Position registration method for mobile communications system

• US 6,272,344 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kojima, Jun-ichiroh
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US09/325,376
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432, 455/433, 455/434, 455/435, 455/436, 455/445, 455/450, 455/452, 455/458, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A position registration method for a mobile communications system which can achieve reduction of the number of times of position registration of a mobile station significantly without any restriction when the mobile station is present in a mobile space such as an electric train or a bus and moves together with the mobile space. An existing position of a mobile space such as an electric train or a bus in a real space is position registered into a switching control station through a base station using a control channel similarly to mobile stations. In the mobile space, a position recognition channel which is a radio channel for confirmation of whether or not a mobile station is in the mobile space is transmitted from a position recognition transmission apparatus, and when the mobile station receives the position recognition channel, it determines that it is in the mobile space. When the mobile station is in the mobile space, the registration position of the mobile station is updated depending upon updating of the position registration of the mobile space.

Claims

1. A position registration method for a cellular mobile communications system which includes a plurality of base stations which individually take charge of a plurality of service areas in a real space, a mobile station, and a switching control station for acquiring position information of said mobile station through said base stations, comprising the steps of:

registering an existing position of a mobile space such as an electric train or a bus in the real space into said switching control station through said base stations using a control channel;

transmitting, in said mobile space, a position recognition channel which is a radio channel for confirming whether or not said mobile station is present in said mobile space;

discriminating whether or not the position recognition channel is received by said mobile station in said mobile space thereby to discriminate whether or not said mobile station is in said mobile space; and

updating, when said mobile station is in said mobile space, the registration position of said mobile station depending upon updating of the position registration of said mobile space.

2. A position registration method for a cellular mobile communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an identification number unique to said mobile space is transmitted over the position recognition channel in said mobile space, and said mobile station which receives the identification number transmits the identification number to said base stations over a control channel to perform a position registration operation into said switching control station, and then said switching control station collates the identification number to discriminate that said mobile station has entered said mobile space which has the pertaining identification number.

3. A position registration method for a cellular mobile communications system as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if, when said mobile station is placed into a reception disabled state from a reception enabled state of the position recognition channel, a position registration operation is performed through said base stations over a control channel in a condition wherein no identification number of said mobile space is available, then said switching control station determines that said mobile station has gone out of said mobile space.

4. A position registration method for a cellular communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if the identification number of said mobile space being transmitted over the position recognition channel cannot be received any more, said mobile station performs a position registration operation over the control channel between said mobile station and the pertaining base station even if said mobile station is present in said mobile space.

5. A position registration method for a cellular mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the existing position of said mobile space in the real space is registered into said switching control station using a control channel between said base stations and a base station opposing transmission-reception apparatus which is provided in said mobile space for transmitting an identification number unique to said mobile space.

6. A position registration method for a cellular mobile communications system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said mobile space includes a position recognition channel transmission apparatus for reporting the identification number of said mobile space and a number of a control channel from one of said base stations which has been received by said base station opposing transmission-reception apparatus, and said mobile station in said mobile space changes, if, during reception of the position recognition channel, the number of the control channel reported by the position recognition channel changes, the control channel to be used between said mobile station and the base station to the control channel of the changed number, but does not perform a position registration operation.