JP2014116739A - Electronic apparatus and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic apparatus which can suppress power consumption while comprising a plurality of communication units.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus (portable phone) 30 comprises a communication unit 6a and a communication unit 6b. The communication unit 6a performs communication with a communication apparatus (portable phone) 20 via a base station (relay apparatus) 91. The communication unit 6b performs radio communication with the communication apparatus 20 without using the base station 91. The electronic apparatus 30 controls the communication unit 6a and the communication unit 6b. When the communication unit 6b can perform radio communication with the communication apparatus 20, the electronic apparatus 30 is configured to stop the communication unit 6a.

Description

  The present application relates to an electronic device and a control method.

  Some electronic devices such as mobile phones and smartphones can perform short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and communication through a public network (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-153976 A

  An electronic device including a plurality of communication units, such as the above-described electronic device, may consume more power than a configuration including one communication unit. For these reasons, there is a need for an electronic device and a control method that can suppress power consumption even if a plurality of communication units are provided.

  An electronic device according to one aspect includes a first communication unit that communicates with a communication device via a repeater, a second communication unit that performs wireless communication with the communication device without passing through the repeater, A control unit that controls the first communication unit and the second communication unit, and the control unit is capable of wireless communication with the communication device by the second communication unit. Stop.

  A control method according to one aspect is a method for controlling an electronic device including a first communication unit and a second communication unit, and communicates with the communication device via a repeater by the first communication unit. Performing wireless communication with the communication device without the relay by the second communication unit, and enabling wireless communication with the communication device by the second communication unit, 1 communication unit is stopped.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of control according to the state of short-range wireless communication. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the mobile phone. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting data. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for controlling a plurality of communication units. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of information transfer control in the communication system. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of information transfer control in the communication system.

  An embodiment for carrying out the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The control method according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes mobile phones 20 and 30. The cellular phones 20 and 30 are electronic devices (communication devices) having a communication function.

  The cellular phones 20 and 30 have a communication unit 6a. The cellular phones 20 and 30 further include a communication unit 6b.

  The communication unit 6a is configured to be able to communicate with other communication devices via a repeater. A repeater is a device that transmits (transfers) a communication signal received from one communication device to another communication device. The repeater may convert a communication medium, a protocol, a transmission method, and the like between the reception source and the transmission destination when transmitting the received signal to another communication device. Examples of the repeater include, but are not limited to, a communication carrier base station, a wireless LAN base station (access point), a router (network switch), and an exchange. The communication unit 6a may switch the relay that mediates communication to another relay according to the movement of the mobile phone 20 or 30.

  In the present embodiment, the repeater is a base station 91. The base station 91 is a communication carrier base station. The communication units 6 a of the mobile phones 20 and 30 are connected to a public line (carrier line) network 90 via wireless communication with the base station 91. In the example shown in FIG. 1, only one base station 91 is shown, but the number of base stations 91 may be two or more. The base station 91 that relays communication of the communication unit 6 a of the mobile phone 20 may be different from the base station 91 that relays communication of the communication unit 6 a of the mobile phone 30.

  The communication unit 6b is configured to be able to communicate with other communication devices without using a repeater. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 6b communicates with other communication devices by short-range wireless communication.

  The cellular phone 30 controls the communication unit 6a according to the state of the short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6b. In step S11 shown in FIG. 2, the communication unit 6b of the mobile phone 30 can communicate with the communication unit 6b of the mobile phone 20 by short-range wireless communication. When the mobile phone 30 detects that short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b is possible, the mobile phone 30 stops the communication unit 6a. That is, the communication unit 6a turns off wireless communication with the base station 91. Stopping the communication unit 6a includes, for example, stopping transmission / reception of radio signals by the communication unit 6a, cutting off power supply to the communication unit 6a, and the like. When the communication unit 6a supports a plurality of communications such as voice communications and data communications, the mobile phone 30 may stop at least one of those communications.

  As described above, when the short-distance wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b is possible, the mobile phone 30 can suppress power consumption by the communication unit 6a by stopping the communication unit 6a. For this reason, even if the mobile phone 30 includes the communication unit 6a and the communication unit 6b, the power consumption can be suppressed. Even in the state of step S11, the mobile phone 30 can communicate with the mobile phone 20 by short-range wireless communication. Furthermore, when the mobile phone 20 has a routing function such as tethering, the mobile phone 30 can communicate with other communication devices via the mobile phone 20.

  In step S12 shown in FIG. 2, for some reason, the mobile phone 30 is not capable of short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b. When the mobile phone 30 detects that short-distance wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b is impossible, the mobile phone 30 operates the communication unit 6a. That is, the communication unit 6a turns on wireless communication with the base station 91. Specifically, the mobile phone 30 wirelessly connects the communication unit 6a to the base station 91 and enables communication with other communication devices via the public line network 90.

  As described above, when the short-distance wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b is impossible, the mobile phone 30 enables the communication unit 6a to communicate. Thereby, the mobile phone 30 can communicate with other communication devices via the base station 91. The validation of communication via the base station 91 is executed when short-range wireless communication is disabled. For this reason, the user does not need to perform an operation for operating the communication unit 6a, and high convenience is achieved. Further, in general, communication via a repeater can be performed over a longer distance than communication not via a repeater. For this reason, for example, even if the short-distance wireless communication is disabled because the distance between the mobile phones 20 and 30 is increased, the mobile phone 30 can perform communication through the base station 91 by the above control. There is a possibility that communication with the mobile phone 20 is possible.

  In the above description, the control in the case of changing from a state in which short-range wireless communication is possible to an incapable state has been described, but the same control is executed in the reverse case. That is, when near field communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b becomes possible in the state of step S12, the mobile phone 30 stops the communication unit 6a and transitions to the state of step S11.

  Although omitted in the above description, the mobile phone 30 prepares for communication by the communication unit 6a when it detects that short-range wireless communication is not possible when the communication unit 6a is stopped. Thereby, when the short-distance wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b becomes impossible, the mobile phone 30 can promptly start communication by the communication unit 6a. When the communication is unstable, for example, when the radio field strength of short-range wireless communication deteriorates, the signal to be exchanged has a lot of noise and the quality is poor, or the reception error is larger than the threshold value, connection and disconnection occur. A case where the frequency is higher than a threshold is included. Preparations for communication by the communication unit 6a include resuming power supply to the communication unit 6a that has been blocked while not transmitting and receiving wireless signals, and registering a connection sequence with the base station, etc. This includes proceeding to intermediate procedures.

  The mobile phone 30 may be configured to operate the communication unit 6a when it is detected that short-range wireless communication is not possible when the communication unit 6a is stopped. By configuring in this way, the mobile phone 30 can increase the possibility of being able to communicate stably with other communication devices.

  The communication system 1 may execute other controls in conjunction with the control illustrated in FIG. It is assumed that the users of the mobile phones 20 and 30 are the same person, and this person usually carries the mobile phone 20 when carrying the mobile phone 30. In this case, the fact that the short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b of the mobile phone 30 becomes impossible means that the user may have left the mobile phone 20 misplaced, lost, or stolen. Indicates. For this reason, the mobile phone 30 performs at least control of locking, positioning, notification, etc. after the completion of the control for operating the communication unit 6a when the short-distance wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b becomes impossible. One may be performed.

  In the lock control, the mobile phone 30 transmits a lock request for the mobile phone 20 to the mobile phone 20 or a predetermined device of the communication carrier via the base station 91. When the mobile phone 20 receives a lock request from the mobile phone 30, the mobile phone 20 shifts to the locked state. When receiving a request for locking the mobile phone 20 from the mobile phone 30, the communication carrier device shifts the mobile phone 20 to the locked state by remote control. The locked state includes, for example, a state where operation input is not accepted, a state where use of some functions is restricted, and the like. Thereby, the mobile phone 30 can reduce the possibility that the mobile phone 20 is illegally used by a third party.

  The fact that the short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b of the mobile phone 30 becomes impossible also indicates that the user may have left the mobile phone 30 misplaced, lost, or stolen. For this reason, when the short-distance wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b becomes impossible, the mobile phone 30 may shift itself to the locked state after the control for operating the communication unit 6a is completed. . Thereby, the mobile phone 30 can reduce the possibility that the mobile phone 30 is illegally used by a third party. By operating the communication unit 6a, the mobile phone 30 can also respond to a lock request or the like from the mobile phone 20 or the like via the base station 91.

  When the user misplaces or loses the mobile phone 30, the mobile phone 30 is normally assumed to be stationary. Therefore, a sensor that detects a change in position, acceleration, vibration, orientation, etc. is provided in the mobile phone 30, and this sensor is used when the mobile phone 30 becomes unable to perform short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6 b. You may comprise so that operation | movement may be changed according to detection of this. Specifically, if the mobile phone 30 is incapable of short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b, the sensor detection indicates that the mobile phone 30 is stationary. , Shift itself to the locked state. On the other hand, when the short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b becomes impossible, the mobile phone 30 does not indicate that the detection of the sensor indicates that the mobile phone 30 is stationary. Send 20 lock requests. Examples of the sensor that detects a change in position, acceleration, vibration, orientation, and the like include an acceleration sensor, a GPS receiver, an orientation sensor, and a gyroscope.

  In the positioning control, the mobile phone 30 transmits a positioning request to the mobile phone 20 via the base station 91. When the mobile phone 20 receives a positioning request from the mobile phone 30, the mobile phone 20 acquires location information indicating the current location by the positioning process. The mobile phone 20 transmits the acquired position information to the mobile phone 30 via the base station 91. Then, the mobile phone 30 notifies the user of the received position information. Thereby, the mobile phone 30 can inform the user of the possibility of the mobile phone 20 being left behind and the current position of the mobile phone 20. The positioning process can be realized based on at least one of the signal received by the GPS receiver from the satellite and the base station 91 connected to the communication unit 6a.

  The fact that the short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b of the mobile phone 30 becomes impossible also indicates that the user may have left the mobile phone 30 misplaced, lost, or stolen. For this reason, when the short distance wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b becomes impossible, the mobile phone 30 executes the positioning process after the completion of the control for operating the communication unit 6a, and acquires the acquired position information. May be transmitted to the mobile phone 20 via the base station 91. After the control for operating the communication unit 6a is completed, the mobile phone 30 can execute at least the positioning process based on the base station 91 connected to the communication unit 6a.

  As described above, when the user misplaces or loses the mobile phone 30, the mobile phone 30 is normally assumed to be stationary. Therefore, when the mobile phone 30 becomes unable to perform short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b, the operation is changed depending on whether or not the mobile phone 30 is detected to be stationary. You may comprise. Specifically, the mobile phone 30 performs positioning processing if it is detected that the mobile phone 30 is stationary when short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b is disabled. Execute and send location information. On the other hand, when the short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b becomes impossible, the mobile phone 30 sends a positioning request to the base station if it is not detected that the mobile phone 30 is stationary. The data is transmitted to the mobile phone 20 via the station 91.

  In the notification control, the cellular phone 30 transmits a notification request to the cellular phone 20 via the base station 91. When the mobile phone 20 receives a notification request from the mobile phone 30, the mobile phone 20 performs notification by sound, vibration, light, or the like. Thereby, the mobile phone 30 can notify the user or a person around the mobile phone 20 that the mobile phone 20 may be misplaced.

  The fact that the short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 20 by the communication unit 6b of the mobile phone 30 becomes impossible also indicates that the user may have left the mobile phone 30 misplaced, lost, or stolen. If the user carries the mobile phone 20 when the mobile phone 20 makes a notification based on a request for notification from the mobile phone 30, the user has left the mobile phone 30 instead of the mobile phone 20, You may notice that it may have been lost or stolen.

  The communication system 1 may realize the following functions between the mobile phones 20 and 30 by communication not via the base station 91 (short-distance wireless communication) or communication via the base station 91.

  The communication system 1 can realize functions such as an incoming call notification function, a position notification function, an information sharing function, and a storage function, for example. The incoming call notification function is a function for the mobile phone 30 to notify that the mobile phone 20 has received a call or mail. The position notification function is a function in which one of the mobile phone 20 and the mobile phone 30 notifies the current position to the other. The information sharing function is a function in which the mobile phone 20 and the mobile phone 30 share information indicating the state of the device such as battery remaining information with the other mobile phone through communication. The storage function is a function in which the mobile phone 20 and the mobile phone 30 read / write data from / to the storage of the other mobile phone by communication.

  As described above, according to the control shown in FIG. 2, communication is possible between the cellular phones 20 and 30 not only when short-range wireless communication is possible but also when short-range wireless communication is impossible. Probability is high. For this reason, the user can use the above-described function realized between the mobile phones 20 and 30 without paying much attention to whether or not short-range wireless communication is possible.

  Next, the configuration of the mobile phone 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the mobile phone 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile phone 30 includes a display unit 2, an operation unit 3, a power supply unit 5, a communication unit 6a, a communication unit 6b, a receiver 7, a microphone 8, a storage unit 9, A control unit 10, a speaker 11, a vibration unit 15, and a lamp 16 are included.

  The display unit 2 includes a display panel such as a liquid crystal display (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display (Organic Electro-Luminescence Display). The display unit 2 displays information such as characters, graphics, and images in accordance with signals input from the control unit 10. The information displayed by the display unit 2 includes a notification screen, icons, and the like.

  The operation unit 3 includes one or more devices for receiving user operations. Devices for accepting user operations include, for example, keys, buttons, and the like. The operation unit 3 inputs a signal corresponding to the accepted operation to the control unit 10.

  The power supply unit 5 includes a battery such as a storage battery. The power supply unit 5 supplies power obtained from the battery to each functional unit of the mobile phone 30 including the control unit 10.

  The communication unit 6a is a communication unit that performs communication using a first communication method performed via a repeater. In the present embodiment, the first communication method is a communication method such as 2G, 3G, or 4G for performing communication via the base station 91 and the public line network 90. Communication standards for performing communication through the base station 91 and the public line network 90 include, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution), W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), CDMA2000, PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), Examples include GSM (registered trademark) (Global System for Mobile Communications), PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), and the like. The first communication method may be a communication method for performing data communication via the base station 91 and the public line network 90, such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). The communication unit 6a may support a plurality of communication methods for performing communication via the base station 91 and the public line network 90.

  The communication unit 6b is a communication unit that performs communication using the second communication method that is performed without using a repeater. In the present embodiment, the second communication method is a short-range wireless communication method. The short-range wireless communication system includes Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee, infrared communication, visible light communication, NFC (Near Field Communication), and the like. The communication unit 6b may support a plurality of short-range wireless communication methods.

  The receiver 7 and the speaker 11 are sound output units. The receiver 7 and the speaker 11 output the sound signal input from the control unit 10 as sound. The receiver 7 is used, for example, to output the other party's voice during a call. The speaker 11 is used for outputting a ring tone and music, for example. One of the receiver 7 and the speaker 11 may also function as the other. The microphone 8 is a sound input unit. The microphone 8 converts a user's voice or the like into a sound signal and inputs the sound signal to the control unit 10.

  The storage unit 9 stores programs and data. The storage unit 9 is also used as a work area for temporarily storing the processing result of the control unit 10. The storage unit 9 may include any non-transitory storage medium such as a semiconductor storage medium and a magnetic storage medium. The storage unit 9 may include a plurality of types of storage media. The storage unit 9 may include a combination of a portable storage medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk and a storage medium reader. The storage unit 9 may include a storage device that is used as a temporary storage area such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

  The storage unit 9 stores, for example, a control program 9a and setting data 9b. The control program 9 a provides functions related to various controls for operating the mobile phone 30. The control program 9a provides a function of controlling the communication unit 6a according to the state of short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6b. The setting data 9 b includes information related to various settings related to the operation of the mobile phone 30.

  The setting data 9b will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the setting data 9b. As shown in FIG. 4, the setting data 9b includes items such as pairing information and a telephone number. In the item of pairing information, information for performing short-range wireless communication with a target communication device that determines whether short-range wireless communication is possible is set. In the telephone number item, a telephone number of a communication device that is a target for determining whether short-range wireless communication is possible is set. In the present embodiment, the target communication device for determining whether short-range wireless communication is possible is the mobile phone 30.

  The setting data 9b is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, the setting data 9b may be configured to include a mail address, an IP address, and the like of a target communication device that determines whether short-range wireless communication is possible.

  The control unit 10 is an arithmetic processing device. The arithmetic processing unit includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an SoC (System-on-a-Chip), an MCU (Micro Control Unit), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), but is not limited thereto. The control unit 10 controls various operations of the mobile phone 30 to realize various functions.

  Specifically, the control unit 10 executes instructions included in the program stored in the storage unit 9 while referring to the data stored in the storage unit 9 as necessary. And the control part 10 controls a function part according to data and a command, and implement | achieves various functions by it. The functional unit includes, for example, the display unit 2, the communication units 6a and 6b, the receiver 7, the speaker 11, the vibration unit 15, and the lamp 16, but is not limited thereto. The control unit 10 may change the control according to the detection result of the detection unit. Although a detection part contains the operation part 3, the communication parts 6a and 6b, and the microphone 8, for example, it is not limited to these.

  The control unit 10 executes the operation of the mobile phone 30 in the control method shown in FIG. 2 by executing the control program 9a. Details of a processing procedure performed by the control unit 10 based on the control program 9a will be described later.

  The vibration unit 15 vibrates the mobile phone 30. The vibration unit 15 uses, for example, a piezoelectric element or an eccentric motor to vibrate the mobile phone 30. The lamp 16 emits light with a set color and pattern. The lamp 16 has a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and is mounted on the mobile phone 30 so that light emitted from the light source can be visually recognized from the outside. The display unit 2, the speaker 11, the vibration unit 15, and the lamp 16 are used to notify the user of incoming calls, reception of mail, arrival of time registered in the schedule, and the like.

  Next, a processing procedure performed by the control unit 10 of the mobile phone 30 based on the control program 9a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for controlling a plurality of communication units. The processing procedure shown in FIG. 5 is repeatedly executed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 10 of the mobile phone 30 determines whether communication with the target device by the communication unit 6 b is possible as step S <b> 101. That is, the control unit 10 of the mobile phone 30 determines whether communication with the target device is possible without using a repeater. If the communication unit 6b can communicate with the target device (step S101, Yes), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S102.

  In step S102, the control unit 10 determines whether the communication unit 6a is operating. In step S102, when the communication unit 6a is preparing for communication, the control unit 10 determines that the communication unit 6a is not operating. When the communication unit 6a is not operating (No at Step S102), the control unit 10 proceeds to Step S104.

  When the communication unit 6a is operating (step S102, Yes), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S103. The control part 10 stops the communication part 6a as step S103. Then, the control unit 10 proceeds to step S104.

  The control part 10 determines the communication state of the communication part 6b as step S104. When communication by the communication unit 6b is unstable (step S105, Yes), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the control unit 10 determines whether communication by the communication unit 6a is being prepared. When communication by the communication unit 6a is not being prepared (No at Step S106), the control unit 10 proceeds to Step S107. In step S107, the control unit 10 starts preparation for communication by the communication unit 6a, and ends this processing procedure. When communication by the communication unit 6a is being prepared (step S106, Yes), the control unit 10 ends this processing procedure while communication by the communication unit 6a is being prepared.

  In step S105, when the communication by the communication unit 6b is not unstable (No in step S105), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S108. The control part 10 determines whether communication by the communication part 6a is preparing as step S108. When communication by the communication unit 6a is being prepared (step S108, Yes), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S109. In step S109, the control unit 10 stops preparation for communication by the communication unit 6a and ends the processing procedure. When the communication by the communication unit 6a is not being prepared (No at Step S108), the control unit 10 ends this processing procedure without preparing the communication by the communication unit 6a.

  In step S101, when communication with the target device by the communication unit 6b is not possible (step S101, No), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S110. The control part 10 determines whether the communication part 6a is stopping as step S110. In step S110, when the communication unit 6a is preparing for communication, the control unit 10 determines that the communication unit 6a is stopped. When the communication unit 6a is stopped (step S110, Yes), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S111.

  The control part 10 operates the communication part 6a as step S111. Specifically, the control unit 10 enables communication with other communication devices via the base station 91 and the public line network 90. Then, the control unit 10 ends this processing procedure. In step S110, when the communication part 6a is not stopped (step S110, No), the control part 10 complete | finishes this process sequence, with the communication part 6a operating.

  Embodiment which this application discloses can be changed in the range which does not deviate from the summary and range of invention. Furthermore, the embodiment disclosed in the present application and its modifications can be combined as appropriate. For example, the above embodiment may be modified as follows.

  For example, the program shown in FIG. 3 may be divided into a plurality of modules, or may be combined with other programs.

  When the short-range wireless communication is disabled, the mobile phone 30 operates the communication unit 6a to enable communication with the mobile phone 20 via the base station 91. At this time, the cellular phone 30 may notify the cellular phone 20 through the communication unit 6a that the communication unit 6a has been operated.

  When the communication system 1 is capable of short-range wireless communication and the communication unit 6a of the mobile phone 30 is stopped, the mobile phone 20 transmits information received via the short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6b. It may be configured to transfer to the mobile phone 30.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of information transfer control in the communication system 1. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the mobile phone 20 can communicate with the server 50 via the base station 91 and the public line network 90. Since the mobile phone 30 is capable of short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 30 by the communication unit 6b, the communication unit 6a is stopped.

  The server 50 delivers electronic mail. The server 50 is configured to be able to communicate with the mobile phones 20 and 30 via the public line network 90. The server 50 delivers mail in response to reception requests from the mobile phones 20 and 30.

  The mobile phone 20 stores information such as account information necessary for receiving mail addressed to the mobile phone 30, and uses this information to inquire the server 50 about the presence of new mail addressed to the mobile phone 30. It is configured. As step S31 illustrated in FIG. 6, the mobile phone 20 inquires of the server 50 about the presence or absence of a new mail addressed to the mobile phone 30 through communication via the base station 91 by the communication unit 6a. The cellular phone 20 receives the inquiry result by communication via the base station 91 by the communication unit 6a. In step S32, the mobile phone 20 transfers (transmits) the inquiry result to the mobile phone 30 by short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6b.

  When the mobile phone 30 receives the inquiry result from the mobile phone 20 by short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6b, the mobile phone 30 notifies the inquiry result. In this way, the mobile phone 30 can obtain information on new mail addressed to the mobile phone 30 even when the communication unit 6a is stopped. The mobile phone 30 operates the communication unit 6 a and receives a new mail from the server 50 when receiving an instruction to receive a new mail from the user. The mobile phone 30 stops the communication unit 6a when the reception of the new mail is finished.

  In FIG. 6, the case where the inquiry result of the new mail received by the mobile phone 20 from the server 50 is transferred to the mobile phone 30 via the short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6 b has been described, but information transferred by the mobile phone 20 Is not limited to this. For example, the information received and transferred by the mobile phone 20 may be information related to the update of the mobile phone 30.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of information transfer control in the communication system 1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the mobile phone 20 can communicate with the server 51 via the base station 91 and the public line network 90. Since the mobile phone 30 is capable of short-range wireless communication with the mobile phone 30 by the communication unit 6b, the communication unit 6a is stopped.

  The server 51 manages update data. The server 51 is configured to be able to communicate with the mobile phones 20 and 30 via the public line network 90. The server 51 stores the update data in association with identification information for identifying the software to be updated and version information indicating the newness of the updated software.

  The server 51 receives an inquiry regarding the update. The inquiry about the update includes, for example, identification information for identifying the software to be updated. When the server 51 receives the inquiry about the update, the server 51 acquires version information of the latest update data corresponding to the update, and returns the acquired version information to the inquiry source.

  The server 51 accepts an update data transmission request. The update data transmission request includes, for example, identification information for identifying software to be updated. Upon receiving the update data transmission request, the server 51 acquires the latest update data corresponding to the software identified by the identification number, and transmits the acquired update data to the request source.

  The mobile phone 20 stores software information of the mobile phone 30. The software information holds identification information and version information for each software installed in the mobile phone 30.

  As step S41 illustrated in FIG. 7, the mobile phone 20 makes an inquiry about the update of the mobile phone 30 to the server 51 through communication by the communication unit 6a. When the server 51 receives an inquiry from the mobile phone 20, the server 51 transmits a response to the mobile phone 20 in step S <b> 42. The mobile phone 20 determines whether or not it is necessary to update the software installed in the mobile phone 30 based on the response of the server 51 in step S42.

  When the software installed in the mobile phone 30 needs to be updated, the mobile phone 20 transmits a request for transmitting update data of the mobile phone 30 to the server 51 through communication by the communication unit 6a in step S43. When the server 51 receives a request for transmitting update data from the mobile phone 20, the server 51 transmits the requested update data to the mobile phone 20 in step S 44.

  When the mobile phone 20 receives the update data, the mobile phone 20 transmits the update data to the mobile phone 30 by short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6b in step S45. The mobile phone 30 executes software update based on the received update data. When the update is completed, the mobile phone 30 transmits the update result to the mobile phone 20 by the short-range wireless communication by the communication unit 6b in step S46. The update result includes, for example, information indicating whether the update is successful. Then, when the mobile phone 20 receives the update result from the mobile phone 30, the mobile phone 20 notifies the user of information included in the update result by display on the display unit 2 or the like.

  In the above embodiment, a mobile phone (more specifically, the mobile phone 30) has been described as an example of an electronic device that performs communication via a repeater according to a state of communication not via the repeater. The electronic device that performs control is not limited to a mobile phone. The electronic device that performs the above control may be a portable electronic device other than the mobile phone. Examples of the portable electronic device include a mobile phone, a tablet, a portable personal computer, a digital camera, a media player, an electronic book reader, a navigator, and a game machine. The electronic device that performs the above control may be an accessory device that is used in combination with a portable electronic device. The electronic device that performs the above control may be an electronic device other than the portable electronic device.

  In the above-described embodiment, the mobile phone (more specifically, the mobile phone 20) has been described as a target device for determining whether communication without a repeater is possible. It is not limited to mobile phones. The target device only needs to be a device that can communicate with the electronic device that performs the above control by communication via the relay device and communication that does not use the relay device, which are supported by the electronic device that performs the above control. The target device may be a portable electronic device or may not be a portable electronic device.

  The characterizing embodiments have been described in order to fully and clearly disclose the technology according to the appended claims. However, the appended claims should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, but all modifications and alternatives that can be created by those skilled in the art within the scope of the basic matters shown in this specification. Should be embodied by a simple configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication system 2 Display part 3 Operation part 5 Power supply part 6a, 6b Communication part 7 Receiver 8 Microphone 9 Memory | storage part 9a Control program 9b Setting data 10 Control part 11 Speaker 15 Vibration part 16 Lamp 20 Cellular phone 30 Cellular phone 50, 51 Server 90 Public line network 91 Base station

Claims (5)

A first communication unit that communicates with a communication device via a repeater;
A second communication unit that performs wireless communication with the communication device without going through the repeater;
A control unit for controlling the first communication unit and the second communication unit,
The control unit is an electronic device that stops the first communication unit when the second communication unit can wirelessly communicate with the communication device.   2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit operates the first communication unit when wireless communication with the communication device is impossible by the second communication unit.   The electronic device according to claim 2, including a case where wireless communication by the second communication unit is unstable when wireless communication with the communication device is impossible by the second communication unit.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second communication unit performs wireless communication with the communication device by short-range wireless communication. A method for controlling an electronic device comprising a first communication unit and a second communication unit,
Communicating with a communication device via a repeater by the first communication unit;
Performing wireless communication with the communication device without using the repeater by the second communication unit;
And a step of stopping the first communication unit when wireless communication with the communication device is possible by the second communication unit.

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