Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2003-07-01
Le, Thanh Cong (Department: 2684)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S457000, C455S524000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06587691
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a method and arrangement in mobile telephone communications networks, specially cellular telephone communications networks such as GSM, PDC, DAMPS etc., in which additional services for information exchanges are implemented. The network further includes a first Mobile Station, a second Mobile Station, and means for positioning the Mobile Stations. The first Mobile Station is arranged as a seeking Mobile Station and the second Mobile Station being sought by the first Mobile Station.
The invention also refers to a communications network implementing the invention and a method for carrying out the invention.
The increased number of mobile telephones has resulted in increased accessibility of the persons being subscribers of the communications networks. Nowadays, it is possible to reach practically any subscriber everywhere in the world connected to a well-established, globally connected mobile phone network.
Nevertheless, modem society influences our communication routes in different ways. Even though we have become closer together thanks to modem communication technology, it has also resulted in a more globalized field of work, which means that family members, friends etc., have spread throughout the world.
Locating persons has therefore become a problem to be solved. It is of course possible to call answering services or leave messages to persons whom we want to get in touch with, but there is no automatic reminding system for maintaining contacts with, for example friends.
Furthermore, a globalized company, having employees in many counties may wish to distribute information about the location of the employees, for example to facilitate contacts. Of coarse, one may use the Internet for this purpose. However, access to and through a mobile phone is much easier and also the number of people reachable through telephones usually outnumbers the people connected to Internet.
A communications system specially based on IP (Internet Protocol) is known through the International Patent Application No. WO 98/16045, which describes a computer communication system, in which information about the subscribers is stored in a database. The information includes the subscribers special interests, the network address the subscriber uses, a subscriber's present connection mode etc. The communications network according to this document includes a number of terminals, which are employed by the users of the network to access the network. There is arranged an apparatus for monitoring whether or not a user is connected to the communications network irrespective of the connecting terminal and apparatus for annunciating to a currently connected user, who seeks another user(s), the connection address information, i.e. the network address, relating to the sought users, who are currently connected to the network.
Positioning of mobile terminals is a well-established technique known through several documents, e.g. JP 09-247730, JP 10-185610 and DE-A-197 122 30.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,765 discloses a cordless telephone that displays the position of a communication partner's cordless telephone during conversation between cordless telephones and that includes a received field level detector that measures the received field level; a memory section that inputs and stores the position at which received field level is first detected and positions subsequently detected; a control section that determines the relative position of a communication partner's cordless telephone by performing a three-point measurement based on the results of detecting received field level three times and on the resulting detected positions, and a display section that displays the measurement result. The positioning is conducted only during an established conversation.
Other systems are known, in which the mobile stations are arranged to position and provide other mobile stations (connected to the service) with position information.
In WO 98/52379 (corresponding to SE 509 435) is disclosed a method of determining the geographic location of a mobile station in, a mobile communications system. The object of the invention is to protect the integrity of the user of the mobile station, so as to prevent the location of the mobile station being established by an outsider against the will of the user. In this respect, an authorization check is carried out in conjunction with a request for determination of the geographical location of a mobile station. The geographical location is only determined when authorization is found for the mobile station to be located. This authorization control involves checking that the user of the mobile station has granted permission for the location of his mobile station MS to be determined on the part of an outsider. The authority check may also include the condition that only certain outsiders may be informed of the geographical location of the mobile station. According to the invention an integrity protection is provided. Information about the position of mobile stations is processed with respect to predetermined parameters determining the further transfer of the information. No processing of information with respect to a second mobile stations location is carried out.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,907 teachers a wireless communication device, operating over frequencies allocated to Personal Communications Services (PCS), uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to determine the subscriber's exact location on a periodic basis. The device sends the location information to a database for storage and subsequent retrieval by a Geographical Information System (GIS) software application The GIS converts the location in formation represented by a latitude/longitude combination to a “user-friendly” classification of a block, street, city, etc. The classification of the subscribers location is then automatically communicated to emergency services and/or a designated contact, if an emergency button has been activated on the device. The invention does not concern relative positioning of two or more mobile units and information exchange with respect to the position information.
SUMMARY
One objective of the present invention is to present an arrangement in a mobile communications network, which in a simple way provides extended services, preferably to the subscribers of the network preferably through the network. Said extended services comprise, among others, a database including special information about at least some of the subscribers of the mobile communications network.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide the subscribers of the mobile communications network with structured information on other, preferably selected, subscribers of the same or other mobile communications networks. Preferably, the information comprises further data about the position or location of a mobile station (subscriber) and its status. Advantageously, the position information includes the absolute location of a sought mobile station in relation to a seeking mobile station.
Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of unnecessary and costly traffic. Another objective of the invention is to provide an intelligent address book in a mobile phone, with the possibility to link to a computer, with an automatic update of the book.
An important benefit of the invention is providing a more efficient communication by enabling “pre-communication” status control. Armed with the knowledge of where the person that one wishes to contact is, and the status of their mobile phone, it is possible to place the call at the right time.
Moreover, the invention can be a server-based solution for GSM operators, and helps them to provide the subscribers with information that already exists in their network. Instead of simply transferring information through their networks, operators can generate information that can be useful for their subscribers.
Finally, because the invention can support the Short Message Service (SMS) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), as
Gabinus Tomas
Granstam Bo
Cong Le Thanh
D'Agosta Stephen
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
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