Mobile communication system having service sub-areas independently assigned special services

• US 6,625,442 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kojima, Jun-Ichiroh
• Primary Examiner(s): VUONG, QUOCHIEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/354,342
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/465, 455/462, 455/13.1, 455/499, 455/414, 455/443, 455/444, 455/446, 455/448, 455/449, 455/11.1, 455/445, 455/453, 455/406, 455/67.1, 455/435, 455/456
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A cellular communication system assigns service areas to base stations for a communication service between mobile stations movable over the service areas, and an exchange and control station connects the mobile stations through message channels, the base stations and communication lines to the base stations for the communication service, wherein sets of communication facilities are respectively installed in service sub-areas defined in at least one of the service areas for selectively broadcasting a piece of system information indicative of a special service such as, for example, a limit of mobile stations concurrently communicable with the associated base station in the service sub-areas, thereby economically restricting congestion to a service sub-area.

Claims

1. A cellular communication system for a real space divided into plural service areas, at least one of said plural service areas containing a first service sub-area, comprising:

plural base stations respectively installed in said plural service areas, and creating communication channels in the associated service areas;

plural mobile stations each movable in said real space and selectively communicating with said plural base stations through said communication channels;

an exchange and control station connected to said plural base stations through communication lines;

said exchange and control station connecting at least said mobile stations through said communication channels, connecting said plural base stations and said communication lines to one another, and supplying a piece of system information stored in a memory at said exchange and control station and indicative of a special service in said first service sub-area and different from a standard communication service between at least said mobile stations to the base station in said at least one of said plural service areas; and

a set of communication facilities installed in said first service sub-area and creating an information channel to the mobile stations in said first service sub-area for transferring said piece of system information, thereby realizing said special service in said first service sub-area.

2. The cellular communication network as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid set of communication facilities supplies a piece of area information within said first service sub-area so that said mobile stations acknowledge themselves to be in said first service sub-area through said piece of area information.

3. The cellular communication network as set forth in claim 2, wherein said set of communication facilities broadcasts said piece of system information and said piece of area information.

4. The cellular communication network as set forth in claim 3, wherein said set of communication facilities regulates a strength of electric power on the boundary of the first service sub-area to a level detectable by said mobile stations, and said mobile stations acknowledge themselves to be in said first service sub-area when said level is detected by said mobile stations.

5. The cellular communication network as set forth in claim 3, wherein said special service to be realized in said first service sub-area is the maximum number of mobile stations allowed to concurrently communicate with said base station in said at least one of said plural service areas.

6. A cellular communication system for a real space divided into plural service areas, at least one of said plural service areas containing a first service sub-area, comprising:

plural base stations respectively installed in said plural service areas, and creating communication channels in the associated service areas;

plural mobile stations each movable in said real space and selectively communicating with said plural base stations through said communication channels;

an exchange and control station connected to said plural base stations through communication lines;

said exchange and control station connecting at least said mobile stations through said communication channels, connecting said plural base stations and said communication lines to one another, and supplying a piece of system information indicative of a special service requested in said first service sub-area and different from a standard communication service between at least said mobile stations to the base station in said at least one of said plural service areas; and

a set of communication facilities installed in said first service sub-area and creating an information channel to the mobile stations in said first service sub-area for transferring said piece of system information, thereby realizing said special service in said first service sub-area,

wherein said exchange and control station further comprises;

a first information table defining a relation between a first piece of control data information indicative of a first identification code assigned to said at least one of said plural service areas, a second piece of control data information indicative of a second identification code assigned to said first sub-area, a third piece of control data information indicative of said special service, and a fourth piece of control data information indicative of a virtual service area code assigned to said first service sub-area; and

a second information table defining a relation between fifth pieces of control data information each indicative of one of said first identification code and said virtual service area code in which one of said mobile stations exists, sixth pieces of control data information each indicative of a third identification code assigned to said one of said mobile stations, and seventh pieces of control data information each indicative of one of said special service and said standard communication service to be requested.

7. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of said mobile stations supplies to one of the base stations a first piece of private data information when said each of said mobile stations enters said associated one of said plural service areas;

said first piece of private data information containing said third identification code assigned thereto and one of said special service and said standard communication service; and

said exchange and control station determines the fifth piece of control data information indicative of said associated one of said plural service areas so as to write in said second information table for said each of said mobile stations said fifth piece of control data information, the sixth piece of control data information indicative of said each of said mobile stations, and the seventh piece of control data information indicative of said one of said special service and said standard communication service.

8. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said set of communication facilities further supplies to the mobile stations in said first service sub-area a piece of area information indicative of said first service sub-area;

said each of said mobile stations, upon capture of said piece of area information, supplies through the communication channel, said base station, and said communication line to said exchange and control station a second piece of private data information containing said second identification code, said third identification code, and said special service so that said exchange and control station checks said first information table to see whether or not said special service represented by said second piece of private data information is consistent with said special service stored as said third piece of control data information.

9. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said exchange and control station supplies another piece of system information indicative of the confirmation of said special service through said communication line, said base station, said set of communication facilities, and said information channel to said each of said mobile stations.

10. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said special service represented by said third piece of control data information is the maximum number of requests for a communication acceptable by said base station in said at least one of said plural service areas.

11. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said exchange and control station is able to change said maximum number.

12. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said exchange and control station supplies another piece of system information indicative of the confirmation of said special service through said communication line, said base station, said set of communication facilities, and said information channel to said each of said mobile stations;

and

said each of said mobile stations operates under the conditions represented by said another piece of system information.

13. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said at least one of said plural service areas further contains a second service sub-area different from said first service sub-area, and said exchange and control station reduces said maximum number of requests for increasing the maximum number of mobile stations in said second service sub-area concurrently communicating with said base station when a congestion takes place in said second service sub-area.

14. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said first service sub-area is stationary with respect to said real space.

15. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said first service sub-area is inside of a building.

16. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said first service sub-area is movable in said real space.

17. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said first service sub-area is inside of a traveling means of a public transportation system.

18. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said exchange and control station checks said first information table to see what virtual service area code is assigned to said first service sub-area when said second piece of private data information is received, and rewrites associated one of said fifth pieces of control data information to said virtual service area code.

19. The cellular communication system as set forth in claim 18, wherein each of said mobile stations in said first service sub-area is accessible to associated one of said seventh pieces of control data information indicative of said special service through the communication channel, the base station and the communication line.