Method and a device for enabling a mobile terminal to be detected by at least one base station

Abstract

A method and associated device for enabling a mobile terminal to be detected by at least one base station of a wireless cellular telecommunication network. The method obtains information representative of the location of the mobile terminal, and transfers a predetermined signal if the location of the mobile terminal is included in a geographical area of a base station associated to the mobile terminal, the predetermined signal being representative of a request to the base station to transfer signals in the cell of the base station.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A method for enabling a mobile terminal to be detected by at least one base station of a wireless cellular telecommunication network, the method comprising:
 obtaining information representative of a location of the mobile terminal; and   transferring a predetermined signal if the location of the mobile terminal is comprised in a geographical area of a base station associated to the mobile terminal, the predetermined signal being representative of a request to the base station to transfer signals in a cell of the base station.   
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the wireless cellular telecommunication network comprises a server, the method is executed by the server and further comprises establishing a communication link with the base station, and the predetermined signal is a message transferred by the server to the base station requesting the base station to transfer signals in the cell of the base station. 
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein the information representative of the location of the mobile terminal is obtained by the server from a message generated by the mobile terminal and received by the server. 
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein the information representative of the location of the mobile terminal is obtained by the server from information identifying another base station which manages a cell in which the mobile terminal is located. 
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein the wireless cellular telecommunication network comprises plural base stations and the server executes:
 maintaining a data base comprising, for each mobile terminal, information indicating each base station associated to the mobile terminal, and for each base station associated to the mobile terminal, a geographical area; and   identifying, from information representative of the location of the mobile terminal and from the geographical area of each base station associated to the mobile terminal, at least one base station to which the predetermined signal representative of a request to transfer signals in the cell of the base station has to be transferred.   
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the method is executed by the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the predetermined signal is a predetermined signature transferred to the base station, that is modulated in a frequency band different than the frequency band used for the transmission of message from the mobile terminal to the base station. 
     
     
         35 . A method according to the  claim 33 , wherein the predetermined signal is transferred to the base station and is a predetermined encoded train of energy pulses that are propagated by radio or optical waves. 
     
     
         36 . A method according to the  claim 33 , wherein the wireless cellular telecommunication network comprises a server and the predetermined signal is a message transferred by the mobile terminal to the server. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the wireless cellular telecommunication network comprises plural base stations and the mobile terminal maintains a data base information indicating, for each base station associated to the mobile terminal, a geographical area. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein the message sent to the server by the mobile terminal comprises the information representative of the location of the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein the message sent to the server comprises at least one identifier of a base station associated to the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the information representative of the location of the mobile terminal is obtained from a Global Navigation Satellite System. 
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the information representative of the location of the mobile terminal is obtained from identifiers of other base stations of the wireless cellular telecommunication network. 
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the geographical area of one base station associated to the mobile terminal is updated by memorizing information representative of the location of the mobile terminal in cells of other base stations of the wireless cellular telecommunication network, the other base stations being base stations with which cell reselection or handover procedure has been executed by the mobile terminal from or to the cell of the base station. 
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein the location of the mobile terminal is time stamped and the location of the mobile terminal is used to update the geographical area of one base station associated to the mobile terminal if the location of the mobile terminal is recent enough at a time of the cell selection or the handover procedure is executed by the mobile terminal from or to the cell of the base station. 
     
     
         44 . A device for enabling a mobile terminal to be detected by at least one base station of a wireless cellular telecommunication network, comprising:
 means for obtaining information representative of a location of the mobile terminal; and   means for transferring a predetermined signal if the location of the mobile terminal is comprised in a geographical area of a base station associated to the mobile terminal, the predetermined signal being representative of a request to the base station to transfer signals in a cell of the base station.   
     
     
         45 . A device according to  claim 44 , wherein the wireless cellular telecommunication network comprises a server and the device is included in the server. 
     
     
         46 . A device according to  claim 44 , wherein the device is included in the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         47 . A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions or portions of code for implementing the method according to  claim 28 , when the instructions or portions of code are executed on a programmable device.