Mobile station having indoor/outdoor mode shifting function

• US 6,999,776 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ogino, Hiroyasu, Shamoto, Michio, Takeuchi, Toshihiro, Hayashida, Atsushi, Oda, Kyoji, Shintai, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US10/230,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20030050089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/552.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/553.1, 342/357.1, 342/357.12
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In a mobile station, a period for receiving a GPS signal from a predetermined satellite based on data for satellite reception is set up by a timer, and the GPS signal whose reception level is higher than a threshold value is awaited. Until elapsed time reaches a preset time, indoor counter is incremented if the GPS signal is unable to be received or outdoor counter is incremented if the GPS signal is able to be received. When each counter reaches a specified value, each mode is determined. If the mode is different from a previous mode, a mode shift is executed and setups of user interfaces, display, speaker and others, are altered for the updated mode, indoor or outdoor.

Claims

1. A mobile station which communicates via wireless line with a base station forming a communication network and which receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite, said mobile station comprising:

comparing means which compares reception strength of said GPS signal with a threshold to detect presence or absence of the GPS signal;

determining means which determines a mode of indoor or outdoor according to the presence or the absence of the GPS signal;

altering means which alters a setup of a mobile station interface according to said mode; and

a satellite reception timer which sets a reception period of said GPS signal and sets a start of said reception period when said mode is determined,

wherein said comparing means compares the reception strength of the GPS signal received at every said reception period.

2. A mobile station as claimed in claim 1, wherein said altering means alters said setup of the mobile station interface when said mode determined by said determining means changes from the mode previously determined.

3. A mobile station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

counting means which counts continuous times of the presence or the absence according to detection of said comparing means,

wherein said determining means determines said mode of indoor or outdoor when said continuous times reaches a specified value.

4. A mobile station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving means which receives assistant information from a positioning server arranged in said communication network; and

searching means which searches said GPS satellite based on said assistant information,

wherein said determining means determines said mode to be indoor when the GPS signal is not received although said searching means searches said GPS satellite based on said assistant information.

5. A mobile station as claimed in claim 4, wherein said searching means searches based on said assistant information previously received without receiving present assistant information each time said mode is determined.

6. A mobile station as claimed in claim 4, wherein said receiving means receives present assistant information to refresh when a predetermined period passes from time in which said assistant information is previously received.

7. A mobile station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

fixing means which fixes said setup of the mobile station interface altered by said altering means according to said mode of indoor or outdoor.

8. A mobile station as claimed in claim 7, wherein said fixing means fixes said setup according to said mode of outdoor which indicates at least one of that contrast and brightness of a display of said mobile station is intensified, that volume of a speaker of said mobile station is made loud, and that a noise is cancelled.

9. A mobile station as claimed in claim 7, wherein said fixing means fixes said setup according to said mode of indoor which indicates the same setup according to a manner mode wherein the setup is previously fixed to prevent neighboring persons from being disturbed due to speaker volume of the mobile station.

10. A setup altering method for a mobile station which communicates via wireless line with a base station forming a communication network and which receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite, said setup altering method comprising steps of:

comparing reception strength of said GPS signal with a threshold to detect presence or absence of the GPS signal;

determining a mode of indoor or outdoor according to the presence or the absence of the GPS signal;

altering a setup of a mobile station interface according to said mode; and

setting a reception period of said GPS signal and a start of said reception period when said mode is determined, and

counting continuous times of the presence or the absence detected at said comparing step.

11. A setup altering method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising steps of:

receiving assistant information from a positioning server arranged in said communication network; and

searching said GPS satellite based on said assistant information.

12. A setup altering method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a step of:

fixing said setup of the mobile station interface according to said mode of indoor or outdoor.