JP2002325081A - Radio communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a Bluetooth radio terminal wherein connection process between specified Bluetooth apparatuses in a piconet is simplified. SOLUTION: A slave apparatus which is always connected in the piconet is previously registered in a memory of a master apparatus. At a prescribed timing such as application of a power source, calling process to the slave apparatus is performed automatically, and automatic connection between the master apparatus and the slave apparatus is enabled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a radio communication terminal in which a plurality of radio communication terminals constitute a radio communication network, and mutually establish a radio communication link within the radio communication network to transmit signals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a system in which a plurality of wireless communication devices constitute one wireless communication network, and establish a communication link in the wireless communication network to transmit and receive signals, a so-called Bluetooth wireless communication system is used. Generally known. 2. Description of the Related Art A Bluetooth (hereinafter simply referred to as “BT”) wireless communication system is used to transmit a weak radio wave in a 2.4 GHz band between terminal devices such as a mobile phone and a notebook computer or a stereo device and a headphone. And wirelessly transmits signals such as data and voice.

[0003] In a BT system, an information terminal device (hereinafter simply referred to as a "BT device") incorporating a module (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "BT module") satisfying the BT specification standard.
In some cases, a so-called point-to-point signal transmission may be performed on a one-to-one basis.
In many cases, devices constitute one network and perform signal transmission within the network. In the BT system, such a point-to-n point-multipoint signal transmission network is called a piconet.

[0004] One piconet can include up to eight BT devices, one of which is called a "master" and the other BT devices are called "slaves". The master controls the formation of the BT wireless communication link in the piconet and other communication procedures, and each slave can transmit signals only to the master.

[0005] The master and slave functions are not fixed functions fixed to the BT module incorporated in each BT device, but each BT module has both of these functions. It is possible to use both functions properly. However, there is always only one master in one piconet. In the signal transmission procedure between the master and the slave, first, a wireless communication link based on the BT specification is formed between the two BT modules, and subsequently, a signal is transmitted via the wireless communication link. The signal transmission between the BT modules is performed by using a time slot (625 μS in principle) on the time axis as one unit, and using the time slots in a mutually time-division manner. In other words, the signal transmission between the master and the slave employs a TDD (Time Division Duplexing) system, which is a type of half-duplex communication for mutually transmitting and receiving. Incidentally, the communication speed between the BT modules in which the wireless communication link is established is 1 Mbps at the maximum.

Further, a frequency hopping type spread spectrum system is adopted as a modulation system in the BT wireless communication system. Such a modulation system is a system in which the carrier frequency of the normal narrow band modulation system is switched in a short time, and this switching of the frequency is called frequency hopping. The BT wireless communication system has 79 hopping frequencies at 1 MHz intervals in the 2.4 GHz band. Further, since the frequency hopping is performed every time slot (625 μS), the frequency hopping is performed 1600 times per second.

[0007] A procedure for performing frequency hopping in what order and using what frequency is called a hopping pattern, and a BT corresponding to an identification number unique to each BT device.
It is calculated based on a predetermined procedure from the device address and the value of the clock used by each BT device. Of course, the same hopping pattern must be used for the master and the slave to transmit data to each other. Therefore, in order for a BT device in the piconet to establish a wireless communication link, it is necessary to know the BT device address and clock value of the other device. For this reason, each BT device in the piconet communicates with an “inquiry” (I
This information is exchanged by executing communication processing procedures such as nquiry and “call” (Page).

On the other hand, a master BT device in a piconet can always communicate with only one slave BT device. Therefore, in order for the master to communicate with a specific slave, first, a "call" process for calling the slave in the piconet is performed, and a connection process between the master BT device and the slave BT device is performed. There is a need.

[0009] However, there are cases where the same device is always connected to each other under predetermined use conditions or use environments, such as a personal computer and a monitor, or a mini component stereo and headphones. Therefore, if a BT piconet is used to eliminate the wiring between these devices, it is necessary to perform the above “calling” process every time the devices are connected, that is, each time these devices are used, and this is true for the user. It becomes inconvenient.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a BT which has reduced the complexity of connection processing between specific devices in a piconet.
An object is to provide a wireless communication terminal.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a wireless communication terminal used in a wireless communication network in which a plurality of wireless communication terminals establish a communication link with each other and perform signal transmission. A wireless communication unit that detects another existing wireless communication terminal, a control unit that recognizes the attribute of the other wireless communication terminal detected by the wireless communication unit, and displays the name of the other wireless communication terminal together with the attribute. A display unit for displaying an operation input of the registration command, an operation input receiving unit for receiving the operation input of the registration command, and the other wireless communication based on the registration command received by the operation input receiving unit. And a storage unit for storing at least one wireless communication terminal among the terminals.

The present invention also relates to a wireless communication terminal used in a wireless communication network in which a plurality of wireless communication terminals establish a communication link with each other and perform signal transmission, wherein the other wireless communication terminals exist in the wireless communication network. A wireless communication unit that establishes a communication link with the communication terminal and performs signal transmission; a storage unit that stores at least one wireless communication terminal among other wireless communication terminals existing in the wireless communication network; And a control unit configured to cause the wireless communication terminal stored in the storage unit to perform a communication link establishment process and a signal transmission process by the wireless communication unit in response to a signal.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a wireless communication network according to the present invention is shown in the piconet configuration diagram of FIG. The piconet shown in FIG. 1 includes information terminals such as a personal computer 1, a monitor 2, a modem 3, and a printer 4, and each information terminal has a built-in wireless communication terminal that performs communication processing within the piconet. ing. Such a wireless communication terminal is mainly composed of a BT module and a control CPU for controlling the BT module.
It is connected to each BT module via an application program located on the upper layer of the protocol stack. Incidentally, the BT protocol stack supports a communication processing procedure when a BT module connects with another BT module in a multilayer structure.

In this embodiment, the personal computer 1 is a master BT device in the piconet, and other peripheral devices such as the monitor 2 and the modem 3 are slave BT devices. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the configuration of FIG. 1, and the number of slave devices can be freely increased or decreased within a range of up to seven devices. Other BT devices can also be the master.

Next, the configuration of each BT device in the piconet of FIG. 1 is shown in the block diagram of FIG. Since FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a general BT device, the information terminal device in the diagram is not particularly limited. In FIG. 2, the antenna 10
Is used for communication with other BT devices in the piconet.
It transmits and receives radio waves in the 4 GHz band.

The wireless communication section 11 is mainly composed of a BT module. Note that the BT module used in the present embodiment is a general-purpose module specified in the BT specification V1.0b or the like, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Control unit 12
Is mainly composed of a microcomputer (hereinafter simply referred to as μCPU), and controls connection processing between the information terminal device 17 and another BT device in the piconet via a BT module.

The storage unit 13 is mainly composed of a memory element such as a ROM and a RAM, and stores an application program for controlling the operation of the BT device. The storage unit 13 also includes a so-called non-volatile RAM, and other BTs to be connected within the piconet.
The device identification number and the like are set and registered. The interface unit 14 connects the control unit 12 to the information terminal device 17 and the like. For example, a serial interface such as RS-232C or a parallel interface such as Centronics is used.
Data is exchanged with each terminal device using the interface.

The display unit 15 is provided with a liquid crystal or an organic electro-luminescence (EL).
(Minescence) using a display, for example, information of other BT devices in the piconet is displayed here. The operation input unit 16 is an input unit including a keyboard, numeric keys, and the like, from which the user inputs various data and instructions.

The information terminal device 17 is, for example, a personal computer 1 or a peripheral device such as a monitor 2 and a printer 4 as shown in the piconet configuration diagram of FIG. In the block diagram of FIG. 2, the display unit 15 and the operation input unit 1
6 and the information terminal device 17 are individually described. However, when the information terminal device is, for example, a personal computer or a portable terminal as in the present embodiment, the information terminal device is mounted on the information terminal device. A configuration in which a display and a keyboard are also used as a display unit and an operation input unit may be used. Therefore, in the present embodiment, since the information terminal device 17 serving as the master BT device is assumed to be a personal computer, the display unit 15 and the operation input unit 16 use the display and keyboard of the personal computer of the information terminal device 17. I do.

According to the present invention, a master device constituting a piconet in a predetermined environment automatically performs a "call" process for a desired slave device. In other words, the point is that when the power of the master BT device is turned on, the master device automatically executes the “calling” process for the slave device previously set and registered in the memory of the master device. In that the BT devices are connected to each other.

Therefore, as basic operation processing in this embodiment, a setting registration processing in which the master device stores a slave device desired to be connected in its own memory, and thereafter, the power of the master device is turned on. At this time, the operation is roughly divided into two operation processes for automatically performing a “calling” process on a slave device set and registered in advance. First, the former setting registration process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The flowchart shown in FIG.
It is positioned as a so-called application program for the module.
Performed by the PU. The processing flowchart is such that the user operates the information terminal device 17 or the operation input unit 16.
May be started by inputting a specific command from the CPU, or may be started by a periodic interrupt signal in a main routine program (not shown) constantly executed by the μCPU of the control unit 12. You may make it.

When the process of FIG. 3 is started, first, at step 10, the μCPU of the control unit 12
1 to execute an "inquiry" process. Upon receiving such an instruction, the BT module in the wireless communication unit 11
An "inquiry" process is executed in the piconet shown in FIG. Incidentally, the "inquiry" process in the BT system is a communication processing procedure performed by the master device to confirm what kind of BT device exists in the piconet, and the master device continuously broadcasts a packet in the piconet. This is executed by the slave device receiving the information and returning the information on the device itself.

That is, in the process of step 10,
“Inquiry Broadcast” performed by the master device (Inquiry Bro
adcast) processing and "Inquiry Scan" processing performed by the slave device side, or "Inquiry response"
(Inquiry Respons) processing is executed in each BT device in the piconet. Therefore, in the following description, other BTs serving as slaves in the piconet will be described.
It is assumed that the power of the device is turned on and each slave device is in a state where it can perform the “query scanning” process or the “query response” process.

When the series of "inquiry" processing is completed in step 10, the μCPU of the control unit 12 proceeds to step 11 and determines whether or not there is another BT device responded by the "inquiry response" processing. Step 1
In 1, when there is a response from another BT device, the μCPU of the control unit 12 proceeds to step 12 and creates a list of the BT devices that have responded, and this is, for example, the information terminal device 17. Display on the PC display.

As a method of displaying the BT device list,
In order to facilitate the user's understanding, for example, another BT device in the piconet may be displayed in a product-specific category. Here, if an example of the display is shown, for example, FIG.
The slave device (peripheral terminal) connectable to the master device (personal computer) as shown in the display screen configuration diagram of FIG. By looking at the display screen, the user can accurately and quickly grasp the peripheral terminals connectable to the personal computer 1 in the piconet.

The user selects a BT device in the piconet for which automatic connection is desired based on this display, and
This information is input from the keyboard of the personal computer, which is the information terminal of the master device, in order to register and set the T device. On the other hand, the μCPU of the control unit 12
In, it is determined whether or not the registration setting input of the BT device desired to be automatically connected has been performed by the user.

When the user inputs the registration setting, the process proceeds to step 14, where an authentication procedure such as key exchange is performed with the BT device selected by the user as necessary. Here, the “key” is an encryption key used for mutual authentication between BT devices used as a security measure in the BT system, and is used between BT devices communicating within the same piconet. What is shared.

That is, when communication is performed between the master device and the slave devices belonging to the piconet, a mutual authentication procedure is performed using such a key, and if a common key is not set, both BT devices are set. Cannot communicate. Therefore, in step 14, the master device communicates with another B in the piconet to be connected.
The key exchange process is performed with the T device.

Incidentally, in the BT system, there are various keys such as an initialization key and a unit key, but all of them are BT of a specific BT device.
It is generated according to a predetermined procedure using a device address and a random number sequence. After that, the μCP
In step 15, in order to automatically connect the BT device selected by the user at the time of starting the master device in step 15, U stores an identification number obtained from the BT device address of the device by a predetermined method in a memory in the storage unit 13. The information is registered and set in an element (for example, a non-volatile RAM).

When setting and registering the BT device selected by the user, so-called customization conditions may be added to perform the automatic connection registration setting. Here, the customization condition is, for example, such that automatic connection with the master device is made only at a predetermined time, or automatic connection is made only when a plurality of predetermined BT devices are provided. Refers to conditions. By adding such a condition, for example, in a BT device having a current position detection function, it is possible to automatically connect only when a user comes to a specific place, or to use all information terminal devices necessary for work. Settings can be made so that automatic connection is possible only when they are completed, and user convenience is significantly improved.

After terminating the setting registration processing in step 15, the μCPU of the control section 12 terminates the operation processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 and returns to the processing of the main routine (not shown). On the other hand, if there is no response from another BT device in the piconet in step 11 or if there is no input of the setting registration of the selected BT device by the user in step 13, the μCPU of the control unit 12 Is completed.

Next, the automatic connection process when the power of the master device is turned on will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. After the power is turned on in the master device, various initial setting processes are performed, and then a subroutine of the automatic connection process shown in FIG. 5 is started. Note that the method of starting the subroutine is not limited to only when the power is turned on. For example, the subroutine may be started at a predetermined system initial process, or may be started at any time by manual setting by the user. May be.

In the flowchart of FIG.
First, at step 20, the μCPU
It is determined whether execution of the automatic connection process of the BT device is set by referring to a register in the storage unit or a predetermined memory in the storage unit 13. When the automatic connection is set, the process proceeds to the next step 21, and based on the identification number of the BT device registered in the storage unit 13, the connection to the BT device is performed. BT in wireless communication unit 11
Instructs the module to execute "call" processing.

The "call" process in the BT system is a process performed by the master device to allow a specific slave device existing in the piconet to participate in the piconet, that is, to establish a connection with the master device. The “calling” processing is mainly “call transmission” (Page) processing performed by the master device, and “call scanning” (Page Scan) performed by the slave device.
It consists of a process and a “call response” (Page Respons) process that is performed by the master and the slave mutually.

In the present embodiment, in order for the "calling" process in step 21 of FIG. 5 to be performed, the BT devices for automatic connection must be within a communicable range and the power supply of the slave device must be within the range. It is premised that the slave BT module can execute processing such as “call scanning”. When a series of "call" processing between the master and slave ends,
In the next step 22, the μCPU of the control unit 12
It is determined whether the connection with the BT device preset in the storage unit 13 has been completed.

When the connection has been completed, the master device (personal computer 1) and the desired slave device (eg, printer 4) have transitioned to a so-called “communication connection phase” in the BT system. That is, the frequency hopping pattern between the two BT devices uses a pattern calculated from the BT device address on the master side, and the time slot synchronization is driven based on the master BT clock.

When the connection with the desired slave BT device has been completed, the process proceeds to step 23, where the user is notified that the connection has been completed. The notification may be made through the display screen of the personal computer 1 of the information terminal device 17, or may be made by a sounding instruction or the like via predetermined hardware (not shown). After that, the μCPU of the control unit 12
A communication process is performed with the connected slave device via the module as needed.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S22 that the connection with the registered BT device has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S25, in which the user is notified that connection is not possible, The process shown in FIG. In addition,
When the connection between the BT devices cannot be established, for example, when the power of the slave device is not turned on, or when the master device or the slave device communicates with the specific BT device using all the channels of the BT communication link. There may be a case where processing is being performed.

The method of notifying the user of the connection disabled state is performed in the same manner as in step 23 described above. Incidentally, in the step 20,
If it is determined that automatic connection has not been configured,
The μCPU of the control unit 12 does not perform any processing thereafter and
Ends the flowchart shown in FIG.

As described above, the piconet including the personal computer shown in FIG. 1 and its peripheral devices has been described as an example.
This embodiment is not limited to this, for example,
When the user carrying the portable information terminal gets into the car and starts the engine, automatic connection is established between the navigation device or the car stereo in the car via the BT module mounted on each device. You may do it. In the case where the playback control unit and the speaker unit are separate units such as a mini-component stereo, when the power supply of the device that is not always supplied with power is turned on, automatic connection is made through the BT module built in each device. You may do it.

In the above case, when the power of the device is turned on as the predetermined timing for starting the automatic connection process between the BT devices, the present embodiment is not limited to this. In the case of the portable information terminal and the navigation device, when the portable terminal holder leaves the vehicle for shopping or the like while the engine is running and then gets on the vehicle again, the timing is detected, and automatic communication between the BT devices is performed. The connection process may be activated. Such a system is, for example, a navigation device side B
After the T device confirms the stop of the vehicle by means for confirming the stop of the vehicle (for example, means for detecting a vehicle speed pulse by a rotary encoder or position detection using GPS), it is determined whether or not the portable terminal is in the piconet. Is always monitored, and when the terminal once disappears from the piconet and reappears in the piconet, the “calling” process is automatically executed.

[0043]

According to the present invention, for a BT device which is always connected in a piconet, a connection process is automatically performed in accordance with a predetermined activation timing. It is not necessary to input a connection command between devices while checking. Therefore, the burden on the user can be reduced, and a highly convenient BT system can be constructed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a piconet according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a Bluetooth terminal device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a setting registration process of a Bluetooth terminal device that performs automatic connection in the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an example of a display screen used when a user selects a Bluetooth terminal device to be automatically connected in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an automatic connection process of the Bluetooth terminal device in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Antenna 11 ... Wireless communication part 12 ... Control part 13 ... Storage part 14 ... Interface part 15 ... Display part 16 ... Operation input part 17 ... Information terminal equipment

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yukitaka Saito 6-1-1 Fujimi, Tsurugashima-shi, Saitama F-term in Pioneer Corporation General Research Institute 5K033 AA02 CA11 DA01 DA17

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A wireless communication terminal used in a wireless communication network in which a plurality of wireless communication terminals establish a communication link with each other and perform signal transmission, and detect another wireless communication terminal existing in the wireless communication network. A wireless communication unit, a control unit that recognizes an attribute of another wireless communication terminal detected by the wireless communication unit, and a name of the other wireless communication terminal is displayed together with the attribute, and an operation input of a registration command is performed. A display unit for displaying a notice, an operation input receiving unit for receiving an operation input of the registration command, and a registration command received by the operation input receiving unit.
A storage unit for storing at least one of the other wireless communication terminals. 2. A wireless communication terminal used in a wireless communication network in which a plurality of wireless communication terminals establish a communication link with each other and perform signal transmission, wherein the plurality of wireless communication terminals communicate with other wireless communication terminals existing in the wireless communication network. A wireless communication unit that establishes a communication link and performs signal transmission; a storage unit that stores at least one wireless communication terminal among other wireless communication terminals existing in the wireless communication network; A wireless communication terminal, comprising: a control unit that causes the wireless communication unit to perform a communication link establishment process and a signal transmission process for the wireless communication terminal stored in the storage unit. 3. The time point at which the predetermined activation signal is generated,
The wireless communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein a reference is made when power to the wireless communication terminal is turned on. 4. The wireless communication network according to claim 1, wherein a wireless communication network using a Bluetooth wireless system is used as the wireless communication network, and a Bluetooth module is used as the wireless communication unit. Wireless communication terminal. 5. A method for calling a wireless communication terminal used in a wireless communication network in which a plurality of wireless communication terminals mutually establish a communication link and perform signal transmission, wherein the other wireless communication terminals existing in the wireless communication network A first step of detecting the attributes of the other wireless communication terminals detected by the first step; and a second step of detecting and recognizing the attributes of the other wireless communication terminals detected by the first and second steps. A third step of displaying the name of the wireless communication terminal and its attributes and providing a display for reminding of an operation input of the registration command; a fourth step of accepting the operation input of the registration command; and the fourth step. A fifth step of storing at least one of the other wireless communication terminals based on the accepted registration command; and a wireless communication terminal stored in the fifth step in response to a predetermined activation signal. Call A sixth step of performing a communication link establishment process and a signal transmission process for the wireless communication terminal. 6. The time point at which the predetermined start signal is generated,
6. The wireless communication terminal calling method according to claim 5, wherein a reference is made based on power-on of the wireless communication terminal. 7. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein a wireless communication network based on a Bluetooth wireless system is used as the wireless communication network, and a Bluetooth module is used as the wireless communication unit. Calling method.