British Telecommunications Public Limited Company

Juniper Networks, Inc.

Teoco Corporation

Aircom International Ltd.

Bt Cellnet Limited

Ian Goetz

Stephen M Gannon

Peter R Munday

Peter Robert Munday

Stephen Mark Gannon

Gerard Terence Foster

John R Davis

Guy Davies

Mark C Coxon

Alexander Guy Davies

An example user device may include a terrestrial mobile network radio; a satellite network radio; and one or more processors to establish, via the terrestrial mobile network radio, a first communication link with a terrestrial mobile network, establish, via the satellite network radio, a second communication link with a satellite network, monitor a characteristic of the first communication link and a characteristic of the second communication link, select the terrestrial mobile network or the satellite network for traffic communication based on the characteristic of the first communication link and the characteristic of the second communication link, and/or perform an action associated with the traffic communication based on selecting the terrestrial mobile network or the satellite network for traffic communication.

Establishing communication with multiple networks to enable continuous communication coverage across the multiple networks

A radio network coverage area provided by a mobile radio network is analyzed. The analysis is provided by receiving control messages from a first interface communicated between a base station of the mobile radio network and a radio network controller, the control messages being provided for controlling the communications of the data to or from the mobile terminals via the base station. The method includes identifying a mobile identity number associated with the mobile terminal from the control messages communicated via the first interface, identifying, using the mobile identity number, mobility control messages communicated via the first interface, the mobility control messages providing an indication of a relative distance of the mobile terminal from the base station, receiving data communicated via a second interface between the radio network controller and a core network part of the mobile radio network, identifying the data communicated from the mobile terminal, using the mobile identity number identified from the first interface, determining a relative measure of quality of the data received from the mobile terminal, and generating a performance map providing a relative distance of the mobile terminal from the base station and a quality of data communicated at the relative distance from the mobile terminal.

Analyzing radio network coverage

A cellular telephone is provided with a connector for connecting it to an interface unit. The interface unit can exchange speech and data signals with the telephone as well as providing power. When the telephone is connected to the interface unit, its antenna is effectively disabled. The interface unit provides a link between the telephone and a BTS via a communication path other than the cellular telephone system's conventional cell arrangement. The communication path can include telephone or ISDN connections, leased lines, point-to-point microwave links or coaxial cable. In the cases of telephone and ISDN lines and leased lines, baseband speech and data signals pass between the telephone and the interface unit and a modem is used to transmit and receive these signals over the communication path. If a microwave link or coaxial cable is used, RF speech and data signals may be passed between the telephone and the interface unit. A single interface unit may be used to provide connections for a plurality of telephones.

Alternative routing system for mobile telephone calls

During connection set up between a mobile telephone and a base station, program data is acquired from the network for controlling its mode of operation. The mobile telephone and base station each have a memory for storing program data relating to one or more modes of operation. The base station transmits a signal indicative of a preferred mode of operation and the mobile responds with a signal indicative of whether its memory already contains program data for this mode of operation. If not, then the base station transmits the required program data. The base station and mobile telephone then operate in this preferred mode. If the mobile is not so capable (for example because it has insufficient memory), the process is repeated with different mode control programs until the most appropriate mutually compatible program is identified. If a call attempt is initiated before this process is complete, the process is curtailed, such that the base station and mobile telephone identify programs already stored in the memory, but make no attempt to load a new program, as this could delay call set-up.

Provision of telecommunications control program data pursuant to preliminary data exchange between system elements

The location of mobile unit cellular radio system is determined by determining the differences in timing of a characteristic feature of the transmission of the control channel of each of a plurality of base stations as measured at the mobile unit. The characteristic feature may, for example, be the training signal already used by the mobile unit in a cellular system to measure signal strength in handover operations. By determining the differences between time of arrival of transmissions from four base stations, location in two dimensions can be derived without prior knowledge of the actual distance to any of the base stations. A fifth base station allows location in three dimensions to be determined.

Cellular radio location system

Mobile radio systems

Mobile telephone system

Transmission of data on multirate networks

Growing community of inventors

Thame, United Kingdom

Ian Goetz