Method to determine channel information in a cellular system, and a mobile station

• US 6,904,279 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1999
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lilja, Harri, Vallström, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/458,906
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 370/337, 370/336, 370/332, 370/314, 370/321, 370/326, 370/347, 370/345, 455/426.2, 455/436, 455/437, 455/442, 455/443, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 455/426.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

The object of the invention is a method for determining channel information in a cellular system, where user information is transmitted in information frames transmitted by the base station of the current cell, and in which method neighbor cell base station information is received (25, 26, 32, 43, 44, 53, 55, 57) for the synchronizing to the neighbor cell base station. In a method according to the invention the Base Station Identity Code (BSIC) information is received and examined (53, 55, 57) only outside the TDMA frames used to transmit the information. Said code information is stored in the memory of the mobile station for the period of the TDMA frames used to transmit information. The method is also advantageously used in a Wireless Local Loop terminal utilizing HSCSD protocol for determining and storing channel information. When the method according to the invention is used a WLL terminal needs no extra frequency synthesizer for performing the neighbor cell monitoring.

Claims

1. A method for determining channel information in a cellular system, where a TDMA transmission protocol is used on the traffic channel allocated to the connection for transmitting user information during a connection between a mobile station and a base station of the current cell, in which method the base station identity codes (BSIC) (61) of the neighbour cells are received and stored, characterised in that said reception of the base station identity codes of the neighbour cells is prevented during the whole user traffic connection (66).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that

neighbour cell base station identity codes (BSIC) are received and stored in the memory of the mobile station before the user traffic connection is established;

and

when the user traffic connection has been disconnected the mobile station receives identity codes or the neighbour cell base stations and updates in the memory any changes, which have occurred during the previous user traffic connection.

3. A mobile station which belongs to a cellular system and which comprises means (71 to 87) for transmitting/receiving user information on a traffic channel using a TDMA protocol between the base station of the current cell and the mobile station, and means (71 to 77) for receiving and storing the base-station identity codes (BSIC) of the neighbour cells, characterised in that it comprises means (71 to 77) for preventing said reception of the base station identity codes of the neighbour cells during the whole user traffic connection.

4. A mobile station according to claim 3, characterised in that it is a stationary mobile station.