JP2001204071A - Portable data communication unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable data communication unit that can complete transmission/reception of object data at a low cost even under an environment where an excellent wireless communication area and a deteriorated wireless communication area are mixed on a mobile route. SOLUTION: The mobile data communication unit is provided with a map database that registers map information including roads and railways, a position information acquisition means that utilizes satellite communication to acquire current position information, a route retrieval means that retrieves a route from a current position to a destination from the map database, a communication area database registering a wireless communication state deteriorated area, and a communication path selection control means that retrieves the wireless communication state deteriorated area in existence on a path from the current position to the destination form the communication area database and sets up a communication route with different charging system between the wireless communication state deteriorated area and the wireless communication state excellent area on the route reaching the destination.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable communication terminal, such as a portable personal computer, in which a user inputs data, and the input data is transmitted through a wireless communication while traveling by car or train. When transferring data to a remote device such as a server computer at a remote location, end transmission / reception of the target data at low cost even in an environment where there is an inferior wireless communication area on the route in the middle of travel. The present invention relates to a portable data communication device capable of performing the following.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are a plurality of connection methods having different characteristics in wireless communication used in data terminals or communication terminals such as portable personal computers. For example, there is a method in which the communication fee is high but the communication area is wide, or a method in which the communication fee is low and the communication area is narrow instead. There is disclosed a method of establishing an inexpensive communication path while maintaining communication connection by effectively utilizing the features of such a method. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-9348, PHS (Persona
l Handy-Phone System) and PDC (Personal Digital Cel)
A method of establishing a communication path using an Lular system is disclosed. In this method, when starting communication, communication is normally performed using a PHS with a low communication fee, but when PHS cannot be communicated, a PDC with a high communication fee is used. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-105058 discloses a method of using a data transmitted so far to eliminate duplication of the data and suppress an increase in communication fee even if a connection is lost during communication. I have.

[0003]

In the wireless communication, the surrounding environment changes due to the movement of the communication terminal, and the connection state of the wireless line may be deteriorated. For example, a case where there are many fences around the communication point, a case where the distance from the communication point to the base station is long, or a case where the vehicle is moving at high speed by an automobile or the like.
When the connection state of the wireless line is deteriorated, noise enters the wireless line and communication errors frequently occur. When a communication error occurs, it becomes necessary to retransmit the target data to reach the destination device. As a result, extra communication occurs,
The effective communication speed is lower than when there is no noise.

In the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-9348, since the connection method such as PHS or PDC is determined depending on the environment at the time of starting communication, changes in the environment after that are taken into account. The reflected communication cannot be performed. For example, when the communication terminal moves in the order of stop, high-speed movement, and stop during data transfer, it first connects by PHS when stopped, and reconnects by PCD when it moves at high speed and the PHS connection is cut off. And when it stops again,
The connection remains a PDC with high communication charges. Further, in the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-105058, when the connection is disconnected, retransmission data is reduced to reduce the communication fee, but the communication state of the wireless line is poor. It has no effect if retransmissions occur frequently.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of an object even in an environment where an area having good wireless communication conditions and an area having bad wireless communication conditions coexist on a moving route. An object of the present invention is to provide a portable data communication device capable of terminating the transmission and reception of certain data.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a radio communication state is determined based on current position information, and a communication path is established by a charging method that reduces communication charges. Specifically, a map database in which map information including roads and tracks is registered, position information acquisition means for acquiring current position information using satellite communication, and a route from a current position to a destination are searched from the map database. Means for searching for a route, a communication area database for registering areas with inferior wireless communication conditions, and searching for inferior areas in wireless communication conditions present on a route from the current position to the destination from the communication area database. Communication path selection control means for establishing a communication path having a different charging method between the inferior area and the good area on the route to the ground. Detecting means for detecting that the wireless communication condition has deteriorated during data communication; and acquiring information on the detected deteriorated position of the wireless communication condition from the position information acquiring means, and storing information on the inferior area in the communication area database. And an automatic updating means for automatically registering as a. Further, the communication path selection control means selects and establishes a communication path of a billing method according to the amount of communication in an area having poor communication conditions.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an environment in which a data communication device (or a portable information terminal; hereinafter, abbreviated as a portable terminal) of the present invention is used.
And a server machine (server computer) 10 which is a destination device
2 can perform voice communication, data communication, and the like via the public network 103 and the wireless network 104.
In addition, the portable terminal 101 uses a position information system GPS (Global Positioning System) using radio waves from the artificial satellite 105.
stem).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the portable terminal 101 of the present invention. The mobile terminal 101 has a CPU 20 that executes a program in accordance with an instruction from a user.
1 and a memory 202 for loading programs and data
And a GPS receiving unit 203 for acquiring current position information where the mobile terminal 101 itself exists, a wireless communication unit 204 for establishing a communication line with the server device 102, and an input and output for inputting and outputting commands and data to and from the mobile terminal 101. An output unit 205, and a storage unit 206 in which map data 207, poor communication area data 208, route calculation program 209, data transfer program 210, switching point calculation program 211, poor communication area recording program 212, and communication data 213 are stored. And these are connected by a bus 214.

The GPS receiver 203 has a function of receiving radio waves from the artificial satellite 105 and outputting current position information as coordinate data of the map data 207. The wireless communication unit 204 establishes a wireless line with the wireless network 104,
It has a function of exchanging data with the server 102 and a function of outputting the current availability status of wireless communication. Also,
It has a function of selecting one of a plurality of wireless lines having different charging methods and establishing a wireless line with a partner device. For example, it has a function of transmitting and receiving data in packets of arbitrary length or fixed length and a function of transmitting and receiving without packetizing. Packetized data is transmitted over the wireless network 1
04 or the public network 103 is charged according to the packet amount (communication amount). Data transmitted without being packetized is charged according to the length of the connection time (communication time).
The input / output unit 205 has input means such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen input, and voice input, and output means such as a display and voice. The map data 207 holds a table in which an identification number, a road name, and coordinates are set as one set. The map data 207 and the poor communication area data 207 are
-It is desirable that the data is stored in a removable storage device such as a ROM, an MO, or a DVD-RAM. This is because, by making it detachable, the map data 207 and the poor communication area data 208 can be divided and managed for each area of a certain size. Also, map data 2
07 is a satellite 105 or a wireless network 104, a public network 103
May be configured to be received in advance as distribution data from a map data server (not shown) via the server and stored.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the map data 207. The identification number 301 is a number for uniquely identifying the set data. The road name 302 is the name of a road. The coordinate list 303 is each coordinate point when a road is represented as a set of line segment data. The speed 304 indicates the traveling speed on the road. By connecting the coordinate data of the same road name in the recorded order, the road structure can be drawn on a plane. For example, FIG. 4 is an example when route1 in FIG. 3 is drawn on a plane. The speed 304 is updated when the mobile terminal 101 actually moves on a road on the map data 207. By using the GPS, the mobile terminal 101 can calculate the time required to move from the end point of the road in the map data 207 to the end point. And
The actual moving speed is obtained from the calculated time and the distance of the road, and the moving speed 304 of the map data 207 is updated. The updating includes a method of simply changing the moving distance 304 to the calculated moving distance, a method of calculating a difference between the moving distance 304 and the calculated moving distance, and adding a few percent of the difference to the moving distance 304. When the mobile terminal 101 itself can be linked with the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle can be set to the speed 304. The poor call area data 208 holds a table in which an identification number 301 and coordinates between two points representing a line segment are set.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of the poor call area data 208. The identification number 501 indicates the identification number 301 described in the map data 207. Coordinates 502 and 50
Reference numeral 3 indicates which partial line segment is a poor communication area on a line segment connecting the same set of data as the map data identification number 301 and the next set of data. The poor call area data 208 includes, for example, communication area information obtained from a mobile phone service providing organization, bad call area information obtained from the position of a base station installed for providing the service, and bad call area obtained from map information. The initial state is set based on information (basin etc.). The route calculation program 209 is a program for calculating the shortest line segment set on the map data connecting the current position obtained from the GPS receiving unit 203 and the destination input by the user from the input / output unit 205. This program calculates the shortest route to the destination. In the present invention, since the program 209 can apply an existing algorithm used in the car navigation system, the details are omitted.

FIG. 6 shows the structure of the output result of the route calculation program 209. The identification number 601 is the map data 20
7 shows the identification number 301 described. This shows a line segment connecting the same set of data as the identification number 301 of the map data and the next set of data. Orientation information 602
Indicates the direction of the line segment that is the optimal route.
In the case of "1", the coordinates of the next set of identification numbers are the end,
In the case of “0”, it indicates that the coordinates of the set of identification numbers are at the end.

The data transfer program 210 is a program for transferring a file in accordance with a user command input from the input / output unit 205 and for directly transferring the input user data. In the actual data transfer operation, the data transfer is performed while calling the switching point calculation program. The switching point calculation program 211 determines whether or not the current position is in the poor wireless communication area during the transfer of the communication data 213. This is a program that instructs to change to a road. Whether or not the current position is in the poor wireless communication area is determined by the poor communication area data 208. The poor communication area recording program 212 is a program for recording positional information of the poor communication area as poor communication area data 208. The program 212 is always started and records the communication poor area data 208. Here, whether the current position corresponds to the poor communication area is determined by the wireless communication unit 204.
Is determined by the fact that the received electric field strength is less than the threshold value or that the number of data retransmissions has reached the threshold value or more. As the poor communication area data 208, at the initial stage, the location information of the area predicted based on the installation location of the wireless communication antenna, the past communication history, the electric field strength measurement result, and the like are recorded.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the entire processing in the terminal according to the present invention. Here, an example will be described in which a salesperson takes a car around a customer with the portable terminal 201, makes a meeting at the customer, records the contents immediately afterward, and transfers the contents to the server 202 at the head office. First, the salesperson searches for the shortest route that goes around the customer using the route calculation program 209 (step 70).
1). Next, the salesperson moves along the route searched in step 701 and makes a meeting (step 7).
02). Next, the salesperson inputs the contents discussed in step 702 using the input / output unit 205 of the portable terminal 101, and starts the data transfer program 210 (step 703). Activated data transfer program 210
Transfers the contents input in step 703 to the server 102 at the head office. Further, the data transfer program 21
0 uses the position information output from the GPS receiving unit 203 to call the switching point calculation program 211 to select an optimal billing method. At this time, the salesperson is moving (step 704). Next, it is determined whether or not there is a next customer, and if so, the process proceeds to step 706,
If not, the process ends (step 705). Next, the user travels to the next customer according to the route searched in step 701, makes a meeting, and returns to step 703.
(Step 706).

FIG. 8 shows a switching point calculation program 2
11 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the eleventh embodiment. First, G
The coordinates (x, y) indicating the current position are acquired from the PS receiving unit 203 (Step 801). Then, the coordinate (x, y) obtained in step 801 is calculated on which line segment of the shortest route calculated by the route calculation program 209, and the identification number is stored in the identification number variable i (step 802). Next, a partial line segment Line from the coordinates (x, y) to the end is calculated on the line segment indicated by the identification number variable i (step 803). Next, it is determined whether or not the coordinates (x, y) are in the poor communication area (step 804). Specifically, the communication poor area data 208
It is checked whether or not the identification number 501 is the same as the identification number variable i and is on the line segment connecting the coordinates 502 and the coordinates 503 in the set. Step 8 if in the poor communication area
Proceed to 08. If not, proceed to step 805. In step 805, the wireless communication unit 204 is instructed to establish a communication path with the server 102 by the time accounting method, and the communication data 213 is transmitted in the line connection state of the time accounting method. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not there is a poor communication area on the partial line segment Line (step 806). In detail, in the set of the poor communication area data 208, it is determined whether or not the identification number 501 is the same as the identification number variable i and the line connecting the coordinate 502 and the coordinate 503 overlaps with the partial line. Find out. If there is, the process proceeds to step 807. If not, proceed to step 810. In step 807, the travel time obtained by dividing the distance of the line segment from the current position to the poor communication area by the speed 304 of the line segment indicated by the identification number variable i is calculated as a variable t. That is, the arrival time t to the communication poor area is calculated (step 807). And step 8
Proceed to 11. In step 811, the process waits until reaching the arrival time t, and returns to step 801. In step 810, a moving time is calculated as a variable t by dividing the distance from the current position to the end of the partial line segment Line by the speed 304 of the line segment indicated by the identification number variable i. That is, it calculates the arrival time required to escape from the normal communication area and reach the next partial line. Then, the process waits for the time indicated by the variable t, and returns to step 801 (step 811).

On the other hand, in step 804, the coordinates (x,
If y) is a poor communication area, the wireless communication unit 204 is instructed to establish a communication path with the server device 102 by a traffic charge method, and connected to the server device 102 by a traffic charge method. The communication data 213 is transmitted (step 8
08). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not there is a normal communication area on the partial line segment (step 809). Specifically, the identification number 501 is included in the communication poor area data set.
Is the same as the identification number variable i, and it is checked that no line segment connecting the coordinates 502 and 503 overlaps the partial line segment Line. If not, there is no normal communication area on the partial line segment Line, so the process proceeds to step 810. if there is
If there is a normal communication area, the process proceeds to step 812. At step 810, a partial line segment Line
Is calculated as a variable t (step 810). The travel time is obtained by dividing the distance to the end of the line by the speed 304 of the line segment indicated by the identification number variable i. And wait for the time indicated by the variable t,
The process returns to step 801 (step 811). However, if there is a normal communication area on the partial line segment Line, the travel time obtained by dividing the distance of the line segment from the current position to the end of the poor communication area by the speed 304 of the line segment indicated by the identification number variable i.
(Time to reach the normal communication area) is calculated as a variable t (step 812). Then, the process waits for the time indicated by the variable t, and returns to step 801 (step 811).

Therefore, for example, when the shaded portion 41 is registered in advance as a poor communication area in the route Route1 in the example of FIG. 4, the wireless line is connected by the traffic charge method while passing through the shaded portion 41. On the other route, the wireless line is connected by the time charging method, and the communication data 213 is transmitted.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the communication poor area recording calculation program 212. First, upon receiving a notification from the wireless communication unit 204 that data communication has deteriorated (step 901), step 903 is performed.
To 906 are repeated until the wireless communication unit 204 receives a notification that the wireless communication state has become normal. That is, when a notification that the wireless communication state has deteriorated is received, new coordinate data is added to the poor communication area data 208. In this case, the GPS receiver 203
Is the identification number variable of the map data 207
When the coordinate has been moved from the coordinate of the set i to the coordinate of the next set, the coordinate 502 is the coordinate variable start, and the coordinate 503 is the current coordinate from the GPS reception 203. In addition, GPS reception 203
Is the identification number variable of the map data 207
If the coordinate set i is moved in the opposite direction to the next set of coordinates, the coordinate 502 is the current coordinate from the GPS reception 203, and the coordinate 503 is the coordinate variable start (step 90).
2). In step 903, the current coordinates received from the GPS reception 203 are stored in a coordinate variable start. Step 9
In 04, the identification number of the line segment on the map data 207 where the coordinates notified from the GPS reception 203 exists is acquired as the identification number variable i. In step 905, when the coordinates notified from the GPS reception 203 reach the end point of the line segment obtained in step 904, a new set is added as the poor communication area data 208. If the end point is a set of the identification number variable i of the map data 207, the identification number 501 is the identification number variable i, the coordinate 502 is the notification coordinate, and the coordinate 503 is the coordinate variable start. If the end point is the next set of the identification number variable i of the drawing data, the identification number 501 is the identification number variable i, the coordinate 502 is the coordinate variable start, and the coordinate 503
Becomes the notification coordinates (step 905). In step 906, the coordinate variable start is set as the notification coordinates in step 905,
Return to step 904.

As described above, in this embodiment, when transmitting data while carrying a portable terminal,
When the current position is in an area with poor wireless communication conditions, the connection is switched to a wireless communication connection of a traffic charge method, and when the current position is in a normal area, the connection is dynamically switched to a wireless connection of a time charging method. The line whose communication cost is low is automatically selected according to the wireless communication state while moving. As a result, data communication while moving can be realized at low cost. In the embodiment, the shortest route from the current location to the destination is calculated, but the shortest route may be either the shortest distance route or the shortest route. Further, the route may not be the shortest route, but may be a safe route, a route that is easy to move, or the like. Also, although the amount of transmission data is not considered, if the amount of transmission data is enormous, it may be cheaper to transmit using the time billing method.
Wait for transmission until the current position reaches the normal area,
Transmission may be started when the normal area is reached.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, (1) when transmitting data while carrying a portable terminal, if the current position is an area with poor wireless communication conditions, the traffic Switching to the charging wireless line connection and dynamically switching to the time charging wireless line connection when the normal area is reached, there are lines where communication costs can be reduced according to the wireless communication status while moving. Selected automatically.
As a result, data communication while moving can be realized at low cost. (2) Even when a new poor communication area is created, the area can be automatically added. This can reduce the burden on the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a use environment of a portable data communication device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the mobile terminal.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of map data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example when drawing map data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of uncommunicable area data.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of shortest route information.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an entire process.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a switching point calculation program.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a poor communication area recording program.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: portable terminal, 102: server machine, 103: public network, 104: wireless network, 105: artificial satellite, 203: GP
S receiving unit, 204: wireless communication unit, 206: storage unit, 20
7: map data, 208: poor communication area data, 20
9: route calculation program, 210: data transfer program, 211: switching point calculation program, 212
... communication poor area recording program, 213 ... communication data.

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A portable data communication device for transmitting and receiving data to and from a destination device via a wireless line, comprising: a map database in which map information including roads and tracks is registered; Position information obtaining means for obtaining position information, a route search means for searching a route from a current position to a destination from the map database, a communication area database for registering an inferior area in a wireless communication state, Communication path selection for searching the communication area database for an inferior area in a wireless communication state existing on the route to the destination, and establishing a communication path having different charging methods between the inferior area and the good area on the path to the destination A portable data communication device comprising: a control unit. And a detecting unit for detecting that the wireless communication state has deteriorated during the data communication, and information on the detected deteriorated position of the wireless communication state from the position information obtaining unit. 2. The portable data communication system according to claim 1, further comprising: an automatic updating means for automatically registering as area information. 3. The portable data according to claim 1, wherein said communication path selection control means selects and establishes a communication path of a charging method according to a communication amount in an area having a poor communication condition. Communication device.