Delivery apparatus, terminal apparatus, system and method

• US 8,611,939 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Sagae, Yuta, Yoshino, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/062,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20110244904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 455/507
• US Class Current: 455/507
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A delivery apparatus for delivering to multiple areas, wherein one or more radio communication systems are available in each of the areas, includes a storage unit configured to store system information for each of the areas, the system information being required to connect to the available radio communication systems, a detection unit configured to detect a second delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of the delivery areas of the delivery station and a delivery unit configured to deliver system information for each of the areas as control information, the system information being required to connect to a radio communication system available in the area. If the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus, the delivery unit delivers system information as the control information, the system information in the storage unit excluding a portion of the system information required to connect to a radio communication system available in an area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information.

Claims

1. A delivery apparatus for delivering to multiple areas wherein one or more radio communication systems are available in each of the areas, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store system information for each of the areas, the system information being required to connect to the available radio communication systems;

a detection unit configured to detect a second delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of the delivery areas of the delivery station; and

a delivery unit configured to deliver system information for each of the areas as control information, the system information being required to connect to a radio communication system available in the area,

wherein if the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus, the delivery unit delivers system information as the control information, the system information in the storage unit excluding a portion of the system information required to connect to a radio communication system available in an area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information.

2. The delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus, the delivery unit delivers information indicative of the second delivery apparatus as the control information.

3. The delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the storage unit stores a delivery method of the delivery apparatus, and

if the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus, the delivery unit delivers a delivery method of the second delivery apparatus as the control information.

4. The delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the storage unit stores information on the delivery areas of the delivery apparatus, and

the delivery unit delivers the information on the delivery areas.

5. The delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the detection unit fails to detect the second delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of the delivery areas, the delivery unit delivers the system information required to connect to a radio communication system available in an area where the delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information.

6. The delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an indication unit configured to, if the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus for delivering a portion of the delivery areas of the delivery apparatus and a third delivery apparatus for delivering to all the delivery areas, indicate information on the detected second delivery apparatus to the third delivery apparatus.

7. The delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery unit transmits the control information in a frequency band close to a frequency band for transmitting data.

8. The delivery apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus periodically.

9. A terminal apparatus for receiving control information delivered by a delivery apparatus wherein upon detecting a second delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of multiple delivery areas of the delivery apparatus, the delivery station delivers system information as control information, the system information excluding a portion of the system information required to connect to a radio communication system available in an area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information together with information indicative of the second delivery apparatus, comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive the control information from the second delivery apparatus based on the information indicative of the second delivery apparatus in the control information transmitted from the delivery apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the terminal apparatus belongs to the area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information based on the control information received at the reception unit from the second delivery apparatus; and

a connection unit configured to, if the determination unit determines that the terminal apparatus belongs to the delivery area of the second delivery apparatus, connect to the second delivery apparatus.

10. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the control information transmitted from the delivery apparatus includes a delivery method of the delivery apparatus, and

the reception unit receives the control information from the second delivery apparatus in accordance with the delivery method.

11. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein if the control information received at the reception unit from the second delivery apparatus includes information on a fourth delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of multiple delivery areas of the second delivery apparatus, the determination unit determines that the terminal apparatus does not belong to the delivery areas of the second delivery apparatus.

12. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein if the determination unit determines that the terminal apparatus belongs to the delivery areas of the second delivery apparatus, the connection unit identifies to which of the delivery areas of the second delivery apparatus the terminal apparatus belongs.

13. The terminal apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the connection unit acquires information required to connect to a radio communication system available in the identified area.

14. A system comprising:

a delivery apparatus for delivering to multiple areas; and

a terminal apparatus for receiving information delivered by the delivery apparatus,

wherein one or more radio communication systems are available in each of the areas,

the delivery apparatus comprising;

a storage unit configured to store system information for each of the areas, the system information being required to connect to the available radio communication systems;

a detection unit configured to detect a second delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of the delivery areas of the delivery station; and

a delivery unit configured to deliver system information for each of the areas as control information, the system information being required to connect to a radio communication system available in the area,

wherein if the detection unit detects the second delivery apparatus, the delivery unit delivers system information as the control information, the system information in the storage unit excluding a portion of the system information required to connect to a radio communication system available in an area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information, and

the terminal apparatus comprising;

a reception unit configured to receive the control information from the second delivery apparatus based on the information indicative of the second delivery apparatus in the control information transmitted from the delivery apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the terminal apparatus belongs to the area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information based on the control information received at the reception unit from the second delivery apparatus; and

a connection unit configured to, if the determination unit determines that the terminal apparatus belongs to the delivery area of the second delivery apparatus, connect to the second delivery apparatus.

15. A method in a system including a delivery apparatus for delivering to multiple areas and a terminal apparatus for receiving information delivered by the delivery apparatus,

wherein one or more radio communication systems are available in each of the areas,

the method comprising:

at the delivery apparatus,

detecting a second delivery apparatus for delivering to a portion of the delivery areas of the delivery station; and

delivering system information for each of the areas as control information, the system information being required to connect to a radio communication system available in the area,

wherein if the detecting step comprises detecting the second delivery apparatus, the delivering step comprises delivering system information as the control information, the system information in a storage unit excluding a portion of the system information required to connect to a radio communication system available in an area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information, and

the method further comprising;

at the terminal apparatus,

receiving the control information from the second delivery apparatus based on the information indicative of the second delivery apparatus in the control information transmitted from the delivery apparatus;

determining whether the terminal apparatus belongs to the area where the second delivery apparatus is responsible for delivering the control information based on the control information received from the second delivery apparatus; and

if it is determined that the terminal apparatus belongs to the delivery area of the second delivery apparatus, connecting to the second delivery apparatus.