Cellular mobile telephone system usable on board a passenger transport vehicle

• US 20020016168A1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Rousseau, Jean-Rene, Criqui, Jean-Francois
• Granted Patent: US 6,889,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A cellular mobile telephone system usable on board a passenger transport vehicle includes a first transmitter-receiver station on board the vehicle and connected to an antenna external to the vehicle to establish an external radio link between the vehicle and a terrestrial mobile telephone network via a satellite. A base station system having at least one antenna inside the vehicle is connected to a base station controller. The base station system and the base station controller have functions analogous to those of a base station system in a standard mobile telephone network.

Claims

1. A cellular mobile telephone system usable on board a passenger transport vehicle, the system including:

a first transmitter-receiver station on board said vehicle and connected to an antenna external to said vehicle to establish an external radio link between said vehicle and a terrestrial mobile telephone network, and

means in said vehicle for coupling portable mobile telephone terminals inside said vehicle to said transmitter-receiver station, said means including at least one base station system having at least one antenna inside said vehicle and a base station controller connected to each base station system and to said first transmitter-receiver station, said controller and said base station system having functions analogous to those of a base station system in a standard mobile telephone network.

2. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said external radio link is relayed by at least one satellite.

3. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein a base station system includes means enabling said portable mobile telephone terminals inside said vehicle to send and receive data.

4. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein a base station system includes means enabling portable mobile telephone terminals inside said vehicle to set up calls between them.