JP2004080641A - Transmission/reception method of simple personal digital assistant and simple personal digital assistant - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable telephone set capable of eliminating interference even when a plurality of portable telephone sets are simultaneously used inside the same service area. <P>SOLUTION: Voice signals are converted into digital data, they are made into packets and time division transmission and reception are performed. Also, transmission and reception conditions inside the same service area are confirmed, and when a time slot to be used for transmission and reception is free, a channel number indicating the time slot to be used for the transmission and reception by a present station is inserted in the data to be transmitted and they are transmitted and received. Just by confirming the channel number, the position of the time slot in use and the free state of the time slot are recognized. By fixing the time slot for the transmission / reception, communication is performed without causing the interference with each other even when the plurality of portable telephone sets are used inside the same service area. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of transmitting and receiving a simple portable information terminal device suitable for use as a toy, and a simple information terminal device. More specifically, by adopting a time-division transmission / reception method and inserting used channel information capable of identifying a time slot (time thread) used in packet data to be transmitted / received, information is not interfered with each other. It is possible to realize the exchange.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electronic components have been remarkably reduced in size and cost due to technological innovation. As a result, in the field of electronic devices, things such as game devices have been used as if they were toys, as is well known. However, even toys are likely to be equipped with the same functions as the real ones. For example, even when an information terminal device such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) is considered, there is an increasing tendency to sell the product as a product with the same function as the real product. By the way, a few years ago, the market was dominated by toy phones tied with vinyl strings and mobile phones mimicking that form.
[0003]
When considering a mobile phone as a toy, it is a call using radio waves. The call distance does not require the permission of the regulatory agency. The call distance is considered to be a place where there is no obstacle and a good view, for example, about 10 to 20 m.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, even when a simple mobile phone such as a toy is constructed using a weak radio wave, a one-to-one call is the most basic. In such a case, a call using the same radio wave is made. When the same type of mobile phone is used nearby, interference occurs, so that a large number of transmission / reception frequencies must be prepared, and the same transmission / reception frequency cannot be used effectively.
[0005]
If possible, it is preferable that N: N (> 1) be simultaneously used even at the same frequency. This is even more so when considering that children play in groups. This is because a group of friends in the same kindergarten, a close group in the neighborhood, a friend group in the same cram school, and the like may be used by several people at the same time. And in the same group, they often play while talking at the same time.
[0006]
In order to communicate using the same frequency, a time division method can be considered as a transmission / reception method. At this time, even if it is a toy, interference is not allowed. Normally, in the case of communication using such a time-division transmission / reception method and communication using a real mobile phone, the base station controls the time-division transmission / reception, so that time slots of packets to be transmitted / received do not overlap each other. Control is performed to fix (establish) the time slot used in the mobile phone. This time slot establishment process prevents interference. However, in the field of toys, there is no such concept of a base station, and there is no control by the base station.
[0007]
Therefore, the present invention solves such a conventional problem. In particular, the time-division transmission / reception method is devised so that a time thread at the time of a call can be established for each information terminal device. The present invention proposes a simple portable information terminal transmitting / receiving method and a simple portable information terminal device that can achieve transmission and reception of information without mutual interference even if a plurality of information terminal devices are used simultaneously in a service area. is there.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a transmitting / receiving method of a simplified portable information terminal device according to the present invention described in claim 1 converts an information signal into digital data, packetizes the information signal, performs time-division transmission and reception,
It is characterized in that a channel number indicating a time slot used by its own station for transmission / reception is inserted into data to be transmitted, in addition to information data.
[0009]
In the simplified portable information terminal device according to the present invention, the information signal is converted to digital data, and the digital data is converted back to the original signal.
Packet data generating means for packetizing the converted data and adding additional information thereto,
Means for transmitting and receiving data,
A control unit for controlling the data conversion means and the packet data generation means,
The additional information added by the packet data generating means includes a channel number indicating a time slot used for transmission and reception by the own station.
[0010]
According to the present invention, communication is performed by adopting a time division transmission / reception method. Then, N-to-N communication is enabled. A channel number indicating the transmission / reception timing is assigned to a time slot which is a communication unit assigned in a time division manner. In the case of a mobile phone, N is preferably 3 to 5, so that, for example, when one cycle is made with four time slots (one cycle), and a call is made using, for example, three time slots, A channel number is assigned to each time slot. Assuming that the number of time slots that make a round is M, (M-1) = N.
[0011]
When a call is made for the first time, the reception mode is first checked to determine whether or not there is a vacant time slot. When all the time slots are vacant, the channel number CH1 is assigned as a time slot for communication, and the information indicating the channel number CH1 is inserted into the packet data of each other for communication and transmitted and received. As a result, these two time threads are established.
[0012]
When another mobile phone makes a call between the two common service areas where the call is started first, the reception mode is first set and the channel number used in the same service area is confirmed. Then, the used channel number is removed, that is, a call is started using a vacant time slot. At this time, the parties who are talking also insert the channel number used by themselves into the packet data.
[0013]
As long as a call is made using a vacant time slot, a call can be made between the four mobile phones without causing interference. Therefore, even if the same service area is used, a call can be made using a maximum of (M × 2) mobile phones.
[0014]
Even though it is a simple mobile phone, it has functions similar to those of a real mobile phone. An example of the mounting is described below.
(1) Stores, for example, the latest five telephone numbers, depending on the memory means on which incoming history information and outgoing history information are mounted. (2) Setting of telephone number An arbitrary four-digit number is set and stored.
(3) Simple ringtone (ringtone) composition function The musical range is, for example, two octaves, and the maximum number of notes is, for example, 32 notes. The composed ringtone is stored in the memory means.
(4) Incoming LED display function The incoming LED can be attached to the transmitting / receiving antenna.
(5) The power source secures a continuous talk time of about 10 hours using a battery. In addition to batteries, solar cells can be used together.
A similar function is provided not only in the case of a mobile phone but also in the case of a PDA or other portable information terminal device.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of a transmission / reception method of a simplified portable information terminal device and a simplified portable information terminal device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 shows a case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone 10.
FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a main part of the simplified type mobile phone 10. This mobile phone 10 has a plurality of keys composed of numerals, symbols, and the like on its housing, like a normal mobile phone. In addition to the keyboard 2, a display unit 4 using an LCD or the like is provided. The display unit 4 displays the calling telephone number, the received telephone number, the name of the receiving party, the level of the power supply (battery) 6, the calendar, and the like. A battery is used as the power source 6, and the power source 6 is designed to have a power consumption that can secure a continuous talk time of about 10 hours. In addition to batteries, solar cells can be used in combination. Further, a microphone 12 for sound collection and a speaker 40 are built in the housing.
[0017]
Now, the sound collected by the built-in microphone 12 is amplified by the microphone amplifier 14. The microphone amplifier 14 is provided with a level control function such that the output level becomes constant.
[0018]
The audio signal is supplied to a signal processing unit 16 functioning as a data conversion unit. The signal processing unit 16 includes an A / D conversion unit 16A and a D / A conversion unit 16B. The audio signal is converted into a digital signal having a predetermined number of bits by the A / D conversion unit 16A. In this example, the digital signal is converted into a digital signal having a sampling frequency of 10 kHz and a quantization bit number of 8 bits. The audio signal is monaural. Although no compression processing is performed, the digital audio signal can be compressed in some cases.
[0019]
A codec signal such as a sampling frequency is supplied from the control unit 20 to the signal processing unit 16 for a so-called codec process for the sampling and quantization process. As the control unit 20, a one-chip microcomputer is used. Here, a memory means (for example, a ROM) containing a program used for establishing a time thread at the time of time-division transmission / reception is used. A memory means (for example, an EEPROM) (not shown) for storing an incoming call history, an outgoing call history, and furthermore, mail information and the like is built in. In addition, a memory means (RAM or the like) 30 for a work area for expanding various program data is externally provided.
[0020]
The digital audio signal subjected to the codec processing by the A / D conversion unit 16A is supplied to the packet generation / decomposition processing unit 22 to generate transmission packet data in a signal form (packet data protocol) suitable for transmission. . The packet generation / disassembly processing unit 22 uses a programmable small logic device (CPLD: Compact Programmable Logic Device), generates packet data for transmission conforming to a predetermined protocol, and converts received packet data into original digital audio data. A series of processes such as conversion into a signal, extraction of a channel number inserted in packet data, and the like, and transmission to the control unit 20 are performed using the attached working memory (RAM or the like) 24.
[0021]
The transmission packet data formed into the packet data stream is supplied to the data transmission / reception unit 26. In the data transmitting / receiving unit 26, a frequency in the 2.4 GHz band is used as the transmission carrier. Since digital data is transmitted, a transmission form using spread spectrum, for example, direct spread is adopted in this example.
[0022]
The digital signal that has been subjected to the spread spectrum processing and stored in a predetermined time slot is supplied to an antenna 28, transmitted with a predetermined electric field strength. The predetermined electric field strength is a level that does not require permission from a regulatory agency, and the transmission distance at that time is about 10 to 20 m in a place with good visibility.
[0023]
On the other hand, the digital audio signal received by the antenna 28 is received and amplified by the data transmission / reception unit 26, and then supplied to the packet generation / decomposition processing unit 22 to extract and separate required packet data from a packet data stream as described later. Is done. The digital audio signal of the separated packet data is supplied to the D / A conversion unit 16B of the signal processing unit 16 and returned to the original audio signal. After that, the audio is reproduced by the speaker 40 via the audio amplifier 38.
[0024]
The above-described simplified mobile phone 10 has functions similar to those of a real mobile phone. An example of the mounting is described below.
(1) Incoming call history information and outgoing call history information As described above, for example, the latest five telephone numbers are stored, depending on the installed memory means.
(2) Setting of telephone number An arbitrary four-digit number is set and stored as a caller ID.
(3) Simple ringtone (ringtone) composition function The musical range is, for example, two octaves, and the maximum number of notes is, for example, 32 notes. The composed ringtone is stored in a memory means (EEPROM) built in the control unit 20.
(4) Incoming LED display function The incoming LED can be attached to the transmitting / receiving antenna.
[0025]
In the present invention, a time division transmission / reception system is adopted so that N: N transmission / reception can be performed using the same carrier frequency. In the case of performing time-division transmission / reception, when one round is a time of 1 msec as shown in FIG. 2A, for example, one cycle can be divided into four time slots (M = 4) with allowance for transmission / reception. If not all of the time slots are used for communication, but, for example, three time slots (N = 3) are allocated for communication, the number of channels that can be used simultaneously in the same service area becomes three.
[0026]
If the channel number of the first time slot is CH1, the channel number of the next time slot is CH2, and the third channel number is CH3, the last time slot is blank. Then, transmission and reception are performed using a time zone in one time slot. 2B to 2D show transmission / reception examples of each time slot.
[0027]
In the data to be transmitted, a channel number indicating a time slot used by the own station for transmission / reception is inserted in addition to the information data. FIG. 3 shows an example of the data structure of a digital signal (packet data) transmitted / received in one time slot.
[0028]
One packet data (minimum transfer unit) constituting a digital signal has a digital audio signal (transmission data) to be transmitted of 64 k bits in this example, and various attached data is added thereto. First, preamble data, which functions as a header indicating the beginning of packet data, is added to the beginning of, for example, 8 bits.
[0029]
Next, identification data (destination ID) including the telephone number of the destination indicating the destination and identification data (sender ID) including the telephone number of the own station indicating the transmission side are respectively inserted by 12 bits. As a result, the transmission source and the reception source are determined. After these identification data IDs, channel numbers used for transmission and reception, for example, for 8 bits are inserted. In this example, an error detection code is added to the end of the transmission data in order to detect an error in the packet data. As this error detection code, a well-known CRC code (Cyclic Redundancy Check Code) of 16 bits is added to complete the data stream of the packet data.
[0030]
The channel number is a number indicating the position (CH1, CH2, CH3) of a time slot to be used for a call. This time slot corresponding to the channel number is a time thread that must be established on the assumption that a call is made. And assigned as follows:
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 2, when time-division transmission / reception is performed using three time slots (N = 3), a mobile phone that is initially talking on the same service area (an area having a communication radius capable of talking) is used. It is checked whether or not there is a call, and if there are only two mobile phones that are trying to communicate in the same service area, the first time slot is reserved for communication. At this time, the data indicating the channel number CH1 is inserted, and the channel number CH1 is stored in the memory means (EEPROM) in the control unit 20 so that it is always inserted into the packet data every time transmission is performed. Controlled.
[0032]
Then, even when another mobile phone starts a call in the service area common to each other, first, the mobile phone is set to the reception mode and all the channel numbers are searched to determine whether there is a mobile phone using the same service area. At the same time, an empty channel is confirmed based on the presence or absence of a channel number. When there is a mobile phone in a call, whether or not there is a vacant time slot is confirmed based on the received channel number. And make a call using that time slot.
[0033]
By automatically allocating the time slots to be talked to in this way, it is possible to enjoy talking with the other party without causing mutual interference even in the same service area. In the example described above, a maximum of three pairs of mobile phones can be used simultaneously for a call in the same service area. Even if the fourth pair of mobile phones tries to communicate within the same service area, no call can be made because there is no vacant time slot. In this case, finally, the portable telephones that want to talk using the channel number CH3 in the same service area perform busy processing. For example, by transmitting a busy tone or inserting information (busy information) that can display the busy state on the display unit 4, it is possible to notify the operator of the fullness.
[0034]
Also, for example, when all three channels are used, for example, when the channel number CH2 is vacant, by making a call using this channel number CH2, the service in the same service area becomes full. Means that the mobile phones using the channel number CH2 perform busy processing.
[0035]
Note that, in the above example, the busy state of the channel number CH3 is not canceled, but the time slot of the channel number CH2 is acquired so that a call can be made. As a result, both the channel numbers CH3 and CH2 are busy. Processing will be continued, but when a call is made in the same service area, an empty channel is always searched. If there is an empty channel (CH2), the call can be started ignoring the busy mode. However, even if the busy processing is performed, there is no hindrance to the call when there is an available channel.
[0036]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the communication processing at that time. First, the state of the communication line is checked over one cycle time (1 msec) (step 51), and an empty channel, that is, an empty time slot exists. To do so, the time slot with the smaller number among them is reserved for communication, and time threads are adjusted (steps 52 and 53). The channel number assigned to the time slot is stored in the control unit 20 and inserted into the packet data each time transmission is performed.
[0037]
After the time thread is established, it is checked whether the used channel is the last free channel (step 54), and as a result of checking the status of the communication line, when there is no free channel in the same service area, If it is the last available channel, busy processing is performed to insert busy information, such as transmitting a busy tone or displaying a busy signal, to inform that the service area cannot be used (step 55). Thereafter, the communication mode is set, and transmission of the packet data is performed using the determined time slot (step 56). An operator who wants to make a call in the same service area knows from the display content of the display unit 4 that the operator is in a busy state, and waits until a channel becomes available. Actually, since the communication distance is short, the number of mobile phone users can be grasped visually.
[0038]
If there are still free channels, the transmission / reception processing is performed as it is (steps 54 and 56). If there is no vacant channel, busy information is detected from any of the received signals, busy processing (transmission of busy sound or busy display) is performed, and the process ends (steps 52 and 57).
[0039]
If the call ends when there are no free channels, the call can be made using the vacant channel. Will do. Therefore, busy processing may be performed on all channels.
[0040]
In FIG. 3, since packet data is configured by inserting a destination ID, a sender ID, and the like, it is conceivable that no interference will occur even if a channel number is not inserted. Therefore, if a plurality of mobile phones are used in the same service area at the same time, a call may be made using the same time slot, causing interference. Therefore, processing for fixing the time slot to be used by using the channel number is required.
[0041]
In the above-described embodiment, one cycle of transmission and reception is described as 1 msec, and the number of time slots is three at the maximum. However, transmission data per channel varies depending on the sampling frequency and communication speed. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
[0042]
In the above description, the present invention is applied to a simple mobile phone, but the present invention can also be applied to a simple mobile information terminal device such as a simple PDA.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the transmission / reception method and the information terminal device according to the present invention employ the time-division transmission / reception system and can establish a time slot used for communication.
[0044]
According to this, even when a plurality of information terminal devices are used simultaneously in the same service area, communication can be performed without interference. By establishing this time slot, a communication mode having no base station can be realized even in time division transmission / reception. In particular, in the case of mobile phones for toys, even children who often play in groups can easily enjoy the same communication as the real one, and can be used as excellent teaching materials from the viewpoint of emotional education. .
[0045]
Therefore, the simplified portable information terminal device according to the present invention is extremely suitable for application to a portable telephone for toys and the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a main part showing an embodiment of a simplified portable information terminal device according to the present invention which realizes a transmitting / receiving method according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a relationship of time slots in time division transmission / reception.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of packet data.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication processing example.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Simplified mobile phone (information terminal device)
12 microphone 40 speaker 16 signal processing unit 20 control unit 4 display unit 22 packet generation / decomposition processing unit 26 transmission / reception unit 28 transmission / reception antenna

Claims (12)

A method for transmitting and receiving a simplified portable information terminal device,
The information signal is converted into digital data, which is packetized to perform time division transmission and reception.
A transmission / reception method for a simplified portable information terminal device, comprising inserting, in data to be transmitted, a channel number indicating a time slot used for transmission / reception by the own station, in addition to information data. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portable information terminal device is a mobile phone, and the information signal is a voice signal. 2. The channel number is a number for specifying (N-1) individual time slots when one cycle to be transmitted and received is divided into N (> 1). Transmission / reception method of the simplified portable information terminal device. Receiving transmission data, detecting a vacant time slot from the channel number indicating the time slot, and transmitting / receiving using one of the vacant time slots when there is a vacant time slot; Item 4. The method for transmitting / receiving a simplified portable information terminal device according to Item 1. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a busy signal is generated when no free time slot exists. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the busy signal is a busy signal when the mobile phone is a mobile phone. Data conversion means for converting the information signal into digital data and returning the digital data to the original signal;
Packet data generating means for packetizing the converted data and adding additional information thereto,
Means for transmitting and receiving data,
A control unit for controlling the data conversion means and the packet data generation means,
The simplified portable information terminal device, wherein the additional information added by the packet data generating means includes a channel number indicating a time slot used by the own station for transmission / reception. 8. The simplified portable information terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the portable information terminal device is a mobile phone, and the information signal is a voice signal. The said channel number is a number which specifies (N-1) individual time slots when one cycle to be transmitted / received is divided into N (> 1). Simple portable information terminal device. Receiving transmission data, detecting a vacant time slot from the channel number indicating the time slot, and transmitting / receiving using one of the vacant time slots when there is a vacant time slot; Item 7. The simplified portable information terminal device according to Item 7. 11. The simplified portable information terminal device according to claim 10, wherein a busy signal is generated when no free time slot exists. 12. The simplified portable information terminal device according to claim 11, wherein the busy signal is a busy signal when the device is a mobile phone.

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