Radio communication system, terminal equipment used therefor and service control station used therefor

• US 6,694,136 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Uda, Yoshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US10/135,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426, 455/412, 455/413, 455/424, 455/461, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

There is provided a radio communication system including (a) a plurality of terminal equipments connected to one another by a radio system through a radio base station connected to a communication line, and (b) a service control station existing on the communication line, and controlling communication among the terminal equipments, the terminal equipments being designed to be capable of communicating data information with one another through the service control station. For instance, the data information includes picture data, image data, and audio data. For instance, each of the terminal equipments is comprised of a simplified personal handyphone. In accordance with the radio communication system, a terminal equipment or a PHS terminal equipment stores only minimum index information in an internal storage circuit, and hence, it is no longer necessary to store data information. This is realized by a small-sized storage circuit.

Claims

1. A radio communication system comprising:

(a) a plurality of terminal equipment connected to one another by a radio system through a radio base station connected to a communication line; and

(b) a service control station existing on said communication line and controlling communication among said plurality of terminal equipment, said plurality of terminal equipment being capable of communicating data information with one another through said service control station,

said service control station receiving data information and index information acting as an index of said data information from a transmitter terminal equipment, forwarding the index information to a receiver terminal equipment upon receipt of the data information and the index information, and transmitting the data information to the receiver terminal equipment upon request from the receiver terminal equipment.

2. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said data information includes picture data, image data, and audio data.

3. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of terminal equipment is comprised of a simplified personal handyphone.

4. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of terminal equipment includes means for editing said data information and index information acting as an index of said data information, at a display section, and transmitting said data information and said index information to said service control station.

5. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said index information includes at least a destination to which said data information is to be transmitted, a transmitter of said data information, an index of said data information, and a time at which said data information was transmitted.

6. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of terminal equipment includes means for receiving said data information and index information acting as an index of said data information from said service control station, and displaying said data information and said index information at a display section for edition.

7. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of terminal equipment includes means for storing only index information acting as an index of said data information, in a memory, and retrieving said index information stored in said memory.

8. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of terminal equipment includes means for transmitting a request to said service control station for transmitting thereto data information associated with the retrieved index information.

9. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of terminal equipment includes means for editing data information and index information both received from said service control station, and transmitting the thus edited data information and index information to said service control station.

10. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of terminal equipment includes means for storing only index information acting as an index of said data information, received from said service control station, and annunciating to a user that said index information has been received.

11. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said service control station includes means for receiving data information and index information acting as an index of said data information transmitted from one of said plurality of terminal equipment, storing said data information and index information in a memory, and transmitting only said index information to other terminal equipment.

12. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said service control station includes means for, when a request for transmitting data information to a terminal equipment is received, retrieving said data information stored in a memory, and transmitting said data information to said terminal equipment.

13. The radio communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said service control station includes:

a first memory for storing index information acting as an index of said communicated data information;

a second memory for storing said communicated data information; and

a data processor for (i) extracting said data information, index information acting as an index of said data information, and a request for transmitting said index information and said data information to said receiver terminal equipment, from a radio data frame received from said transmitter terminal equipment, (ii) storing said extracted index information in said first memory, and said extracted data information in said second memory, and (iii) identifying said receiver terminal equipment by analyzing said index information, transmitting said index information to said receiver terminal equipment upon receipt of said data information and said index information, and transmitting said data information to said receiver terminal equipment upon request from said receiver terminal equipment.

14. A terminal equipment used for a radio communication system wherein a plurality of terminal equipment is capable of communicating data information with one another through a service control station, said terminal equipment comprising:

means for editing said data information and index information acting as an index of said data information at a display section of said terminal equipment; and

means for transmitting said data information and said index information to said service control station, wherein said index information is transmitted to a receiver terminal equipment upon receipt of the data information and the index information at the service control station, and said data information is transmitted to said receiver terminal equipment upon request from said receiver terminal equipment.

15. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, wherein said index information includes at least a destination to which said data information is to be transmitted, a transmitter of said data information, an index of said data information, and a time at which said data information was transmitted.

16. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, further including means for receiving said data information and said index information from said service control station, and displaying the thus received data information and index information at a display section for edition.

17. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, further including means for storing only said index information in a memory, and retrieving said index information stored in said memory.

18. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 17, farther including means for transmitting a request to said service control station for transmitting thereto data information associated with the retrieved index information.

19. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, farther including means for editing said data information and said index information both received from said service control station, and transmitting the thus edited data information and index information to said service control station.

20. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, further including means for storing only said index information received from said service control station, and annunciating to a user that said index information has been received.

21. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, wherein said data information includes picture data, image data, and audio data.

22. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, wherein said terminal equipment is comprised of a simplified personal handyphone.

23. The terminal equipment as set forth in claim 14, wherein said index information includes at least a destination to which said data information is to be transmitted, a transmitter of said data information, an index of said data information, and a time at which said data information was transmitted.

24. A service control station to be used for a radio communication system wherein a plurality of terminal equipment is capable of communicating data information with one another through said service control station, said service control station comprising:

means for receiving data information and index information acting as an index of said data information, transmitted from a first terminal equipment storing said data information and said index information in a memory; and

means for transmitting said index information to a second terminal equipment upon receipt of the data information and the index information and transmitting said data information to the second terminal equipment upon request from said second terminal equipment.

25. The service control station as set forth in claim 24, further including means for, when a request for transmitting data information to a terminal equipment is received, retrieving said data information in a memory, and transmitting said data information to said terminal equipment.

26. The service control station as set forth in claim 24, wherein said data information includes picture data, image data, and audio data.

27. The service control station as set forth in claim 24, wherein said index information includes at least a destination to which said data information is to be transmitted, a transmitter of said data information, an index of said data information, and a time at which said data information was transmitted.

28. A service control station to be used for a radio communication system wherein a plurality of terminal equipment is capable of communicating data information with one another through said service control station, said service control station comprising:

a first memory for storing index information acting as an index of said communicated data information;

a second memory for storing said communicated data information; and

a data processor for (i) extracting data information, index information acting as an index of said data information, and a request for transmitting said index information and said data information to a receiver terminal equipment, from a radio frame received from a transmitter terminal equipment, (ii) storing said extracted index information in said first memory, and said extracted data information in said second memory, and (iii) identifying said receiver terminal equipment by analyzing said index information, transmitting said index information to said receiver terminal equipment upon receipt of the data information and the index information, and transmitting said data information to said receiver terminal equipment upon request from said receiver terminal equipment.

29. The service control station as set forth in claim 28, wherein said data information includes picture data, image data, and audio data.

30. The service control station as set forth in claim 28, wherein said index information includes at least a destination to which said data information is to be transmitted, a transmitter of said data information, an index of said data information, and a time at which said data information was transmitted.