Mobile communication system exchanging state information and operation method thereof

• US 7,689,212 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lim, Guk-Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US10/678,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20040097224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: 455/425, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.5, 455/573, 455/419, 455/428, 455/445, 455/514, 455/566, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

A system and method for managing calls in a mobile communication system transmits information indicative of an operational state of a first mobile terminal to a second mobile terminal for display. The first terminal may be a called terminal and the second terminal a calling terminal. A user of the second terminal can therefore recognize a reason for a communication blockage if a call between the first and second terminals is lost.

Claims

1. A mobile communication system, comprising:

a base station; and

a first mobile terminal which transmits state information of the first mobile terminal to the base station, wherein the base station transmits the state information to a second mobile terminal to inform the second mobile terminal that a call was released based on a low reception signal strength of the first mobile terminal,

wherein the second mobile terminal monitors the reception signal strength of first mobile terminal after the call release and performs an automatic call connection operation to re-establish the call when the signal strength of the first mobile terminal exceeds a predetermined level,

wherein one of the first mobile terminal or second mobile terminal is the call originating terminal and the other of the first mobile terminal or second mobile terminal is the call receiving terminal, and

wherein the first and second mobile terminals are subscriber terminals and wherein the call is re-established between the first and second mobile terminals through a signal path that does not pass through an intervening mobile subscriber terminal or a repeating mobile subscriber terminal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station receives state information of the second mobile terminal and transmits the state information of the second mobile terminal to the first mobile terminal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first mobile terminal comprises:

a display which displays the state information of the second mobile terminal received from the base station;

a memory which stores a call list which includes a phone number of the second mobile terminal;

a key panel including a call termination button;

a detecting sensor for judging whether a flip or a folder of the first mobile terminal is opened;

a timer which counts pre-set time after a call is released because of a network failure; and

a mobile station modem unit which controls transmission of the state information of the first mobile terminal to the base station, senses a received signal strength of the second mobile terminal when a call connection between the first and second mobile terminals is released because of a network failure, and performs an automatic call connection function in response to the second call connection release.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the base station includes a memory for storing the state information received from the first mobile terminal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the call connection operation is automatically performed by the second mobile terminal to re-establish the call independent from any user command to perform the automatic call operation input after the call release.

6. A method of managing communications in a mobile communication system, comprising:

storing, in a base station, state information transmitted from a first mobile terminal, the state information indicative of a reception signal strength of the first mobile terminal;

monitoring a call connection between the first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal, said monitoring including periodically receiving state information from the first mobile terminal and updating previously stored state information;

transmitting the stored state information transmitted from the first mobile terminal to the second mobile terminal when the call connection between the first and second mobile terminals is interrupted,

automatically transmitting a recall signal when the call interruption is sensed,

wherein one of the first mobile terminal or second mobile terminal is the call originating terminal and the other of the first mobile terminal or second mobile terminal is the call receiving terminal, and wherein the first and second mobile terminals are subscriber terminals and wherein the recall signal establishes a connection between the first and second mobile terminals through a path that does not pass through an intervening mobile subscriber terminal or a repeating mobile subscriber terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the storing further comprises:

receiving an originating signal from the second mobile terminal;

transferring a terminating signal to the first mobile terminal;

receiving the state information from the first mobile terminal in response to the terminating signal.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the monitoring comprises:

sensing whether the call interruption has occurred because of a network failure.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting comprises:

receiving a call termination message;

transferring the stored state information transmitted from the first mobile terminal to the second mobile terminal in response to the call termination message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the call termination message is generated by a call termination button of a key panel unit of the first mobile terminal or as a result of a folder or flip of the first mobile terminal being closed.

11. A method of managing calls in a mobile communication system, comprising:

connecting a call between an originating side terminal and a receiving side terminal;

periodically storing state information transmitted from at least one of the originating side and receiving side terminals in a base station;

monitoring a call connection between the originating side and receiving side terminals;

when the originating side and receiving side terminals are in a call connection state, storing status information for each of the terminals;

when the call connection between the terminals is interrupted, checking whether the call has been interrupted because of a network failure;

when the call has been interrupted because of a network failure, automatically attempting a recall from the originating side terminal;

when a call termination message is received from the originating side terminal or from the receiving side terminal, releasing the call connection between the terminals at the base station; and

transmitting the state information of one of the originating side and receiving side terminals to the other of the originating side and receiving side terminals after the call connection is released, wherein the originating and receiving side terminals are subscriber terminals and wherein the call connection and recall is established between the originating and receiving side terminals through a signal path that does not pass through an intervening mobile subscriber terminal or a repeating mobile subscriber terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the call connecting comprises:

transferring an originating signal from the originating side terminal to the base station;

transferring a terminating signal from the base station to the receiving side terminal; and

transferring a response message from the receiving side terminal to the base station in response to the terminating signal, thereby forming a traffic channel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the state information includes one of battery voltage information received signal strength indication information, and ON/OFF information of at least one of the terminals.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the call termination message is generated by a call termination button of a key panel unit of one of the terminals or as a result of detection of a folder or a flip of one of the terminals closing.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the recall attempting comprises:

checking whether the call connection has been interrupted because of a network failure;

starting a timer;

judging whether a call termination message has been received;

monitoring received signal strength; and

transmitting a recall signal if the received signal strength is greater than a predetermined reference value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the recall signal transferring includes:

paging a phone number stored in a memory unit of the originating side terminal; and

transmitting an originating call.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein if the timer elapses or a call termination message is received, terminating the recall attempting of the originating side terminal.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the state information comprises:

transmitting the state information of the originating side terminal stored in the base station to the receiving side terminal; and

transmitting the state information of the receiving side terminal to the originating side terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the state information comprises:

displaying the received state information on a display unit.

20. A method of managing calls in a mobile communication system, comprising:

connecting a call between an originating side terminal and a receiving side terminal;

transmitting state information of the originating side terminal to a base station;

checking whether a call termination message is input from a user in response to a call interruption;

sensing whether a received signal strength transmitted by one of the originating or receiving side terminals to the other of the originating or receiving side terminals is restored to a level sufficient to make a call available;

when the received signal strength is restored, automatically attempting a recall based on a phone number stored in a memory;

when the call to the receiving side terminal is terminated, receiving state information of the receiving side terminal; and

displaying the state information indicative of the signal strength of the receiving side terminal on the originating side terminal, wherein the originating and receiving side terminals are subscriber terminals and wherein the call and recall is established between the originating and receiving side terminals through a signal path that does not pass through an intervening mobile subscriber terminal or a repeating mobile subscriber terminal.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

continuously transmitting the state information of the originating side terminal to the base station; and

updating a memory of the base station with the continuously transmitted state information.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

starting a timer when the call interruption is detected; and

judging that the call interruption resulted from a network failure when the timer expires.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the call termination message is generated by a call termination button of a terminal key panel unit or as a result of detection of a terminal folder or flip closing.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein if the timer elapses or the call termination message is input, the originating side terminal terminates the recall attempting and then terminates a call to the receiving side terminal.