Mobile communication terminal

• US 5,995,838 A
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Oda, Takashi, Usami, Shinya, Kowaguchi, Satoshi, Keirinbou, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US08/988,192
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 455/444, 455/31.1, 455/31.3, 455/38.3, 455/574, 455/448, 455/449, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile communication apparatus includes a wide area receiver and a cell transceiver. The wide area receiver which is operable at relatively low power receives a selective calling signal from a wide area base station that forms a wide one-way communication area. The cell transceiver operable at higher power than the wide area receiver performs two-way communication with a nearest cell base station that forms a two-way communication area. The wide area receiver is caused to operate at all times. However, when the mobile communication apparatus exists outside the wide one-way communication area, the transceiver is caused to start operating.

Claims

1. A mobile communication apparatus comprising:

a wide area receiver operating at relatively low power, for receiving a selective calling signal from a wide area base station that forms a wide one-way communication area;

a transceiver operating at higher power than the wide area receiver, for two-way communication with a nearest cell base station that forms a two-way communication area;

a determiner for determining whether the mobile communication apparatus exists within or outside the wide one-way communication area based on a received signal of the wide area receiver; and

a communication controller for causing the wide area receiver to operate at all times and causing the transceiver to start operating when the determiner determines that the mobile communication apparatus exists outside the wide one-way communication area.

2. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication controller further causes the transceiver to start operating when the wide area receiver receives a message addressed to the mobile communication apparatus including a reply request.

3. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication controller changes a communication channel from the wide area base station to the nearest cell base station by transmitting a channel change request to the nearest cell base station while operating the wide area receiver.

4. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the communication controller changes a communication channel from the nearest cell base station to the wide area base station after disconnecting the communication with the nearest cell base station when the determiner determines that the mobile communication apparatus exists within the wide one-way communication area.

5. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication controller starts location registration of the mobile communication apparatus in the nearest cell base station when the transceiver starts operating.

6. A mobile communication apparatus comprising:

a first receiver operating at relatively low power, for intermittently receiving a selective calling signal from a wide area base station that forms a wide one-way communication area;

a second receiver operating at higher power than the first receiver, for intermittent reception from a nearest cell base station that forms a two-way communication area;

a transmitter for transmission to the nearest cell base station;

a determiner for determining whether the mobile communication apparatus exists within or outside the wide one-way communication area based on a received signal of the first receiver; and

a communication controller for controlling such that the first receiver is caused to operate at all times and such that, when the determiner determines that the mobile communication terminal exists outside the wide one-way communication area, the transmitter is caused to transmit a location registration signal to the cell base station and, after location registration has been made, the second receiver is caused to intermittently receive a radio signal from the cell base station while operating the first receiver.

7. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the communication controller further causes the transmitter to transmit the location registration signal to the cell base station when the first receiver receives a message addressed to the mobile communication apparatus including a reply request.

8. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the communication controller changes a communication channel from the wide area base station to the nearest cell base station by transmitting a channel change request to the nearest cell base station while operating the wide area receiver.

9. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the communication controller changes a communication channel from the nearest cell base station to the wide area base station after disconnecting the communication with the nearest cell base station when the determiner determines that the mobile communication apparatus exists within the wide one-way communication area.

10. A communication control method for a mobile communication apparatus, comprising the steps of:

driving a wide area receiver operating at relatively low power to receive a selective calling signal from a wide area base station that forms a wide one-way communication area at all times;

determining whether the mobile communication apparatus exists within or outside the wide one-way communication area based on a received signal of the wide area receiver; and

starting a cell transceiver operating at higher power than the wide area receiver for two-way communication with a nearest cell base station that forms a two-way communication area, when the mobile communication apparatus exists outside the wide one-way communication area.

11. The communication control method according to claim 10, wherein the cell transceiver is started operating when the wide area receiver receives a message addressed to the mobile communication apparatus including a reply request.

12. The communication control method according to claim 10, wherein a communication channel is changed from the wide area base station to the nearest cell base station by transmitting a channel change request to the nearest cell base station while operating the wide area receiver.

13. The communication control method according to claim 12, wherein a communication channel is changed from the nearest cell base station to the wide area base station after disconnecting the communication with the nearest cell base station when the mobile communication apparatus exists within the wide one-way communication area.

14. The communication control method according to claim 10, wherein location registration of the mobile communication apparatus to the nearest cell base station is started when the cell transceiver is started operating.

15. A mobile communication system comprising:

a plurality of mobile terminals;

a one-way communication system where a wide area base station forms a wide one-way communication area;

a two-way communication system having a cellular service area which is formed by a plurality of cell base stations each forming a cellular two-way communication area; and

a system controller connected to the one-way communication system and the two-way communication system, for controlling mobile communications in the wide one-way communication area and/or the cellular service area,

wherein each of the a mobile terminals comprises;

a wide area receiver operating at relatively low power, for receiving a selective calling signal from the wide area base station;

a transceiver operating at higher power than the wide area receiver, for two-way communication with a nearest cell base station;

a determiner for determining whether the mobile terminal exists within or outside the wide one-way communication area based on a received signal of the wide area receiver; and

a communication controller for causing the wide area receiver to operate at all times and causing the cell transceiver to start operating when the determiner determines that the mobile terminal exists outside the wide one-way communication area.

16. The mobile communication system according to claim 15, wherein the communication controller of the mobile terminal further causes the transceiver to start operating when the wide area receiver receives a message addressed to the mobile terminal including a reply request.

17. The mobile communication system according to claim 15, wherein the communication controller of the mobile terminal changes a communication channel from the one-way communication system to the two-way communication system by transmitting a channel change request to the nearest cell base station while operating the wide area receiver, and

wherein the system controller changes a communication channel from the one-way communication system to the two-way communication system when receiving the channel change request from the mobile terminal through the nearest cell base station.

18. The mobile communication system according to claim 17, wherein the communication controller of the mobile terminal changes a communication channel from the two-way communication system to the one-way communication system after disconnecting the communication with the nearest cell base station when the determiner determines that the mobile communication apparatus exists within the wide one-way communication area, and

wherein the system controller changes a communication channel from the two-way communication system to the one-way communication system when the communication between the nearest cell base station and the mobile terminal is disconnected.