JP2004214875A - Communication terminal and radio wave state management apparatus utilizing communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently collect and manage the actual radio wave state of a service area and to easily confirm a radio wave state of a desired point from another point. <P>SOLUTION: A communication terminal 10 such as a mobile phone or a mobile information terminal is provided with a position detection section 13 such as a GPS. The communication terminal 10 transmits a current radio wave state (radio wave strength) acquired from a communication section 11 and a current position acquired from the position detection section 13 to a server 20 while correlating them to each other. The server 20 stores the radio wave states reported from each user into a database 23 for managing them. Other users can inquire about a radio wave state of a desired point by accessing the server 20 by means of other terminal 32 such as a personal computer. The server 20 assigns an icon denoting the radio wave state onto a map image of a designated point and displays the icon on the map image. Thus, the actual radio wave state of a point can be confirmed from a point different from the point. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to, for example, a communication terminal such as a mobile phone or a portable information terminal having a current position detection function such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) and a radio wave state management device that manages a radio wave state using the communication terminal.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Communication terminals using wireless communication technology typified by mobile phones and personal digital assistants are connected to exchanges via base stations located in various places, thereby being connected to a communication network and making voice calls with other terminals and the like. And data communication. Although depending on the type of mobile communication, each base station has a service area with a radius of several hundred to several kilometers, and communication terminals located in the service area can use communication services.
[0003]
In which area the communication service can be used can be confirmed by, for example, an advertisement related to a service area provided by each mobile communication carrier (carrier). However, the radio wave condition in the service area is not the same at all points, and even in the same service area, there are places where good and bad places coexist. For example, due to various factors such as the location of the base station, the height of the base station, the output wattage, the frequency band used, the positional relationship between the communication terminal and the base station, and the presence or absence of obstacles such as buildings, etc. Differences arise in the situation. On the other hand, in places where a large number of users gather, such as in a downtown area or near a main station, communication demand is large. For this reason, depending on the time zone (night or daytime) or the day of the week (weekday or holiday), communication congestion occurs and connection is difficult, and the user may not be able to receive a sufficient communication service.
[0004]
As described above, the variation of the radio wave condition, the degree of communication congestion, and the like in the service area change every moment according to the fluctuation of the real environment. With the current wireless communication technology, the actual radio wave condition in a certain place at a certain time zone cannot be known unless the user is actually present at the place at that time. Taking a meeting with a friend or acquaintance as an example, even if the meeting place is theoretically located within the service area, the radio wave condition may actually be bad. In this case, it is not until the user arrives at the meeting place that the poor radio wave condition at the meeting place is known, but at that time, it is difficult for the meeting persons to communicate with each other using the communication terminal.
[0005]
By the way, as a technique for knowing the radio wave condition, there is known a technology in which the position of the own vehicle is measured by a GPS receiver mounted on the car, the radio wave propagation information of the car telephone is automatically acquired and displayed on a map. (For example, see Patent Document 1).
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-172403
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, conventionally, the actual radio wave condition in a certain place at a certain time zone cannot be known unless the user is at the place at that time, and there is room for improvement in the usability of the user.
[0008]
The conventional technique described in Patent Document 1 is for efficiently performing a transmission / reception test of a mobile communication system and a test for switching a communication channel between cells, and thus only radio wave propagation information measured by the own vehicle is used as map data. It remains to be associated and memorized. Therefore, with this technique, the radio wave condition of a certain place cannot be known before reaching the place, and the above-mentioned problem of usability cannot be solved.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the related art, and its object is to provide a communication terminal and a communication terminal that can confirm the radio wave condition near the destination in advance and improve the usability of the user. An object of the present invention is to provide a radio wave condition management device using a communication terminal. Another object of the present invention is to utilize a large number of users as an information provider regarding the radio wave condition and provide the obtained radio wave condition to the same or another user group, thereby reducing the radio wave condition at low cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication terminal capable of collecting and using the collected radio wave condition and a radio wave condition management device using the communication terminal. A further object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal and a radio wave condition management device using the communication terminal, which enable the use of more convenient services by managing the radio wave condition by adding time information and accompanying information. It is in. Other objects of the present invention will become clear from the description of the embodiment described later.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problem, a communication terminal according to the present invention includes communication means for connecting to a communication network via radio waves, position detection means for detecting position information of its own device, and radio wave information obtained from the communication means. And information registration means for transmitting and registering the radio wave condition registration information associated with the position information obtained from the position detection means from the communication means to an external radio wave condition management device via the communication network.
[0011]
Here, examples of the “communication terminal” include a computer device such as a mobile phone, a portable information terminal, a personal computer or a car navigation device that can use a data communication function and a position detection function. As the “position detecting means”, for example, a GPS, a gyro sensor, or the like can be used. Further, depending on the installation density of the base stations, the size of the service area, and the like, the current position can be obtained from the communication state with a plurality of base stations. Further, when communication with a short-distance wireless LAN installed in a store or the like is possible, position information of the store can be acquired, and the position of the store can be used as the position of the own device. “Radio wave information” is information indicating a communication state with a base station, that is, a radio wave reception status (radio wave intensity) and the like.
[0012]
The information registration means transmits the radio wave condition registration information, which associates the radio wave information and the position information, to the radio wave condition management device to register the information. Therefore, according to the present invention, the communication terminal of each user can be used as a device for collecting information on the actual radio wave condition in each place. As a result, the actual situation of the service area can be grasped using a large number of communication terminals distributed in the market.
[0013]
Further, the radio wave status registration information may include time information. By generating the radio wave condition registration information in association with the time information, the position information and the radio wave information, the radio wave condition can be searched using not only the position but also the time as a search key. For example, it is possible to grasp a change in the radio wave condition due to a day of the week or a time zone.
[0014]
Further, an input unit for inputting at least one type of information among character information, image information, and sound information as additional information may be provided, and the radio wave condition registration information may include additional information.
[0015]
For example, various kinds of information on the point where the communication terminal is located, such as a sentence of an impression, a nearby landscape image, and surrounding noise, can be used as the accompanying information. As a result, information other than the strength of the radio wave can be referred to.
[0016]
Further, a display means for acquiring and displaying the radio wave condition display information on the position designated by the user from the radio wave condition management device can be provided.
[0017]
The radio wave condition management device manages radio wave condition registration information input from each communication terminal. A user who wants to investigate the radio wave condition at the destination designates a desired point in the radio wave condition management device. The radio wave condition management device generates information for displaying a radio wave condition relating to a position designated by the user, and transmits the information to the communication terminal. The user can consider changing the destination with reference to the radio wave condition displayed on the display means.
[0018]
The radio wave condition display information can display the radio wave condition of the area superimposed on the map image of the area including the designated position.
[0019]
Since the radio wave condition display information indicates the radio wave condition at a certain place, the location and the radio wave condition of each point may be displayed in a list format. However, by superimposing and displaying the radio wave condition on the map image, the user can check the radio wave condition near the destination at a glance, and the usability is improved. Preferably, the map image is drawn such that the position specified by the user is located at the center of the screen.
[0020]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the information registering means stores the radio wave condition registration information in the storage device, and reads out the radio wave condition registration information from the storage device when data communication by the communication device is possible, and stores the radio wave condition management device. Send to and register.
[0021]
By temporarily storing the radio wave condition registration information in the storage unit, it is possible to make the creation point and the transmission point of the radio wave condition registration information different. Thus, information that a certain point is outside the service area can be transmitted from another point in the service area and registered in the radio wave condition management device.
[0022]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a position information input unit is further provided, and when position information cannot be obtained from the position detection unit, the information registration unit obtains position information input via the position information input unit, Associate with information.
[0023]
For example, when the communication terminal is located in an underground mall or a building and cannot acquire position information by GPS or the like, the user can input the position information via the position information input unit. For example, by displaying a map on the screen of the terminal and marking the current position on the map, the position information can be manually input. Alternatively, it is also possible to input location information using an address, a postal code, a telephone number of a fixed telephone, a nearby building name, or the like. Alternatively, the position information can be automatically input. For example, an approximate current position can be estimated by correcting the latest position information obtained from the GPS according to the moving direction and moving speed of the terminal. Further, the position information may be input by manually correcting the position automatically estimated in this way by the user.
[0024]
The information registration means generates radio wave condition registration information at a predetermined operation by the user or at a predetermined timing.
[0025]
For example, the user can instruct generation and registration of the radio wave condition registration information by operating a predetermined button or inputting a voice command. Alternatively, the generation and registration of the radio wave condition registration information can be automatically performed at a predetermined timing, for example, every time a predetermined time elapses or each time the service area of the base station is switched.
[0026]
On the other hand, the radio wave condition management device according to the present invention comprises: a radio wave condition collecting means for receiving radio wave condition registration information, which associates radio wave information and position information of a communication terminal, from a communication terminal via a communication network; Search and specify the radio wave condition database that stores and manages the radio wave condition registration information collected by the radio wave condition database based on the designated position requested by the user via the communication terminal. A radio wave condition providing means for generating radio wave condition display information relating to the position and transmitting the information to the communication terminal.
[0027]
Here, the communication terminal that generates the radio wave status registration information and the communication terminal that displays the radio wave status display information may be the same or different. According to the present invention, it is possible to collect and manage radio wave condition registration information from a large number of communication terminals, and to provide information for displaying a radio wave condition at a desired point in response to a request from another large number of communication terminals. The radio wave condition management device can be constructed as a server provided on a wide area data communication network such as the Internet, for example. Further, the radio wave status collection means, the radio wave status database, and the radio wave status providing means can be realized on different computers.
[0028]
Further, the time information is included in the radio wave condition registration information, and the radio wave condition providing means searches the radio wave condition registration information managed in the radio wave condition database based on the designated position and the designated time requested by the user, and searches for the designated position. It is also possible to generate the radio wave condition display information relating to the designated time and transmit it to the communication terminal.
[0029]
The time information preferably includes year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. By including the time information in the radio wave status registration information, the actual radio wave status at a certain point and at a certain time can be managed. Then, the user can refer to the radio wave condition management device about the radio wave condition at the desired time at the desired point.
[0030]
Here, various methods can be adopted as the method of specifying the time. For example, the user can specify only the date, specify the time regardless of the date, specify only the day of the week, or specify only the weekday or holiday. The user can inquire about the radio wave condition at a desired point. In addition to this, for example, it is also possible to specify up to the time in addition to the year, month and day as in the case of inquiring about the radio wave condition in the vicinity of a temple or shrine crowded with shrine visitors.
[0031]
In a preferred embodiment, the radio wave condition collection means checks whether or not the radio wave condition registration information received from the communication terminal can be registered, and stores and manages the radio wave condition database in the radio wave condition database only when it is determined that the registration is possible.
[0032]
For example, if false radio wave state registration information is registered for mischief or the like, or radio wave state registration information with low positional information accuracy is registered, the reliability of the data managed by the radio wave state database decreases. In addition, the accompanying information included in the radio wave condition registration information may include inappropriate information that violates public order and morals or slanders others. Therefore, the radio wave status collection means determines whether or not the radio wave status registration information can be registered in the radio wave status database, and registers only when it is determined that the registration is possible. Here, for example, when a large number of radio wave status registration information is transmitted from the same user in a short time, or when radio wave status registration information indicating that radio wave intensity is good is transmitted from a point clearly outside the service area. In such a case, it can be regarded as false information with low reliability and can be excluded. On the other hand, for example, by radiographic analysis or the like, registration of radio wave condition registration information or the like having accompanying information including a prohibited vocabulary registered in advance can be rejected as inappropriate information.
[0033]
In another embodiment of the present invention, the radio wave condition database manages radio wave condition registration information for each communication carrier of the communication terminal, and the radio wave condition providing means generates radio wave condition display information for each communication carrier. It is possible.
[0034]
That is, the radio wave condition can be managed for each communication carrier, or the radio wave condition of a plurality of communication carriers can be managed collectively. By managing the radio wave status of multiple carriers collectively, the user can easily grasp the superiority of the communications service of each carrier in each region and time zone, and when selecting a carrier, Will be the source of judgment.
[0035]
In a radio wave condition management system according to another aspect of the present invention, radio wave condition registration information is managed including user information. Then, the user can be charged according to the transmission of the radio wave condition registration information.
[0036]
In other words, in order to collect the actual radio wave conditions in various places with the cooperation of a large number of users, the users who transmitted the radio wave condition registration information are motivated by performing a special charging process. For example, according to the degree of contribution of the information collection of each user, for example, points that can be converted into services or products can be given, or cash can be transferred to a bank account. In addition, a service such as discounting a call charge of a user who has contributed to information collection may be provided in cooperation with a communication carrier.
[0037]
The present invention can also be grasped as a computer program for realizing a radio wave state management method, a communication terminal control program, and a radio wave state management device. The program can be transmitted, for example, via a communication network, or can be distributed by being fixed to a recording medium such as a hard disk device or a memory device.
[0038]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
[0039]
1. First embodiment
[0040]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the radio wave condition management system according to the present invention.
[0041]
The communication terminal 10 is configured as, for example, a mobile phone or a portable information terminal. The communication terminal 10 includes a communication unit 11, a user interface unit (hereinafter abbreviated as “UI unit”) 12, a position detection unit 13, a control unit 14, a timer 15, and a storage unit 16.
[0042]
The communication unit 11 performs wireless communication with the base station 31 for mobile communication, and can perform voice communication and data communication. The UI unit 12 includes an output unit such as a display or a speaker for providing information to the user, and an input unit such as switches or a microphone or a camera for the user to input information. The position detection unit 13 includes, for example, a GPS or the like, and can acquire the current position of the communication terminal 10.
[0043]
The control unit 14 performs various controls of the communication terminal 10, and includes a CPU for performing arithmetic processing, a ROM for storing programs and the like, a RAM for temporarily storing data, and the like. The timer 15 is for supplying time information. The standard time signal having the time information may be received to correct the time information.
[0044]
The storage unit 16 temporarily stores radio wave condition registration information described later. For convenience of explanation, the storage unit 16 is displayed outside the control unit 14 in the figure, but a memory in the control unit 14 can be used as the storage unit 16. Alternatively, a recording medium such as an IC card or a memory card mounted on the communication terminal 10 can be used as the storage unit 16.
[0045]
The communication terminal 10 can be connected from the communication unit 11 to a wide area communication network CN such as the Internet via a base station 31 and an exchange (not shown), and a radio wave condition management server 20 (hereinafter, referred to as a communication network CN) via the communication network CN. (Abbreviated as “server”). The communication terminal 10 obtains information on the current position from the position detection unit 13, obtains information on the current radio wave condition (such as the intensity of the received radio wave) from the communication unit 11, and associates the position information and the radio wave information with each other. Generate radio wave status registration information. The generated radio wave condition registration information is stored in the storage unit 16 and then transmitted to the server 20 via the communication unit 11. The details of the radio wave status registration information will be described later with reference to FIG.
[0046]
The server 20 may be provided for each communication carrier, for example, or may be managed by a carrier different from the communication carrier. Further, the server 20 may be realized by a personally owned computer.
[0047]
The server 20 includes a radio wave status collection unit 21, a radio wave status map generation unit 22, a radio wave status database 23, and a map database 24. The radio wave status collection unit 21 receives the radio wave status registration information transmitted from the communication terminal 10 and registers the received data in the radio wave status database 23. The map database 24 stores the latest map data.
[0048]
In response to a request from the user, the radio wave condition map generation unit 22 extracts data relating to the radio wave condition at a position (or position and time zone) specified by the user from the radio wave condition database 23, converts the extracted data into an icon, An icon indicating the situation is mapped on a map image centered on the position specified by the user. In the present specification, a figure (icon) that symbolizes the radio wave condition is combined with a map image, and is referred to as a radio wave condition map in this specification. As described later, not only the radio wave condition but also a message or the like arbitrarily registered by the user can be associated with the radio wave condition map. In addition, the radio wave condition map is created based on the scale specified in the initial stage, centering on the position specified by the user. The user can move the display range or change the scale by operating via the UI unit 12.
[0049]
Note that the radio wave status collection unit 21, the radio wave status map generation unit 22, the radio wave status database 23, and the map database 24 do not all need to exist in the server 20, but are realized on separate computers, and Cooperative operation may be possible.
[0050]
The other communication terminal 32 is configured as, for example, a personal computer or the like. Through this communication terminal 32, another user inquires of the server 20 about the radio wave condition of the destination, and the other terminal is centered on the destination. A radio wave status map in a predetermined range can be obtained. The other communication terminals 32 only need to be able to connect to the communication network CN, and need not have a mobile communication function. The radio wave condition map can be easily obtained via the communication network CN.
[0051]
As described above, in the present system, the current radio wave condition at the point is collected from a large number of communication terminals 10 located in the service area of each place, near the service area, or outside the service area, and stored in the radio wave condition database 23. It has become. To be more precise, as described later, when the communication terminal 10 is located outside the service area, the radio wave condition at that point is transmitted to the server 20 when the communication terminal 10 is located within the nearest service area.
[0052]
Next, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the radio wave condition registration information.
[0053]
As shown in FIG. 2A, the radio wave condition registration information associates information on the current time (year, month, day, hour, minute, second), position information indicated by latitude and longitude, and radio wave condition (radio wave intensity). It consists of. In addition, message information input by the user via the UI unit 12 can be associated with the message information. Note that the message information is not limited to character information, and may be a still image, a moving image, a voice, or information combining these.
[0054]
As shown in FIG. 2B, information about the user who registered the radio wave condition registration information may be added. As the registrant information, for example, a telephone number for mobile communication can be cited. This is because a user name or the like can be known only by a telephone number by referring to a customer database of a communication carrier. However, not only the mobile communication telephone number but also other personal information such as an e-mail address, address, name, age, occupation, date of birth, etc. may be registered together. Note that, for example, personal information is stored in a recording medium such as an IC card or a memory card detachably attached to the communication terminal 10, and all or one of the personal information stored in the recording medium is authorized by the user. The unit may be read out and transmitted to the server 20 while being included in the radio wave condition registration information.
[0055]
As shown in FIG. 2C, the type of radio wave status registration information and the name of a communication carrier can be further added. The type of the radio wave status registration information is information for classifying accompanying message information such as “meeting”, “banquet”, “date”, “gourmet”, “fashion”, “play”, and the like. The type and the name of the communication carrier may be manually input by the user via the UI unit 12 on the communication terminal 10 side, or when the radio wave condition registration information is registered in the server 20, for example, CGI or the like may be used. May be input via the user interface on the server 20 created in the above.
[0056]
As shown in FIG. 2D, other information such as “easy connection” can be included as the radio wave condition other than the radio wave intensity.
[0057]
Next, FIG. 3 shows a process of generating and transmitting radio wave condition registration information performed by the communication terminal 10. In the drawings, steps are abbreviated as “S”.
[0058]
This processing is started, for example, when a user performs a predetermined operation. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be automatically started at a predetermined timing as in the embodiment described later.
[0059]
First, position information indicating the current position of the communication terminal 10 is obtained from the position detection unit 13 (S1). If the position information has been acquired (S1: YES), the current radio wave condition is acquired from the communication unit 11 (S2). The radio wave intensity is acquired as the radio wave condition in the case of being in the area, and out of the area in the case of being out of the service area. Next, the current time information is obtained from the timer 15 (S3), and the position information, the radio wave condition (radio wave information) and the time information are associated with each other to be stored as one set of information and stored in the storage unit 16 (S4). . Further, when the user desires to add message information, the message information input via the UI unit 12 is also included in the radio wave condition registration information and stored in the storage unit 16 (S5).
[0060]
Next, it is determined whether the communication unit 11 can perform data communication with the server 20 via the base station 31 (S6). If data communication is possible (S6: YES), the radio wave condition registration information (consisting of position information, radio wave information, time information and message information) stored in the storage unit 16 is read, and the base station 31 and the like are transmitted from the communication unit 11 to the base station 31 and the like. (S7). If the communication terminal 10 is located out of the service area where data communication is not possible (S6: NO), the radio wave status registration information is stored in the storage unit 16 until the user moves or the surrounding obstacle is eliminated and data communication becomes possible. When the data communication becomes possible, the radio wave condition registration information is read from the storage unit 16 and transmitted to the server 20.
[0061]
On the other hand, for example, when the user is located inside an underground mall or a building, the current position of the communication terminal 10 cannot be acquired using GPS. If the current position cannot be acquired (S1: NO), it is determined whether or not to continue the processing for registering the radio wave condition (S8). In this determination step, for example, a confirmation message such as “Cannot acquire the current position. Do you want to continue the radio wave condition registration process manually?” Is displayed on the UI unit 12, and the user performs a predetermined operation to accept the message. It is determined whether or not. Instead of asking the user for confirmation every time, if the current position cannot be acquired, it may be set so that the registration process of the radio wave condition is interrupted.
[0062]
If the user desires to continue the registration process (S8: YES), for example, the user marks the current position on the displayed map image, or inputs the address, zip code, or the like of the current position. The position is manually input (S9).
[0063]
More specifically, for example, the user is allowed to gradually acquire a map image including the current position from the map database 24 of the server 20, such as a prefecture → a municipal government → a character → a chome, and appear on the map image. Mark your current location. By obtaining the latitude and longitude of the marked point from the map database 24, it can be used as position information. Alternatively, when map data including the current position is stored in the communication terminal 10 in advance, the latitude and longitude can be specified using the map data in the terminal instead of the map data in the server 20. Further, the address and postal code of the building where the user is located may be transmitted to the server 20 as position information, and the server 20 may search the address and telephone number for the latitude and longitude of the user position.
[0064]
In this manner, the position information manually input by the user is stored as one set of information in the storage unit 16 in association with the radio wave information, the time information, and the message information, similarly to the above (S2 to S5). 16 and transmitted to the server 20 (S6, S7). For example, by setting a position acquisition impossible flag, it is possible to register in the radio wave condition database 23 as a radio wave condition at a point where position information cannot be obtained.
[0065]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the radio wave condition collection processing for receiving the radio wave condition registration information and registering it in the radio wave condition database 23.
[0066]
When the radio wave condition registration information is received from the communication terminal 10 (S11: YES), the received radio wave condition registration information is checked (S12). For example, if a large amount of information is not received in a short time from the same communication terminal 10, the message information does not include expressions contrary to public order and morals, or if the area where the base station is not installed is other than “out of service area” It is determined whether the radio wave condition has not been reported.
[0067]
When the radio wave condition registration information satisfies the above-described preset registration possible condition (S13: YES), the radio wave condition registration information is registered in the radio wave condition database 23 (S14). On the other hand, when the registration-possible condition is not satisfied (S13: NO), an error process is performed (S15). In S15, for example, a process of discarding the unregisterable radio wave status registration information and, if the radio wave status registration information includes information for identifying a user, placing the transmitting user on a blacklist, etc. Do.
[0068]
FIG. 5 shows a process when the radio wave condition map service is used. First, the communication terminal 10 (or another terminal 32) connects to the communication network CN (S21), accesses the server 20, and requests a service for displaying a radio wave condition map (S22). When receiving the display request from the communication terminal 10 (S31), the server 20 reads the map information from the map database 24 and transmits the map information to the communication terminal 10 (S32).
[0069]
The communication terminal 10 displays the map information received from the server 20 on the UI unit 12 (S23). The user searches for a desired point for which the user wants to know the radio wave condition based on the displayed map (S23). Until a map of a point desired by the user is obtained, the communication terminal 10 requests the server 20 to acquire map information. In response to the map request, the server 20 transmits the map information to the communication terminal 10. Specifically, for example, when a schematic diagram of the whole of Japan is transmitted from the server 20 to the communication terminal 10 first, the user selects a region including a desired point from the entire map of Japan, and sends a map of the region to the server 20. Request. In response to this request, when the server 20 transmits the map of the designated area to the communication terminal 10, the user requests the server 20 to provide a city map including the desired point based on the local map. In this manner, by narrowing down the display range of the map in stages, it is possible to specify a point where the user wants to know the radio wave condition. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to specify the point where the radio wave condition is to be checked by the address, postal code, landmark name, etc. of the desired point of the user.
[0070]
The user can specify a point to check the radio wave condition and a time zone to check the radio wave condition (S24). That is, the user can request the server 20 for a radio wave state map showing the radio wave state of a specific point in a specific time zone.
[0071]
The server 20 searches the radio wave condition database 23 based on the latitude and longitude of the point specified by the user and the specified time zone (S33), and extracts the radio wave condition corresponding to the specified time zone at the specified point. . The extracted radio wave condition is converted into a predetermined icon according to the radio wave intensity, the presence or absence of message information, and the like, and is mapped on a map image of a predetermined scale centering on the designated point (S34).
[0072]
The radio wave condition map in the designated time zone at the designated point is transmitted from the server 20 to the communication terminal 10 (S35). The communication terminal 10 receives the radio wave condition map (S25) and displays the map on the UI unit 12 (S26). By using the displayed radio wave condition map, the user can check the radio wave condition of a desired point such as a meeting place or a planned visit site at a point different from the desired point.
[0073]
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a main screen displayed on the UI unit 12 of the communication terminal 10.
[0074]
FIG. 6A shows a screen G1 when the server 20 is accessed. In this example, a radio wave condition map service is provided in a site of a communication carrier used by a user. The user accessing the site of the communication carrier can fly to the radio wave condition map service by operating the menu button 40.
[0075]
FIG. 6B is a screen G2 that acquires map information from the server 20 and specifies a desired point to check the radio wave condition. The user can specify the center point of the radio wave condition map by operating the target identification icon 41. When the point where the radio wave condition is to be investigated is determined, for example, the confirm button 42 is operated. Note that all of the user operations described above and below are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. For example, a point, a time zone, and the like can be specified by voice input, a tablet, or the like.
[0076]
FIG. 6C shows a screen G3 for inputting a temporal search condition or the like at a designated point. For example, the user can request the radio wave condition in a specific date and time by the date designation column 43, and can request the radio wave condition in a specific time zone by the time zone designation column 44. Alternatively, a specific building can be designated by the free condition designation field 45. It should be noted that a temporal search condition can be set based on a weekday or a holiday. Of course, designation of the date, time zone, etc. is not essential, and these temporal search conditions need not be set. When the conditions are determined, for example, the user operates the search button 46 to cause the server 20 to start the search.
[0077]
FIG. 6D is a display screen G4 of the radio wave condition map generated by the server 20. Various icons 48 such as a circle mark, a triangle mark, and a cross mark are allocated and displayed on a map image in a predetermined range. The icons 48 are distinguished according to the strength of the radio wave and the presence or absence of the message information. Specifically, a circle is displayed when the radio wave intensity is strong and the radio wave condition is good, a triangle mark is displayed when the radio wave condition is medium, and a cross mark is displayed when the radio wave condition is out of range. . A black icon indicates that message information exists. Such a display method is merely an example, and the radio wave condition can be expressed by other various methods. The user can know the details of the radio wave condition by operating the details button 47, for example.
[0078]
FIG. 7 is a screen for displaying details of the radio wave condition. For example, the detailed screen can be configured as a list in which the place name, the place detailed name, the radio wave condition, and the message information are associated.
[0079]
Since the radio wave condition management system according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, there is no need for the carrier to survey the radio wave condition of each service area by himself / herself. Can be stored. Then, before moving to the desired point, the user can check the actual radio wave condition at the desired point. In addition, since the user can check the radio wave condition of a communication carrier who does not use the service, the user can purchase the communication terminal 10 after checking the actual radio wave condition at home or work.
[0080]
In addition, since time information is managed in addition to the position information and the radio wave condition, the radio wave condition of a desired point in a desired time zone can be confirmed. Since the radio wave condition changes every moment depending on the number of users, the presence or absence of obstacles, etc., the actual radio wave condition differs depending on the time zone even at the same point, but in this embodiment, the difference depending on the time zone is also confirmed. User convenience is improved.
[0081]
Further, since the radio wave condition registration information is stored in the storage unit 16 and transmitted to the server 20 after the data communication becomes possible, out-of-service information indicating that a certain point is out of the service area can be easily collected.
[0082]
When the position information cannot be obtained, the current position can be manually input, so that the radio wave condition of a place where GPS cannot be used can be collected.
[0083]
Further, the user can easily check the radio wave condition at a glance because the radio wave condition at the designated point is visually represented by a plurality of types of icons corresponding to the radio wave condition.
[0084]
In addition, since the user can register not only the radio wave condition but also the message information in association with each other, the user can transmit the message to a friend or an unspecified person such as a message board at a station. Therefore, it is possible to communicate between a plurality of and unspecified users without using e-mail or voice communication. In the case where a message is transmitted only to a specific user or group, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a password or the like for message viewing can be set.
[0085]
2. Second embodiment
[0086]
FIG. 8 is an example of a radio wave condition map according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment is characterized in that the size of the icon is changed according to the number of registered radio wave condition registration information. It is sufficient that the icons can be distinguished according to the number of registered radio wave conditions, and the size of the icons is not limited. For example, the shape and color of the icon may be changed.
[0087]
3. Third embodiment
[0088]
Next, FIG. 9 shows a screen example of the radio wave condition map service according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, instead of each carrier providing a radio wave status map of its own service area, a specialist in a radio wave condition map service provides collectively the radio wave status of each telecommunications carrier. There are features.
[0089]
As shown in FIG. 9A, the user can access a special site of the radio wave condition map service and request a browsing service of the radio wave condition map. The user registration button 50 is used when performing user registration to use the service. When the browse button 51 of the radio wave condition map is operated, the screen shifts to a search condition designation screen of FIG. 9B.
[0090]
As shown in FIG. 9B, one or a plurality of communication carrier names can be selected in the carrier selection field 52 on the search condition designation screen. In addition, the area to which the point whose radio wave condition is to be known belongs can be selected in advance by the area selection field 53. Further, although not shown, a temporal search condition can be specified as described above.
[0091]
When requesting a radio wave status map by specifying a plurality of telecommunications carriers, the radio wave status icons may be switched and displayed for each telecommunications carrier, or radio waves of a plurality of telecommunications carriers may be displayed. The status icons may be displayed at the same time.
[0092]
4. Fourth embodiment
[0093]
FIG. 10 shows an overall outline of a radio wave condition management system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. A feature of the present embodiment is that a call fee can be reduced for a user who has registered a radio wave condition according to the degree of contribution.
[0094]
In the server 20, a charging processing unit 61 for charging a user and a customer database 62 are newly added. Note that the billing unit 61 and the customer database 62 may be on a different computer from the server 20. The billing processor 61 adds a charge for using the radio wave status map service to a normal billing charge (such as a basic monthly charge, a voice call charge, a packet communication charge, etc.). Reduce the amount of money according to the number of registered radio wave status registration information. The amount corresponding to the registration may be a fixed amount, such as 10 yen per case, or may be adjusted according to the type of radio wave condition, such as 7 yen when out of service area. Is also good. Also, for a service area where the number of registered radio wave conditions is small, the degree of contribution of registration can be highly evaluated and set to a higher amount.
[0095]
5. Fifth embodiment
[0096]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the radio wave condition registration processing according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. A feature of the present embodiment is that the radio wave condition is acquired at a predetermined timing set in advance, instead of acquiring the radio wave condition by a manual operation.
[0097]
In the communication terminal 10, a timing table 71 is added. Various timings can be set in the timing table 71, such as, for example, every time a predetermined time elapses, every time a predetermined distance is traveled, within a specified period, and the like. For example, a plurality of timing conditions may be set, such as every time a predetermined time elapses within a designated period. Further, the radio wave condition may be acquired every time the service area is switched.
[0098]
The embodiments of the present invention described above are examples for describing the present invention, and do not purport to limit the scope of the present invention only to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various other modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a radio wave condition management system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of radio wave status registration information.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a data registration process when a communication terminal generates radio wave condition registration information and transmits the information to a server.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a radio wave state collection process when the server receives the radio wave state registration information and registers the information in the radio wave state database.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating operations of a communication terminal and a server when using a radio wave condition.
FIG. 6 is a screen example of a communication terminal when a radio wave condition map is used.
FIG. 7 is a screen example showing details of a radio wave condition.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a radio wave condition map according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen of a radio wave condition map service according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a radio wave condition management system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a radio wave condition registration process according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Communication terminal
11 Communication unit
12 UI section
13 Position detector
14 Control unit
15 Timer
16 Storage unit
20 servers
21 Radio wave status collection unit
22 Radio wave condition map generator
23 Radio wave condition database
24 map database
31 base station
32 Other communication terminals
61 Billing unit
62 Customer Database

Claims (18)

Communication means for connecting to a communication network via radio waves;
Position detecting means for detecting position information of the own device;
The radio wave condition registration information, which associates the radio wave information obtained from the communication means with the position information obtained from the position detection means, is transmitted from the communication means to the external radio wave condition management device via the communication network and registered. Information registration means for causing
A communication terminal comprising: The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the radio wave condition registration information further includes time information. Furthermore, input means for inputting at least one type of information among character information, image information, and sound information as accompanying information is provided.
The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the radio wave condition registration information includes the accompanying information input from the input unit. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that acquires and displays radio wave condition display information on a position designated by a user from the radio wave condition management device. 5. The communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein the radio wave condition display information is to superimpose and display a radio wave condition of the area on a map image of the area including the designated position. The information registration means stores the radio wave condition registration information in a storage device, and when data communication is possible by the communication device, reads out the radio wave condition registration information from the storage device, and reads out the communication network from the communication device. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal transmits and registers to the radio wave condition management device via the communication terminal. Further, a position information input means is provided,
2. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the position information cannot be obtained from the position detection unit, the information registration unit obtains position information input via the position information input unit and associates the position information with the radio wave information. 3. . The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the information registration unit is configured to generate the radio wave condition registration information at a predetermined operation by a user or at a predetermined timing. A radio wave status collection unit that receives radio wave status registration information that associates radio wave information and position information of a communication terminal from the communication terminal via a communication network,
A radio wave condition database for storing and managing the radio wave condition registration information collected by the radio wave condition collecting means,
The radio wave condition registration information managed in the radio wave condition database is searched based on the designated position requested by the user via the communication terminal, and the radio wave condition display information related to the designated position is generated and transmitted to the communication terminal. And a radio wave condition providing means. Further, the radio wave status registration information also includes time information,
The radio wave condition providing means retrieves the radio wave condition registration information managed in the radio wave condition database based on the designated position and designated time requested by a user, and displays a radio wave condition related to the designated time at the designated position. The radio wave condition management device according to claim 9, wherein the device generates information and transmits the information to the communication terminal. The radio wave condition management device according to claim 9, wherein the radio wave condition display information superimposes and displays a radio wave condition of the area on a map image of the area including the designated position. Further, the radio wave condition registration information includes at least one type of information among character information, image information, and sound information as accompanying information.
The radio wave status management device according to claim 9, wherein the radio wave status display information is to superimpose and display radio wave status of the area and information indicating the presence or absence of the accompanying information on a map image of the area including the designated position. . 10. The radio wave according to claim 9, wherein the radio wave status collection means checks whether or not the radio wave status registration information received from the communication terminal can be registered, and stores and manages the radio wave status database in the radio wave status database only when it is determined that registration is possible. Status management device. The radio wave condition database manages the radio wave condition registration information for each communication carrier of the communication terminal,
The radio wave condition management device according to claim 9, wherein the radio wave condition providing means can generate the radio wave condition display information for each of the communication carriers. A communication terminal, a radio wave condition management system including a radio wave condition management device that manages a radio wave condition based on information collected from the communication terminal,
The communication terminal,
Communication means for connecting to a communication network via radio waves;
Position detecting means for detecting position information of the own device;
The radio wave condition registration information, which is obtained by associating the radio wave information obtained from the communication means with the position information and the user information obtained from the position detection means, is transmitted from the communication means to the radio wave condition management device via the communication network. Information registration means for registering
It is comprised including
The radio wave condition management device,
A radio wave status collection unit that receives the radio wave status registration information from the communication terminal via the communication network,
A radio wave condition database for storing and managing the received radio wave condition registration information,
The radio wave condition registration information managed in the radio wave condition database is searched based on the designated position requested by the user via the communication terminal, and the radio wave condition display information related to the designated position is generated and transmitted to the communication terminal. Means for providing radio wave conditions,
Charging processing means for charging a user in response to the transmission of the radio wave condition registration information;
The radio wave condition management system, which includes: Receiving radio wave status registration information that associates radio wave information and position information from the communication terminal;
Registering the received radio wave condition registration information in a radio wave condition database,
Receiving from the communication terminal a request to display the radio wave condition at the designated position;
Searching the radio wave condition registration information managed in the radio wave condition database based on the designated position,
A step of generating radio wave condition display information for superimposing and displaying a radio wave condition obtained from the searched radio wave condition registration information on a map image of an area including the designated position;
Transmitting the generated radio wave condition display information to the communication terminal according to the display request;
A method of managing the radio wave condition, comprising: A program for controlling a communication terminal including communication means for connecting to a communication network via radio waves, position detection means for detecting position information of the own device, and storage means,
Obtaining radio wave information from the communication means;
Obtaining position information from the position detection means;
Generating radio wave status registration information that associates the obtained radio wave information and position information,
Storing the generated radio wave condition registration information in a storage unit;
Reading the radio wave condition registration information stored in the storage means, and transmitting and registering the radio wave condition management device from the communication means to an external radio wave condition management device via the communication network;
For causing the communication terminal to execute. A function of receiving radio wave condition registration information, which associates radio wave information and position information of a communication terminal, from the communication terminal via the communication network, and registering the radio wave condition database in a radio wave condition database;
The radio wave condition registration information managed in the radio wave condition database is searched based on the designated position requested by the user via the communication terminal, and the radio wave condition display information related to the designated position is generated and transmitted to the communication terminal. And a program to realize on a computer.

Images