Terminal usage limiting apparatus

• US 7,039,425 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mazawa, Shiro, Teshima, Atsushi, Sasame, Kazuhiro, Iida, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANIEL JR, WILLIE J
• Application Number:
  US09/602,964
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/438, 455/439, 455/67.11, 455/440, 455/444, 455/443, 455/451, 455/404, 455/449, 340/7.1, 340/7.2, 340/7.39, 340/7.4, 340825- 49
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A terminal usage limiting apparatus for limiting the use of a portable telephone in a specific predetermined area. The terminal usage limiting apparatus 105 is installed to provide service to mobile terminals 101 in a usage limiting area 108. The terminal usage limiting apparatus 105 outputs control signals as a base station and additional usage limit messages. The terminal usage limiting apparatus 105 enables a mobile terminal 101 in the usage limiting area 108 to recognize the apparatus 105 as a base station so that the mobile terminal is switched from the base station to the apparatus 105. As a result, the mobile terminal 101 receives a usage limit message from the apparatus 105. Thus, the mobile terminal 101 enters into a predetermined operation limit mode where call originations are restricted. In addition, in this mode, the mobile terminal 101 receives control messages from the terminal usage limiting apparatus, and the control message includes a long code mask corresponding to the apparatus 105. Because of the unique long code mask, the mobile terminal 101 is also limited in receiving calls from the base stations 102 and 103 via the paging channel.

Claims

1. A terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication, comprising:

a signal transmitter for transmitting a signal in a predetermined size of an area defining a restricted area where the use of the mobile terminal is restricted, the signal having a characteristic that is substantially indistinguishable from a predetermined characteristics of a base station;

a message generator connected to said signal transmitter for generating said signal which includes information identifying the terminal usage limiting apparatus;

an access channel demodulator for demodulating a signal that is received from the mobile terminal;

a message analyzer connected to said access channel demodulator for analyzing the demodulated signal;

a restricted phone number memory for storing a predetermined list of phone numbers that are allowed to call in the restricted area;

an emergency call deciding device connected to said message analyzer and said restricted phone number memory for determining whether or not a requested phone number is an emergency call by comparing the requested phone number to the predetermined list in response to a call origination message from said message analyzer; and

a hand-off directing device connected to said emergency call deciding device and said message generator for directing said message generator to generate an emergency call hand-off message to force the mobile terminal to switch from the terminal usage limiting apparatus to an available base station in response to the emergency call, the emergency call hand-off message including base station ID information on the available base station.

2. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 1 wherein said message generator generates base station ID information and a pseudo control information message as said signal.

3. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 2 wherein said pseudo control information message includes a handoff prompt signal indicative of a switch from the base station to the terminal usage limiting apparatus.

4. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 1 wherein said message generator generates a first command signal for disabling transmission from the mobile terminal.

5. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 4 wherein said message generator generates a second command signal indicative of a longer interval for receiving said signal at the mobile terminal.

6. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 1 wherein said message analyzer determined that the demodulated signal is a call origination message, said message generator generates a rejection message in response to the call origination message.

7. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 1 wherein said message generator generates an emergency call regeneration message to the mobile terminal, the emergency call regeneration message corresponding to the emergency call and being indicative of repeating the emergency call.

8. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 1 wherein said message generator generates a usage limit message indicative of the limited use of the mobile terminal.

9. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 1 further comprising:

an adjacent base station information memory unit for storing base unit information on base stations located near the terminal usage limiting apparatus; and

a self-station pilot PN deciding device connected to said adjacent base station information memory unit for determining a unique one of said signal which includes information identifying the terminal usage limiting apparatus based upon the base unit information.

10. The terminal usage limiting apparatus for temporary use with a mobile terminal communication according to claim 9 further comprising:

a pilot strength measuring device connected to said adjacent base station information memory unit for measuring the strength of a pilot signal and updating the base unit information; and

an idle hand-off deciding device connected to said adjacent base station information memory unit for determining whether or not to execute an idle handoff operation based upon the base unit information.

11. A mobile terminal for use in a restricted use area with a terminal usage limiting apparatus, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a signal for wireless communication;

a restricted phone number memory unit for storing a list of predetermined emergency numbers;

an emergency deciding device connected to said restricted phone number memory unit for determining whether or not a requested phone number is an emergency by comparing the requested phone number to the predetermined emergency numbers;

a message generator connected to said emergency deciding device for generating an emergency signal indicative of emergency in response to said emergency deciding device; and

a transmitter connected to said message generator for transmitting the emergency signal to the terminal usage limiting apparatus, in response to the emergency signal, said receiver receiving information for forcing the mobile terminal to be switched from the terminal usage limiting apparatus to an available base station.

12. The mobile terminal for use in a restricted use area according to claim 11 further comprising:

a message analyzer connected to said receiver for analyzing the signal that is received from the terminal usage limiting apparatus, the received signal including a transmitter disable message; and

a transmitter stop directing device connected to said message analyzer for disabling said transmitter in response to the transmitter disable message.

13. The mobile terminal for use in a restricted use area according to claim 11 further comprising:

a pilot strength measuring device connected to said receiver for measuring the strength of a pilot signal from a base station and the terminal usage limiting apparatus; and

a hand-off deciding device connected to said pilot strength measuring device for switching between the base station and the terminal usage limiting apparatus based upon the measured strength of the pilot signal, whereby the use of the mobile terminal is restricted while the mobile terminal receives the signal from the terminal usage limiting apparatus.

14. The mobile terminal for use in a restricted use area according to claim 13 further comprising a display unit for indicating that the use of the mobile terminal is limited.

15. The mobile terminal for use in a restricted use area according to claim 13 further comprising an audio unit for indicating that the use of the mobile terminal is limited.

16. The mobile terminal for use in a restricted use area according to claim 13 further comprising a tactile unit connected for indicating that the use of the mobile terminal is limited.

17. The mobile terminal for use in a restricted use area according to claim 16 wherein said tactile unit is a vibrator, said vibrator vibrating at a predetermined frequency that is different from another predetermined frequency which is used to indicate an incoming call.

18. A method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area, comprising:

determining a unique station information on a terminal usage limiting apparatus for identifying a transmission source;

storing a predetermined set of emergency calls;

periodically transmitting to the mobile terminal a signal including the unique station information in a predetermined area;

receiving a signal from the mobile terminal;

determining whether or not the received signal is a call origination request to one of the predetermined set of the emergency calls;

forcing the mobile terminal to switch from the terminal usage limiting apparatus to an available base station via a hand-off message in response to said determining step; and

allowing the mobile terminal to retransmit the call origination request directly to the base station.

19. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 18 further comprising an additional act of periodically transmitting to the mobile terminal the signal indicative limited use of the mobile terminal.

20. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 18 further comprising an additional acts of:

periodically collecting information on the base station located near the transmission source;

periodically storing the information on the base station located near the transmission source; and

periodically updating the information.

21. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 20 further comprising an additional act of periodically updating the unique station information for identifying the transmission source base upon the updated information on the base station located near the transmission source.

22. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 18 wherein the base station transmits the signal that is the strongest in transmission power with respect to the mobile terminal.

23. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 18 wherein a rejection message is sent to the mobile terminal in response to the call origination request.

24. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 23 wherein the rejection message is communicated to a user.

25. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 24 wherein the communication is visual.

26. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 24 wherein the communication is tactile.

27. The method of restricting the use of a mobile terminal in a predetermined area according to claim 24 wherein the communication is auditory.