Method and configuration for identification of a mobile station associated with a base station

• US 6,754,513 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2000
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Ilg, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY D
• Application Number:
  US09/642,803
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 455/572, 455/574, 455/343, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.3
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The invention encompasses a method for identification of a mobile station which is assigned to a base station. The base station has a first low-power mode in which the base station transmits on a clock cycle. The mobile station receives on the same clock cycle and carries out an initial check to determine whether a base station signal is being received. The mobile station has a second high-power mode in which the mobile station lengthens the time period of reception to synchronize with the clock cycle and interchange identification data with the base station. The invention also encompasses a circuit arrangement in particular for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method for identification of a mobile station associated with a base station, wherein the method comprises:

in a first low-power mode, transmitting a base station signal from the base station on a clock cycle;

in the first low-power mode, receiving the base station signal at the mobile station on the clock cycle;

in the first low-power mode, confirming if the mobile station is receiving the base station signal;

in a second higher-power mode, lengthening a reception time period in synchronism with the clock cycle in the mobile station;

in the second higher-power mode, interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station; and

first in the low-power mode, shortening the reception time period of the mobile station to less than a transmission time period of the base station.

2. The method described in claim 1 further comprising:

producing a wake-up signal in the mobile station;

switching an evaluation unit to an active state once the second high-power mode has been entered,

transmitting an unmodulated request signal from the mobile station once the second high-power mode had been entered.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the first low-power mode, the reception time period of the mobile station is one half to one twentieth a transmission time period of the base station.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the first low-power mode, the reception time period of the mobile station is one-tenth a transmission time period of the base station.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the clock period is between one and ten seconds.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the clock period is between four and six seconds.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a transmission time period of the base station is between ten microseconds and one second.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a transmission time period of the base station is between one-hundred microseconds and five milliseconds.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station is encrypted based on a changing key.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said changing key is a count of a clock transmitter.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing clock transmitters in the base station and in the mobile station.

12. A method for identification of a mobile station associated with a base station, wherein the method comprises:

in a first low-power mode, transmitting a base station signal from the base station on a clock cycle;

in the first low-power mode, receiving the base station signal at the mobile station on the clock cycle;

in the first low-power mode, confirming if the mobile station is receiving the base station signal;

in a second higher-power mode, lengthening a reception time period in synchronism with the clock cycle in the mobile station; and

in the second higher-power mode, interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station,

said interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station including;

transmitting a first identification signal by the base station;

receiving and evaluating the first identification signal in the mobile station;

reverting to the first low power mode in the mobile station if the result is negative and transmitting a second identification signal if the result is positive, and

receiving and evaluating the second identification signal in the base station, the base station reverting to the first low-power mode if the result is negative and carrying out an enable function if the result is positive.

13. The method described in claim 12, further comprising:

producing a wake-up signal in the mobile station;

switching an evaluation unit to an active state once the second high-power mode has been entered,

transmitting an unmodulated request signal from the mobile station once the second high-power mode had been entered.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, in the first low-power mode, the reception time period of the mobile station is one half to one twentieth a transmission time period of the base station.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein, in the first low-power modes, the reception time period of the mobile station is one-tenth a transmission time period of the base station.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the clock period is between one and ten seconds.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the clock period is between four and six seconds.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein a transmission time period of the base station is between ten microseconds and one second.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein a transmission time period of the base station is between one-hundred microseconds and five milliseconds.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein said interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station is encrypted based on a changing key.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said changing key is a count of the transmitter clock.

22. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

synchronizing clock transmitters in the base station and in the mobile station.

23. A method for identification of a mobile station associated with a base station, wherein the method comprises:

in a first low-power mode, transmitting a base station signal from the base station on a clock cycle;

in the first low-power mode, receiving the base station signal at the mobile station on the clock cycle;

in the first low-power mode, confirming if the mobile station is receiving the base station signal;

in a second higher-power mode, lengthening a reception time period in synchronism with the clock cycle in the mobile station;

in the second higher-power mode, interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station; and

synchronizing clock transmitters in the base station and in the mobile station by;

checking that the clock transmitter in the mobile station and the clock transmitter in the base station are unsynchronized and, if this occurs,

transmitting a signal for a time period which is at least as long as the clock period minus the time period of receptions,

transmitting a synchronization signal between the base station and the mobile station, and

setting at least one of the mobile station clock transmitter and the base station clock transmitter with the synchronization signal.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the synchronization signal is precise with the clock transmitter of the base station.

25. The method described in claim 23 further comprising:

producing a wake-up signal in the mobile station;

switching an evaluation unit to an active state once the second high-power mode has been entered,

transmitting an unmodulated request signal from the mobile station once the second high-power mode had been entered.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein, in the first low-power mode, the reception time period of the mobile station is one half to one twentieth a transmission time period of the base station.

27. The method according to claim 23, wherein, in the first low-power mode, the reception time period of the mobile station is one-tenth a transmission time period of the base station.

28. The method according to claim 23, wherein the clock period is between one and ten seconds.

29. The method according to claim 23, wherein the clock period is between four and six seconds.

30. The method according to claim 23, wherein a transmission time period of the base station is between ten microseconds and one second.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein a transmission time period of the base station is between one-hundred microseconds and five milliseconds.

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein said interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station is encrypted based on a changing key.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said changing key is a count of the clock transmitter.

34. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

synchronizing the clock transmitters in the base station and in the mobile station.

35. A configuration for identification of a mobile station associated with a base station, comprising:

a base station having a transmitter, a receiver, and a clock transmitter connected to said transmitter and switching on said transmitter upon a clock cycle; and

a mobile station having a transmitter, a receiver, a clock transmitter connected to said receiver for switching on said receiver on the clock cycle, a wake-up unit connected downstream of said receiver and having an initial evaluation module, an evaluation unit connected downstream of said wake-up unit, and a reception interval lengthening unit with an input and an output, said input connected to said wake-up unit, said output connected to said clock transmitter, said evaluation unit including a synchronization module connected to a counter and to said receiver and being adapted for loading a corrected count.

36. The configuration according to claim 35, wherein said clock transmitters in the base station and in the mobile station have an oscillating element and a frequency divider unit.

37. The configuration according to claim 36, wherein said oscillating element is a quartz crystal.

38. The configuration according to claim 36, wherein said frequency divider unit is a programmable counter.

39. The configuration according to claim 35, wherein said synchronization module is designed for calculating a correction value from an uncorrected count and a corrected count.

40. A method for identification of a mobile station associated with a base station, wherein the method comprises:

providing a base station having a transmitter and a receiver; and

a mobile station having a first low-power mode, a second high-power mode, a transmitter, a receiver, and a clock transmitter connected to said receiver for switching on the receiver on a clock cycle, a wake-up unit connected downstream of the receiver, an evaluation unit connected downstream of the wake-up unit, and a reception interval lengthening unit with an input and an output, the input connected to the wake-up unit, and the output connected to the clock transmitter;

generating a clock signal in the base station with the clock transmitter;

generating a clock signal in the mobile station with the clock transmitter that is equal in length as the clock signal in the base station;

transmitting, over a transmission time period based on the clock signal, a base station signal from the base station in the first low-power mode, the reception time period of the mobile station beings shorter than the transmission time period of the base station;

receiving the base station signal in the mobile station being in the first low-power mode;

determining whether the base station signal is being received in the mobile station;

entering the second high-power mode in the mobile station after the base station signal has been received in the mobile station;

lengthening a time period of reception in synchronism with the clock cycle; and

interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station.

41. A method for identification of a mobile station associated with a base station, wherein the method comprises:

providing a base station having a transmitter and a receiver; and

a mobile station having a first low-power mode, a second high-power mode, a transmitter, a receiver, and a clock transmitter connected to said receiver for switching on the receiver on a clock cycle, a wake-up unit connected downstream of the receiver, an evaluation unit connected downstream of the wake-up unit, and a reception interval lengthening unit with an input and an output, the input connected to the wake-up unit, and the output connected to the clock transmitter;

generating a clock signal in the base station with the clock transmitter;

generating a clock signal in the mobile station with the clock transmitter that is equal in length as the clock signal in the base station;

transmitting periodically, based on the clock signal, a base station signal from the base station in the low-power mode;

receiving the base station signal in the mobile station being in the first low-power mode;

determining whether the base station signal is being received in the mobile station;

entering the second high-power mode in the mobile station after the base station signal has been received in the mobile station;

lengthening a time period of reception in synchronism with the clock cycle; and

interchanging identification data between the mobile station and the base station by;

transmitting a first identification signal by the base station;

receiving and evaluating the first identification signal in the mobile station;

reverting to the first low power mode in the mobile station it the result is negative and transmitting a second identification signal if the result is positive, and

receiving and evaluating the second identification signal in the base station, the base station reverting to the first low-power mode if the result is negative and carrying out an enable function if the result is positive.