Abstract: A method for controlling a multidirectional antenna structure in a primary station for use in a radio communication networks comprising a plurality of secondary stations. This method involves an acquisition step of acquiring data relating to secondary stations, a selection step of selecting, based on acquired data, an active secondary station and alternative secondary stations suitable for becoming active, a calculation step of calculating the directions of signals received from the selected secondary stations, a storage step of storing the calculated directions, and a control step of controlling said antenna structure depending on stored directions.

Abstract: The present invention describes a communication system comprising a primary radio station (PS) and at least one secondary radio station (SS), intended to be in motion (MOT). The secondary radio station has at least one controllable structure (CS) for communicating with the primary radio station, and control means (CONT) for controlling the controllable structure depending on the movements of the secondary radio station. The control means of the controllable structure comprise magnetic field sensors (MFS) and gravitational field sensors (GFS) for providing measurements of the earth magnetic (H) and gravitational (G) fields, and computing means (COMP) for computing control information from these measurements. The computing means read the outputs of each sensor and make the calculations required to control the controllable structure at appropriate time intervals depending on the motion state of the secondary radio station.

Abstract: A radio communication apparatus includes a transceiver coupled to an antenna structure with many directional antennas that form a radiation pattern. The antenna structure gives greater importance to certain directions of transmission. A power regulation device is controlled by a control element for modifying the radiation pattern. The control element includes switches for selectively activating/deactivating the directional antennas to modify the radiation pattern. A proximity detection device measures at least one proximity parameter and feeds the control element with a proximity indication for controlling the power regulation device to reduce the radiation pattern in the direction of the radio communication apparatus user. The proximity detection device includes a humidity and/or a temperature detector.

Abstract: A mobile communication apparatus (MCA) comprises a memory (MEM) for storing data (CDATA) relating to the coverage area (COV) of a mobile communication standard according to which the mobile communication apparatus can operate. The mobile communication apparatus (MCA) includes an interface (INT) for taking data (PDATA) from the exterior which data relate to the geographical location (LOC). The mobile communication apparatus includes an indicator (IND) for indicating whether the mobile communication apparatus can be used or not (U: Y/N) based on data (CDATA) relating to the geographical zone and data (PDATA) relating to the geographical location. Such an indication makes it possible for the user to deduce whether, in the case where he is unsuccessful in establishing a communication, a displacement in the proximity will help him to establish the communication. Besides, the indication whether the apparatus can be used or not may be produced in a relatively short period of time.

Abstract: Radio-signal direction finding is performed in the following manner. There is a plurality of antennas (A) at different locations. A switchable antenna coupler (SAC) switches (SW) from one antenna (A[i]) being coupled to a radio-signal input (INP), to another antenna (A[i+1]) being coupled to the radio-signal input (INP). A radio-signal processor (ASP) processes a radio signal (AS) which is present at the radio-signal input (INP) so as to obtain a phase-detection input signal (PDIS). A phase-change detector (PCD) detects a phase change (&Dgr;&phgr;) in the phase-detection input signal (PDIS) due to the switching (SW) from the one antenna (A[i]) to the other antenna (A[i+1]). A calculator (CAL) calculates the direction (DIR) of the radio-signal source (SRC) on the basis of this phase change (&Dgr;&phgr;). This manner of performing radio-signal finding can be implemented at relatively modest cost because it requires only one radio-signal processor.