GB2335574A

GB2335574A - Mobile station with one touch scan function

Info

Publication number: GB2335574A
Application number: GB9904685A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hideyuki Miyajima
Original assignee: NEC Corp
Current assignee: NEC Corp
Priority date: 1998-03-02
Filing date: 1999-03-01
Publication date: 1999-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-01
Also published as: JPH11252621A; GB2335574B; GB9904685D0; JP2928217B1

Abstract

A mobile station device comprises: a radio device for communicating with a base station; and a controller for directing the radio device to scan for a radio signal from a base station, and determine if the mobile station is within an area associated with said base station in response to a specified key input. The mobile station device reduces power consumption by periodically performing a channel scan operation when the mobile station is outside a region associated with base stations and can immediately determine if it is inside a region in response to a key input without having to wait for the next channel scan operation. Advantageously, the key input may be the first or last digit of a telephone number.

Description

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v BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mobile radio station device for example for Personal Handy Phone Systems (PHS) as used in Japan, and comparable systems elsewhere. The present invention more particularly relates to a mobile station device having a function for periodically scanning radio signals from base stations to determine whether the device is within a region associated with the base stations (a channel-scan function, or a channel acquisition function).

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10049451, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional mobile station devices, such as cellular and cordless telephone systems, or radiotelephone systems, scan radio signals (frequencies) from base stations when the devices are turned on, and determine whether the devices are in regions where they can receive radio signals from the base stations, that is, whether the devices are within or outside the regions surrounding the respective base stations. As long as the devices are outside the regions, the devices periodically scan radio signals from the base stations to repeat the determination.

When the conventional mobile station device enters the region, the mobile station device registers the location and enters a standby mode for sending an outgoing 0 0 call and receiving an incoming call. In the standby mode, the mobile station device continuously scans the radio signal from the base station to determine whether the 2 device remains within the region.

When the mobile station device determines that it is outside the region, the device periodically (for example, at intervals of 10 minutes) scans the radio signal from the base station to repeat the determination.

However, when the conventional mobile station device enters the region associated with the base stations, the mobile station device does not recognized the entry until the next scanning. That is, recognition may be delayed from the entry into the region by a maximum of time equal to the interval between the scan operations. When a telephone call to the other station is initiated between the entry into the region and the 101 recognition of the entry, communication cannot be established (the mobile station device may get a busy tone) because of a timeout occurring in a send-call operation. Even when a timeout is avoided in the send-call operation, it may take time before the initiation of the telephone call because of the time delay in the recognition of the entry into the region by the next channel spn operation, irritating a user and making the operation inconvenient.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved mobile station device which can reduce electric power consumption by periodically performing a channel scan operation when the mobile station device is outside a region associated with base stations and which can perform a call operation immediately before the next periodical scan operation in the time lag between entry into the region and recognition of the entry.

The mobile station of the present invention device comprises: a radio device for communicating with a base station; and a controller for directing the radio device to 3 perform a one-touch scan function for scanning a radio signal from the base station immediately in response to a specified key input in order to determine whether the mobile station device is within or outside the region associated with the base station.

Tle one-touch scan function is performed immediately in response to the input of a telephone number, or in response to the input of the first digit of a telephone number.

According to the invention, the one-touch channel scan operation is immediately performed in response to a specified operation on a button to determine whether the mobile station device is within or outside the region. When the mobile station device is outside the region surrounding the base stations, the channel scan operation is periodically performed to reduce power consumption, while when the device enters the region, a outgoing call can be initiated by the one-touch channel scan operation even during the time lag between entry into the region and recognition of the entry 1 In another aspect of the present invention, the controller directs the radio device to periodically scan the radio signal from the base station when the mobile station device is outside the region associated with the base station. The controller directs the radio device to continuously scan for the radio signal from the base station when the mobile station device is within the region associated with the base station.

A method for determining whether a mobile station device is within or outside a region associated with a base station, comprises the step of: performing a one-touch scan function for scanning the radio signal from the base station immediately in response to a specified key input.

The one-touch scan function is performed immediately in response to the input of a telephone number, or in response to the input of the first digit of a telephone number 4 The method of the present invention further comprises the step of periodically scanning the radio signal from a base station when the mobile station device is outside the region associated with the base station, and the step of continuously scanning the radio signal from a base station when the mobile station device is within the region 5 associated with the base station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a flow chart showing a particular operation of the controuer in the mobile station device of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the mobile station- device of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an operation in a standby mode when the mobile station device sends a call.

1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the best mode of the mobile station device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be explained. Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the mobile station device (a cordless telephone device used in Pers,)nal Handy Phone Systems (PHS) in Japan) of the present invention.

In general, the base stations are arranged in adjacent geographical regions. The mobile station devices within a region communicate with the associated base station. As the mobile station device is transported from a region to an adjacent region, communication with the device is handed off from one base station to an adjacent base station. The mobile station device may receive signals from at least one of the base stations, establishes synchronization with the base station, and then a telephone call to the base station may proceed.

The mobile station device is selectively in radio communication with one of the base stations. Each base station communicates with the mobile station device within the region surrounding the respective base station. The mobile station device is generally portable in nature and may be transported among the regions. In general, the base stations are also in communication with the public telephone network and allow communication between the mobile station devices.

1 Each base station continuously sends a control radio signal for initiation of communication, which contains information identifying each of the respective base stations and which allows the mobile station device to identify a base station.

The mobile station device of the present invention comprises a controller 1, a radio device 2, a audio device 3 (such as a microphone and a speaker), a display 4, a key input device 5 (such as a key matrix), and an EEPROM (electrically erasable/programable read only memory). The controller 1 accesses the EEPROM 6 and controls the radio device 2, the audio device 3, and the display 4 in response to a key input from the key input device 5 to perform a one- touch scan function for scanning base stations.

In the scanning operation, the controller 1 directs the radio device 2 to scan frequencies for signals transmitted by one of the base stations to find control channel signals transmitted by the base station. The control channel signal may be organized according to, for example, the PHS protocol. To establish synchronization with one of the base stations, the mobile station device decodes base station identity information and station system information from the received control channel signal. After the synchronization is established, the mobile station system can communicate with the base station. As will be described below, the present invention performs the scan operation 6 depending on the situation.

Fig. 1 shows an operation performed by the controller 1 of the embodiment. When the mobile station device is turned on (step 101), the controller 1 starts scanning the radio signals from the base stations using the radio device 2 (performing retrieval of 5 electric fields) (step 102)

When the electric field is found, it is determined that the mobile station device is within the region surrounding the base station (step 103), and performs a location registration operation (step 104). When the registration of the location is acceptable (step 105), the mobile station device enters a in-region standby mode (step 106), and awaits operations of sending an outgoing call and receiving an incoming call (step 103).

In the standby mode, the mobile station device continuously scans the radio wave from the base station to determine whether the mobile station device remains within the region (step 103).

In step 103, when the electr field is not found, it is determined that the mobile station device is outside the region. The mobile station device enters an outside-region standby mode (step 108) and prepares the next retrieval (step 109). At intervals of a predetermined time period (for example, ten minutes), the device repeats scanning the radio signal (step 102) and determines whether the mobile station device is within or outside the region (step 103). When it is determined that the device is outside the region, the steps 108, 109, 102, and 103 are repeated. Thus, the channel scan operation is periodically performed as long as the mobile station device is outside the region.

When the mobile station device enters the region in the periodical channel scan mode, steps 104, 105, and 106 are performed, and the mobile station device enters the standby mode for sending outgoing calls and receiving incoming calls (step 107).

When the registration of the location is not acceptable in step 105, the flow proceeds to 1 1 7 steps 108 and 109 and returns to steps 102 and 103.

As is apparent from the flow chart, when the device is outside the region, the scan operation is performed not continuously but periodically, thereby reducing the power consumption. This is favorable when the device remains outside the regions for many hours.

The present invention solves the problem that, when the conventional mobile station device enters the region associated with the base stations, the device does not recognized the entry until the next scan operation. That is, the mobile station device prevents this undesirable effect because of the time lag between the entry into the region and the recognition of the entry. In the conventional mobile station device, when a.

telephone call to the other station is initiated in the interval between the scan operations, communication cannot be established because of a timeout occurring in the call sending operation, and even when the timeout is avoided, it may take time before the initiation of the telephone call because the entry ito the region has not been recognized until the next channel scan operation, irritating a user and making the operation inconvenient.

To avoid the problem, the controller 1 has a one-touch scan function for scanning the radio signals from the base stations. When the user inputs a telephone number from the key input device 5 to send a call, the controller 1 detects the first digit of the number (step 110), immediately scans the radio signal from the base stations (step 102), and determines whether the device is within or outside the region (step 103).

Even in the intervals between the periodical channel scan operations, the device immediately performs the channel scan operations in response to the input of the telephone number before the next periodical channel scan operation. When the mobile station device is within the region, the flow proceeds from step 104 to step 107, and the device enters a standby mode for sending and receiving a call. After inputting the 8 telephone number (step 301 in Fig. 3), the user pushes a call start button (step 302), and a telephone call is initiated (step 303).

Just after the mobile station device enters the region in the intervals between the channel scan operations, the telephone call can be immediately initiated, preventing a timeout in the telephone call operation and eliminating effects arising from the time lag between the entry into the region and the recognition of the entry.

Because in the embodiment the channel scan operation is immediately performed in response to the input of the telephone number, users may not realize the intervals between the channel scan operations, and this is convenient for and does not irritate the users.

The channel scan operation, started in response to the first digit of the telephone number, is performed while the other digits of the telephone number are being input. This shortens a time required to initiate the telephone call, as compared with the conventional device in which the channel scan operation is performed after the completion of inputting the telephone number. That is, since in the present invention the input of the first digit of the telephone number is intended to send a call, the channel scan operation is started and completed before the completion of the input of the telephone number.

While in the embodiment the channel scan operation is performed in response to the input of the first digit of the telephone number, the channel scan operation may be performed after the completion of the input of all the digits of the telephone number or in response to the input of the other digit of the telephone number. The invention is not limited to the device detecting the input of the telephone number, and the channel scan operation may be immediately performed in response to the other key operation.

The present invention is not limited to the PHS system used in Japan, and can 9 be applied to other telecommunication system such as Digital European Cordless Telephone (DECT) systems used in Europe.

This invention may be embodied in other forms or carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects illustrative and not limiting, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, and all modifications falling within the meaning and range of equivalency are intended to be embraced therein.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (which term includes the claims) and/or shown in the drawings may be incorporated in the invention independently of other disclosed and/or illustrated features.

Statements in this specification of the "objects of the invention" relate to preferred embodiments of the invention, but not necessarily to all embodiments of the invention falling within the claims.

The description of the invention with reference to the drawings is by way of example only.

The text of the abstract filed herewith is repeated here as part of the specification.

The mobile station device q the present invention comprises: a radio device for communicating with a base station; and a controller for directing the radio device to perform a one-touch scan function for scanning a radio signal from the base station immediately in response to a specified key input in order to determine whether the mobile station device is within or outside the region associated with the base station.

Claims

CLAIMS:

A mobile station device comprising: a radio device for communicating with a base station; and a controller for directing said radio device to perform a one-touch scan function for scanning a radio sigrA from said base station immediately in response to a specified key input in order to detem-line whether said mobile station device is within or outside a region associated with said base station.
2. A mobile station device according to claim 1, wherein the one-touch scan function is performed immediately in response to the input of a telephone number.
3. A mobile station device according to claim 1, wherein the one-touch scan function is performed immediately in response to the input of the first digit of a telephone number.
4. A mobile station device according to claim 1, wherein said controller directs said radio device to periodically scan the radio signal from said base station when the mobile station device is outside the region associated with said base station.
5. A mobile station device according to claim 1, wherein said controller directs said 0 radio device to continuously scan the radio signal from said base station when the mobile station device is within the region associated with said base station.
6. A method for determining whether a mobile station device is within or outside a 11 region associated with a base station, comprising the step of: performing a one-touch scan function for scanning the radio signal from said base station immediately in response to a specified key input.
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the one-touch scan function is performed immediately in response to the input of a telephone number,
8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the one-touch scan function is performed immediately in response to the input of the first digit of a telephone number,
9. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of periodically scanning the radio signal from said base station when said mobile station device is outside the region associated with said base station.

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10. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of continuously scanning the radio signal from said base station when said mobile station device is within the region associated with said base station.
11. A radiotelephone device comprising. a radio device for communicating with a base station; and a controller for directing said radio device to perform a one-touch scan function for scanning a radio signal from said base station irnmediately in response to a specified key input in order to determine whether said cordless telephone device is within or outside a region associated with said base station.

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12. A mobile station device, a radio telephone device or a method substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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