Mobile communication system with mobile terminal equipment including both PHS and pager subsystems

• US 6,134,436 A
• Filed: 03/04/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ezaki, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US09/034,842
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/422, 455/426, 455/434, 455/465, 455/458, 455/567, 455/552, 455/566, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile communication system includes a mobile terminal serving as a mobile terminal equipment. The mobile terminal has a pager electric field level monitor section, a PHS field level monitor section and a controller. The pager field level monitor section is for judging whether a pager receiver is within a service area of a pager base station or not. The PHS field level monitor section is for judging whether a PHS receiver is within a service area of a PHS base station or not. The controller is to control pager calling or PHS callings by the pager base station or the PHS base station according to the monitored results by the PHS field level monitor section and the pager field level monitor section. Owing to such arrangements, it is possible to improve the reception performance and the communication reliability of the mobile terminal as a pager, and thus construct an economical mobile communication system even in places like premises and underground passages.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system comprising:

a fixed terminal connected to a public telecommunication network;

a control station connected to said fixed terminal through said public telecommunication network for controlling operation within said mobile communication system;

a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station having a PHS base station service area which is capable of covering PHS communication, said PHS base station being connected to said control station;

a pager base station having a pager base station service area which is capable of covering a pager communication, said pager base station being connected to said control station; and

a mobile terminal equipment for implementing radio communication to both of said PHS base station and said pager base station which mobile terminal equipment executes a monitoring function for monitoring both electric field strength of a reception radio wave for PHS and electric field strength of a reception radio wave for a pager and executing a communicating function for communicating to one of said PHS and said pager base station based on a determination of said monitoring function, wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert the PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area.

2. The mobile communication system of claim 1, said mobile terminal equipment further comprising:

a pager electric field level monitor section for implementing said monitoring functions and judging whether a pager receiver of said mobile terminal equipment is within said pager base station service area;

a PHS electric field monitor section for implementing said monitoring function and judging whether a PHS receiver of said mobile terminal equipment is within said PHS base station service area; and

a control section for implementing said communicating function to control either a pager calling or a PHS calling by either said pager base station or said PHS base station respectively, wherein control of said control section is implemented in accordance with a judging result by one of said pager electric field monitor section and said PHS electric field monitor section.

3. The mobile communication system of claim 2, said mobile terminal equipment further comprising:

a data converting section for converting pager data being transmitted from said PHS base station having a PHS data format into pager data having a pager data format; and

a display section for displaying said pager data converted into a pager data format at said data converting section.

4. A mobile communication system comprising:

a pager electric field level monitor section for judging whether a pager receiving section is within a service area of a pager base station;

a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) electric field level monitor section for judging whether a PHS receiving section is within a service area of a PHS base station;

a control section for controlling one of a pager calling and a PHS calling by one of said pager base station and said PHS base station respectively, said control of said control section being implemented in accordance with a judging result by one of said pager electric field monitor section and said PHS electric field monitor section; and

a control station for calling a mobile terminal equipment on receiving a calling request from the pager base station by utilizing said PHS base station when it is judged that said mobile terminal equipment is not located within said service area of said pager base station, and for converting pager data which is transmitted from said pager base station to said mobile terminal device into a data having a PHS data format, and for transmitting the converted pager data to said mobile terminal equipment.

5. A mobile communication system comprising:

a pager electric field level monitor section for judging whether a pager receiver of a mobile terminal equipment is within a service area of a pager base station;

a personal hand-held phone (PHS) electric field level monitor section for judging whether a PHS receiver of said mobile terminal equipment is within a service area of a PHS base station;

a control section for controlling one of a pager calling and a PHS calling by either said pager base station and said PHS base station respectively, said control of said control section being implemented in accordance with a judging result by said pager electric field level monitor section and said PHS electric field level monitor section; and

a control station for calling said mobile terminal equipment on receiving a calling request from said pager base station by utilizing said pager base station when it is judged that said mobile terminal equipment is located within the service area of said pager base station, and for transmitting the pager data to said mobile terminal equipment, and by utilizing said PHS base station when it is judged that said mobile terminal equipment is not located within the service area of said pager base station but within said PHS base station service area, wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert the PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area.

6. A mobile communication system comprising:

a pager electric field level monitor section for judging whether a pager receiver of a mobile terminal equipment is within a service area of a pager base station;

a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) electric field level monitor section for judging whether a PHS receiver of a mobile terminal equipment is within a service area of a PHS base station;

a control section for controlling one of a pager calling and a PHS calling by one of said pager base station and said PHS base station respectively, said control of said control section being implemented in accordance with a judgement by one of said pager electric field monitor section and said PHS electric field monitor section; and

a control station for transmitting a PHS calling request toward said mobile terminal equipment from said pager base station when a position registration of said mobile terminal equipment is not properly made to said PHS base station, and for changing the communication pattern so that a notice for the calling request from the PHS base station is dealt with by notifying said mobile terminal equipment of the PHS calling request along with data including terminal information of the caller through said pager base station, wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert the PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area.

7. A method of mobile communication in which a mobile terminal equipment is located within both a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area and a pager base station service area comprising the steps of:

supplying power to a mobile terminal equipment at operation starting;

carrying out a PHS calling notice and an ordinary pager calling from the pager base station;

displaying that said mobile terminal equipment is located outside both said PHS base station service area and said pager service area;

attempting synchronization with said PHS base station by said mobile terminal equipment in accordance with a PHS synchronizing signal being periodically transmitted from said PHS base station, said mobile terminal equipment maintaining a synchronization by periodically receiving a PHS synchronizing signal from said PHS base station, and said mobile terminal equipment arranges synchronization with a pager base station in accordance with a synchronizing signal periodically transmitted from said pager base station and said mobile terminal equipment maintaining the synchronization by periodically receiving a pager synchronizing signal from said pager base station;

monitoring an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal being transmitted from said PHS base station at a PHS RSSI monitor section, when said mobile terminal equipment judges that a field strength is above a prescribed value which is set as a condition for data reception, it will inform said control section of such a state after which a PHS inner area flag is set;

monitoring an electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal being transmitted from said pager base station, when said pager RSSI monitor section determines that an electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal is above a prescribed value, said pager RSSI monitor section will inform such a condition to said control section, after which said pager inner area flag is set;

checking said PHS inner area flag, and if it is set, displaying at the display section that said mobile terminal equipment is located inside said PHS base station service area and clearing, after which is clears said PHS inner area flag;

checking said pager inner area flag and if it is set, informing said PHS base station that said mobile terminal equipment is located inside said pager base station service area;

forwarding information derived from said control section to said PHS base station through a PHS transmitter, a PHS duplexer and a PHS transceiver antenna by way of radio;

implementing an ordinary PHS calling from said PHS base station and an ordinary pager calling from said pager base station;

displaying at a display section that said mobile terminal equipment is located within said pager base station service area, wherein said mobile terminal equipment clears said pager inner area flag; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until a change in the electric field strength is noted;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

8. A method of mobile communication in case where a mobile terminal equipment is located within a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area and is moved from inside a pager base station service area to outside the pager service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying that an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal is below a prescribed value at a pager RSSI monitor section, and when this is notified to a control section, a pager outer area flag is set;

notifying that a mobile terminal equipment is located outside a pager base station service area to a PHS base station by means of radio after confirming that a pager outer area flag is set;

changing a communication pattern to a pattern where an ordinary PHS calling from a PHS base station and a pager calling from the PHS station are carried out;

displaying at a display section that a mobile terminal equipment is located outside a pager base station service area after which it clears a pager outer area flag; and

periodically monitoring operations on an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal, and on the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until there is a change in the state of the electric field strength;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

9. A method of mobile communication wherein a mobile terminal equipment is located within a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area and moved from outside the pager base station service area to inside the pager service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying that an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal is judged by a pager RSSI monitor section to be above a predetermined value when an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal is monitored, notifying to a control section, after which a pager inner area flag is set;

confirming that said pager inner area flag is set;

informing a PHS base station by way of radio that said mobile terminal equipment is located within a pager base station terminal service area;

checking said PHS inner area flag to acknowledge if it is set, displaying at a display section that said mobile terminal equipment is located inside the PHS base station service area when the flag is set, after which it clears said PHS inner area flag;

checking said pager inner area flag to acknowledge if it is set, informing the PHS base station that said mobile terminal equipment is located inside the pager base station service area when the flag is set;

forwarding information derived from said control section and PHS area flags to the PHS base station through a PHS transmitter, a PHS duplexer and a PHS transceiver antenna by way of radio;

implementing an ordinary PHS calling from the PHS base station and an ordinary pager calling from the pager base station;

displaying at a display section that the mobile terminal is located within the pager base station service area, wherein said mobile terminal equipment will clear said pager inner area flag; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal and the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until a change in the electric field strength is noted;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

10. A method of mobile communication where a mobile terminal equipment is located within a pager base station service area and moved from the inside a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area to the outside of the PHS service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying that the electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal is confirmed as being below a prescribed value where the monitoring operation on an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal is implemented, this state of the PHS synchronizing signal being then notified to a control section, after which a PHS outer area flag of the control section is set;

confirming that said PHS outer area flag is set, said mobile terminal equipment terminating a self ID data transmission to a PHS base station by virtue of the control section, and also stopping the self position registration to a PHS system, wherein the self ID data will not be transmitted from the mobile terminal, a control station determining one of that said mobile terminal equipment is switched off, and that said mobile terminal is located outside the PHS base station service area, so that the control station changes its communication pattern between itself and the mobile terminal equipment where a PHS calling notice as well as an ordinary pager calling from the pager base station are carried out by the pager base station;

monitoring electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal by the pager RSSI monitor section;

displaying to the display section the fact that it is located outside the PHS base station service area and clearing the PHS outer flag of the control section; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal and on the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal and until there is a change in the state of the field strength;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

11. A method of mobile communication where a mobile terminal equipment is located within a pager base station service area and moved from an outside a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area to inside the PHS service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying that an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal is above a prescribed value at a PHS RSSI monitor section while the monitoring section monitors an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal;

informing a control section, that a PHS inner area flag of said control section is to be set;

confirming that said PHS inner area flag is set;

periodically transmitting a self ID data to a PHS base station by said control section, and also carrying out its self position registration to a PHS system;

determining that said mobile terminal equipment is located within a PHS base station service area because a self ID data from said mobile terminal equipment is received by said PHS base station and a position registration is completed;

changing a communication pattern between said mobile terminal equipment and itself where a normal PHS calling by the PHS base station and a normal pager calling by the pager base station are implemented;

checking the PHS inner area flag and confirming that it is set;

displaying at a display section that the mobile terminal equipment is located within the PHS base station service area, and clearing the PHS inner area flag; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal, and on the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until there is a change in the state of the electric field strength;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

12. A method of mobile communication where a mobile terminal equipment is located outside both a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area and a pager base station service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying to a control section that an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal is below a prescribed value at a PHS RSSI monitor section while it monitors an electric field strength of a, PHS synchronizing signal, and when this state of the PHS synchronizing signal is informed to a control section, setting a PHS outer area flag of the control section;

stopping transmission of a self ID data to a PHS base station by virtue of a control section, thereby terminating its self position registration to a PHS system;

determining one of that a mobile terminal equipment is switched off, and that the mobile terminal equipment is located outside the PHS base station service area;

changing the PHS base station communication pattern between itself and said mobile terminal equipment to the one where a PHS calling notice as well as a normal pager calling from the pager base station are implemented;

monitoring an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal;

confirming that the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal is below the prescribed value;

informing such condition to the control section, upon which the pager outer area flag is set;

confirming that the PHS outer area flag and the pager outer area flag are set;

displaying at the display section that the mobile terminal equipment is located outside both the PHS base station service area and the pager base station service area and clearing the PHS outer area flag of the control section; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal and the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until there is a change in the state of the electric field strength;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

13. A method of mobile communication where a mobile terminal equipment is located outside a pager base station service area and moved from outside of a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area to inside of the PHS service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying a control section that an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal exceeds a prescribed value at a PHS RSSI monitor section, while it monitors an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal when this state of the PHS synchronizing signal is informed to a control section, a PHS inner area flag of the control section is;

confirming that said PHS inner area flag is set, wherein said mobile terminal equipment periodically transmits a self ID data to the PHS base station by a control section, and carrying out its self position registration to a PHS system;

determining that said mobile terminal equipment is within the PHS base station service area;

changing a communication pattern between said mobile terminal equipment and itself where a normal PHS calling by the PHS base station and a normal pager calling by the pager base station are executed;

confirming that a pager outer area flag is set, and determining that the PHS base station is not yet informed that said mobile terminal equipment is located outside a pager base station service area, and informing that condition to the PHS base station by radio;

changing a communication pattern between the control station and the mobile terminal equipment to the one where a normal PHS calling and a pager calling by the PHS base station are carried out;

displaying at a display section that the mobile terminal equipment is located within the PHS base station service area and outside the pager base station service area;

clearing both a PHS inner area flag and a pager outer area flag of the control section; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal, and on the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until there is a change in the state of the electric field strength;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

14. A method of mobile communication where a mobile terminal equipment is located outside a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area and is moved from outside a pager base station service area to inside of the pager service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying a control section that an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal is over a prescribed value at a RSSI monitor section, while it monitors an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal, when this state of a pager synchronizing signal is informed to a control section then a pager inner area flag of the control section is set;

confirming that the pager inner area flag is set, and displaying at a display section that the terminal equipment is inside the pager base station service area; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal and on the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until there is a change in the state of the field strength;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

15. A method of mobile communication in case where a mobile terminal equipment is located outside a pager base station service area and is moved from inside a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area to outside the PHS service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying that an electric field strength of a PHS synchronizing signal denotes that it is below a prescribed value at a PHS RSSI monitor section while it monitors an electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal when this state of the PHS synchronizing signal is informed to the control section, a PHS outer area flag of the control section is set;

stopping transmitting a self ID data to a PHS base station by the control section, and terminating its self position registration to the PHS system;

determining that the mobile terminal equipment is being switched off, or that the mobile terminal equipment is located outside the PHS base station service area;

changing a communication pattern between the PHS base station and the mobile terminal equipment to one where a PHS calling notice as well as an ordinary pager calling from the pager base station are implemented;

displaying at a display section that the mobile terminal equipment is outside the PHS base station service area after which it clears the PHS outer area flag of the control section;

forwarding information derived from said control section to the PHS base station through a PHS transmitter, a PHS duplexer and a PHS transceiver antenna by way of radio;

implementing an ordinary PHS calling from the PHS base station and an ordinary pager calling from the pager base station;

displaying at a display section that the mobile terminal is located within the pager base station service area, then, said mobile terminal equipment will clear the pager inner area flag; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal and the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until a change in the electric field strength is noted;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.

16. A method of mobile communication where a mobile terminal equipment is located outside a personal hand-held phone system (PHS) base station service area and is moved from inside a pager base station service area to outside of the pager service area, comprising the steps of:

notifying a control section that an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal denotes that it is below a prescribed value at a pager RSSI monitor section while it monitors an electric field strength of a pager synchronizing signal, and when this state of the pager synchronizing signal is informed to a control section, a pager outer area flag of the control section is set;

confirming the pager outer area flag is set,

and displaying at the display section that it is located outside the pager base station service area;

displaying at the display section that the terminal is located outside both the PHS base station service area and the pager base station service area upon which it clears the PHS outer area flag of the control section; and

periodically monitoring operations on the electric field strength of the PHS synchronizing signal and the electric field strength of the pager synchronizing signal until there is a change in the state of the electric field strength;

wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the PHS calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert PHS data to a pager data format where said terminal equipment is outside said pager base station service area, and wherein both PHS calling and pager calling may be implemented by the pager calling station and the terminal equipment is able to convert pager data to a PHS data format where said terminal equipment is outside said PHS base station service area.