Sensor, a mobile user terminal and a method of a sensor sensing a mobile user terminal
A method is provided of a sensor sensing a mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications, the user terminal being associated with any one of a plurality of networks, each network having a distinct carrier frequency band for radio signals. The method comprises: broadcasting a common signal at each of multiple carrier frequency bands; the user terminal receiving the signal in the associated carrier frequency band of its network; the user terminal checking information in the received signal, and upon determining that the information is acceptable to allow connection to the sensor, the user terminal acknowledging to the sensor its receipt of the signal.
1. A method of sensing a mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications, comprising:
broadcasting a common baseband signal from a sensor at each of multiple distinct carrier frequency bands associated with cellular radio telecommunications over a plurality of networks, each network of the plurality of networks being assigned one of the multiple distinct carrier frequency bands for radio signals; and
receiving an acknowledgement from a user terminal associated with any one of the plurality of networks after the user terminal received the broadcast in the distinct carrier frequency band of its network, checked information in the received signal, and sent the acknowledgement to the sensor after having determined the information is acceptable to allow connection to the sensor.
2. A method according to claim 1 , in which the information comprises an identifier which the user terminal has been pre-configured to consider acceptable for connection to the sensor, the identifier being a common identifier of each of the plurality of networks.
3. A method according to claim 2 , in which the identifier is a universal PLMN identifier.
4. A method according to claim 1 , in which the common baseband signal is generated by generating signals each including a different primary scrambling code, each primary scrambling code being associated with a corresponding respective one of the networks, and combining those signals as the common baseband signal for broadcast.
5. A method according to claim 4 , in which the user terminal receiving the signal includes the user terminal decoding the received signal using the primary scrambling code associated with the network to which the user terminal is assigned, so as to provide the information for checking.
6. A method according to claim 5 , in which the information is the PLMN identifier of the network with which the user terminal is associated.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is at least one of a cellular base station, a small cell base station, and a femto base station.
8. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is at least one of a cellular base station, a small cell base station, and a femto base station.
9. A sensor for sensing a mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications, the sensor being:
configured to broadcast a common baseband signal at each of multiple distinct carrier frequency bands associated with cellular radio telecommunications over a plurality of networks, each network of the plurality of networks being assigned one of the multiple distinct carrier frequency bands for radio signals; and
configured to receive an acknowledgement from a user terminal associated with any one of the plurality of networks after the user terminal received the broadcast in the distinct carrier frequency band of its network, checked information in the received signal, and sent the acknowledgement to the sensor after having determined the information was acceptable to allow connection to the sensor.
10. A sensor according to claim 9 , in which the information comprises an identifier which the user terminal has been pre-configured to consider acceptable for connection to the sensor, the identifier being a common identifier of each of the plurality of networks.
11. A sensor according to claim 10 , in which the identifier is a universal PLMN identifier.
12. A sensor according to claim 9 , in which the common baseband signal is generated by transceiver and radio circuitry configured to generate signals each including a different primary scrambling code, each primary scrambling code being associated with a corresponding respective one of the networks, and a combiner configured to combine those signals as the common baseband signal for broadcast.
13. The sensor according to claim 9 , wherein, in conjunction with the user terminal receiving the signal, the user terminal is configured to decode the received signal using the primary scrambling code associated with the network to which the user terminal is assigned so as to provide the information for checking.
14. The sensor according to claim 13 , wherein the information is a PLMN identifier of the network with which the user terminal is associated.
15. A mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications, the user terminal being:
configured to receive a common baseband signal from a sensor, wherein the common baseband signal was broadcast by the sensor at each of multiple distinct carrier frequency bands associated with cellular radio telecommunications over a plurality of networks, each network of the plurality of networks being assigned one of the multiple distinct carrier frequency bands for radio signals, wherein the broadcast of the common baseband signal is received by the user terminal in the distinct carrier frequency band of its network;
configured to check information in the received signal; and
configured to send an acknowledgement to the sensor after having determined the information is acceptable to allow connection to the sensor.
16. A mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications according to claim 15 , in which the information comprises an identifier, and the user terminal has been pre-configured to consider the identifier acceptable for connection to the sensor, the identifier being a common identifier of each of the plurality of networks.
17. A mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications according to claim 16 , in which the identifier is a universal PLMN identifier.
18. A mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications according to claim 15 , in which the user terminal is configured to decode the received signal using the primary scrambling code associated with the network to which the user terminal is assigned, so as to provide the information for checking.
19. The mobile user terminal for cellular radio telecommunications according to claim 15 , the received signal being a common baseband signal that was generated by generating signals each including a different primary scrambling code, each primary scrambling code being associated with a corresponding respective one of the networks, and combining those signals as the common baseband signal.
20. A mobile user terminal according to claim 19 , in which the information is the PLMN identifier of the network with which the user terminal is associated.