JP2012191488A - Portable wireless terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable wireless terminal which can reduce battery consumption, even if a user does not change ON/OFF states of a power supply of a wireless unit, by automatically saving power consumption when it is estimated that the terminal cannot return to a service zone for a long time period.SOLUTION: A portable phone 1 comprises: a wireless unit 2 for receiving wireless signals; a determination unit 4 for determining whether the portable phone 1 is out of a service zone based on the wireless signals received by the wireless unit 2; a power supply control unit 5 for controlling power supply of the wireless unit 2; and a movement detection unit for detecting a movement state of the portable phone 1. When the determination unit 4 determines that the portable phone 1 is out of the service zone and the movement detection unit detects a first movement state of the portable phone 1, the power supply control unit 5 stops power supply of the wireless unit 2.

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable wireless terminal that receives a wireless signal.

  In the case of a portable wireless terminal having a wireless communication function, when it moves to the basement, the reception sensitivity of the wireless signal may deteriorate and it may be out of service area. Furthermore, if the user goes out of service due to moving to the basement and the user does not return from the basement to the ground for a while, the out-of-service situation may continue for a long time.

  However, the radio unit of the conventional portable radio terminal consumes the same power and tries to communicate with the base station regardless of whether the current location is underground or on the ground. For this reason, in a situation where the mobile phone is expected to move out of the area for a long time after being moved underground, useless communication processing is repeated, and battery consumption is large.

  In view of this, a technique has been proposed in which a user can manually turn off the power of a wireless unit in a place where radio waves are difficult to reach, such as in the basement of a building (see Patent Document 1, for example). Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a timer is set when the power of the wireless unit is turned off, thereby notifying that the wireless unit is OFF at a predetermined time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to set the power supply ON by making the user recognize the state in which the power supply of the wireless unit is set to OFF.

JP 2002-314679 A

  In the prior art, when moving to the basement, the user has to check whether the user is out of service area and manually turn off the wireless unit power. Also, when returning the wireless unit, the wireless unit power must be turned on by itself, and if the timer is not set, it may be forgotten to turn on the power and return. Therefore, the user is forced to perform a troublesome operation, which is not convenient.

  Also, in areas where the reception of radio waves is poor even outside the service area where the radio waves from the network do not reach, or within the basement of the building, etc., the base station search and location registration operations are frequently performed. There is also a problem that the battery is more easily consumed than when the user is in a range where radio waves can reach.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a portable wireless terminal capable of saving power when it is expected that the user cannot return from outside the service area for a long time without turning on / off the wireless power supply. The purpose is to do.

  The portable wireless terminal of the present invention is a portable wireless terminal provided with a wireless unit that receives a wireless signal, and a determination unit that determines whether or not out of service based on a wireless signal received by the wireless unit; A power control unit that controls power supply of the wireless unit, and a movement detection unit that detects a movement state of the portable wireless terminal, wherein the power control unit determines that the determination unit is out of range, and When the movement detection unit detects the first movement state, the power supply of the radio unit is stopped.

  With this configuration, when the mobile phone is out of service area, it is possible to turn off the wireless power supply without bothering the user and prevent the battery from being consumed.

  In the portable wireless terminal of the present invention, when the power detection unit detects the second movement state after the power control unit stops the power supply of the wireless unit, the power supply of the wireless unit is resumed. It has a configuration.

  With this configuration, when returning from outside the service area when moving, the wireless unit power can be turned on without bothering the user.

  In the mobile wireless terminal of the present invention, the movement detection unit is an acceleration / geomagnetic sensor, the power supply control unit determines that the determination unit is out of service area, and the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor is set for a predetermined time. As described above, the power supply of the wireless unit is stopped when the downward movement is detected.

  With this configuration, it is possible to turn off the power of the wireless unit outside the area such as the basement of the building without bothering the user and prevent battery consumption.

  In the portable wireless terminal according to the present invention, when the power control unit stops the power supply of the wireless unit and the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor detects an upward movement for the predetermined time or more, the wireless wireless terminal The power supply of the unit is restarted.

  With this configuration, the wireless power supply can be turned on without bothering the user when returning from outside the area such as the basement of the building.

  In the portable wireless terminal of the present invention, the movement detection unit detects GPS or broadcast wave reception sensitivity, the power supply control unit determines that the determination unit is out of range, and the reception sensitivity is When it is detected that the value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the power supply of the wireless unit is stopped.

  With this configuration, it is possible to turn off the wireless unit power without troublesome user's hands outside the area such as the basement of the building and prevent the battery from being consumed.

  The portable wireless terminal of the present invention supplies power to the wireless unit when the power control unit detects that the reception sensitivity is higher than the predetermined value after stopping the power supply of the wireless unit. It has a configuration to resume.

  With this configuration, the wireless power supply can be turned on without bothering the user when returning from outside the area such as the basement of the building.

  In the portable wireless terminal of the present invention, the movement detection unit detects illuminance, the power supply control unit determines that the determination unit is out of range, and the illuminance is equal to or less than a predetermined value. When detected, the power supply of the wireless unit is stopped.

  With this configuration, it is possible to turn off the wireless unit power without troublesome user's hands outside the area such as the basement of the building and prevent the battery from being consumed.

  In the portable wireless terminal of the present invention, when the power control unit detects that the illuminance is higher than the predetermined value after stopping the power supply of the wireless unit, the power supply of the wireless unit is resumed. It has the composition to do.

  With this configuration, the wireless power supply can be turned on without bothering the user when returning from outside the area such as the basement of the building.

  With the portable wireless terminal of the present invention, it is possible to save power and reduce battery consumption when it is expected that the user cannot return from outside the service area for a long time without turning on / off the wireless power supply. be able to.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile phone according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of stopping the radio | wireless part power supply of the mobile telephone of Embodiment 1 of this invention. The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of restarting the radio | wireless part power supply of the mobile telephone of Embodiment 1 of this invention FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile phone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of stopping the radio | wireless part power supply of the mobile telephone of Embodiment 2 of this invention The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of restarting the radio | wireless part power supply of the mobile telephone of Embodiment 2 of this invention Block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile phone according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of stopping the radio | wireless part power supply of the mobile telephone of Embodiment 3 of this invention The flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of restarting the radio | wireless part power supply of the mobile telephone of Embodiment 3 of this invention

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking as an example the case where the mobile wireless terminal is a mobile phone.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of mobile phone 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the cellular phone 1 includes a wireless unit 2, an acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3, a determination unit 4, a power supply control unit 5, and a battery 6. Needless to say, although not shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone 1 has a display unit such as a liquid crystal display, an input operation unit such as a button / switch / touch panel, various setting information / phone number and mail address information / incoming calls. It is assumed that a storage unit for storing an email or an email being edited is provided.

  The wireless unit 2 includes a transmission unit, a reception unit, and a modulation / demodulation unit. The wireless unit 2 is connected to a network by wireless communication and transmits and receives wireless signals. Further, the wireless unit 2 inputs the received wireless signal to the determination unit 4.

  The acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 detects acceleration applied to the mobile phone 1. The acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 inputs the detected acceleration to the determination unit 4.

  The determination unit 4 includes a CPU, and determines whether the mobile phone 1 is out of service based on a radio signal input from the radio unit 2. The determination unit 4 determines the moving direction of the mobile phone 1 based on the acceleration input from the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3.

  The power control unit 5 controls the power supplied to each component constituting the mobile phone 1. The power control state performed by the power control unit 5 includes, for example, a control state in which power is supplied to the entire system, and a control state in which power is supplied to other circuits without supplying power to the transmission unit and the reception unit. In addition, a power supply is not supplied to the transmission unit, and any one of the control states in which power is supplied to the reception unit and other circuits is adopted. The above control state is selectively executed by a mode state set in advance by the mobile phone 1 or by a user button operation or the like. Further, when the power supply control unit 5 is not supplied with power to either the transmission unit or the reception unit, the power supply control unit 5 also stops supplying power to the modem unit.

  The battery 6 supplies power to the power supply control unit 5.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the wireless power supply of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment of the present invention is stopped.

  First, the radio unit 2 inputs the received radio signal to the determination unit 4. And the determination part 4 measures the receiving sensitivity of a radio signal (step S201).

  Next, the determination unit 4 compares the measured reception sensitivity with an out-of-service determination threshold (for example, sensitivity standard +3 dB) to determine whether the mobile phone 1 is out of service (step S202).

  Next, when it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is out of the service area (step S202, Yes), the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 measures the acceleration applied to the mobile phone 1 and inputs the measured acceleration to the determination unit 4. (Step S203). On the other hand, when it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is not out of service area (No in step S202), the process is terminated without doing anything.

  Next, the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 measures the acceleration applied to the mobile phone 1 and inputs the measurement result to the determination unit 4 (step S203).

  Next, the determination unit 4 determines whether or not the measured acceleration is continuously downward for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds or more) (step S204 and step S205). The time can be arbitrarily set by the user.

  Next, when the acceleration is continuously detected downward for a predetermined time or more, the determination unit 4 instructs the power supply control unit 5 to stop the power supplied to the wireless unit 2. And the power supply control part 5 stops the power supply to a radio | wireless part (step S206).

  As a result, when the mobile phone is out of service area, it is possible to turn off the wireless power supply without bothering the user and prevent the battery from being consumed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when restarting the wireless power supply of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when the power supply to the wireless unit is stopped, the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 measures the acceleration applied to the mobile phone 1 and inputs the measurement result to the determination unit 4 (step S301).

  Next, the determination unit 4 determines whether or not the measured acceleration continues upward for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds or more) (steps S302 and S303). The time can be arbitrarily set by the user.

  Next, when the acceleration is continuously detected upward for a predetermined time or longer, the determination unit 4 instructs the power supply control unit 5 to start supplying power to the wireless unit 2. And the power supply control part 5 starts the power supply to a radio | wireless part (step S304).

  Thereby, when returning from outside the service area when moving, the wireless unit power can be turned on without bothering the user.

  Even in this case, since the power supply is continued for the components other than the wireless unit 2, the creation / editing of the e-mail, the reading of the received mail, and the execution of the application that does not require communication with the network are performed. Thus, operations that can be performed outside the service area are not hindered. Either the underground movement or out-of-service detection may be performed first. That is, the control state of the power supply control unit 5 may be switched when both the underground movement and the out-of-service conditions are satisfied. In addition, when the movement to the basement is detected, the control state of the power supply control unit 5 may be switched without confirming whether or not it is out of the service area. There is a risk of it. Therefore, it is desirable to switch the control of the power supply control unit 5 at least when both the underground movement and the out-of-service conditions are satisfied.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the mobile phone 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the mobile phone 1 includes a wireless unit 2, a determination unit 4, a GPS / broadcast receiving unit 7, a power supply control unit 5, and a battery 6. Note that the same configuration as that of the mobile phone 1 in FIG. 1 will be omitted because it is redundantly described, and a configuration different from the mobile phone 1 in FIG. 1 will be described.

  The GPS / broadcast receiving unit 7 detects GPS / broadcast radio waves received by the mobile phone 1. Further, the GPS / broadcast receiving unit 7 inputs the detected GPS / broadcast radio wave intensity to the determination unit 4.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the wireless power supply of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment of the present invention is stopped.

  First, the radio unit 2 inputs the received radio signal to the determination unit 4. And the determination part 4 measures the receiving sensitivity of a radio signal (step S201).

  Next, the determination unit 4 compares the measured reception sensitivity with an out-of-service determination threshold (for example, sensitivity standard +3 dB) to determine whether the mobile phone 1 is out of service (step S202).

  Next, when it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is out of service area (step S202, Yes), the GPS / broadcast receiving unit 7 measures the reception sensitivity of the GPS / broadcast received by the mobile phone 1, and returns to the determining unit 4. The measured reception sensitivity is input (step S503). On the other hand, when it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is not out of service area (No in step S202), the process is terminated without doing anything.

  Next, the determination unit 4 determines whether or not the measured GPS / broadcast reception sensitivity is continuously equal to or lower than the threshold (steps S504 and S505).

  Next, when the GPS / broadcast reception sensitivity deteriorates and continues for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds or more), the determination unit 4 supplies power to the wireless unit 2 with respect to the power supply control unit 5. Instruct to stop. And the power supply control part 5 stops the power supply to a radio | wireless part (step S206). The time can be arbitrarily set by the user.

  As a result, when the mobile phone is out of service area, it is possible to turn off the wireless power supply without bothering the user and prevent the battery from being consumed.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when restarting the radio power of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when the power supply to the wireless unit is stopped, the GPS / broadcast receiving unit 7 measures the reception sensitivity of the GPS / broadcast received by the mobile phone 1 and inputs the measurement result to the determining unit 4. (Step S601).

  Next, the determination unit 4 determines whether or not the measured GPS / broadcast reception sensitivity is continuously greater than or equal to a threshold (for example, sensitivity standard +3 dB) (steps S602 and S603).

  Next, when the GPS / broadcast reception sensitivity improves and is continuously detected for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds or more), the determination unit 4 instructs the power supply control unit 5 to supply power to the wireless unit 2. Instruct to start the supply. And the power supply control part 5 starts the power supply to a radio | wireless part (step S304). The time can be arbitrarily set by the user.

  Thereby, when returning from outside the service area when moving, the wireless unit power can be turned on without bothering the user.

  Note that the radio wave environment of GPS and broadcasts greatly deteriorates when moving underground. Unlike radio waves for communication, where base stations are sometimes installed underground in some areas such as underground shopping malls, these radio wave environments basically deteriorate almost as mobile phones move underground. . Therefore, by detecting the deterioration of the radio wave environment, the movement of the mobile phone to the basement can be detected. Moreover, the movement of the mobile phone to the ground can be detected by detecting the improvement of the radio wave environment. In addition, although the GPS and the electromagnetic wave of a broadcast are mentioned as an example as an example, it is not restricted to this. Broadcasting may use other radio waves such as radio waves in addition to television radio waves. That is, any radio wave may be used as long as the radio wave is different from the radio wave used for two-way communication such as a telephone call, which is the main function of the mobile phone, and weakens when moving underground.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of mobile phone 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, the mobile phone 1 includes a wireless unit 2, a determination unit 4, an illuminance detection unit 8, a power supply control unit 5, and a battery 6. Note that the same configuration as that of the mobile phone 1 in FIG. 1 will be omitted because it is redundantly described, and a configuration different from the mobile phone 1 in FIG. 1 will be described.

  The illuminance detection unit 8 detects the illuminance around the mobile phone 1. In addition, the illuminance detection unit 8 inputs the detected illuminance to the determination unit 4.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the wireless power supply of the mobile phone according to the third embodiment of the present invention is stopped.

  First, the radio unit 2 inputs the received radio signal to the determination unit 4. And the determination part 4 measures the receiving sensitivity of a radio signal (step S201).

  Next, the determination unit 4 compares the measured reception sensitivity with an out-of-service determination threshold (for example, sensitivity standard +3 dB) to determine whether the mobile phone 1 is out of service (step S202).

  Next, when it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is out of service area (step S202, Yes), the illuminance detection unit 8 measures the illuminance applied to the mobile phone 1 and inputs the measured illuminance to the determination unit 4. (Step S803). On the other hand, when it is determined that the mobile phone 1 is not out of service area (No in step S202), the process is terminated without doing anything.

  Next, the illuminance detection unit 8 measures the illuminance around the mobile phone 1 and inputs the measurement result to the determination unit 4 (step S803).

  Next, the determination unit 4 determines whether or not the measured illuminance has continuously decreased for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds or more) (steps S804 and S805). The time can be arbitrarily set by the user.

  Next, when it is detected that the illuminance has decreased for a predetermined time or more, the determination unit 4 instructs the power control unit 5 to stop the power supplied to the wireless unit 2. And the power supply control part 5 stops the power supply to a radio | wireless part (step S206).

  As a result, when the mobile phone is out of service area, it is possible to turn off the wireless power supply without bothering the user and prevent the battery from being consumed.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when restarting the radio power of the mobile phone according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when the power supply to the wireless unit is stopped, the illuminance detection unit 8 measures the illuminance around the mobile phone 1 and inputs the measurement result to the determination unit 4 (step S901).

  Next, the determination unit 4 determines whether or not the measured illuminance is continuously improved for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds or more) (steps S902 and S903). The time can be arbitrarily set by the user.

  Next, when it is detected that the illuminance improves for a predetermined time or more, the determination unit 4 instructs the power supply control unit 5 to start supplying power to the wireless unit 2. And the power supply control part 5 starts the power supply to a radio | wireless part (step S304).

  Thereby, when returning from outside the service area when moving, the wireless unit power can be turned on without bothering the user.

  In addition, you may detect the movement to the underground and the movement to the ground with higher accuracy by using the above-described Embodiments 1, 2, and 3 together. Moreover, the means used for the movement to the underground and the movement to the ground need not be the same, and separate means may be used. For example, it is conceivable that the power to the basement is turned off under the condition of out of service area and illuminance, and the GPS / broadcast reception sensitivity is used for the movement to the ground.

  In the first, second, and third embodiments, when the mobile phone moves to the basement and becomes out of service area, the power control unit 5 does not supply power to the radio unit 2. However, this is not a limitation. For example, when the mobile phone moves underground and becomes out of service area, the power supply to the wireless unit 2 continues, but the frequency of intermittent reception may be reduced. In this case, when the wireless unit 2 detects return to the area by intermittent reception, the wireless unit 2 controls to perform intermittent reception at a normal frequency regardless of whether movement to the ground is detected. Also good.

  As a result, it is possible to reliably detect the return to the service area as compared with the case where the power supply is completely turned off. In particular, when climbing a gentle slope or when GPS and broadcast are not received (or when the mobile phone 1 is not equipped with a circuit for receiving GPS and broadcast and cannot be received) Useful when movement to the ground is difficult (or impossible) to detect. In addition, the current consumption of the wireless unit 2 can be reduced and the battery can be saved.

  In the first embodiment, the power supply control unit 5 supplies power to the radio unit 2 on the condition that the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 is used to detect the movement to the underground and the movement to the ground. However, when the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 detects a high speed movement (for example, 30 km / h or more), the power supply to the wireless unit 2 is turned off and a low speed movement (for example, less than 30 km / h) is performed. If detected, the power supply to the wireless unit 2 may be turned on.

  Thereby, since power is not supplied to the wireless unit 2 during high-speed movement, radio waves are not radiated, and the battery can be saved. On the other hand, since the main power supply of the mobile phone is turned on, it is possible to create / edit e-mails and view received mails.

(Other variations)
The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. However, the following modifications are also included in the present invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, movement from the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor, GPS / broadcast receiving unit, and illuminance detection unit to the underground is detected. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the movement to the underground may be detected by comparing the current location detected by GPS with a map. In this case, since it is difficult to detect an accurate current location with GPS after entering the underground, it may be confirmed whether or not the location where the current location was last detected is near the entrance to the underground. The map information may be stored in the mobile phone 1 in advance, or may be acquired via a network automatically or in accordance with an instruction from the user.

  Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above, although the movement to underground was detected, it is not restricted to this. For example, the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 3 may be used to detect a change in acceleration associated with starting and stopping of a train. In this case, it is possible to prevent a telephone call or the like in the train by cutting off the power supply to the wireless unit 2 while on the train.

  In the above-described embodiment, the operation of the wireless unit 2 is stopped (or the frequency of intermittent reception is reduced) by using software and hardware in which the determination unit executes firmware, or the normal operation is performed. I was returning. However, it is not limited to this. For example, a logic circuit that realizes operations corresponding to the operations of the determination unit and firmware described above may be configured in hardware.

  In the above-described embodiment, the mobile phone has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Any device may be used as long as it is portable and has a communication function. For example, a portable game machine, a camera with a GPS function and network connection, and the like are conceivable.

  You may combine each embodiment and modification which were mentioned above.

  Since the mobile terminal according to the present invention suppresses the operation of the wireless communication function in a situation where it is expected that the mobile terminal cannot return from outside the long range such as underground, the power consumption of the mobile terminal can be suppressed and the wireless communication function is provided. This is useful in the field of portable terminals.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cellular phone 2 Radio | wireless part 3 Acceleration / geomagnetic sensor 4 Judgment part 5 Power supply control part 6 Battery 7 GPS / broadcast receiving part 8 Illuminance detection part

Claims (8)

A portable wireless terminal including a wireless unit that receives a wireless signal,
A determination unit for determining whether or not out of service based on a radio signal received by the radio unit;
A power control unit for controlling power supply of the wireless unit;
A movement detection unit for detecting a movement state of the portable wireless terminal,
The power supply control unit determines that the determination unit is out of range, and further stops the power supply of the wireless unit when the movement detection unit detects a first movement state. . 2. The power supply control unit according to claim 1, wherein the power supply control unit resumes power supply to the radio unit when the movement detection unit detects a second movement state after stopping the power supply of the radio unit. Mobile wireless terminal. The movement detection unit is an acceleration / geomagnetic sensor,
The power control unit determines that the determination unit is out of range, and further stops power supply of the radio unit when the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor detects a downward movement for a predetermined time or more. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The power supply control unit restarts the power supply of the radio unit when the acceleration / geomagnetic sensor detects an upward movement for the predetermined time or more after stopping the power supply of the radio unit. The portable wireless terminal according to claim 3. The movement detection unit detects GPS or broadcast wave reception sensitivity,
The power supply control unit determines that the determination unit is out of range, and further stops the power supply of the radio unit when detecting that the reception sensitivity is a predetermined value or less. The portable wireless terminal according to 1. 6. The power supply control unit restarts the power supply of the wireless unit when detecting that the reception sensitivity is higher than the predetermined value after stopping the power supply of the wireless unit. The portable wireless terminal described. The movement detection unit detects illuminance,
The power supply control unit determines that the determination unit is out of range, and further stops power supply to the wireless unit when detecting that the illuminance is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The portable wireless terminal described. The power supply control unit restarts the power supply of the wireless unit when detecting that the illuminance is higher than the predetermined value after stopping the power supply of the wireless unit. Mobile wireless terminals.

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