Mobile communication system and communications method therein

• US 6,665,535 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Miura, Yoshihiro, Osawa, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TU X
• Application Number:
  US09/564,338
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/450, 455/455, 455/433, 455/435, 455/62, 455/440, 455/456.1, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Information on the area occupied by a receiving terminal is present is passed to the sending terminal, prior to setup a call, in units of CAs (Cell Areas) that are smaller than LAs (Local Areas). Accordingly, the position occupied by the sending terminal can be specified, so that calls that are unnecessary due to that position do not have to be made, whereupon unnecessary tolls are avoided.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system comprising:

a first switch;

a first terminal accommodated in the first switch;

a second switch;

a plurality of base station controllers accommodated in the second switch;

a plurality of base stations accommodated in one of the plurality of base station controllers;

a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside a cell area controlled by one of the plurality of base stations, each of the plurality of base station controllers controlling a local area constituted by a plurality of cell areas of base stations, each of the plurality of cell areas being narrower than the local area; and

a storage device for storing local area information occupied in the second terminal in the local area units, the first and second switch being able to acquire the local area information of the second terminal in the local area units by referencing the storage device;

wherein the second switch acquires cell area information on the area occupied by the second terminal in the cell area units, from a response of the second terminal to a call based on a call establishment request to the second terminal from the first terminal, and sends the cell area information to the first switch, and the first switch passes the cell area information to the first terminal during call setup processing.

2. The mobile communications system according to claim 1, wherein the second switch puts the call setup processing on standby for a prescribed time period following the sending of the area information.

3. The mobile communications system according to claim 1, wherein the second switch puts call setup processing on standby until a call setup processing continuation instrution is received from the first switch after sending the area information.

4. The mobile communications system according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one base station of the plurality of base stations accommodated in the first switch.

5. A method for communicating between a first terminal accommodated in a first switch and a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside one of a plurality of cell areas constituting a local area controlled by one of a plurality of base stations accommodated in a second switch, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information on the cell area occupied by the second terminal from the response of the second terminal to a call from the second switch based on a call setup request to the second terminal from the first terminal;

sending the cell area information from the second switch to the first switch; and

passing the cell area information from the first switch to the first terminal during call setup processing.

6. The method for communicating according to claim 5, wherein the second switch puts the call setup processing on standby for a prescribed time period following the sending of the area information.

7. The method for communicating according to claim 5, wherein the second switch puts call setup processing on standby until a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch after sending the area information.

8. The method for communicating according claim 5, wherein the first terminal is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one base station of the plurality of base stations accommodated in the first switch.

9. A mobile communications system comprising:

a first switch;

a first terminal accommodated in the first switch;

a second switch;

a plurality of base stations accommodated in the second switch; and

a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one base station of the plurality of base stations;

wherein the second switch acquires information on the area occupied by the second terminal, from a response of the second terminal to a call based on a call establishment request to the second terminal from the first terminal, and sends the area information to the first switch, and the first switch passes the area information to the first terminal during call setup processing;

and wherein the first switch determines whether or not the first terminal has display functions, the first switch passes signals for displaying the area information to the first terminal when the first terminal does have display functions, the first switch passes signals for audio-outputting the area information to the first terminal when the first terminal does not have display functions.

10. A mobile communications system comprising:

a first switch;

a first terminal accommodated in the first switch;

a second switch;

a plurality of base stations accommodated in the second switch; and

a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one base station of the plurality of base stations;

wherein the second switch acquires information on the area occupied by the second terminal, from a response of the second terminal to a call based on a call establishment request to the second terminal from the first terminal, and sends the area information to the first switch, and the first switch passes the area information to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts the call setup processing on standby for a prescribed time period following the sending of the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call release instruction to the second switch when a call disconnect request is received from the first terminal, the second switch restarts call setup processing when no call release instruction is received within the prescribed time period, and the second switch executes call release processing when a call release instruction is received.

11. A mobile communications system comprising:

a first switch;

a first terminal accommodated in the first switch;

a second switch;

a plurality of base stations accommodated in the second switch; and

a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one base station of the plurality of base stations;

wherein the second switch acquires information on the area occupied by the second terminal, from a response of the second terminal to a call based on a call establishment request to the second terminal from the first terminal, and sends the area information to the first switch, and the first switch passes the area information to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts the call setup processing on standby for a prescribed time period following the sending of the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call setup processing continuation instruction to the second switch when a call setting processing continuation request is received from the first terminal, the second switch restarts call setup processing when a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch within the prescribed time period, and the second switch executes call release processing when no call setup processing continuation instruction is received.

12. A mobile communications system comprising:

a first switch;

a first terminal accommodated in the first switch;

a second switch;

a plurality of base stations accommodated in the second switch; and

a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one base station of the plurality of base stations;

wherein the second switch acquires information on the area occupied by the second terminal, from a response of the second terminal to a call based on a call establishment request to the second terminal from the first terminal, and sends the area information to the first switch, and the first switch passes the area information to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts call setup processing on standby until a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch after sending the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call setup processing continuation instruction to the second switch when no call disconnect request is received from the first terminal, the first switch sends a call release instruction to the second switch when a call disconnect request is received, the second switch restarts call setup processing when a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch, and the second switch executes call release processing when a call release instruction is received from the first switch.

13. A mobile communications system comprising:

a first switch;

a first terminal accommodated in the first switch;

a second switch;

a plurality of base stations accommodated in the second switch; and

a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one base station of the plurality of base stations;

wherein the second switch acquires information on the area occupied by the second terminal, from a response of the second terminal to a call based on a call establishment request to the second terminal from the first terminal, and sends the area information to the first switch, and the first switch passes the area information to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts call setup processing on standby until a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch after sending the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call setup processing continuation instruction to the second switch when a call setup processing continuation request is received from the first terminal, the first switch sends a call release instruction to the second switch when no call setup processing continuation request is received, the second switch restarts call setup processing when a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch, and the second switch executes call release processing when a call release instruction is received from the first switch.

14. A method for communicating between a first terminal accommodated in a first switch and a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one of a plurality of base stations accommodated in a second switch, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information on the area occupied by the second terminal from the response of the second terminal to a call from the second switch based on a call setup request to the second terminal from the first terminal;

sending the area information from the second switch to the first switch; and

passing the area information from the first switch to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the first switch determines whether or not the first terminal has display functions, the first switch passes signals for displaying the area information to the first terminal when the first terminal does have display functions, the first switch passes signals for audio outputting the area information to the first terminal when the first terminal does not have display functions.

15. A method for communicating between a first terminal accommodated in a first switch and a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one of a plurality of base stations accommodated in a second switch, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information on the area occupied by the second terminal from the response of the second terminal to a call from the second switch based on a call setup request to the second terminal from the first terminal;

sending the area information from the second switch to the first switch; and

passing the area information from the first switch to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts the call setup processing on standby for a prescribed time period following the sending of the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call release instruction to the second switch when a call disconnect request is received from the first terminal, the second switch restarts call setup processing when no call release instruction is received within the prescribed time period, and the second switch executes call release processing when a call release instruction is received.

16. A method for communicating between a first terminal accommodated in a first switch and a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one of a plurality of base stations accommodated in a second switch, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information on the area occupied by the second terminal from the response of the second terminal to a call from the second switch based on a call setup request to the second terminal from the first terminal;

sending the area information from the second switch to the first switch; and

passing the area information from the first switch to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts the call setup processing on standby for a prescribed time period following the sending of the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call setup processing continuation instruction to the second switch when a call setting processing continuation request is received from the first terminal, the second switch restarts call setup processing when a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch within the prescribed time period, and the second switch executes call release processing when no call setup processing continuation instruction is received.

17. A method for communicating between a first terminal accommodated in a first switch and a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one of a plurality of base stations accommodated in a second switch, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information on the area occupied by the second terminal from the response of the second terminal to a call from the second switch based on a call setup request to the second terminal from the first terminal;

sending the area information from the second switch to the first switch; and

passing the area information from the first switch to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts call setup processing on standby until a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch after sending the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call setup processing continuation instruction to the second switch when no call disconnect request is received from the first terminal, the first switch sends a call release instruction to the second switch when a call disconnect request is received, the second switch restarts call setup processing when a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch, and the second switch executes call release processing when a call release instruction is received from the first switch.

18. A method for communicating between a first terminal accommodated in a first switch and a second terminal that is a mobile terminal present inside an area controlled by one of a plurality of base stations accommodated in a second switch, comprising the steps of:

acquiring information on the area occupied by the second terminal from the response of the second terminal to a call from the second switch based on a call setup request to the second terminal from the first terminal;

sending the area information from the second switch to the first switch; and

passing the area information from the first switch to the first terminal during call setup processing;

wherein the second switch puts call setup processing on standby until a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch after sending the area information;

and wherein the first switch sends a call setup processing continuation instruction to the second switch when a call setup processing continuation request is received from the first terminal, the first switch sends a call release instruction to the second switch when no call setup processing continuation request is received, the second switch restarts call setup processing when a call setup processing continuation instruction is received from the first switch, and the second switch executes call release processing when a call release instruction is received from the first switch.