Mobile radio communication apparatus for selecting a high priority system at the time of turning power on

• US 7,027,831 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishikura, Akira, Aoki, Ippo
• Primary Examiner(s): PEREZ GUTIERREZ, RAFAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/893,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 455/434, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/524, 455/525, 455/552.1, 455/432.1, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 455/525
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a mobile radio communication apparatus, wherein priority data items representing the priorities of base stations are stored. The SID of the base station seized when the apparatus was turned off last is stored in the apparatus, too. When the apparatus is turned on, it may identify a base station of higher priority than the base station it seized when it was turned off. In this case, the apparatus seizes the base station of higher priority and goes into an idle state. Thus, the apparatus that can seize a base station of high priority even if it seized a base station of low priority when it was turned off last and if it now exits in an area formed by the overlapping of the two service areas in which the low-priority base station and the high-priority base station operate, respectively.

Claims

1. A mobile radio communication apparatus for use in a mobile radio communication system which includes base stations, mobile radio communication apparatuses to be connected to the base stations over radio channels, and in which each of the base stations broadcasts a system ID number for identifying the base station, said apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing system ID numbers and priority data items, each item associated with each of the system ID numbers and representing priority assigned to each base station, so as to be used to seize one base station;

first seizing means for receiving the broadcast system ID number in accordance with the priority data item stored in said first memory means, for seizing the base station having the system ID number received, and for setting the apparatus in an idle state;

second memory means for storing the system ID number of the seized base station when a user operates the apparatus and inputs a turn-off instruction for turning off the apparatus, while the apparatus remaining in the idle state; and

third memory means for storing channel numbers in the order of acquisition indices;

second seizing means for receiving a control signal using the stored channel number in accordance with the acquisition indices stored in said third memory means; and

control means

for turning off the apparatus in response to the turn-off instruction,

for determining whether a system ID number that the apparatus receives by referring to the contents of said second memory is stored in the first memory means, in response to the turn-on instruction,

for determining whether the apparatus receives the system ID number of higher priority than the system ID number stored in said second memory means when the received system ID number is stored in the first memory means,

for seizing the base station having the system ID number of higher priority than the system ID number stored in said second memory means and setting the apparatus in the idle state when the apparatus receives the system ID number of higher priority,

for detecting a system ID number from a received control signal having a received strength equal to or greater than a prescribed value when the received system ID number is not stored in the first memory means, and

for seizing the base station having the detected system ID number and setting the apparatus in the idle state when the apparatus receives the detected system ID numbers.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises receiving means for receiving the broadcast system ID number, and said control means writes the received system ID number into said first memory means when the received broadcast system ID number is different from any one of the system ID numbers stored in said first memory means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system ID number stored in said second memory means is written into said first memory means if the system ID number is not stored in said first memory means.