that the micro-cell system temporarily removes the communication regulation with respect to the mobile station device upon receiving the special signal from the mobile station device.