Method of connecting an UMTS mobile radio to a network

• US 7,684,832 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: ST-Ericcson SA (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Van Berkel, Cornelis Hermanus, Meuwissen, Patrick Peter Elizabeth, Heinle, Frank, Hertwig, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria; Sharad
• Application Number:
  US10/515,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20050164723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,500 Days
• Field of Search: 455436-437, 455/438, 455/450, 455/452.2, 455/439, 455/445, 455572-574, 455502-509, 455/522, 4553431-3436, 455/434, 455/515, 455/67.11, 370/311, 370/350
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

To achieve a shortening of the initial synchronization time and/or extension of the stand-by time with a method of connecting an UMTS mobile radio to a network, the UMTS mobile radio receives and stored in one or more time-limited RF receive windows the signals that are subsequently evaluated when the HF receiver is switched off.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

connecting a mobile radio of a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) to a network, the mobile radio comprising an HF high-frequency) receiver, the connecting including;

receiving signals from base stations on plural physical channels of the UMTS, which signals are particularly used for initial synchronization, neighbor cell measurement and paging reception and occur in certain frames of the UMTS, wherein signals lying in one or more RF (radio-frequency) receive windows are received by the mobile radio;

storing in the mobile radio the received signals of the one or more RF receive windows;

switching off the HF receiver after storing the received signals; and

evaluating the stored signals in the mobile radio while the HF receiver is switched off, during which time no HF signals are received by the mobile radio; and

based on said evaluation, turning on the HF receiver and establishing a connection to the network.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more RF receive windows each have a time length, and further comprising:

determining which processing step lasts longest; and

setting the time length of each of the one or more RF receive windows to be equal to that of the determined processing step.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more RF receive windows each have at most a time length of one frame of the UMTS.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more RF receive windows each have a variable time length in dependence on receive conditions.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for an initial synchronization the HF receiver is switched on at a random instant and after a build-up time a frame of a UMTS signal from one of the base stations is received and stored.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein in a standby mode of the mobile radio the HF receiver is periodically switched on at defined instants to receive paging signals (PICH, PCH) and carry out a neighbor cell synchronization while the defined instants are shortly before the reception of the PCH (paging channel) information.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a PICH (paging indication channel) is ignored whereby the PICH information is not received and stored, if a PCH (paging channel) is received and stored.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein in response to when a measuring period in which a neighbor cell measurement takes place longer than a paging period, a PCH is received and stored and evaluated only once per measuring period and otherwise in each paging period only a PICH (paging indication channel) is stored and evaluated.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein no HF signals are received by the mobile radio during a time period that lasts at least about several frames.

9. A mobile radio, comprising:

an HF (high-frequency) receiver configured to receive signals from base stations, the signals situated in one or more RF (radio-frequency) receive windows;

a storage unit configured to store the received signals; and

logic configured to;

switch off the HF receiver after the signals are stored;

evaluate the stored signals while the HF receiver is switched off, during which time no HF signals are received by the mobile radio; and

based on said evaluation, turning on the HF receiver and establishing a connection to the network.

10. The mobile radio of claim 9, wherein no HF signals are received by the mobile radio during a time period that lasts at least about several frames.

11. The mobile radio of claim 9, wherein the one or more RF receive windows each have a time length, and wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine which processing step lasts longest; and

set the time length of each of the one or more RF receive windows to be equal to that of the determined processing step.

12. The mobile radio of claim 9, wherein the mobile radio is part of a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) and the one or more RF receive windows each have at most a time length of one frame of the UMTS.

13. The mobile radio of claim 9, wherein the one or more RF receive windows each have a variable time length in dependence on receive conditions.

14. The mobile radio of claim 9, wherein for an initial synchronization the HF receiver is switched on at a random instant and after a build-up time a frame of the a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) signal from one of the base stations is received and stored.

16. A method, comprising:

connecting a mobile radio of a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) to a network, the mobile radio comprising an HF (high-frequency) receiver, the connecting including;

receiving signals from base stations on plural physical channels of the UMTS, the signals lying in an RF (radio-frequency) receive window;

storing in the mobile radio the received signals;

switching off the HF receiver after storing the received signals; and

evaluating the stored signals in the mobile radio while the HF receiver is switched off, during which time no HF signals are received by the mobile radio; and

based on said evaluation, turning on the HF receiver and establishing a connection to the network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the RF receive window has at most a time length of one frame of the UMTS.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the RF receive window has a time length that depends on receive conditions.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein in a standby mode of the mobile radio the HF receiver is periodically switched on at defined instants to receive paging signals (PICH, PCH) and carry out a neighbor cell synchronization while the defined instants are shortly before the reception of the PCH (paging channel) information.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein a PICH (paging indication channel) is ignored whereby the PICH information is not received and stored, if a PCH (paging channel) is received and stored.