Specification of a communication system for mobile telecommunications

• US 7,587,205 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2000
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VIAG Interkom GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: VIAG Interkom GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Mayrhofer, Gerhard, Odorfer, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem; Lisa
• Application Number:
  US09/936,779
• Time in Patent Office: 3,462 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 455/410, 455/33.2, 455/33.1, 455/432.1, 455/443, 455/440, 455/444, 455/447, 455/408, 455/558, 455/435.1, 342/357
• US Class Current: 455/440
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A communications system for mobile telecommunications and a set of procedures for operating the system are described. The system allocates a sub-area within a total area whereby the parameters of the allocated sub-area are stored in a subscriber identity module (SIM), enabling authorisation checks to be carried out from a mobile user unit.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication system for a mobile radio telephone system, which comprises the following steps:

providing a network unit with an overall area;

stipulating at least one subscriber area within its overall area, and

allocating at least one subscriber number in the subscriber area, wherein

the overall area incorporates at least one radio cell that transmits a signal containing coordinates to a mobile user unit within the system,

a calculation is performed to determine whether the transmitted coordinates for the radio cell lie within the stipulated subscriber area,

the subscriber area is stipulated by a user unit, and

the subscriber area is stipulated by

a) checking a first and second code, wherein the first code signals whether the user unit is authorized in the subscriber area, and the second code signals whether a stipulation has already taken place relative to the subscriber area;

b) selecting the radio cells present around the user unit based on signal strengths;

c) recording the radio cell currently used for switching;

d) determining urban network code and cell code (cell ID) based on the recorded radio cell;

e) transmitting the urban network code and cell code to a centralized point of the network unit and simultaneously storing address of the centralized point in a subscriber code (SIM);

f) determining location and local radius based on a file provided in a centralized point containing all radio cells;

g) generating a subscriber file within the centralized point, which is write protected;

h) transmitting the location and local radius to the subscriber code module of the user unit; and

i) updating the location and local radius stored in the user unit.

2. A communication system for a mobile radio telephone system having at least one network unit which serves a predetermined overall area, comprising

at least one subscriber area within this overall area stipulated and having allocated at least one subscriber number,

at least one radio cell arranged in the overall area to transmit a signal containing coordinates to a mobile user unit within the system, and

means for calculating whether the coordinates transmitted by the radio cell responsible for transmission lie within the subscriber area, wherein

said mobile user unit comprises a subscriber code module in which coordinates and a radius of said at least one subscriber area is stored, and

said calculating means additionally determine whether

absolute difference between the coordinates transmitted by the radio cell and said at least one subscriber area exceed a predetermined value, and

if the predetermined value is not exceeded, square of said difference exceeds square of said radius.

3. A method for operating a communication system for a mobile radio telephone system, comprising the steps of

providing a network unit with an overall area;

stipulating at least one subscriber area within its overall area,

allocating at least one subscriber number in the subscriber area,

incorporating, in the overall area, at least one radio cell that transmits a signal containing coordinates to a mobile user unit within the system,

performing a calculation to determine whether the transmitted coordinates for the radio cell lie within the stipulated subscriber area,

storing coordinates and a radius of said at least one subscriber area in a subscriber code module located within said mobile user unit,

calculating and determining whether absolute difference between the coordinates transmitted by the radio cell and said at least one subscriber area exceed a predetermined value, and

if the predetermined value is not exceeded, calculating and determining whether square of said difference exceeds square of said radius.