Patent ID: 7117002

Claim:
A communication method for a mobile communication system having a plurality of mobile stations each capable of operating in an arbitrary one of two kinds of communication modes, including a base station dependent mode for conducting communication via a base station and a direct communication mode for conducting direct communication between mobile stations, in an operational area of the base station, the communication method comprising the steps of: transmitting information containing an important message, to be received by all mobile stations, from the base station in the base station dependent mode, wherein when transmitting said information, said base station adds to said important message an information bit indicating that said important message is a message to be received by all mobile stations and an identifier specifying one mobile station placed in the direct communication mode; receiving the information in said specified mobile station and in at least one first mobile station placed in the base station dependent mode; transmitting the important message in the direct communication mode from said specified mobile station has received the information; and receiving, from said specified mobile station, the important message in at least one second mobile station placed in the direct communication mode.