Radio data communication system using a plurality of radio communication systems

• US 5,987,321 A
• Filed: 03/18/1996
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyake, Masayasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/619,281
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 370/445, 370/455, 370/432, 370/435, 370/401, 370/338, 455/525, 455/54.1, 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/557, 455/180.2, 455/228, 455/426, 455/562, 455/561, 455/434, 455/432, 455/435, 455/415, 455/448
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/022 One-way selective calling networks, e.g. wide area paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/022 Selective call receivers

Abstract

When data (for example, an electronic mail) is input to a semi-fixed terminal connected to a network, the terminal creates a transmission message on the basis of information on the position of a corresponding mobile terminal stored in the semi-fixed terminal and sends this message to the network, which sends data at once to the mobile terminal through a predetermined gateway station and base station on the basis of the information on the position of the message.

Claims

1. A radio communication system for use with an existing network, comprising:

a personal computer coupled in a semi-fixed manner to the existing network;

a unidirectional transmitting system including a unidirectional base station coupled to the existing network, for sending data to a terminal according to a request;

a bidirectional transmitting system having a plurality of transmitters/receivers coupled to the existing network, for sending/receiving the request from the existing network for data from a terminal; and

a terminal having a first identification number allocated in said unidirectional transmitting system and a second identification number allocated in said bidirectional transmitting system, for receiving data from said unidirectional transmitting system and for receiving/sending the data from/to said bidirectional transmitting system;

wherein when external data is input, said personal computer sends a request to said unidirectional transmitting system in order to inform said terminal of a presence of the external data to be received;

wherein said unidirectional transmitting system sends a message informing of the presence of said external data to said terminal by use of said first identification number, based on the request from said personal computer;

wherein said terminal, responsive to said message from said unidirectional transmitting system, sends said bidirectional transmitting system a request to respond to said message by use of said second identification number;

wherein said bidirectional transmitting system, responsive to the request from said terminal, sends said personal computer a received response message and identification information of the transmitter/receiver connected to the terminal;

wherein the personal computer, responsive to the response message and the identification information, sends to the bidirectional transmitting system the external data with the identification information of the transmitter/receiver; and

wherein the bidirectional transmitting system receives the external data with the identification information from the personal computer, and sends the external data to the terminal via the transmitter/receiver.

2. A radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein the personal computer stores the position information pertaining to the position of the transmitter/receiver.

3. A radio communication system according to claim 2, wherein the personal computer sends the network the data signal with the stored position information pertaining to the position of the transmitter/receiver attached to the data signal.

4. A radio communication system according to claim 2, wherein a calling of the terminal from the personal computer is performed through the network and the transmitter/receiver of the bidirectional transmitting system on the basis of the stored position information pertaining to the position of the transmitter/receiver.

5. A radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the transmitter/receiver comprises;

a gateway station connected to the existing network; and

a base station connected to the gateway station for communicating with the terminal through a wireless communication channel; and

wherein the position information pertaining to the position of the transmitter/receiver comprises a sign for identifying the gateway station and a sign for identifying the base station.

6. A radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the personal computer contains area information pertaining to an area of the unidirectional transmitting system corresponding to the position information pertaining to the position of the transmitter/receiver;

wherein the personal computer sends the unidirectional transmitting system area information corresponding to the position information when the personal computer calls the terminal, using the unidirectional communication system; and

wherein the unidirectional transmitting system calls the area involved in the sent area information.

7. A radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the unidirectional transmitting system includes a plurality of unidirectional transmitting systems;

the personal computer includes means for outputting a plurality of different frequency signals, one for each of the plurality of unidirectional transmitting systems in correspondence to the position information pertaining to the position of the transmitter/receiver, and sends an outputted frequency signal through the network and the transmitter/receiver to the terminal on the basis of the position information pertaining to the position of the transmitter/receiver; and

the terminal receives a signal from a predetermined unidirectional transmitting system on the basis of the outputted frequency signal.

8. A radio communication system according to claim 2, wherein the position information pertaining to the position of the relay stored in the personal computer is updated periodically by the terminal.

9. A radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein when the personal computer fails in sending the data to the terminal on the basis of the position information, the personal computer seeks another transmitter/receiver in the vicinity of the first-mentioned transmitter/receiver, and adds position information pertaining to the position of said another transmitter/receiver to the data and sends the resulting data to the existing network again.

10. A radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

when the terminal sends data to a different terminal, the former terminal requests a personal computer corresponding to the different terminal to send the data;

the personal computer corresponding to the different terminal receives this request and sends the information on the position of the different terminal to the former terminal; and

the former terminal sends the network the data with position information pertaining to the position of the different terminal received from the personal computer corresponding to the different terminal.

11. A personal computer in a radio communication system in which the personal computer is connected in a semi-fixed manner to an existing network, and a terminal is connected to the network, to provide communication between the personal computer and the terminal, wherein the personal computer comprises:

positional information storage means for storing position information pertaining to a position of the terminal; and

sending means for sending to the terminal, externally input data on the basis of the position information stored in the positional information storage means;

wherein the radio communication system further comprises;

a unidirectional transmitting system for enabling the personal computer to call the terminal; and

a bidirectional transmitting system for enabling bidirectional communication between the personal computer and the terminal via a transmitter/receiver; and

wherein the personal computer includes means for calling the terminal through the unidirectional transmitting system, the terminal having a first-identification number allocated in said unidirectional transmitting system and a second identification number allocated in said bidirectional system, and

wherein the terminal sends signals to the personal computer only via the transmitter/receiver of the bidirectional transmitting system and said network, and

wherein the personal commuter updates the position information stored in the Positional information storage means.

12. A personal computer according to claim 11, wherein the position information pertaining to the position of the terminal comprises a sign for identifying a transmitter/receiver.

13. A personal computer according to claim 11, further comprising:

detection means for detecting that data has been input externally to the personal computer;

calling means for sending a calling signal to the terminal via the unidirectional transmitting system in response to the detection means detecting that data has been input externally; and

wherein the sending means sends data to the terminal in response to the terminal responding to the calling signal sent by the calling means.

14. A personal computer according to claim 13, wherein:

the calling means sends the calling signal to the radio terminal, using said unidirectional communication system, in response to the detection means detecting that data was input externally.

15. A personal computer according to claim 11, wherein said identification information storage means comprises identification information updating means for storing identification information added at a transmitter/receiver to a signal received from the identification terminal.

16. A terminal of a radio communication system in which a personal computer is connected in a semi-fixed manner to an existing network, the terminal being connected through a transmitter/receiver of a bidirectional transmitting system to the network, the bidirectional transmitting system provides communication between the personal computer and the terminal, and a unidirectional transmitting system is provided for sending a message to the terminal from the personal computer, the terminal having a first identification number allocated in said unidirectional transmitting system and a second identification number allocated in said bidirectional system, the terminal comprising:

receiving means for receiving a signal from the transmitter/receiver;

sending means for sending a signal to the transmitter/receiver;

wherein when the receiving means receives a calling signal sent through the transmitter/receiver from the personal computer, the sending means sends a response signal corresponding to the calling signal through the transmitter/receiver to the personal computer, and the receiving means receives data sent from the personal computer in response to the response signal; and

message receiving means for receiving a message through the unidirectional transmitting system; and

wherein when the message receiving means receives a calling signal from the personal computer via the unidirectional transmitting system, the sending means sends the personal computer a response signal corresponding to the calling signal through the transmitter/receiver, and the receiving means receives data sent from the personal computer, via the bidirectional transmitting system in response to the response signal.

17. A radio terminal according to claim 16, wherein said sending means of the terminal sends a predetermined signal to the personal computer periodically.