Radio communication device for restricting specific function and method for restricting the function

• US 6,131,045 A
• Filed: 11/03/1997
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Iwata, Shinichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US08/962,612
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 379/373, 455/565, 455/31.1, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/212, 455/373, 340/844.25
• US Class Current: 340/7.39
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A radio communication device 7 existing in a function control area 3 receives both a call signal 4 from a base station and a function control signal 5 transmitted from a function control signal transmitting device 2. The call signal 4 and the function control signal 5 have the same frequency. The call signal 4 received is converted into a predetermined block format and constitutes predetermined frames during which data errors occurred in the predetermined block is counted. After the counting, the number of data errors occurred in the predetermined block is compared with a predetermined value. On the basis of the result of comparison, it is determined whether or not the radio communication device 7 exists in a function control area 3. When it is determined that the radio communication device 7 exists in the function control area 3, the function of the radio communication device 7 is controlled and restricted.

Claims

1. A radio communication system comprising:

a function control signal transmitting device, responsive to a call signal from a base station, for transmitting a function control signal having the same frequency as that of said call signal; and

a radio communication device for receiving said call signal and said function control signal, wherein said function control signal causes an error in said received call signal to control a predetermined function of said radio communication device.

2. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 1, said radio communication device further comprising:

function control area determination means responsive to said call signal and said function control signal, for determining whether or not said radio communication device exists in function control area.

3. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 2, said radio communication device further comprising:

function control means for controlling a predetermined function of said radio communication device when said function control area determination means determines that said radio communication device exists in said function control area.

8. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said function control signal transmitting device transmits said function control signal during a specific time period of a frame with said call signal.

9. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said specific time period includes a time for receiving a predetermined block of said call signal.

10. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said predetermined block comprises a judge block.

11. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio communication device comprises a radio selective call receiver.

12. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said radio selective call receiver comprises a bi-directional radio selective call receiver.

13. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said bi-directional radio selective call receiver comprises reply signal reservation means for reserving a reply signal to the call signal.

14. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said bi-directional radio selective call receiver further comprises display means for displaying whether or not said bi-directional radio selective call receiver exists in said function control area according to said function control area determination means and whether or not the reply signal is reserved according to said reply signal reservation means.

15. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said call signal employs the POCSAG system.

4. A radio communication system comprising:

a function control signal transmitting device, responsive to a call signal from a base station, for transmitting a function control signal having the same frequency as that of said call signal; and

a radio communication device for receiving said call signal and said function control signal, said radio communication device comprising a function control area determination means responsive to said call signal and said function control signal, for determining whether or not said radio communication device exists in function control area,

wherein said function control area determination means comprises means for determining whether or not said radio communication device in said function control area on the basis of the number of data errors occurred in a predetermined block of said call signal.

5. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said predetermined block comprises a sync code, a judge block and another block.

6. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sync code, the judge block and the another block are adjacent each other.

7. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said function control area determination means comprises means for determining that said radio communication device exists in said function control area when the number of the data errors occurred in the sync code and the another block is equal to or smaller than a first predetermined value and the number of data errors occurred in the judge block is equal to or bigger than a second predetermined value.

16. A radio communication system comprising:

a function control signal transmitting device, responsive to a call signal from a base station, for transmitting a function control signal having the same frequency as that of said call signal; and

a radio communication device for receiving said call signal and said function control signal, said radio communication device comprising;

function control area determination means responsive to said call signal and said function control signal, for determining whether or not said radio communication device exists in function control area; and

function control means for controlling a predetermined function of said radio communication device when said function control area determination means determines that said radio communication device exists in said function control area,

wherein said function control area determination means comprises means for determining whether or not said radio communication device is in the function control area according to the number of data errors occurred in a predetermined codeword of said call signal.

17. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said predetermined codeword comprises a sync codeword, a judge codeword and another codeword.

18. A radio communication system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said sync codeword, the judge codeword and the another codeword are adjacent each other.

19. A radio communication device comprising:

receiving means for receiving a call signal from a base station and a function control signal transmitted from a function control signal transmitting device, said function control signal having the same frequency as that of said call signal; and

control means for controlling a predetermined function of said radio communication device in correspondence with an error in the reception of said call signal generated by said function control signal.

20. A radio communication device as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

function control area determination means responsive to said call signal and said function control signal, for determining whether or not said radio communication device exists in function control area.

21. A radio communication device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said function control means controls a predetermined function when said function control area determination means determines that said radio communication device exists in said function control area.

22. A radio communication device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said radio communication device comprises a radio selective call receiver.

23. A radio communication device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said radio selective call receiver comprises a bi-directional radio selective call receiver.

24. A radio communication device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said bi-directional radio selective call receiver comprises reply signal reservation means for reserving a reply signal to the call signal.

25. A radio communication device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said bi-directional radio selective call receiver further comprises display means for displaying whether or not said bi-directional radio selective call receiver exists in said function control area according to said function control area determination means and whether or not said reply signal is reserved according to said reply signal reservation means.

26. A control method for controlling a predetermined function of a radio communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call signal from a base station;

receiving a judge block in said call signal;

receiving another block in said call signal; and

determining whether or not said radio communication device exists in a function control area, by receiving said judge block and said another block.

27. A control method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

reserving a transmission of a reply signal; and

displaying on display means of said radio communication device a reservation of the reply signal and whether or not said radio communication device exists in the function control area.

28. A control method for controlling a predetermined function of a radio communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call signal from a base station;

receiving a judge block in said call signal;

counting data errors occurred in said judge block;

receiving another block in said call signal;

counting data errors occurred in said another block; and

controlling a function of a radio communication device on the basis of the number of data errors occurred in said judge block and the number of data errors occurred in said another block.

29. A control method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

reserving a transmission of a reply signal; and

displaying on display means of said radio communication device a reservation of the reply signal and whether or not said radio communication device exists in the function control area.

30. A control method for controlling a predetermined function of a radio communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call signal from a base station;

determining whether it is a timing of a frame of said call signal to be received;

synchronizing the frame by a sync code in said call signal;

receiving a judge block in said call signal;

counting data errors occurred in the judge block in said call signal;

receiving another block of said call signal;

counting data errors occurred in said another block in said call signal;

comparing the number of data errors occurred in said judge block with a first predetermined value;

comparing the number of data errors occurred in said another block with a second predetermined value; and

controlling a function of a radio communication device on the basis of a result of the comparison.

31. A radio communication system comprising:

a function control signal transmitting device, responsive to a call signal from a base station, for transmitting a function control signal having the same frequency as that of said call signal; and

a radio communication device comprising an alerting means for alerting a user of said call signal, said radio communication device receiving said call signal and said function control signal, said function control signal for generating intentional error in said received call signal, wherein when said radio communication device detects said intentional error said alerting means is disabled.

32. A radio communication system comprising as recited in claim 31 wherein said function control signal transmitting device is located in a radio call restricted area.