Method and arrangement for operating mobile communication terminals

• US 8,103,248 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Rumpf, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Danh
• Application Number:
  US12/309,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/411, 455/440, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A method and arrangement for operating mobile communication terminals in a radio network with at least one base station, providing a first radio coverage area, and at least one mobile communication terminal in which at least one locally limited area of activity within the first radio coverage area is communicated to the radio network are provided. The mobile communication terminal'"'"'s entry into the area of activity is detected. In addition, when entry has been detected, a first message from the radio network prompts the mobile communication terminal to transmit ascertained position finding information using a second message and the radio network initiates detection of the second message with the position-finding information. In addition, in the absence of the second message, the mobile communication terminal is manipulated by the base station such that at least some of the communication links are suppressed within the area of activity, with receipt of the second message in the communication terminal at least partially allowing communication links within the area of activity on the basis of identity information identifying the user of the communication terminal.

Claims

1. A method for operating mobile communication terminal devices in a radio network having a base station providing a first radio-coverage area, the method comprising:

a mobile communication terminal device operating at a first function status entering the first radio coverage area;

the base station detecting the mobile communication terminal device;

the base station requesting position information from the mobile communication terminal device in a first message transmitted to the mobile communication terminal device, the position information identifying a location of the mobile communication terminal device;

initiating a timer to determine whether the mobile communication terminal device has provided the requested position information to the base station within a predetermined amount of time;

if no message from the mobile terminal providing the requested position information is received by the base station within the predetermined amount of time, the base station barring the mobile communication terminal device from connecting to the radio network;

if the mobile communication terminal device sends a message to the base station that has the requested position information within the predetermined amount of time, the base station ascertaining an identity of the mobile communication terminal device or a user of the mobile communication terminal device to determine an authorization status for the mobile communication terminal device;

checking the authorization status for the mobile communication device or the user of the mobile communication terminal device;

if the mobile communication device or the user of the mobile communication terminal device is determined to be authorized, the base station allowing the mobile communication terminal device to connect to the radio network to transmit communication messages via the radio network; and

if the mobile communication device or the user of the mobile communication terminal device is determined to not be authorized, the base station preventing the mobile communication device from connecting to the radio network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station preventing the mobile communication device from connecting to the radio network occurs such that only emergency calls are communicatable by the mobile communication terminal device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the position information is obtained by the mobile communication terminal device for transmitting to the base station for providing the requested position information via a radio frequency identification tag.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the position information is obtained by the mobile communication terminal device for transmitting to the base station for providing the requested position information via a global positioning system or in accordance with a triangulation method.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the position information is comprised of coordinates according to a Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the position information is comprised of coordinates according to a triangulation principle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the position information is comprised of coordinates through localizing a “

Radio-Frequency Identification—

RFID—

tag”

.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station detects the mobile communication terminal in radio-coverage areas that border the first radio-coverage and/or overlap the first radio-coverage.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station detects the mobile communication terminal in the first radio-coverage area.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station detects the mobile communication terminal by detecting an RFID tag located in a near field of the mobile communication terminal.