Abstract:
A method of single frequency channel communication is proposed, for use with a communication system having different communication areas of different area codes, allowing messages or signals to be transmitted between two mobile phones located in the same or different communication areas through transmitting stations without the use of electronic switching systems. A message inputted from a sender mobile phone is denoted with area codes of the sender and receiver, and converted to a signal for being transmitted to a transmitting station where the signal is processed and amplified. For message/signal transmission within a single communication area, such that the sender&#39;s and receiver&#39;s area codes are identical, the signal received by the transmitting station is directly forwarded to the receiver mobile phone. For message/signal transmission between different communication areas, the received signal is forwarded to another transmitting station in the receiver&#39;s area code, and then to the receiver mobile phone.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of copending application U.S. Ser. No. 09/426,504, filed on Oct. 26, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,891. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a method of communication and more particularly, to a method of single frequency channel communication.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
         [0003]    As is generally known in the technical field of telecommunications, without regard to whether a system is a wired or a wireless telecommunication system, when a transmitter in the telecommunication system sends analog or digital signals over a transmission medium or through the air to a receiver of the telecommunication system, an electronic switching system is needed for the telecommunication system to establish a communication channel for both message senders. However, when the working load of the electronic switching system reaches its maximum capability for processing incoming and outgoing signals, telecommunication congestion will thus arise, causing inconvenience to the message senders.  
           [0004]    On the other hand, the cost of the electronic switching system combined with other communications equipment and electronic instruments is so expensive that telephone companies cannot increase the electronic switch systems without limitation. And, without increasing the electronic switching systems, there is still a problem of communication congestion yet to be solved.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a method which can be applied to a communication system including mobile phones and communication transmitting stations without using an electronic switching system for message senders to communicate with each other, while avoiding telecommunication congestion present in a system which utilizes an electronic switching system.  
           [0006]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a method which can be applied to a communication system including mobile phones, and communication transmitting stations without using an electronic switching system, for message senders to input a message including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information.  
           [0007]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a method which can be applied to a communication system including mobile phones, and communication transmitting stations without an electronic switching system; wherein after a communication transmitting station receives a signal from a mobile phone, the signal transmitted from the mobile phone is processed and amplified by the communication transmitting station, and then, the signal is directly transmitted to a mobile phone or to another communication transmitting station for another mobile phone to receive the signal.  
           [0008]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a method which can be applied to a communication system including mobile phones, and communication transmitting stations without an electronic switching system, wherein the mobile phones transmit signals including information of an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information.  
           [0009]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a method which can be applied to a communication system including mobile phones, and communication transmitting stations without an electronic switching system, wherein mobile phones can receive and process signals transmitted from communication transmitting stations.  
           [0010]    Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a method which can be applied to a communication system including mobile phones, and communication transmitting stations without an electronic switching system, wherein a message sender can use a mobile phone to input a message, and the input manner can be voice input or character input.  
           [0011]    In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives of this invention, a new method for single frequency channel communication is applied to a communication system including mobile phones and communication transmitting stations without using an electronic switching system, thereby avoiding communication congestion.  
           [0012]    Different areas are divided into different communication areas with different area codes, and then a communication transmitting station is located inside each of communication areas for processing and amplifying signals without using an electronic switching system. Signals can be transmitted and exchanged between communication transmitting stations in different communication areas. There is a certain communication range for each communication transmitting station. For two neighboring communication transmitting stations, a portion of the certain communication range of each communication transmitting station would be overlapped. In the overlapped communication range, a communication transmitting station would process and amplify a signal which has the same area code as that of a communication area in which the communication transmitting station is located. And a communication transmitting station would not process and amplify a signal which has a different area code different from that of the communication area in which the communication transmitting station is located.  
           [0013]    A magnitude of a signal transmitted from a mobile phone inside a communication area is just enough for communication transmitting station located in the same communication area to process and amplify the signal. The signal is converted from a message including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information, and the manner of the message input can be voice input or character input. After being processed and amplified by a communication transmitting station, the signal is directly transmitted from the communication transmitting station to a mobile phone inside the same communication area or transmitted to another communication transmitting station depending on the area code of the message receiver.  
           [0014]    When a message sender in a communication area wants to communicate with the message receiver by a mobile phone, the message sender can use the mobile phone to input a message including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information, wherein the manner of the message input can be voice input or character input. And the message is converted into a signal, and then, the signal is transmitted in a single frequency wireless communication manner to the communication transmitting station of the communication area where the message sender resides. After the communication transmitting station, which is located in the communication area where the message sender resides, receives the message, the signal is processed and amplified. If the message sender and the message receiver are located in the same communication area, then the area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are the same. And the signal is directly transmitted from the communication transmitting station to the mobile phone of the message receiver. If the message sender and the message receiver are located in different communication areas, then the area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are different. Firstly, the signal is transmitted from the communication transmitting station to another communication transmitting station located in the communication area where the message receivers resides, and then, after the signal is processed and amplified by the another communication transmitting station, the signal is transmitted to the mobile phone of the message receiver. The message receiver can determine whether he would communicate with the message sender. And the message receiver can use the same manner to send a message which can be converted into a signal to the message sender. By applying this method, message senders can communicate with one another without the communication congestion present when using an electronic switching system.  
           [0015]    Compared with the prior art which utilizes electronic switching systems, the new method has an advantage of eliminating the cost of the electronic switching system combined with other communication equipment and electronic instruments. And the new method uses a communication system without an electronic switching system, thereby allowing message senders to communicate with each other without communication congestion caused by overloading of the electronic switching system. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a schematic system block diagram showing the hardware architecture of a communication system to which the single frequency channel communication method of the present invention is applied.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1 to illustrate steps for communication between two message senders in the same communication area in accordance with the single frequency channel communication method of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1 to illustrate steps for communication between two message senders in different communication areas in accordance with the single frequency channel communication method of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 illustrates a message which is inputted by a message sender and includes synchronization code, control code, different packets, wherein each packet has an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 shows a communication system to which the single frequency channel communication method of the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system  1  includes two communication transmitting stations  11  and  12 , and four mobile phones  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16 . There are two different communication areas  2  and  3  inside the communication system  1 . In the communication area  2 , the communication transmitting station  11  can receive, process, and amplify signals transmitted from the mobile phones  13  and  14 . And in the communication area  3 , the communication transmitting station  12  can receive, process, and amplify signals transmitted from the mobile phones  15  and  16 . The communication transmitting stations  11  and  12  can communicate with each other and exchange signals to cover communications between message senders in different communication areas  2  and  3 .  
         [0022]    Different areas are divided into different communication areas  2  and  3  with different area codes, and, then a communication transmitting station  11  ( 12 ) is located inside a communication area  2  ( 3 ) for processing and amplifying signals without using an electronic switching system. Signals can be transmitted and exchanged between communication transmitting stations  11  and  12  in different communication areas  2  and  3 . There is a certain communication range for communication transmitting stations  11  and  12 . For two neighboring communication transmitting stations  11  and  12 , a portion of the certain communication range of the communication transmitting stations  11  and  12  would be overlapped. In the overlapped communication range, a communication transmitting station  11  or  12  would process and amplify a signal which has the same area code as that of a communication area  2  or  3  in which the communication transmitting station  11  or  12  is located. And a communication transmitting station  11  or  12  would not process and amplify a signal which has a different area code different from that of the communication area  2  or  3  in which the communication transmitting station  11  or  12  is located.  
         [0023]    A magnitude of a signal transmitted from a mobile phone  13  or  14  ( 15  or  16 ), respectively, inside a communication area  2  ( 3 ) is just enough for communication transmitting station  11  ( 12 ) located in the same communication area  2  ( 3 ) to process and amplify the signal. The signal is converted from a message including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information, and a manner of the message input can be voice input or character input. After being processed and amplified by a communication transmitting station  11  ( 12 ), the signal is directly transmitted from the communication transmitting station  11  ( 12 ) to a mobile phone  13  or  14  ( 15  or  16 ) inside the same communication area  2  ( 3 ) or transmitted to another communication transmitting station  12  ( 11 ) depending on the area code of the message receiver.  
         [0024]    When a message sender in a communication area  2  or  3  wants to communicate with message receiver by a mobile phone  13 ,  14 ,  15 , or  16 , the message sender can use the mobile phone  13 ,  14 ,  15 , or  16  to input a message including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information, wherein a manner of the message input can be voice input or character input. And the message is converted into a signal, and then, the signal is transmitted in a single frequency wireless communication manner to the communication transmitting station  11  or  12  of the communication area  2  or  3  where the message sender resides. After the communication transmitting station  11  or  12 , which is located in the communication area  2  or  3  where the message sender resides, receives the message, the signal is processed and amplified. If the message sender and the message receiver are located in the same communication area  2  ( 3 ), then the area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are the same, and the signal is directly transmitted from the communication transmitting station  11  ( 12 ) to the mobile phone  13  or  14  of the message receiver. If the message sender and the message receiver are located in different communication area  2  and  3 , then the area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are different. Firstly, the signal is transmitted from the communication transmitting station  11  ( 12 ) to another communication transmitting station  12  ( 11 ) located in the communication area  3  ( 2 ) where the message receiver resides, and then, the signal is transmit  
         [0025]    ed to the another communication transmitting station  12  ( 11 ), and thereafter, after the signal is processed and amplified by the other communication transmitting station  12  ( 11 ), the signal is transmitted to the mobile phone  15  or  16  of the message receiver. The message receiver can determine whether he would communicate with the message sender. And the message receiver can use the same manner to send a message which can be converted into a signal to the message sender. By applying this method, message senders can communicate with one another without the communication congestion present in a system which uses an electronic switching system.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1 to illustrate steps for communication between two message senders in the same communication area in accordance with the single frequency channel communication method of the present invention. According to an example in which an area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are the same, then both message senders are in the same communication area  2  ( 3 ), so a communication transmitting station  11  ( 12 ) would receive a signal transmitted from a mobile phone  13  or  14  ( 15  or  16 ) of the sender, and then, directly transmit the signal to a mobile phone  14  or  13  of the message receiver. In block  21 , when the message sender with the mobile phone  13  wants to communicate with the message receiver with the mobile phone  14 , the message sender (message sender) with mobile phone  13  would input a message including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information into the mobile phone  13 , wherein the input manner can be voice input or character input. In block  22 , the message is converted into a signal and transmitted to the communication transmitting station  11  in a single frequency wireless communication manner. The process continues on to block  23  where the communication transmitting station  11  without an electronic switching system would process and amplify the signal after the signal is received by the communication transmitting station  11 . In block  24 , the communication transmitting station  11  would transmit the signal to the mobile phone  14  of the message receiver (message receiver), and the process continues on to block  25 . In block  25 , the mobile phone  14  receives the signal, and the process continues on to block  26 . In block  26 , the message receiver with the mobile phone  14  would determine if he wants to communicate with the message sender with the mobile phone  13 . If the message receiver having the mobile phone  14  wants to communicate with the message sender having the mobile phone  13 , the process continues on to block  27 . If the message receiver does not want to communicate with the message sender, the process skips to block  29 . In block  27 , the message receiver would continue receiving signals representing messages from the message sender through the communication transmitting station  11 , and the process continues on to block  28 . In block  28 , the message receiver can use the same manner used by the message sender to send messages including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information to the original message sender for communicating with each other through the communication transmitting station  11 , and the process continues on to block  29 . In block  29 , both message senders end the communication process.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1 to illustrate steps for communication between two message senders in different communication areas in accordance with the single frequency channel communication method of the present invention. According to an example in which an area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are different, then both message senders are in different communication areas, so a communication transmitting station would receive a signal transmitted from a mobile phone of the message sender, and then, the communication transmitting station would send the signal to another transmitting station, and thereafter, after the another communication transmitting station receives the signal, the other communication transmitting station would transmit the signal to a mobile phone of the message receiver. Firstly, in block  31 , when the message sender having the mobile phone  13  wants to communicate with the message sender having the mobile phone  15 , the message sender having the mobile phone  13  would input a message including an identification number with an area code of the message sender having the mobile phone  13 , an identification number with an area code of the message receiver having the mobile phone  15 , and communication information into the mobile phone  13 , wherein the input manner can be voice input or character input, and the process continues on to block  32 . In block  32 , the message is converted into a signal and transmitted to the communication transmitting station  11  in a single frequency wireless communication manner. The process continues-on to block  33  where the communication transmitting station  11  without the electronic switching system would process and amplify the signal after the signal received by the communication transmitting station  11 , but according to an example in which the area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are different, the communication transmitting station  11  would transmit the signal to the communication transmitting station  12 , and the process continues on to block  34 . In block  34 , the communication transmitting station  12  without the electronic switching system would process and amplify the signal transmitted from the communication transmitting station  11 , and the process continues on to block  35 . In block  35 , the communication transmitting station  12  would transmit the signal to the message receiver having the mobile phone  15 , and the process continues on to block  36 . In block  36 , the mobile phone  15  receives the signal, and the process continues on to block  37 . In block  37 , the message receiver having the mobile phone  15  would determine if he wants to communicate with the message sender having the mobile phone  13 . If the message receiver wants to communicate with the message sender, the process continues on to block  38 . If the message receiver does not want to communicate with the message sender, the process skips on to block  40 . In block  38 , the message receiver would continue receiving signals representing messages from the message sender through the communication transmitting station  11  and  12 , and the process continues on to block  39 . In block  39 , the message receiver can use the same manner used by the message sender to send messages including an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information to the original message sender for communicating with each other through the communication transmitting station  11  and  12 , and the process continues on to block  40 . In block  40 , both message senders end the communication process.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4 illustrates a message which is inputted by a message sender and includes synchronization code, control code, and different packets, wherein each packet has an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information. As shown in FIG. 4, a message would include synchronization code, control code, and different packets, wherein each packet has an identification number with an area code of the message sender, an identification number with an area code of the message receiver, and communication information. The area code is used for determining whether the message sender and the message receiver are in the same communication area. If the area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are different, at least two communication transmitting stations would be needed to let both message senders communicate with each other. But if the area code of the message sender and that of the message receiver are the same, a communication transmitting station located in a communication area where both message senders reside would be utilized to process the communications between those two message senders. The synchronization code, and the control code are used for ensuring that signals can be actually received and transmitted by message senders in communications.  
         [0029]    The present invention has been described hitherto with exemplary preferred embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the disclosed preferred embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements with the scope defined in the following appended claims. The scope of the claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.