JP2000201223A - Radio communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the failure of electronic mail communication and to make mail communication to be efficient by detecting a radio reception level at the time of the transmission/reception processing of the electronic mail and executing the transmission/reception processing of the electronic mail when the level is judged to be a communication possible state. SOLUTION: A portable telephone set gives a transmission request to a transmission manager 4 from a mail system 1 with a compiled transmission mail as a transmission file with a mail transmission operation and inquires a radio level detection module 7 of a radio reception level. The module 7 receives it and gives the transmission request of a transmission file to a transmission module 5 from the transmission manager 4 when a communication possible state is stable for not less than prescribed time in a timer module 6. The transmission module 5 extracts and transmits transmission data from a transmission file. When the response of the module 7 is impossible, the transmission manager 4 pools the transmission file in a spool 8 and takes it out and transmits it when it becomes the communication possible state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless communication device such as a portable telephone having an electronic mail transmission / reception function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a portable telephone having an electronic mail function has been proposed. With this mobile phone, when sending an e-mail, the mobile phone wirelessly accesses the base station from the mobile phone, further accesses the e-mail server from the base station by wire, and transmits the outgoing mail created and edited by the user to the e-mail server wirelessly. Send. Also, when receiving an e-mail, the mobile phone wirelessly accesses the base station, further accesses the e-mail server from the base station by wire, and receives the received e-mail stored in the e-mail server for the mobile phone by wireless. , And L
It is displayed on a CD display or the like. Such wireless e-mail is not limited to mobile phones, but has been put to practical use in other wireless communication terminals as well.

[0003]

By the way, unlike the electronic mail using only the wire, the electronic mail via the above-mentioned radio may fail due to the radio wave condition at the time of the electronic mail communication. high. If the operator has to perform a retry operation every time the e-mail communication fails, the usability is very poor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication device which can improve the success rate of wireless e-mail and can perform efficient e-mail communication.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a radio communication apparatus having an e-mail transmission / reception function. A determination unit for determining whether or not the communication is possible, and an electronic mail transmission / reception unit for performing an electronic mail transmission / reception process when the determination unit determines that the communication is possible.

In the wireless communication device of the present invention, the radio wave reception level is detected during the transmission / reception processing of the electronic mail to determine whether or not the communication is possible. As a result, when it is determined that the communication is possible, the transmission / reception of the electronic mail is performed. By performing the processing, the success rate of wireless e-mail can be improved, e-mail communication failure can be eliminated, and e-mail communication can be performed efficiently.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a wireless communication device having an electronic mail transmitting / receiving function according to the present invention is applied to a portable telephone will be described below. In the present embodiment, when an operator creates and transmits a mail, the radio wave reception level is measured before transmission, and the mail is transmitted only when communication is possible. When the radio wave reception level is out of the service area and communication is not possible, the transmission mail is suspended. Then, as a result of monitoring the radio wave reception level, when the radio wave reception level changes to a communicable state, retransmission is automatically started. Thus, the operator can complete the transmission by a single mail transmission operation in any radio wave condition.

[0008] On the other hand, in the case of receiving an e-mail, similarly, when the operator performs a mail receiving operation, the portable telephone measures the radio wave reception level and receives the e-mail only when communication is possible.
Also, when the radio wave reception level is out of the service area and communication is not possible, the reception is suspended, and the radio wave reception level is monitored.
When the radio wave reception level changes to the communicable state, the reception is automatically started again.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. Mail system 1
Performs overall control of the mail system in the mobile phone. The transmission manager 4 receives transmission data from the mail system 1 and performs transmission control while monitoring the radio wave reception level. The transmission module 5 includes a transmission manager 4
Transmits the data requested to be transmitted from. The reception manager 2 receives a reception request from the mail system 1 and performs reception control while monitoring the radio wave reception level. The receiving module 3 performs a receiving process according to a receiving request from the receiving manager 2.

The timer module 6 performs timer management and executes timer processing according to a request from the radio wave level detection module 7. The radio wave level detection module 7
For example, by constantly monitoring the reception level of a radio wave transmitted from a base station (not shown) at a predetermined cycle, it responds to an inquiry from the transmission manager 4 or the reception manager 3 whether or not it is in a communicable state. Things. In addition,
The radio wave level detection module 7 measures the instantaneous radio wave reception level when an inquiry is made, and does not respond to the result, but continuously monitors the radio wave reception level and stably communicates for a certain period of time. It responds that communication is possible only when it is at a possible radio wave reception level. In addition, it is assumed that the predetermined time can be individually set as a mobile phone. The spool 8 stores a transmission file in response to a request from the transmission manager 4.

Next, the operation of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment when transmitting an e-mail. The operator edits the outgoing mail and performs a mail transmitting operation (step S1). On the other hand, the mobile phone shifts to a process of determining whether wireless transmission of mail is possible based on the radio wave reception level (step S2). In this process, first, the mail system 1 issues a transmission request to the transmission manager 4 using the edited transmission mail as a transmission file. The transmission manager 4 receiving this transmission request inquires the radio wave level detection module 7 about the radio wave reception level.

When a response indicating that communication is possible is obtained as a result of this inquiry, the flow shifts to mail transmission processing (step S7). In this mail transmission processing, first, the transmission manager 4 issues a transmission file transmission request to the transmission module 5. Upon receiving this transmission request, the transmission module 5
The transmission data is extracted from the transmission file and transmitted. This data transmission process is performed, for example, by wirelessly accessing the base station from the transmission module 5 and further accessing the electronic mail server (not shown) from the base station by wire.

On the other hand, if the response from the radio wave level detection module 7 cannot be communicated, the transmission manager 4
Pools the transmission file in a predetermined area of the spool 8 (step S3). Although a plurality of transmission file pools are possible, the number of files that can be pooled depends on the memory size implemented in the device. Thereafter, the transmission manager 4 issues a radio wave level notification request to the radio wave level detection module 7 when the radio wave reception level is in a communicable state (step S4).

The radio wave level detection module 7 that has received the radio wave level notification request uses the timer function of the timer module 6 to monitor that the communicable state continues for a certain period of time, that is, that the communicable state is stable. . When the radio wave level detection module 7 detects the communicable state, it issues a communicable notification to the transmission manager 4 that issued the radio wave level notification request. The transmission manager 4 that has received it extracts the transmission file from the spool 8 (steps S5 and S6), issues a transmission request to the transmission module 5, and shifts to mail transmission processing (step S7).

In steps S6 and S7, a plurality of transmission files may be pooled in the spool 8, and in this case, the operation is performed to transmit the plurality of transmission files collectively. This operation is performed by, after transmitting one transmission file, receiving a transmission completion notification from the transmission module 5, extracting the next transmission file, and issuing a transmission request to the transmission module 5.

The transmission manager 4 which has received the transmission completion notification for all the transmission files issues a transmission completion notification to the mail system 1 to notify the completion of transmission of the file requested to be transmitted (step). S
8). Mail system 1 that received this transmission completion notification
Changes the status of the corresponding outgoing mail to sent successfully,
The operator is notified by a display unit (not shown). After the mail transmission is completed, the file extracted from the spool 8 is deleted from the spool 8 (Step S).
9). Thus, a series of mail transmission operations ends (step S10).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the portable telephone according to the present embodiment when receiving an electronic mail. When an operation to request mail reception is performed from the operator,
The mobile phone shifts to a process of determining whether or not wireless mail reception is possible based on the radio wave reception level (step S21). In this process, first, the mail system 1 issues a reception request to the reception manager 2. The reception manager 2 having received this reception request makes an inquiry to the radio wave level detection module 7 as to whether or not communication is possible. As a result, if communication is possible, the reception manager 2 issues a reception request to the reception module 3. The receiving module 3 that has received the receiving request executes a data receiving process (step S24).

In the data receiving process, for example, the receiving module 3 wirelessly accesses the base station, further accesses the e-mail server from the base station by wire, and receives the received e-mail stored in the e-mail server and addressed to itself. It shall be received. The received data is passed to the reception manager 2, and then passed to the mail system 1 as a received mail, and is displayed on the display unit.
The operator is notified. When the reception of the mail is completed in this way (step S25), the mail reception operation ends (step S26).

On the other hand, in response to the inquiry as to whether or not communication is possible, if the response from the radio wave level detecting module 7 cannot be communicated (step S21), the receiving module 3 notifies the radio wave level detecting module 7 of the radio wave level. It issues a request and waits for a communication enable notification (step S22).
When the receiving module 3 receives the communication enable notification (step S23), the receiving module 3 issues a receiving request to the receiving module 3 and executes a data receiving process (step S2).
4).

As described above, in the mobile phone according to the present embodiment, when transmission / reception of e-mail from the mobile phone fails due to the radio wave condition, the operator does not need to perform an operation for retry, and the operation becomes easy. is there. Further, since the radio wave level detection module 7 constantly measures the radio wave reception level and monitors the wireless communication possible state, there is an effect that communication according to the radio wave condition can be executed in real time. Further, even when communication is disabled by using the spool 8, the operator can execute a plurality of e-mail transmission operations without worrying about it.

Also, by using the spool 8,
When the radio wave condition is good, multiple e-mails can be sent at once, so only one connection sequence between the mobile phone and the base station is required compared to sending e-mails individually. There is an effect that can be done. In addition, before performing transmission / reception of an e-mail, whether or not communication is possible is determined via the radio wave level detection module 7.
The number of cases in which communication fails is reduced, and there is an effect that efficient wireless communication can be performed.

In the above example, the radio wave level detection module 7 constantly monitors the radio wave reception level. However, the reception level is detected by an intermittent operation in response to an electronic mail transmission request or an electronic mail reception request. You may do so. In the above example, the case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone has been described. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to other mobile communication devices.

[0023]

As described above, in the radio communication apparatus of the present invention, the radio wave reception level is detected during the e-mail transmission / reception processing to determine whether or not the communication is possible. To send and receive e-mail. Therefore, the success rate of wireless e-mail can be improved, and there is an effect that e-mail communication can be efficiently performed without failure of e-mail communication.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a wireless communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an e-mail transmission operation in the wireless communication device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an e-mail receiving operation in the wireless communication device shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Mail system, 2 ... Reception manager, 3 ...
Reception module, 4 ... Transmission manager, 5 ... Transmission module, 6 ... Timer module, 7 ... Radio wave level detection module, 8 ... Spool.

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) H04L 12/58 9A001 F term (reference) 5K011 CA11 CA12 EA05 FA07 GA03 JA01 LA02 5K024 AA01 AA13 CC11 DD01 DD04 5K030 HA06 HC09 JL01 JT09 KA21 LD18 LE13 MA04 MB04 5K042 AA06 BA08 BA11 CA02 CA13 DA16 EA03 EA15 FA08 FA11 FA15 NA01 5K067 AA44 BB04 BB21 DD16 DD44 EE02 LL01 9A001 BB04 CC05 CC07 DD10 JJ12 JJ14 LL05 LL09

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A wireless communication device having an electronic mail transmission / reception function, wherein at the time of electronic mail transmission / reception processing, a determination means for detecting a radio wave reception level to determine whether communication is possible or not; An e-mail transmission / reception means for performing e-mail transmission / reception processing when it is determined that the state is possible. 2. When the determination unit determines that the communication is not possible, the monitoring unit monitors whether or not the communication state is changed to the communication enabled state. 2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the state has shifted to the enabled state, an e-mail transmission / reception process is performed. 3. The electronic mail transmitting / receiving unit, when there are a plurality of electronic mails determined to be in a communication disabled state by the determination unit, when the monitoring unit determines that the state has shifted to a communication enabled state, 2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of electronic mails are collectively transmitted and received. 4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the communication is possible when the communication is enabled for a predetermined time or more before sending / receiving the electronic mail.
The wireless communication device according to claim 1. 5. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring unit determines that the communication is possible if the communication is maintained for a certain period of time after the communication is shifted to the communication enabled state.
The wireless communication device according to claim 1. 6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring means determines whether or not the state has changed to a communication enabled state at predetermined intervals when the determination means determines that the communication is not possible. Wireless communication device. 7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a mobile phone.