Cellular telephone equipment and cell search method used therefor

1. A cellular telephone equipment which performs cell search of detecting a connection cell upon reception of a paging channel transmitted from a base station in order to broadcast an incoming signal, comprising means for controlling to search each of a plurality of cells to be searched at a reception timing of the paging channel at different frequencies, the different frequencies being assigned based on a categorization of each of the plurality of cells.

2. An equipment according to claim 1 , characterized in that the plurality of cells to be searched are classified into three types: a first cell which is receiving the paging channel, a second cell as a hand-over destination candidate, and a third cell which is in a nearby area but is not detected.

3. An equipment according to claim 2 , characterized in that search frequencies for the first to third cells are individually set.

4. An equipment according to claim 2 , characterized in that search frequencies for the cells to be searched that are classified into the three types are adjusted to the first cell, the second cell, and the third cell.

5. An equipment according to claim 2 , characterized in that the first cell is searched every paging channel reception timing.

6. An equipment according to claim 3 , characterized in that the first cell is searched every paging channel reception timing.

7. An equipment according to claim 4 , characterized in that the first cell is searched every paging channel reception timing.

8. An equipment according to claim 2 , characterized in that the first cell is searched when the second and third cells are not searched.

9. An equipment according to claim 3 , characterized in that the first cell is searched when the second and third cells are not searched.

10. An equipment according to claim 4 , characterized in that the first cell is searched when the second and third cells are not searched.

11. A cell search method for a cellular telephone equipment which performs cell search of detecting a connection cell upon reception of a paging channel transmitted from a base station in order to broadcast an incoming signal, comprising the step of searching each of a plurality of cells to be searched at a reception timing of the paging channel at different frequencies, the different frequencies being assigned based on a categorization of each of the plurality of cells.

12. A method according to claim 11 , characterized in that the plurality of cells to be searched are classified into three types: a first cell which is receiving the paging channel, a second cell as a hand-over destination candidate, and a third cell which is in a nearby area but is not detected.

13. A method according to claim 12 , characterized in that search frequencies for the first to third cells are individually set.

14. A method according to claim 12 , characterized in that search frequencies for the cells to be searched that are classified into the three types are adjusted to the first cell, the second cell, and the third cell.

15. A method according to claim 12 , characterized in that the first cell is searched every paging channel reception timing.

16. A method according to claim 13 , characterized in that the first cell is searched every paging channel reception timing.

17. A method according to claim 14 , characterized in that the first cell is searched every paging channel reception timing.

18. A method according to claim 12 , characterized in that the first cell is searched when the second and third cells are not searched.

19. A method according to claim 13 , characterized in that the first cell is searched when the second and third cells are not searched.

20. A method according to claim 14 , characterized in that the first cell is searched when the second and third cells are not searched.

21. An equipment according to claim 2 , wherein the first cell is searched every reception timing, and the second cell is searched once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

22. An equipment according to claim 5 , wherein the second cell is searched once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

23. An equipment according to claim 6 , wherein the second cell is searched once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

24. An equipment according to claim 7 , wherein the second cell is searched once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

25. An equipment according to claim 8 , wherein the first cell is searched every reception timing.

26. An equipment according to claim 9 , wherein the first cell is searched every reception timing.

27. An equipment according to claim 10 , wherein the first cell is searched every reception timing.

28. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of searching the first cell every reception timing, and searching the second cell once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

29. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the second cell is searched once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

30. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the second cell is searched once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

31. A method according to claim 17 , wherein the second cell is searched once in a plurality of paging channel reception timings.

32. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the first cell is searched every reception timing.

33. A method according to claim 19 , wherein the first cell is searched every reception timing.

34. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the first cell is searched every reception timing.