Home zone service method for mobile telephone subscribers in mobile radio communication system
First Claim
1. A method for determining whether the subscriber of a mobile phone is located within a home zone service to qualify for a different charging rate, comprising the steps of:
- (a) measuring a round trip delay (RTD) from a plurality of testing locations within a sector of a cell site in relation to a plurality of neighboring base stations to determine a plurality of reduced charging areas with a mobile phone subscription, wherein the boundary of the reduced charging areas are defined by a first mean RTD value and a second mean RTD value;
(b) preparing a predetermined home zone database by associating the plurality of the reduced charging areas with the mobile phone subscription using the first value and the second value;
(c) calculating a round trip delay (RTD) if the mobile phone generates a request signal to establish a call connection; and
, (d) determining whether the measured RTD falls within a range between the first value and the second value associated with the mobile phone in the home zone database to determine whether the mobile phone is located within the home zone service.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a home zone service method for assigning a specified zone to a mobile telephone subscriber and charging the subscriber at different billing rated accordingly as the subscriber makes a telephone call inside or outside the zone. According to the home zone service method, a zone which is defined by a first measurement value and a second measurement value as a sub-sector is determined by measuring a round trip delay from a fixed location in a sector of a cell to the neighbor base stations to which the subscriber belongs, so that a predetermined home zone database including the first value and the second value is prepared. The round trip delay is measured from a specified signal if a portable mobile terminal of the subscriber generates a request signal to establish a call connection. Then, it is determined whether the subscriber is located inside the sub-sector if the measured round trip delay falls between the first value and the second value of the home zone database.
40 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method for determining whether the subscriber of a mobile phone is located within a home zone service to qualify for a different charging rate, comprising the steps of:
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(a) measuring a round trip delay (RTD) from a plurality of testing locations within a sector of a cell site in relation to a plurality of neighboring base stations to determine a plurality of reduced charging areas with a mobile phone subscription, wherein the boundary of the reduced charging areas are defined by a first mean RTD value and a second mean RTD value;
(b) preparing a predetermined home zone database by associating the plurality of the reduced charging areas with the mobile phone subscription using the first value and the second value;
(c) calculating a round trip delay (RTD) if the mobile phone generates a request signal to establish a call connection; and
,(d) determining whether the measured RTD falls within a range between the first value and the second value associated with the mobile phone in the home zone database to determine whether the mobile phone is located within the home zone service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
receiving the request signal by a base station currently serving the mobile phone; and
,transmitting the calculated RTD to a mobile switch center in communication with the base station.
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5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step (d) further comprises the step of retrieving the predetermined home zone database from a database management center.
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6. A method for determining whether a subscriber is making a call connection within a home zone area using a predetermined home zone database, which includes a first round trip delay value and a second round trip delay value defining the home zone area for a mobile phone subscriber, and wherein a different charging rate is applied if a request for a call connection is made within the home zone area, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting, by the mobile phone, an originating signal to a base station to establish a call connection;
(b) upon receiving the originating signal, calculating a round trip delay (RTD) of the originating signal by the base station;
(c) transmitting, by the base station, the calculated round trip delay and the originating signal to a mobile switching center;
(d) determining, by the mobile switching center, whether the calculated round trip delay falls within a range between the first value and the second value associated with the mobile phone in the predetermined home zone database; and
,(e) if the measured RTD value falls within the first value and the second value, allocating a communication channel to the mobile phone by the base station.
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7. A method for determining whether a subscriber is making a call connection within a home zone area using a predetermined home zone database, which includes a first round trip delay value and a second round trip delay value defining the home zone area for a mobile phone subscriber, and wherein a different charging rate is applied if a request for a call connection is made within the home zone area, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting, by the mobile phone subscriber, an originating signal to a base station to establish a call connection;
(b) upon receiving the originating signal, calculating a round trip delay (RTD) of the originating signal by the base station;
(c) transmitting, by the base station, the calculated round trip delay and the originating signal to a mobile switching center;
(d) determining, by the mobile switching center, whether the calculated round trip delay falls within a range between the first value and the second value associated with the mobile phone subscriber in the predetermined home zone database; and
,(e) if the calculated RTD value falls within the first value and the second value, transmitting a home zone identifying signal to the mobile phone subscriber by the mobile switching center.
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Specification