Telecommunications system, location method and mobile station for such a system

• US 6,249,679 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Legoupil, Franck, Guilbaud, Yvan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, PABLO N
• Application Number:
  US09/119,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/56.2, 455/56.1, 455/421, 455/440, 455/441, 455/456, 455/457, 455/422, 455/517, 455/550, 455/556, 455/575, 455/429, 455/436, 455/404, 455/434, 342/450, 342/457, 342/357
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The invention relates to a radio transmission system comprising base radio stations (3) which form a radio coverage area (1) in which a mobile station (4) is suitable for supplying to the system a position indication thanks to a location method. If a location attempt fails at a given instant, the mobile station (4) having an insufficient radio coverage at that instant can no longer receive any communication during a certain period of time. The invention provides to shorten this period of time by equipping the mobile with means for evaluating the quality of the radio coverage experienced by the mobile station and for automatically starting a new location attempt the moment the quality of the radio coverage is sufficient.

Claims

1. A radio transmission system for exchanging radio signals with a mobile station in a radio coverage area, comprising:

location means for determining a current location of the mobile station in the radio coverage area at given instants in response to a first factor;

measuring means for measuring quality levels of at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals;

wherein said location means further determines said current location as a function of said quality levels, so that said mobile station is capable of exchanging said radio signals when said quality levels are acceptable; and

a decision element which compares said quality levels with a predetermined level, and activates said location means when said quality levels are above said predetermined level.

2. The radio transmission system of claim 1, wherein said quality levels are acceptable when one of said quality levels are above a first predetermined level and variations of said quality levels are above a second predetermined level.

3. The radio transmission system of claim 1, wherein said measuring means comprise a detection device for detecting a jump in said quality levels.

4. The radio transmission system of claim 1, wherein said at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals is a received power of said radio signals.

5. A radio transmission system for exchanging radio signals with a mobile station in a radio coverage area, comprising:

location means for determining a current location of the mobile station in the radio coverage area at given instants in a response to a first factor;

measuring means for measuring quality levels of at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals;

wherein said location means further determines said current location as a function of said quality levels, so that said mobile station is capable of exchanging said radio signals when said quality levels are acceptable; and

a decision element which compares variations of said quality levels with a predetermined level, and activates said location means when said variations are above said predetermined level.

6. The radio transmission system of claim 5, wherein said quality levels are acceptable when one of said quality levels are above a first predetermined level and variations of said quality levels are above a second predetermined level.

7. The radio transmission system of claim 5, wherein said measuring means comprise a detection device for detecting a jump in said quality levels.

8. The radio transmission system of claim 5, wherein said at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals is a received power of said radio signals.

9. A radio transmission system for exchanging radio signals with a mobile station in a radio coverage area, comprising:

location means for determining a current location of the mobile station in the radio coverage area at given instants in response to a first factor;

measuring means for measuring quality levels of at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals;

wherein said location means further determines said current location as a function of said quality levels, so that said mobile station is capable of exchanging said radio signals when said quality levels are acceptable; and

a decision element which compares said quality levels with a predetermined level, said decision element including detection means for detecting a current location failure, wherein triggering of said location means to determine said current location as said function of said quality levels is influenced by the detection of the current location failure.

10. The radio transmission system of claim 9, wherein said quality levels are acceptable when one of said quality levels are above a first predetermined level and variations of said quality levels are above a second predetermined level.

11. The radio transmission system of claim 9, wherein said measuring means comprise a detection device for detecting a jump in said quality levels.

12. The radio transmission system of claim 9, wherein said at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals is a received power of said radio signals.

13. A method for locating mobile station in a radio coverage area of a telecommunication system comprising:

determining a current location of the mobile station in the radio coverage area at given instants in response to a first factor;

measuring quality levels of at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals;

determining said current location as a function of said quality levels, so that said mobile station is capable of exchanging said radio signals when said quality levels are acceptable; and

detecting a current location failure, and in response to the detecting act, performing the determining act that determines said current location as said function of said quality levels.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining act that determined said current location as said function of said quality levels is performed when one of said quality levels are above a first predetermined level and variations of said quality levels are above a second predetermined level.

14. The method 13, wherein said at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals is a received power of said radio signals.

16. A mobile station of a radio transmission system having a radio coverage area for exchanging radio signals with further stations, comprising:

location means for determining a current location of the mobile station in the radio coverage area at given instants in response to a first factor;

measuring means for measuring quality levels of at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals;

wherein said location means further determines said current location as a function of said quality levels, so that said mobile station is capable of exchanging said radio signals when said quality levels are acceptable; and

a decision element which compares said quality levels with a predetermined level, and activates said location means when said quality levels are above said predetermined level.

17. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein said measuring means comprise a detection device for detecting a jump in said quality levels.

18. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein said at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals is a received power of said radio signals.

19. A mobile station of a radio transmission system having a radio coverage area for exchanging radio signals with further stations, comprising:

location means for determining a current location of the mobile station in the radio coverage area at given instants in response to a first factor;

measuring means for measuring quality levels of at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals;

wherein said location means further determines said current location as a function of said quality levels, so that said mobile station is capable of exchanging said radio signals when said quality levels are acceptable; and

a decision element which compares variations of said quality levels with a predetermined level, and activates said location means when said variations are above said predetermined level.

20. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein said measuring means comprise a detection device for detecting a jump in said quality levels.

21. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein said at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals is a received power of said radio signals.

22. A mobile station of a radio transmission system having a radio coverage area for exchanging radio signals with further stations, comprising:

location means for determining a current location of the mobile station in the radio coverage area at given instants in response to a first factor;

measuring means for measuring quality levels of at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals;

wherein said location means further determines said current location as a function of said quality levels, so that said mobile station is capable of exchanging said radio signals when said quality levels are acceptable; and

a decision element which compares said quality levels with a predetermined level, said decision element including detection means for detecting a current location failure, wherein triggering of said location means to determine said current location as said function of said quality levels is influenced by the detection of the current location failure.

23. The mobile station of claim 22, wherein said measuring means comprise a detection device for detecting a jump in said quality levels.

24. The mobile station of claim 22, wherein said at least one received quality parameter of the radio signals is a received power of said radio signals.