Message distribution method, radio base station, and message distribution station

• US 8,725,061 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishida, Katsutoshi, Tanaka, Itsuma, Hapsari, Wuri Andarmawanti, Uchiyama, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/059,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20110207394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A message distribution method according to the present invention includes the steps of: (A) determining, at a message distribution station (CBC), distribution area information and a distribution type, based on a message distribution request received from a flash report transmission station (CBE) and containing distribution target area information, and reporting, from the message distribution station (CBC) to a radio base station (eNB), the distribution area information and the distribution; and (B) determining, at the radio base station (eNB), the distribution area, based on the distribution area information and the distribution type, and distributing, from the radio base station to the mobile station in the distribution area, a predetermined message.

Claims

1. A warning message distribution method for distributing a warning message to a mobile station (UE) in a distribution area in a mobile communication system defined by the 3GPP, comprising the steps of:

(A) determining, at a message distribution station (CBC), distribution area information and a distribution type, when the message distribution station (CBC) receives a message distribution request containing distribution target area information from a flash report transmission station (CBE), and reporting, from the message distribution station (CBC) to a radio base station (eNB) via a mobile control apparatus (MME), the distribution area information and the distribution type; and

(B) determining, at the radio base station (eNB), the distribution area, based on the reported distribution area information and the distribution type, and distributing, from the radio base station (eNB) to the mobile station (UE) in the distribution area, the warning message, wherein,

in the step (B), the radio base station (eNB) determines whether or not to preferentially distribute the warning message based on the reported distribution type.

2. The message distribution method according to claim 1, wherein the step (A) comprises the steps of:

determining, at the message distribution station (CBC), a tracking area, based on the message distribution request, and reporting, from the message distribution station (CBC) to the mobile control apparatus (MME) corresponding to the distribution target area; and

reporting, from the mobile control apparatus (MME) to the radio base station (eNB) belonging to the tracking area, the distribution area information and the distribution type.