Transmission blocker for mobile radio stations and method for preventing transmission activities of a mobile radio station

• US 6,195,529 B1
• Filed: 03/12/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joachim Linz, Regina Baumle
• Original Assignee: Joachim Linz, Regina Baumle
• Inventors: Linz, Joachim, Baumle, Regina
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Blane J.
• Application Number:
  US09/041,007
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 380/6, 380/49, 380/1, 380/103, 380/422, 380/14, 380/95
• US Class Current: 455/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/28 with jamming and anti-jamming mechanisms both included in a same device or system, e.g. wherein anti-jamming includes prevention of undesired self-jamming resulting from jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/41 characterized by the control of the jamming activation or deactivation time control of jamming activation and deactivation time only for the purpose of alternating between jamming mode and target monitoring mode H04K3/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/42 characterized by the control of the jamming frequency or wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/43 characterized by the control of the jamming power, signal-to-noise ratio or geographic coverage area
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/84 related to preventing electromagnetic interference in petrol station, hospital, plane or cinema
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

The invention relates to a transmission blocker for mobile telephones as well a method for preventing transmission activities of mobile telephones in the vicinity of safety-relevant electronic devices, comprising a device for transmitting radio signals as interference signals in the frequency range of the relevant mobile radio network in such fashion that synchronization of the mobile telephone with a radio station and/or decoding of the information in the signaling channel and/or recognition of the relevant signals from the mobile radio network can be prevented.

Claims

1. Transmission blocker to prevent transmitting activities of a mobile radio station, especially a mobile telephone, in a mobile radio system with a mobile radio network and with stationary base radio stations, with the base radio stations transmitting signals (S) as synchronization information for reception by the mobile radio station in order to allow the mobile radio station to transmit, including devices for generating and transmitting radio signals as interference signals (SS) in the frequency range of the relevant corresponding mobile radio network, in such fashion that synchronization of the mobile radio station with a base radio station by means of the signal (S) to be received by the mobile radio station and emitted by the base radio station and/or a decoding of the signal (S) transmitted by the base radio station can be prevented by the mobile radio station and/or recognition of the signal (S) emitted by the base radio station can be prevented by the mobile radio station in a protected area (PA) that can be established by the interference signal (SS) whose interference signal power (PSS) and the transmission time of the interference signal (SS) can be set,

whereby the device for generating and transmitting interference signals (SS) comprises an interference spectrum generating unit (SC), a radiating unit (AE), a control device (ST), and a power supply (SV), and

a measuring unit (ME) is provided for measuring the power (PEN) to be received by the mobile radio station, and the interference signal power (PSS) of the interference signal (SS) can be controlled by the measured values received.

2. Transmission blocker according to claim 1 characterized in that the measuring unit consists of one or more receiving antennas (EA), located inside or outside the protected area (PA), as well as a measuring receiver (MF), and an evaluating and control device (AW) that converts the information supplied by measuring receiver (MF) into control instructions to control control device (ST), and which is supplied by power supply (SV) of the transmission blocker.

3. Transmission blocker according to claim 2 characterized in that a radiating device (AE) of the transmission blocker can be used as a receiving antenna (EA).

4. Transmission blocker according to claim 1 characterized in that the interference spectrum generating unit (SC) for generating interference signal (SS) comprises a broadband pseudo interference generator (RG), a frequency generator (FG) for generating a carrier frequency, a mixer stage (M1) for transforming a base signal as the interference signal into the desired frequency band, an amplifier stage (VSI) for decoupling the interference signal, a bandpass filter (BF1) for generating the desired frequency spectrum in the frequency range to be interfered with (FB-STOP), another amplifier stage (VS2) controlled by interference spectrum generating unit (SC) for power amplification of the interference signal, and an additional bandpass filter (BF2) for limiting the interference signal outside the frequency range to be interfered with.

5. Transmission blocker according to claim 1 characterized in that radiating device (AE) has a single antenna for creating a discrete radiating point or a combination of spatially distributed antennas (AE1 and AE2) or a slotted cable (AE3) or a combination of the above devices.

6. Transmission blocker according to claim 1 characterized in that the control device consists of elements for turning the transmission blocker off and on and possibly includes power control or regulation for the interference signal and/or a component monitoring system and function display.

7. Transmission blocker according to claim 1 characterized in that the power of interference signal (SS) of the transmission blocker can be adjusted in form and strength in such fashion that no disturbance is caused outside protected area (PA) and no negative influence is exerted on safety-relevant devices located in the protected area.

8. Transmission blocker according to claim 1 characterized in that, in order to avoid influencing measuring unit (ME) by the power radiated by the interference spectrum generating unit, the evaluation and control device (AW) has a mode of operation such that interference signal (SS) is switched off during the period of time (T-MESS) that signal (S) is being measured, with period of time (T-MESS) having to be chosen to be shorter than the synchronization time of the mobile radio station.