Mobile communication terminal apparatus and received signal strength detecting method

• US 6,725,041 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D.
• Application Number:
  US09/807,282
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/441, 455/443, 455/524, 455/525, 455/226.1, 455/226.2, 370/331, 370/332
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/362 Conditional handover

Abstract

A determining section 106 compares received signal strengths of the respective pilot signals stored in a strength table 105 with a predetermined threshold of received signal strength, and reports a pilot signal exceeding the predetermined threshold to a control section 107. The control section 107 instructs a strength extracting section 104 to increase the number of received signal strength extraction times of the pilot signal exceeding the predetermined threshold. The strength extracting section 104 extracts received signal strengths from the respective pilot signals based on the instructed number of times. The strength table 105 detects the received signal strengths of the respective pilot signals at timing when the number of received signal strength extraction times reaches the predetermined number of times.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a controller that compares received signal strengths, extracted from signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations, with a predetermined threshold of received signal strength to control a number of received signal strength extraction times;

an extractor that extracts the received signal strengths in accordance with the number of received signal strength extraction times indicated by the controller; and

a detector that detects the received signal strengths when the extraction of the received signal strengths is performed a predetermined number of times,

wherein the controller increases the number of received signal strength extraction times for a signal having a received signal strength that exceeds the predetermined threshold.

2. The mobile communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller decreases the number of received signal strength extraction times for a signal having a received signal strength that is less than the predetermined threshold.

3. The mobile communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when there exists a plurality of signals having received signal strengths that exceed the predetermined threshold, the detector detects the received signal strengths when the number of received signal strength extraction times for each of the plurality of signals reaches the predetermined number of times.

4. A received signal strength detecting method comprising:

comparing received signal strengths extracted from signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations with a predetermined threshold of received signal strength to increase a number of received signal strength extraction times for a signal having a received signal strength that exceeds the predetermined threshold, or to decrease the number of received signal strength extraction times for a signal having a received signal strength that is less than the predetermined threshold;

extracting the received signal strengths in accordance with the increased or decreased number of extraction times; and

detecting the received signal strengths when the extraction of received signal strengths is performed a predetermined number of times, thereby reducing the time required to reach a received signal strength detection timing.

5. A handover control method for performing a handover using the received signal strength detecting method according to claim 4.