Mobile communications system, base station, and mobile terminal

• US 6,885,867 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2001
• 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: Matsuoka, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Danh C
• Application Number:
  US10/267,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20030087655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/439, 370/331, 370/329, 370/509, 370/510, 375/137, 375/149, 375/357, 340/825.2, 340/825.22, 340/7.2
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point

Abstract

A mobile terminal 11 and a base station 12 use a first communication channel (i.e. a transmission route 21) to conduct communication relating to a first call. A first time (i.e. switching time) and a second time (i.e. switching-back time) during the communication are determined, and when the switching time is reached, communication using transmission route 21 is ceased and attempts are made to establish spreading code synchronization in order for mobile terminal 11 and base station 12 to commence using a second communication channel (i.e. a transmission route 22) to conduct communication relating to both the first call and a second call. If synchronization cannot be established before the switching-back time is reached, attempts to establish synchronization are ceased, and mobile terminal 11 and base station 12 recommence using transmission route 21 to conduct communication.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system based on the CDMA standard and having a mobile terminal and a base station, comprising:

communication means for using a first communication channel to conduct communication relating to a first call between the mobile terminal and the base station;

determining means for determining a first time and a second time mutually between the mobile terminal and the base station;

sync-establishing means for, when the first time is reached, having the communication means cease communication using the first communication channel, and attempting to establish synchronization between the mobile terminal and the base station in order to commence using a second communication channel to conduct communication relating to both the first call and a second call; and

recommencing means for, if synchronization cannot be established before the second time is reached, having the sync-establishing means cease attempts to establish synchronization, and having the communication means recommence using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call.

2. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein

the communication means has:

a terminal communication unit included in the mobile terminal, and for using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call with the base station; and

a station communication unit included in the base station, and for using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call with the mobile terminal,

the determining means has;

a request notifying unit included in the mobile terminal, and for receiving a communication channel switching request from a user and notifying the base station of the received request;

a time notifying unit included in the base station, and for determining the first time and the second time in accordance with the notified request, and notifying the mobile terminal of the determined times; and

an obtaining unit included in the mobile terminal, and for obtaining the determined times notified by the time notifying unit,

the sync-establishing means has;

a distribution unit included in the base station, and for, when the first time determined by the time notifying unit is reached, distributing a synchronization signal in order to establish synchronization over the second communication channel; and

a notifying unit included in the mobile terminal, and for, when the first time obtained by the obtaining unit is reached, receiving the distributed synchronization signal, detecting for a synchronization timing, and notifying the base station that synchronization has been established if the synchronization timing is detected, and

the recommencing means has;

a terminal recommencing unit included in the mobile terminal, and for, if the synchronization timing cannot be detected before the second time obtained by the obtaining unit is reached, having the detecting unit cease detecting for the synchronization signal, and having the terminal communication unit recommence using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call; and

a station recommencing unit included in the base station, and for, if notification of synchronization being established is not received before the second time determined by the time notifying unit is reached, having the station communication unit recommence using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call.

3. The mobile communications system of claim 1, wherein

the determining means determines a third time mutually between the mobile terminal and the base station, and

the recommencing means has the sync-establishing means try again to establish synchronization if communication by the communication means using the first communication channel cannot be recommenced before the third time determined by the determining means is reached.

4. A mobile communications system based on the CDMA standard and having a mobile terminal and a base station, the base station including:

first communication means for using a first communication channel to conduct communication relating to a first call with the mobile terminal; and

second communication means for, in parallel with communication conducted by the first communication means, using a second communication channel to conduct communication relating to both the first call and a second call with the mobile terminal, and

the mobile terminal including;

third communication means for using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call with the base station;

storage means for storing in advance a first time and a second time;

sync-establishing means for, when the first time is reached, having the third communication means cease communication using the first communication channel, and attempting to establish synchronization with the base station in order to commence using the second communication channel to conduct communication relating to both the first and second calls; and

recommencing means for, if synchronization cannot be established before the second time is reached, having the sync-establishing means cease attempts to establish synchronization, and having the third communication means recommence using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call.

5. The mobile communications system of claim 4, wherein

the sync-establishing means notifies the base station if synchronization is established, and

the first communication means ceases communication using the first communication channel if the base station is notified by the sync-establishing means that synchronization has been established.

6. A mobile terminal used in a mobile communications system based on the CDMA standard, comprising:

communication means for using a first communication channel to conduct communication relating to a first call with a base station;

storage means for storing in advance a first time and a second time;

sync-establishing means for, when the first time is reached, having the communication means cease communication using the first communication channel, and attempting to establish synchronization with the base station in order to commence using a second communication channel to conduct communication relating to both the first call and a second call; and

recommencing means for, if synchronization cannot be established before the second time is reached, having the sync-establishing means cease attempts to establish synchronization, and having the communication means recommence using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call.

7. A method for conducting mobile communications between a mobile terminal and a base station based on the CDMA standard, comprising:

a communication step of using a first communication channel to conduct communication relating to a first call between the mobile terminal and the base station;

a determining step of determining a first time and a second time mutually between the mobile terminal and the base station;

a sync-establishing step of, when the first time is reached, ceasing communication using the first communication channel, and attempting to establish synchronization between the mobile terminal and the base station in order to commence using a second communication channel to conduct communication relating to both the first call and a second call; and

a recommencing step of, if synchronization cannot be established before the second time is reached, ceasing attempts to establish synchronization, and recommencing use of the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call.

8. A method for conducting mobile communications between a mobile terminal and a base station based on the CDMA standard, comprising:

a first communication step performed in the base station, and of using a first communication channel to conduct communication relating to a first call with the mobile terminal;

a second communication step performed in the base station, and of, in parallel with communication conducted in the first communication step, using a second communication channel to conduct communication relating to both the first call and a second call with the mobile terminal;

a third communication step performed in the mobile terminal, and of using the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call with the base station;

a sync-establishing step performed in the mobile terminal, and of (i) storing a first time and a second time in an internal memory of the mobile terminal, and (ii) when the first time is reached, ceasing communication using the first communication channel, and attempting to establish synchronization with the base station in order to commence using the second communication channel to conduct communication relating to both the first and second calls; and

a recommencing step of, if synchronization cannot be established before the second time is reached, ceasing attempts to establish synchronization, and recommencing use of the first communication channel to conduct communication relating to the first call.