GB2326749A

GB2326749A - Radio selective calling receiver

Info

Publication number: GB2326749A
Application number: GB9813798A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshihide Uda
Original assignee: NEC Corp
Current assignee: NEC Corp
Priority date: 1997-06-27
Filing date: 1998-06-25
Publication date: 1998-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-25
Also published as: CN1184829C; CN1406074A; CN1211882A; GB9813798D0; GB2326749B; JPH1118129A; JP3062120B2; CN1115061C

Description

RADIO SELECTIVE CALLING RECEIVER The present invention relates to a radio selective calling receiver and radio calling system using the receiver, and especially to a location registering system when the radio selective calling receiver (referred to as a pager, hereinafter) moves between areas of radio calling exchanges.

The radio selective calling receiver (pager) of such a kind of conventional radio calling system, in case of changing a location registration, used a system in which location information is notified to the radio calling exchange through means capable of communicating with the radio calling exchanger, and returning a new reception frequency information to the pager, and a system in which location information is notified to the radio calling exchange through means capable of communicating with the radio calling exchange, it is determined whether or not the pager is permitted on an exchange side to receive a message in a corresponding area, and if permitted, after location registration information on the exchange side is changed, a transmitting base station for a call is changed (JP-A-260981/1994 and JP-A-284095/1993 shall be referred to.).

The first task in the pager of the above-mentioned conventional radio calling system is that a user has to conduct a change of the location registration of the pager through means capable of communicating with other radio calling exchanges, which gives the user troublesomeness in use. This is because the pager itself does not have a function for transmitting a demand of the location registration and the user is forced to use other communicating means.

The second task is that the negligence of the location registration change by the user causes condition in which the pager is unable to be called and traffic hindrance of the radio calling exchange of the origin of a movement.

Since the location registration information is not changed, the pager cannot receive a message in an area where it has moved, and the radio calling exchange of the origin of the movement has to continue to call the pager that does not exist at the area, which causes a traffic of the origin of the movement increase wastefully.

The third task is that since the determination whether or not the area is able to receive a message is conducted not on a pager side, but on an exchange side, even though the pager can transmit a location registration demand, there is inconvenience such that the pager demands the location registration even when the area to which the pager has moved is a message receiving forbidden area and such that the pager always demands the location registration even when the pager does not move between areas.

An object of at least the preferred embodiment of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Another such object is to eliminate problems associated with location registration of a user.

Another such object is to reduce the duration when a radio selective calling receiver cannot be called and to eliminate wasteful increase of a traffic of a radio calling exchange from which a pager has moved.

Another such object is to reduce consumption of a battery due to unnecessary demand of a location registration from a radio selective calling receiver.

Another such object is to, even if an area to which a radio selective calling receiver has moved is an area where message reception is not permitted, notify the current location (the name of an area) to a user.

The present invention provides a radio selective calling receiver for use in a radio calling system having radio calling exchanges for controlling a call of said radio selective calling receiver, the location of which is registered in a service area of a radio transmitting base station, said receiver comprising: means for, through a separate radio communication system, transmitting a location registration demand to a radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, when said receiver moves from a service area of a radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to a service area of another radio calling exchange.

Also, in the above-described arrangement, the following can be adopted, such as means for, when the receiver moves between service areas of the different radio calling exchanges, automatically retrieving a frequency of the service area to which the receiver has moved if detecting a change of a reception frequency, collating a received area ID with a group of message receivable are ID's stored in the receiver itself, and determining whether or not the area to which the receiver has moved is a message receivable service area, and/or means for setting permission or forbiddance of transmitting a location registration demand based on a determination result of whether or not the area is the message receivable service area, when the receiver moves from the service area of the radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been already registered to the service area of another radio calling exchange, and/or means for notifying a user that the service area has been changed or is a message reception forbidden area, when the receiver moves from the service area of the radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been already registered to the service area of another radio calling exchange.

The present invention also provides a radio calling system comprising: a radio selective calling receiver; a first radio calling exchange for controlling a call of said radio selective calling receiver, the location of which is registered in a service area of a radio transmitting base station within jurisdiction; and a second radio calling exchange for communicating with said radio selective calling receiver by means of a different radio communicating method from that of said first radio calling exchange, and having a service area overlapping with a service area of said first radio calling exchange, wherein said radio selective calling receiver has means for, when moving from said service area of said first radio calling exchange to said service area of said second radio calling exchange, transmitting to said second radio calling exchange a location registration demand for said second radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, and said first radio calling exchange has means for receiving said location demand and transferring said received location registration demand to said second radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved.

A preferred radio calling system has a radio selective calling receiver of the above-described arrangement, radio calling exchanges, and a radio communication system for, when receiving a location registration demand from the above-described radio selective calling receiver, transferring the location registration demand to the abovedescribed radio calling exchanges, and the radio communication system having a service area overlapping with service areas of the above-described radio calling exchanges.

Also, in the above-described arrangement, it can be adopted that the above-described radio communication system is a simplified type portable telephone system and is connected to the above-described radio calling exchanges through a wired public network.

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a system arrangement view showing one embodiment of a radio calling system; Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of an example of a detailed arrangement of a pager in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows a flow of the operation of the embodiment.

Fig.l is a system arrangement view showing one embodiment a radio calling system. In the radio calling system of the embodiment in Fig. 1, there are a plurality of pager areas (Here, they are assumed to be a pager area A and a pager B, for example) having different reception frequencies, for only receiving a radio call, which are radio service areas available to a radio selective calling receiver (pager) 100, and a communication area (Here, it is assumed to be a PHS area of a simplified type portable telephone system (PHS), for example.) capable of conducting radio communication and having a communication method that is different from that used in the above-described radio call.

This system has a plurality of radio calling exchanges 106 and 107 for receiving a calling demand from a call claimant (not shown), controlling a call of the pager, and holding location registration information of the pager within the service areas (the pager areas A and B) of its own therein.

Also, this system has a plurality of transmitting base stations 104 and 105 for being controlled by each of the radio calling exchanges 106 and 107 and outputting radio calling signals for the pager to the service areas (the pager areas A and B) of its own, respectively.

Moreover, this system has the pager 100 for receiving a message by synchronous detection based on the radio calling signals from the transmitting base stations 104 and 105 and automatically conducting transmission for a location registration demand in case of moving between areas.

Furthermore, this system has a PHS radio base station 103 for receiving the location registration demand from the pager 100.

The PHS radio base station 103 and the radio calling exchanges 106 and 107 are constructed to be able to be connected to each other through a wired public network.

In addition, the above-mentioned call claimant can be also contained in this public network 108.

As mentioned above, the pager 100 has a function for receiving the radio calling signals from each of the transmitting base stations 104 and 105 and a two-way radio-communication function with the PHS radio base station 103. Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of an example of a detailed arrangement of this pager 100.

The pager 100 in Fig. 2 has an antenna 102 for the pager for receiving the radio calling signals from the transmitting base stations 104 and 105, a pager radio section 203 for demodulating the received radio calling signals, a synchronous detection section 204 for detecting a synchronous pattern from the demodulated received signals, an area ID detecting section 210 for detecting an area ID from the demodulated received signals, a PLL control section 205 for outputting a frequency necessary for the pager radio section 203 in accordance with a reception frequency of a receiving area, and a CPU (main control section) 206 for generalizing control of an entire apparatus.

Also, the pager 100 has an area ID storage memory 209 for storing all area ID's that the pager can receive, reception frequency information corresponding to the area ID's one by one, and an area ID indicating an area in which the pager itself can receive a message.

Moreover, the pager 100 has a transmission controlling section 202 for conducting communication control with the PHS radio base station 103 so as to transmit a location registration demand signal in case that a location registration demand occurs, and a PHS radio section 201 for modulating a transmitting signal from the transmission controlling section 202 and outputting a radio transmitting signal to the PHS radio base station 103 through an antenna 101 for the PHS and for receiving a radio receiving signal from the PHS radio base station 103 through the antenna 101 for the PHS, demodulating the signal and outputting the received signal.

Furthermore, the pager 100 has a display section 208 and a speaker 207 for notifying a message and a warning to a user.

Next, operation of the system will be explained by referring to Fig. 3 showing a flow of the operation, together with Figs. 1 and 2.

A feature of the system is that the transmissible communicating function having a communicating method (PHS) different from that in the radio call is provided with the pager 100. In case that the pager 100 moves from an area in which a location has been registered to another area, the pager itself retrieves a reception frequency of the area where the pager has moved, collates a received area ID with a message receivable area ID stored in the pager itself, and, if a change of a location registration is necessary, automatically transmits a location registration demand to the radio calling exchanges through a system having a different communication method, Concurrently, in case that the pager has moved to a message reception forbidden area, transmission of the location registration demand is forbidden.

Next, the detailed operation of the pager 100 will be explained. The pager 100 starts a process of an asynchronous mode when a power supply is turned on (Step S100 in Fig. 3). The CPU 206 writes a PLL data in the PLL control section 205 based on the reception frequency information stored in the area ID storage memory 209 (Step Silo). Thereafter, the pager 100 starts reception of the radio calling signals by means of the pager radio section 203, and conducts the detection of the synchronous pattern at the synchronous detection section 204. In case that the synchronous pattern has not been detected in this section, the PLL data is changed again, which corresponds to a reception frequency of another area, and the synchronous detection is continued (Step S120). In case that the synchronous pattern has been detected in this section, an area ID is detected from the calling signals received in the area ID detecting section 210. Then, the CPU 206 compares the detected area ID with an area ID that was detected at the last time (Step S130).

If inconsistency with a value at the last time is found in a process of the Step S130 (It is always inconsistent with each other, just after the power supply is turned on.), the detected area ID and the area ID (message receivable area ID) in the area ID storage memory 209 are compared with each other (Step SZ00), and, in case that consistency with the message receivable area ID is found, the CPU 206 provides the transmission controlling section 202 with instruction of transmission of a location registration demand.

When receiving this instruction, the transmission controlling section 202 starts a communicating connection with the PHS radio base station 103 through the PHS radio section 201, and transmits the location registration demand to a corresponding radio calling exchange of the radio calling exchanges 106 and 107 through the public network 108 (Step S210). The radio calling exchange which has received the location registration demand registers that the pager 100 exists in the area of its own. In case that a calling demand to the pager 100 is issued from a claimant, the call of the pager 100 is conducted through a transmitting base station within the area of its own. When this process of the location registration demand is finished (Step S220), and to be in message receivable condition is notified to a user by displaying a name of the area at the display section 208 and sounding the speaker 207 (Step 5230), and the pager becomes to be in message reception waiting condition (Step S150).

In case that inconsistency with the message receivable area ID is found in a process of the Step S200, the CPU 206 does not issue the instruction of transmission of a location registration demand to the transmission controlling section 202, and notifies the user that the pager is in message reception forbidden condition by displaying a name of the area and that the area is a message reception forbidden area at the display section 208 and sounding the speaker 207 (Step S300). Thereafter, the pager 100 repeats the synchronous detection and the area ID detection at regular intervals (Steps S160, S120 and S130).

In case that the area ID is conslstent with the area ID detected at the last time in a process of the Step S130, it is considered that there is no movement between the areas, and a process based on a result of the comparison at the last time is conducted without comparing the area ID's of message receiving permission or forbiddance with each other (Step S140). In other words, in case of the message receivable area ID, while waiting for the message reception (Step S150), and in case of message nonreceivable area ID, without waiting for the message reception, a process of the synchronous detection and the area ID detection is conducted after a regular interval (Steps S160, S120 and S130).

The pager 100 repeats the above-described series of processes (Steps S110 - S300).

Next, the operation will be explained, in case that the pager moves between the areas (the pager area A and the pager area B) having two different reception frequencies, which have message receivable area ID's. It is assumed that the pager 100 initially exists in the pager area A, of which location is registered in the radio calling exchange 106, and that the pager is in message reception waiting condition. Here, if the pager 100 moves to the pager area B, the pager 100 cannot detect the synchronous pattern and moves to the asynchronous mode. The pager 100 that has become to be in the asynchronous mode conducts the synchronous detection while successively rewriting the PLL data, and detects the synchronous pattern, when the reception frequency of the pager area B is set to a PLL.

After the synchronous detection, if the area ID is consistent with the message receivable area ID, through the PHS radio base station 103 and the public network 108, the pager connects with the radio calling exchange 107 to which the pager has moved, and transmits a location registration demand. In accordance with this, the radio calling exchange 107 to which the pager has moved adds the pager 100 to the location registration information being stored, and, through the public network 108, the radio calling exchange 107 connects with the radio calling exchange 106 from which the pager has moved, and transmits the location registration information. Based on this information, the radio calling exchange 106 from which the pager has moved deletes the pager 100 from the location registration information being stored. Thereby, the pager 100 becomes to be able to receive a message in the pager area B.

Since the location registration demand in the radio calling system is conducted through the transmitting function having a different communication method, which is capable of communicating with the radio calling exchange provided with the pager, it is not necessary for a user to be conscious of the location registration demand. Also, since, in case of moving between the areas, the pager automatically changes the location registration, quick and correct operation for the change is ensured.

The following advantages are effected: First, the first advantage is that troublesomeness of the location registration of a user can be eliminated. The reason thereof is that since the radio selective calling receiver (pager) has means for transmitting the location registration demand and can automatically perform transmission of the location registration demand, a user becomes not to need to require a location registration using other communication means.

The second advantage is that it can be realized to reduce the duration when the radio selective calling receiver cannot be called and to eliminate the wasteful increase of a traffic of the radio calling exchange from which the pager has moved The reason thereof is that since the radio selective calling receiver can automatically require a change of the location registration, it is possible to perform the change of the location registration quickly and correctly.

Conventionally, in case that a user neglects the change of the location registration, the pager falls into calling disabled condition as long as the user neglects, and furthermore, since location registration information in a place from which the pager has moved remains as it is, it happens that a call for a non-existing pager is conducted, which increases a wasteful traffic. However, it becomes to be possible to solve this.

The third advantage is that it is possible to reduce consumption of a battery due to unnecessary demand of the location registration from the radio selective calling receiver. The reason thereof is that since,. during the time when the radio selective calling receiver moves between the service areas, even if the receiver can detect a synchronous pattern at the area to which the receiver has moved, it is possible to control the location registration demand so as not to be transmitted in the area where message reception is not permitted, wasteful transmission is eliminated.

The fourth advantage is that, even if the area to which the radio selective calling receiver has moved is an area where message reception is not permitted, it is possible to notify the current location (the name of the area) to a user. The reason thereof is that since, without depending on whether or not the message reception is permitted, the radio selective calling receiver holds all area ID's and reception frequencies thereof, it becomes to be possible to conduct the synchronous detection and the comparison of the area ID's for all areas.

The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No.

9-172379 filed on June 27, 1997 including specification, claims, drawing and summary are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

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.

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

A pager 100 has a function for receiving radio calling signals from each of transmitting base stations 104 and 105 and a two-way radio-communication function with a PHS radio base station 103, and when the pager moves from a pager area A or B in which a location has been registered to another area B or A, the pager retrieves a reception frequency of the area where the pager has moved, collates a received area ID with a pre-stored message receivable area ID, and, in case that a change of a location registration is necessary, transmits a location registration demand to radio calling exchanges 107, 106 through the PHS radio base station and a public network 108, and, in case of moving to a message reception forbidden, which is notified to a user by display and sound.

Claims

1. A radio selective calling receiver for use in a radio calling system having radio calling exchanges for controlling a call of said radio selective calling receiver, the location of which is registered in a service area of a radio transmitting base station, said receiver comprising: means for, through a separate radio communication system, transmitting a location registration demand to a radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, when said receiver moves from a service area of a radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to a service area of another radio calling exchange.

2. A radio selective calling receiver according to Claim 1, further comprising: means for, when moving between service areas of different radio calling exchanges, retrieving a frequency of a service area to which said receiver has moved upon detecting a change of a reception frequency, and retrieving an area ID; and determination means for collating said area ID with a group of message receivable area ID's stored in said receiver, and determining whether or not said area to which said receiver has moved is a message receivable service area.

3. A radio selective calling receiver according to Claim 2, further comprising means for setting permission or forbiddance of transmitting a location registration demand based on a determination result of said determination means, when said receiver moves from said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio calling exchange.

4. A radio selective calling receiver according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for notifying a user that said service area has been changed or is a message reception forbidden area, when said receiver means moves from said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio calling exchange.

5. A radio selective calling receiver according to any preceding claim, wherein said radio communication system used in said means for transmitting said location registration demand is a radio communicating system of a simplified type portable telephone system.

6. A radio selective calling receiver for use in a radio calling system having radio calling exchanges for controlling a call of said radio selective calling receiver, the location of which is registered in a service area of a radio transmitting base station, said receiver comprising: means for detecting a change of a reception frequency, and retrieving an area ID from a frequency of a service area to which said receiver has moved; determination means for collating said area ID with a group of message receivable area ID's stored in said receiver and determining whether or not said area to which said receiver has moved is a message receivable service area; and means for, through a system having a separate radio communicating method, transmitting a location registration demand to a radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, in case that a determination result of said determination means shows said message receivable service area.

7 A radio selective calling receiver according to claim 6, further comprising means for forbidding transmission of said location registration demand, when a determination result of said determination means shows a message reception disabled service area.

8 A radio selective calling receiver according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising means for notifying a user that said service area has been changed, when said receiver moves from said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio calling exchange.

9. A radio selective calling receiver according to any of Claims 6 to 8, further comprising means for notifying a user that said service area is a message reception forbidden area, when said receiver moves from said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio calling exchange.

10. A radio selective calling service according to any of Claims 6 to 9, wherein said radio communicating method used in said means for transmitting said location registration demand is a radio communicating method of a simplified type portable telephone system.

11. A radio calling system comprising: a radio selective calling receiver; a first radio calling exchange for controlling a call of said radio selective calling receiver, the location of which is registered in a service area of a radio transmitting base station within jurisdiction; and a second radio calling exchange for communicating with said radio selective calling receiver by means of a different radio communicating method from that of said first radio calling exchange, and having a service area overlapping with a service area of said first radio calling exchange, wherein said radio selective calling receiver has means for, when moving from said service area of said first radio calling exchange to said service area of said second radio calling exchange, transmitting to said second radio calling exchange a location registration demand for said second radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, and said first radio calling exchange has means for receiving said location demand and transferring said received location registration demand to said second radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved.

12. A radio calling system according to claim 11 wherein said first radio calling exchange and said second radio calling exchange are connected to each other through a wired public network.

13. A radio calling system according to claim 11, wherein said second radio calling exchange and said radio selective calling receiver communicate with each other by means of a simplified type portable telephone system method.

14. A radio calling system according to claim 13, wherein said radio selective calling receiver comprises: means for detecting a change of a reception frequency, and retrieving an area ID from a frequency of a service area to which said receiver has moved; determination means for collating said area ID with a group of message receivable area ID's stored in said receiver itself, and determining whether or not said area to which said receiver has moved is a message receivable service area; and means for, through a system having a different radio communicating method, transmitting said location registration demand to said radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, in case that a determination result of said determination means shows said message receivable service area.

15. A radio calling system according to Claim 14, wherein said radio selective calling receiver comprises means for forbidding transmission of said location registration demand, when a determination result of said determination means shows a message reception disabled service area.

16. A radio calling system according to Claim 14 or 15, wherein said radio selective calling receiver comprises means for notifying a user that said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of said receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio calling exchange.

17. A radio calling system according to any of Claims 14 to 16, further comprising means for notifying a user that said service area is a message reception forbidden area, when said receiver moves from said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio calling exchange.

18. A method of registering a location of a radio selective calling receiver in a radio calling system, said method comprising steps of: providing a second radio calling exchange for communicating with said radio selective calling receiver by means of a radio communicating method different from that of a first radio calling exchange for controlling a call of said radio selective calling receiver, and having a service area overlapping with a service area of said first radio calling exchange; in said radio selective calling receiver, detecting a change of a reception frequency, and retrieving an area ID from a frequency of a service area to which said receiver has moved; in said radio selective calling receiver, collating said area ID with a group of message receivable area ID's stored in said receiver itself, and determining whether or not said area to which said receiver has moved is a message receivable service area: in said radio selective calling receiver, transmitting to said second radio calling exchange a location registration demand for said first radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, in case that a determination result shows said message receivable service area; in said second radio calling exchange, transferring said received location registration demand to said first radio calling exchange; and in said first radio calling exchange to which said receiver has moved, registering a location of said receiver based on said transferred location registration demand.

19. A method of registering a location according to Claim 18, wherein said second radio calling exchange and said radio selective calling receiver communicate with each other by means of a simplified portable telephone system.

20. A method of registering a location according to Claim 18, further comprising a step of non-transmitting said location registration demand when said determination result shows a message reception disabled service area.

21. A method of registering a location according to any of Claims 18 to 20, further comprising a step of notifying a user that said service area has been changed, when said receiver moves from said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio calling exchange.

22. A method of registering a location according to any of Claims 18 to 21, further comprising a step of notifying a user that said service area is a message reception forbidden area, when said receiver moves from said service area of said radio calling exchange of which location of the receiver has been registered to said service area of another radio controlling exchange.

23. A radio selective calling service receiver substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

24. A radio calling system substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

25. A method of registering a location of a radio selective calling receiver in a radio calling system substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.