Method for updating sector list of home zone database for home zone service

• US 6,631,262 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Wee, Pyeong-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/691,367
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/432, 455/69, 455/522, 455/561, 455/560, 455/412, 455/403, 455/422, 455/456, 455/457, 455/67.1, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/67.3, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A method for adding to a sector list substitute information about a sector excluded from the sector list due to low strength of a corresponding PN signal transmitted from a base station. The coordinates of adjacent bins relative to the location of the mobile user are searched and tabulated, then the sector information of adjacent bins are retrieved and added to the sector list of a mobile station.

Claims

1. A method for updating a sector list of a mobile station used for different billing purposes in a home zone service, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) in the event that a sector information at a specified region covered by a base station is unascertainable, determining the position of said mobile station according to a predetermined zone database;

(b) determining a plurality of adjacent sector information relative to the position of said mobile station;

(c) transferring one of said adjacent sector information to said unascertainable sector information; and

,

(d) updating said sector list of said mobile station using said transferred adjacent sector information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said unascertainable sector information is caused by a weak Pseudo Noise (PN) signal strength received by said mobile station at said specified region covered by said base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) of determining the position of said mobile station is performed using an address information transmitted from said mobile station to look up the corresponding bin data from said predetermined zone database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said predetermined zone database includes a latitude and longitude information matching said address information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of said mobile station is mapped into X-Y coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) of determining the position of said mobile station comprises the steps of:

associating the position of said mobile station in term of a bin position, said bin position defining the boundary of said home zone service;

mapping latitude and longitude of where said mobile station is located into an origin of an (x,y) coordinate axis;

setting the latitude and the longitude to an x-axis and a y-axis, respectively; and

,

setting a size of said bin to 2x₀×

2y₀.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (b) of determining said plurality of adjacent sector information comprises the step of assigning a plurality of bins surrounding said mobile station within a predetermined distance.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (b) of determining said plurality of adjacent sector information comprises the steps of:

assigning a first adjacent bin having a coordinate (2x₀,0) on the x-axis with a positive x-axis value;

assigning a second adjacent bin having a coordinate (2x₀,2y₀), said second bin exists on the first quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis;

assigning a third adjacent bin having a coordinate (0,2y₀), said third bin exists on the y-axis with a positive y-axis value;

assigning a fourth adjacent bin with a coordinate (−

2x₀,2y₀), said forth bin exists on the second quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis;

assigning a fifth adjacent bin with a coordinate (−

2x₀,0), said fifth bin exists on the x-axis with a negative x-axis value;

assigning a sixth adjacent bin with a coordinate (−

2x₀,−

2y₀), said sixth bin exists on the third quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis;

assigning a seventh adjacent bin with a coordinate (0,−

2y₀), said seventh bin exists on the y-axis with a negative y-axis value; and

,

assigning an eighth adjacent bin with a coordinate (2x₀,−

2y₀), said eighth bin exists on the fourth quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of (c) transferring one of said adjacent sector information into said sector list comprises the steps of:

fetching information of said first adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the x-axis with a positive x-axis value;

fetching information of one of said first, second and third adjacent bins if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the first quadrant;

fetching information of said third adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the y-axis with a positive y-axis value;

fetching information of one of said third, fourth and fifth adjacent bins if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the second quadrant;

fetching information of said fifth adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the x-axis with a negative x-axis value;

fetching information of one of said fifth, sixth and seventh adjacent bins if the pin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the third quadrant;

fetching information of said seventh adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the y-axis with a negative y-axis value; and

fetching information of one of said seventh, eighth, and first adjacent bins if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the fourth quadrant.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step (a) of mapping the latitude and longitude where a mobile subscriber is located is performed using a Global Satellite Position System (GPS) software.

11. A method for updating a sector list of a home zone database for a home zone service, comprising the steps of:

(a) mapping latitude and longitude where a mobile subscriber is located into an origin of an (x,y) coordinate axis of a bin;

(b) setting said latitude and said longitude to an x-axis and a y-axis, respectively;

(c) setting a size of said bin to 2x₀×

2y₀;

(d) determining a plurality of adjacent bins surrounding where said mobile subscriber is located;

(e) fetching a sector list information of one of said adjacent bins to update said sector list of said home zone database.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

setting an address coordinate of said mobile subscriber to (x,y), and

setting coordinates of other bins to (2nx₀,2my₀), wherein “

n” and

“

m”

represents non-zero integers.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said step (e) of fetching said sector list information of said adjacent bins is performed if said bin where said mobile subscriber is located is unable to receive an adequate Pseudo Noise (PN) signal strength from a base station.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said step (d) of determining said adjacent bins comprises the steps of:

defining a first adjacent bin having a coordinate (2x₀,0) on the x-axis with a positive x-axis value;

defining a second adjacent bin having a coordinate (2x₀,2y₀), said second bin exists on the first quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis;

defining a third adjacent bin having a coordinate (0,2y₀), said third bin exists on the y-axis with a positive y-axis value;

defining a fourth adjacent bin with a coordinate (−

2x₀,2y₀), said forth bin exists on the second quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis;

defining a fifth adjacent bin with a coordinate (−

2x₀,0), said fifth bin exists on the x-axis with a negative x-axis value;

defining a sixth adjacent bin with a coordinate (−

2x₀,−

2y₀), said sixth bin exists on the third quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis;

defining a seventh adjacent bin with a coordinate (0,−

2y₀), said seventh bin exists on the y-axis with a negative y-axis value; and

,

defining an eighth adjacent bin with a coordinate (2x₀,−

2y₀), said eighth bin exists on the fourth quadrant of the (x,y) coordinate axis.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (e) of fetching said sector list information of said adjacent bins to update said sector list comprises the steps of;

fetching information of said first adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the x-axis with a positive x-axis value;

fetching information of one of said first, second and third adjacent bins if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the first quadrant;

fetching information of said third adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the y-axis with a positive y-axis value;

fetching information of one of said third, fourth and fifth adjacent bins if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the second quadrant;

fetching information of said fifth adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the x-axis with a negative x-axis value;

fetching information of one of said fifth, sixth and seventh adjacent bins if the pin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the third quadrant;

fetching information of said seventh adjacent bin if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the y-axis with a negative y-axis value; and

fetching information of one of said seventh, eighth, and first adjacent bins if the bin position of said mobile subscriber is located on the fourth quadrant.