Method and apparatus in a mobile communications network
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson
InventorsTord Wingren, Mats Lindoff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To detect and/or prevent the use of radio communication equipment in situations or places in which such use is undesirable, according to the invention a short-range radio communication unit may be used to detect portable radio communications unit in the vicinity and transmit to any such units that are turned on, either a command to turn them off or a message to the bearer of the phone. The telephone also comprises a short-range radio communications unit for this purpose.
Claims13
A first radio communication device (11) comprising
- transmitting means (13, 17) for transmitting a radio signal instructing portable radio communication devices within a certain range from the unit to identify themselves;
- receiving means (15, 17) for receiving and interpreting the response signals;
- and, means (13, 17) for, in dependence of the response signal received from each radio communication device:
- transmitting a message to the radio communication device
- transmitting a message to the user of the radio communication device, or
- ordering the radio communication device to turn itself off
A portable radio communication device (21) comprising means for communicating in a cellular telephone network and low power radio communication means characterized in that it comprises identifying means (37) for
- in response to a low power radio message instructing it to identify itself, transmitting a response signal;
- receiving a message and/or instructions and act upon them.
A method of controlling the use of mobile terminals, comprising the following steps:
- transmitting a radio signal from a central unit instructing all radio communication units within a certain range to identify themselves
- transmitting response signals from each portable radio communication unit within the range;
- transmitting instructions from the central unit to each portable radio communication units in dependence of the content of the response signal;
- the portable radio communication unit responding to the instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.