Radio communication terminal unit and method of transmitting base station identification number
View Patent ↗A method of transmitting a base station identification number including, upon turning from a standby mode to a data communication mode, responding to a user's instruction of location positioning to turn from the data communication mode to the dormant mode; receiving base station identification numbers from several base stations through a paging channel; and designating one of the base stations with the received identification numbers as the base station of primary communication with the phone unit. The method can further include sending the identification number of the proper base station of primary communication to a location information server even in case the phone unit is instructed by the user to commence the location positioning after it has moved from the location where it had commenced the data communication.
1. A method for sending an assist information to a terminal unit so that the terminal unit measures its location based on the assist information in a system including the terminal unit, a location information server, a plurality of base stations, and a base station control facility, the terminal unit including radio communication means which receives base station identification numbers from base stations through a paging channel and control means which designates one of the base stations with the received identification numbers as a base station of primary communication, the method comprising steps of:
at the location information server, receiving a terminal unit identification number of the terminal unit from the terminal unit;
at the location information server, sending the terminal unit identification number, which is received from the terminal unit, to the base station control facility;
at the base station control facility, determining one of the base stations which communicates with the terminal unit based on the terminal unit identification number which is received from the location information server;
at the base station control facility, sending the base station identification number representing the base station which communicates with the terminal unit to the location information server;
at the location information server, determining the assist information in accordance with the base station identification number, wherein the assist information is used to receive GPS satellite signals only from certain GPS satellites at the terminal unit;
at the location information server, transmitting the assist information to the terminal unit so that the terminal unit can receive GPS satellite signals only from the GPS satellites based on the assist information; and
at the control means, upon receiving an instruction of location positioning after the radio communication means has turned from a standby mode to a data communication mode,
operating on the radio communication means to turn from the data communication mode to a dormant mode and receive again base station identification numbers from the base stations through the paging channel,
designating again one of the base stations with the received identification numbers as the base station of primary communication, and
operating on the radio communication means to send the base station identification number of the designated base station to the location information server.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal unit receives the assist information from the location information server in order to determine the location of the terminal unit.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the terminal unit makes access to the GPS satellites upon receiving the assist information.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the base station control facility, upon receiving an inquiry message from the location information server, makes access to the base station and sends a reply message to the location information server.