JP2014232901A - Communication device, communication system, communication method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem of a possibility of disabled operation of a mobile terminal 2 caused by shortage of power supply in the case of extreme reduction in limited battery capacity of the mobile terminal 2 in the case that the mobile terminal 2 receives information.SOLUTION: A mobile terminal 2 does not directly receive the whole information from a server device 4 but receives only a packet size. When a battery residual amount of the mobile terminal 2 is equal to or more than a predetermined amount, a communication device 1 compares a packet size of information received from the server device 4 with a packet size of information received from the mobile terminal 2, and prioritizes information whose capacity is larger than the other. When the mobile terminal 2 does not notify a user of received information, the mobile terminal 2 does not receive information from the server device 4. In this case, the mobile terminal 2 can reduce battery consumption in reception processing while the user can receive notification of information whose capacity is large.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for performing information communication.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a communication system that communicates between a server device and a communication device and receives information from the server device is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a communication system provides various information and services to users. For example, a vehicle information and communication system (VICS) (registered trademark) that distributes road traffic information to a driver of a vehicle.

  Some communication devices that communicate with the server device can be connected to a portable terminal that can communicate with the server device. When connected to a high-performance portable terminal, more information can be acquired, and convenience is improved. For this reason, the communication device obtains information by either receiving from the server device or receiving from the mobile terminal, and provides the information to the user.

JP 2007-74102 A

  However, such information includes image data and the like and tends to have a large capacity. For this reason, a large amount of power is required for transmitting and receiving information. In particular, when information is acquired with a portable terminal having a limited battery capacity, the remaining battery level may be significantly reduced, resulting in inoperability, which has been a problem to be solved.

  An object of this invention is to provide the technique in which a user can acquire information appropriately using a communication apparatus in view of the said subject.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is a communication device that communicates with a server device and a portable terminal, wherein the first acquisition means for acquiring first information transmitted from the server device, and the portable device Second acquisition means for acquiring second information transmitted from the terminal; derivation means for deriving the remaining battery capacity of the mobile terminal; priority means for prioritizing either the first information or the second information; Notification means for notifying the user of the content of the information that is prioritized among the first information and the second information, and the priority means displays the first information when the remaining battery level is less than a predetermined amount. Prioritize.

  Moreover, the invention of claim 2 further includes suppression means for suppressing the function of the mobile terminal when the remaining amount of the battery is less than a predetermined amount in the communication device according to claim 1.

  Further, the invention of claim 3 is the communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the priority unit is configured to use a packet size of the first information and the second information when the remaining battery amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. Priority is given to large information.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the communication device according to the first or second aspect, the priority unit includes an information level of the first information and the second information when the remaining battery amount is a predetermined amount or more. Prioritize high information.

  Further, the invention of claim 5 is the communication device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising charge acquisition means for acquiring a communication charge with the server device and a communication charge with the portable terminal, the priority means Gives priority to information with a low communication charge when the remaining battery capacity is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

  The invention according to claim 6 is a communication system including a communication device that communicates with a server device and a mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal, and acquires first information transmitted from the server device. Priority is given to any one of the means, the second acquisition means for acquiring the second information transmitted from the portable terminal, the derivation means for deriving the remaining battery level of the portable terminal, and the first information and the second information Priority means, and notification means for notifying the user of the contents of the priority information of the first information and the second information, and the priority means is when the remaining battery level is less than a predetermined amount Priority is given to the first information.

  The invention of claim 7 is a method for communicating with a server device and a portable terminal, wherein (a) a step of acquiring first information transmitted from the server device; and (b) a method transmitted from the portable terminal. (C) deriving the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal; (d) prioritizing either the first information or the second information; and (e). A step of notifying the user of the content of the priority information among the first information and the second information, wherein the step (d) includes the first information when the remaining battery level is less than a predetermined amount. Prioritize information.

  The invention according to claim 8 is a program executable by a computer included in a communication device that communicates with a server device and a portable terminal, and (a) first information transmitted from the server device to the computer. (B) obtaining the second information transmitted from the portable terminal; (c) deriving the remaining battery level of the portable terminal; (d) the first information and the A step of prioritizing any one of the second information; and (e) a step of notifying a user of the content of the priority information among the first information and the second information, and the step (d). Gives priority to the first information when the remaining battery capacity is less than a predetermined amount.

  According to the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, since the first information is prioritized when the remaining battery level is less than the predetermined amount, it is not necessary for the portable terminal to acquire the entire second information. Can be reduced.

  In particular, according to the inventions of claims 3 and 4, the user can receive notification of information having a large amount of information.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 5, the user can reduce the communication charge.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a communication system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of VICS information. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the communication device and the mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the communication device and the mobile terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the communication device and the mobile terminal according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of the communication system.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
<1-1. Overview>
FIG. 1 shows an outline of a communication system 10 including a communication device 1 and a mobile terminal 2 according to the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the communication system 10 is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

  The communication device 1 is an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation device. The communication device 1 includes a display device, and is arranged at the left and right center of the dashboard so that it can be easily viewed by a user (typically, a driver of a vehicle).

  The mobile terminal 2 is a portable communication device such as a smartphone or a mobile phone. The portable terminal 2 is used by being brought into the vehicle by the user.

  The network 3 is an information network such as an Internet line or a telephone line. The network 3 includes wireless as well as wired.

  The server device 4 is a computer that provides information to a communication terminal. For example, it is a server device installed in a road traffic information communication system center (VICS center) that distributes the road traffic information (VICS information) described above. The VICS center is an information center that collects and edits road traffic information, transmits it via communication / broadcast media, and displays it on a vehicle-mounted device such as a car navigation system as characters and graphics (such as a map).

  The communication device 1 and the portable terminal 2 can receive various information from the server device 4. Moreover, the communication apparatus 1 and the portable terminal 2 can communicate with each other and transmit / receive information. For example, the information received from the server device by the mobile terminal 2 can be transmitted to the communication device 1, and the information received from the mobile terminal 2 by the communication device 1 can be provided to the user.

  For example, the communication device 1 can receive the VICS information from the server device 4 of the VICS center and provide the received information to the user. Furthermore, the communication device 1 can also receive the VICS information received from the mobile device 2 by the mobile terminal 2 from the server device 4 of the VICS center and provide the received information to the user.

  However, since the performance and specifications are different between the communication device 1 and the portable terminal 2, there may be a difference in the type and amount of information that can be received. For example, when the communication device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 can receive different frequency bands, even if the communication device 1 can receive FM multiplex broadcasting, it cannot receive a radio wave beacon, and the mobile terminal 2 may receive both. . In this case, when level 1 information is transmitted by FM multiplex broadcasting and level 3 information is transmitted by a radio beacon, the communication device 1 can acquire only level 1 information, and the mobile terminal 2 receives level 3 information. There will be cases where it can be acquired.

  Further, depending on the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2, there may be a case where the mobile terminal 2 cannot receive a large amount of information. This is because a large amount of information is transmitted and received, which requires a large amount of power.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the location where the VICS information can be received, the frequency, the data capacity, and the provided contents for each transmission mode. VICS information is transmitted from the server device of the VICS center in three forms: FM multiplex broadcasting, radio wave beacon, and optical beacon.

  Receivable places of VICS information are in the broadcast area by FM multiplex broadcasting, highways by radio wave beacons, and main general roads by optical beacons.

  The frequency to be transmitted is 76 to 90 MHz for FM multiplex broadcasting and 5.8 MHz for radio beacons. Since optical beacons do not use radio waves for transmission, there is no frequency display.

  The transmitted data capacity is 100 KB / 5 minutes for FM multiplex broadcasting, 25 KB / location for radio beacons, and 10 KB / location for optical beacons.

  VICS information is classified into three levels. First, level 3 is map display type information. Map display type information includes map information and has a large data capacity. Level 3 information transmitted by FM multiplex broadcasting and optical beacons includes traffic jam information, regulation information, parking lot information, and the like. Level 3 information transmitted by the radio beacon includes traffic jam information, regulation information, SAPA information, and the like. These pieces of information are transmitted including map information.

  Level 2 is simple graphic type information. The simple graphic type information includes graphic information such as symbols and has a relatively large data capacity. Level 2 information transmitted by FM multiplex broadcasting, radio wave beacons, and optical beacons is traffic jam information, regulation information, and the like. These pieces of information are transmitted including simple graphic information.

  Level 1 is character display type information. The character display type information includes character information in a text format and has a small data capacity. Level 1 information transmitted by FM multiplex broadcasting, radio wave beacons and optical beacons is traffic jam information and the like. This information is transmitted including character information.

  As described above, the VICS information has various frequencies, data capacities, and information levels depending on the transmission form and the provided contents. For this reason, the capacity and level of the VICS information that can be received may vary depending on the performance and specifications of the device that receives the VICS information. Therefore, when VICS information is received by two devices, that is, a communication device and a mobile terminal having different performance and specifications, the receivable VICS information is compared with each other while considering the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal. It is desirable to provide only users who have more

<1-2. Configuration>
Next, the structure of the communication system 10 provided with the communication apparatus 1 and the portable terminal 2 is demonstrated. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the communication system 10.

  First, the configuration of the communication device 1 included in the communication system 10 will be described. The communication device 1 is an electronic control device for a vehicle having a function of performing wireless communication with the server device 4 and the mobile terminal 2. For example, a navigation device or the like having a wireless communication function. The communication device 1 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, a cooperation unit 13, a notification unit 14, and a storage unit 15.

  The control unit 11 is a microcomputer including a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM. The control unit 11 is connected to another configuration included in the communication device 1 and controls the entire communication device 1.

  The communication unit 12 includes a wireless communication function, and communicates with the server device 4 via the network 3. The communication unit 12 is, for example, a VICS information receiving device or a telephone communication device. The communication unit 12 enables the communication device 1 to transmit and receive various types of information between the server device 4 and a call partner (not shown).

  The cooperation unit 13 is connected to the mobile terminal 2 by short-range wireless communication, and transmits / receives information to / from the mobile terminal 2. The near field communication is a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Zig Bee (registered trademark), or the like. Note that the communication performed by the cooperation unit 13 may be connected to the mobile terminal 2 so as to be communicable via a wire instead of wirelessly.

  The notification unit 14 displays characters and images and outputs sound, and notifies the user of information. “Notification” refers to providing information content using video and audio. The notification unit 14 notifies either the information from the server device 4 acquired by the communication unit 12 or the information from the mobile terminal 2. Information to be notified is determined by the priority unit 11c described later. The notification unit 14 includes a display 14a and a speaker 14b. In addition, the alerting | reporting part 14 may be provided only with the function of either display of a character etc. or audio | voice output.

  The display 14a is a display device that displays various information such as characters and figures and presents the information to the user. For example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL display, or the like. The display 14a includes a touch panel and accepts user input operations.

  The speaker 14b is an acoustic device that converts an electrical signal transmitted from the control unit 11 into physical vibration and outputs music and voice.

  The storage unit 15 is a memory that stores data, and the control unit 11 reads and writes data. For example, it is a nonvolatile storage device such as an EEPROM (Electrical Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, or a hard disk drive having a magnetic disk. The storage unit 15 stores a program 15a.

  The program 15 a is firmware that is read from the storage unit 15 by the control unit 11 and executed for the control unit 11 to control the communication device 1.

  The control unit 11 includes a battery remaining amount deriving unit 11a, a packet size detecting unit 11b, a priority unit 11c, a notification control unit 11d, and a function suppressing unit 11e.

  The battery remaining amount deriving unit 11 a derives the battery remaining amount of the mobile terminal 2. The battery remaining amount is derived by acquiring the battery remaining amount of the mobile terminal 2 measured by the control unit 21 of the mobile terminal 2 via the linkage unit 13.

  The packet size detection unit 11 b detects the packet size of each information from the server device 4 and the mobile terminal 2 acquired by the communication unit 12 of the communication device 1. The information packet size is a transmission amount of information in communication between the communication device 1, the server device 4, and the mobile terminal 2.

  The priority unit 11c determines whether to give priority to either the information acquired from the server device 4 or the information acquired from the mobile terminal 2 to notify the user. This determination is performed by comparing the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2, the information acquired from the server device 4, and the packet size of the information acquired from the mobile terminal 2. “Preferentially notify the user” is a process of notifying the user of one piece of information and not notifying the user of the other information. The result of the determination process is stored in the CPU flag register of the control unit 11 so that it can be referred to in a later process.

  The notification control unit 11d controls the notification unit 14 to start and stop the notification process, change the notification content, and the like.

  The function suppression unit 11 e transmits a signal for suppressing the function of the mobile terminal 2 to the mobile terminal 2. The function suppression is a process of limiting the execution time of the function of the mobile terminal 2 or a process of stopping the function execution. When the function of the portable terminal 2 is suppressed, the driving time of the portable terminal 2 is reduced, so that battery consumption can be reduced. The functions of the mobile terminal 2 are functions that do not require urgency, such as a navigation function, an entertainment function, and a function of notifying the server device of the current position. However, system functions such as an e-mail transmission / reception function, an alarm function, a telephone (call) function, an emergency information reception function, and a billing information notification function are not suppressed. This is because these functions are urgent, and if they are suppressed or stopped, there is a risk that the user may suffer from unexpected disadvantages.

  Next, the configuration of the mobile terminal 2 will be described. The portable terminal 2 is a portable communication device. For example, a smartphone or a mobile phone. The portable terminal 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a cooperation unit 23, a battery 24, a position acquisition unit 25, and a storage unit 26 that control the entire terminal.

  The control unit 21 is a computer including a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM. The control unit 21 is connected to another configuration included in the communication device 1 and controls the entire terminal.

  In addition, the control unit 21 measures the remaining amount of a battery 24 described later and transmits it to the battery remaining amount deriving unit 11a of the communication device 1. Known methods such as a voltage measurement method, a coulomb counter method, a battery cell modeling method, and an impedance track method are used for measuring the remaining battery level.

  The communication unit 22 includes a wireless communication function, and communicates with the server device 4 via the network 3. The communication unit 12 is, for example, a VICS information receiving device or a telephone communication device. The communication unit 12 enables the communication device 1 to transmit and receive various types of information between the server device 4 and a call partner (not shown).

  The cooperation unit 23 is connected to the communication device 1 by short-range wireless communication, and transmits / receives information to / from the communication device 1. The near field communication is a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Zig Bee (registered trademark), or the like. Note that the communication performed by the cooperation unit 13 may be connected to the communication device 1 via a wire instead of wirelessly.

  The battery 24 is a secondary battery (storage battery) and is a power source for the mobile terminal 2. For example, a lithium ion battery. The battery 24 stores electricity by charging and is used repeatedly.

  The position acquisition unit 25 acquires the position where the mobile terminal 2 is located according to latitude and longitude. For example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.

  The storage unit 26 is a memory that stores data, and the control unit 21 reads and writes data. For example, it is a nonvolatile storage device such as an EEPROM (Electrical Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, or a hard disk drive including a magnetic disk. The storage unit 26 stores a plurality of applications 26a and programs 26b.

  The application 26 a is software that executes a function that the user of the mobile terminal 2 wants to realize on the mobile terminal 2. The functions realized by the portable terminal 2 are, for example, a navigation function, an entertainment function, a function for notifying the server device of the current position, an e-mail transmission / reception function, an alarm function, a telephone (call) function, an emergency information receiving function, and an accounting Information notification function.

  The program 26 b is firmware that is read from the storage unit 15 by the control unit 11 and executed for the control unit 11 to control the communication device 1.

  The network 3 and the server device 4 are as described above.

<1-3. Processing>
Next, a processing procedure of the communication system 10 will be described. 4 and 5 show a processing procedure of the communication system 10. This process is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.

  First, the server device 4 transmits information to the communication device 1 (step S51 in FIG. 4). For example, the server device of the VICS center transmits the VICS information to the communication device 1 in the broadcast area by FM multiplex broadcasting.

  The communication unit 12 of the communication device 1 receives the information transmitted from the server device 4 (step S11), and the control unit 11 stores the information in the storage unit 15. At this time, the packet size detection unit 11 b detects the packet size of the information and stores it in the storage unit 15.

  The control unit 21 of the portable terminal 2 acquires the current position information from the position acquisition unit 25 and transmits it to the server device 4 (step S31).

  When the server device 4 receives the information on the current position of the mobile terminal 2, the server device 4 transmits the packet size of the information related to the location of the mobile terminal 2 to the mobile terminal 2 (step S52). For example, the VICS center transmits the packet size of the traffic information of the road where the mobile terminal 2 is located to the mobile terminal 2.

  When the portable terminal 2 receives the packet size of the information, it transfers it to the communication device 1 (step S32).

  Upon receiving the information packet size, the communication device 1 requests the portable terminal 2 to transmit the remaining battery level (step S12).

  When the control unit 21 of the mobile terminal 2 receives the request for transmitting the remaining battery level from the communication device 1, the remaining amount data of the battery 24 is transmitted to the communication device 1 (step S33).

  Next, the communication device 1 performs a process of determining whether to notify the user with priority given to either the information acquired from the server device 4 or the information acquired from the mobile terminal 2. First, the priority unit 11c of the control unit 11 determines whether the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2 is less than a predetermined amount or more than a predetermined amount (step S13). This determination is made because the battery remaining amount is less than a predetermined amount and the mobile terminal 2 does not receive information from the server device 4, so that the mobile terminal 2 can reduce battery consumption in the reception process. The predetermined amount is, for example, a remaining battery level that can drive the mobile terminal 2 for about one hour. However, the remaining battery capacity is sufficient if the mobile terminal 2 can be driven until the next charging opportunity.

  When the priority unit 11c determines that the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2 is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount (“over” in step S13), the packet size of the information received by the communication device 1 from the server device 4 and the communication device 1 is the mobile terminal. 2 is determined which is larger than the packet size of the information received from step 2 (step S14).

  If the priority unit 11c determines that the packet size of the information received from the mobile terminal 2 by the communication device 1 is large ("mobile terminal" in step S14), the priority unit 11c gives priority to the information received from the mobile terminal 2 and notifies the user. To decide. The result of the determination process is stored in the flag register of the CPU of the control unit 11.

  When the priority unit 11c gives priority to the information received from the mobile terminal 2, the control unit 21 requests the mobile terminal 2 to transmit information (step S15 in FIG. 5).

  When the portable terminal 2 receives the information transmission request from the communication device 1, it makes a request for information transmission to the server device 4 (step S34).

  When the server apparatus 4 receives the information transmission request from the mobile terminal 2, the server apparatus 4 transmits all of the information transmitted in step S52 to the mobile terminal 2 (step S53).

  When the portable terminal 2 receives the information transmitted from the server device 4, the portable terminal 2 transfers the information to the communication device 1 (step S35). Since the information transferred to the communication device 1 is all of the information, the portable terminal 2 consumes a large amount of battery for the transfer process. Therefore, this step is executed when it is determined that the remaining battery level is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

  When the communication device 1 receives the information transferred from the mobile terminal 2, the notification control unit 11d of the control unit 11 displays the content of the received information on the display 14a (step S16), and outputs sound from the speaker 14b ( Step S17). Thereby, the user can view information transmitted from the mobile terminal 2. When such information is VICS information, the user can view traffic jam information, regulation information, parking lot information, and SA / PA information. When map image information is attached, the user can view the information together with the map.

  On the other hand, the priority unit 11c determines that the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2 is less than the predetermined amount ("less than" in step S13) and determines that the packet size of the information received by the communication device 1 is large ( In step S14, “communication device”) determines that the information received by the communication device 1 is preferentially notified to the user. The result of the determination process is stored in the flag register of the CPU of the control unit 11.

  When the priority unit 11c gives priority to the information received by the communication device 1, the function suppression unit 11e requests the mobile terminal 2 to suppress the execution of the function (step S12).

  When the function suppression unit 11e receives a request to suppress the execution of the function, the control unit 21 of the mobile terminal 2 suppresses the execution of a function that does not require urgency, such as a navigation function (step S36). That is, the control unit 21 performs a process of limiting the function execution time and a process of stopping the function execution.

  Next, the notification control unit 11d of the control unit 11 reads information received from the server device 4 from the storage unit 15 (step S13).

  When the information control unit 11d reads the information received from the server device 4 from the storage unit 15, the notification control unit 11d displays the content of the read information on the display 14a (step S16), and outputs sound from the speaker 14b (step S17). As a result, the user can view the information transmitted from the server device 4.

  When the information control unit 11d displays the information content on the display 14a and outputs the information from the speaker 14b, this process ends.

  As described above, in the communication device 1 according to the first embodiment, the mobile terminal 2 does not immediately receive the entire information from the server device 4 but receives only the packet size. The communication device 1 compares the packet size of the information received from the server device 4 with the packet size of the information received from the mobile terminal 2 when the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2 is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, and has a large capacity Priority is given to the direction. When the communication device 1 determines that the information received by the mobile terminal 2 is given priority to the user, the mobile terminal 2 receives the entire information from the server device 4. On the other hand, when it is determined that the information received by the mobile terminal 2 is not notified to the user, the mobile terminal 2 does not receive information from the server device 4. In this case, the portable terminal 2 can reduce battery consumption in the reception process, and the user can be notified of information with a large capacity.

  Moreover, since the function of the portable terminal 2 is suppressed when the battery remaining amount of the portable terminal 2 is less than a predetermined amount, the battery consumption of the portable terminal 2 can be further reduced.

  In addition, when the battery remaining amount of the mobile terminal 2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, priority is given to information with a large packet size among the received information, so that the user can be notified of information with a large amount of information.

<2. Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the packet sizes of the information received by the communication device 1 are compared, and which information is preferentially notified is determined. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, information levels are compared to determine which information is preferentially notified. As a result, the user can be notified of high-level information. Note that the second embodiment includes the same configuration and processing as the first embodiment. For this reason, it demonstrates centering on difference with 1st Embodiment.

  First, the configuration of the communication system 10 in the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 shows a configuration of the communication system 10 according to the second embodiment. The main difference from the first embodiment is that the control unit 11 of the communication device 1 includes an information level detection unit 11f instead of the packet size detection unit 11b. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment and function in the same manner.

  The information level detection unit 11 f detects the level of each information from the server device 4 and the mobile terminal 2 acquired by the communication unit 12 of the communication device 1. The information level is a code indicating the amount of information transmitted from the server device 4 and owned by the server device 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the information transmitted from the server device 4 is classified in stages from level 1 to level 3. Each type of information differs in type and amount depending on the level. In general, the higher the level, the greater the amount of information and the more detailed the graphic information. Note that the communication unit 22 of the mobile terminal 2 acquires the information level before receiving the entire information from the server device 4.

  Next, a processing procedure in the second embodiment will be described. The figure shows a processing procedure of the communication system 10 according to the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the communication system 10 performs processing based on the level of information instead of the packet size (step S11a, step S52a, step S32a, step S14a). Other processing is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment and functions in the same manner. Therefore, the four processes that are different will be mainly described.

  First, the communication unit 22 of the communication device 1 receives the information transmitted from the server device 4 (step S11a), and the control unit 11 stores the information in the storage unit 15. At this time, the information level detection unit 11 f detects the information level and stores it in the storage unit 15.

  When the server device 4 receives the information on the current position of the mobile terminal 2 in step S31, the server device 4 transmits the level of information regarding the location of the mobile terminal 2 to the mobile terminal 2 (step S52a). For example, the VICS center transmits the level of traffic information on the road where the mobile terminal 2 is located to the mobile terminal 2.

  When receiving the information level, the portable terminal 2 transfers the information level to the communication device 1 (step S32a).

  If the priority unit 11c determines in step S13 that the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2 is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount (Yes in step S13), the priority level of the information received by the communication device 1 from the server device 4 and the communication device 1 is the mobile terminal. It is determined which of the information levels received from 2 is greater (step S14a).

  Next, when the priority unit 11c determines that the level of information received from the mobile terminal 2 by the communication device 1 is high (“mobile terminal” in step S14a), the priority unit 11c gives priority to the information received from the mobile terminal 2 and notifies the user. Decide what to do.

  On the other hand, when the priority unit 11c determines that the level of the information received by the communication device 1 is high (“communication device” in step S14), the priority unit 11c determines to notify the user of the information received by the communication device 1 with priority. To do.

  Processes executed in other steps are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  As described above, in the communication device 1 according to the second embodiment, the mobile terminal 2 does not immediately receive the entire information from the server device 4 but receives only the information level. When the communication device 1 compares the level of information received from the server device 4 with the level of information received from the mobile terminal 2 and determines to notify the user of the information received by the mobile terminal 2, the mobile device 2 Receives the entire information from the server device 4. On the other hand, when it is determined that the information received by the mobile terminal 2 is not notified to the user, the mobile terminal 2 does not receive information from the server device 4. In this case, the mobile terminal 2 can reduce battery consumption in the reception process.

<3. Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the packet size of the information received by the communication device 1 is compared, and which information is preferentially notified is determined. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the communication fee when the communication device 1 communicates with the server device 4 and the communication fee when the communication device 1 communicates with the server device 4 via the portable terminal 2. And which communication is prioritized is determined. Thereby, the user can acquire information while performing low-cost communication. Note that the third embodiment includes the same configuration and processing as the first embodiment. For this reason, it demonstrates centering on difference with 1st Embodiment.

  First, the configuration of the communication system 10 in the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 shows a configuration of the communication system 10 according to the third embodiment. The main difference from the first embodiment is that the communication device 1 includes a fee detection unit 11g instead of the packet size detection unit 11b. In addition, fee data 15 b is stored in the storage unit 15 of the communication device 1, and fee data 26 c is stored in the storage unit 26 of the mobile terminal 2. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment and function in the same manner.

  The fee detection unit 11g detects a fee required when the communication device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 communicate with the server device 4. The fee detection unit 11g refers to the storage unit 15 and detects the fee data 15b. In addition, the fee detection unit 11 g detects the fee data 26 c of the mobile terminal 2 through the cooperation unit 13. The communication fee is a fee to be paid to a communication carrier or the like, and is a fee per data unit, communication time, or period.

  The fee data 15 b is data indicating a fee required when the communication device 1 communicates with the server device 4.

  The fee data 26 c is data indicating a fee required when the mobile terminal 2 communicates with the server device 4.

  Next, a processing procedure in the third embodiment will be described. 9 and 10 show a processing procedure of the communication system 10 according to the third embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the communication system 10 performs processing based on a communication fee instead of the packet size (step S10 and the like). Other processing is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment and functions in the same manner. Therefore, the processing that is different will be mainly described.

  The control unit 11 of the communication device 1 determines whether the communication button has been pressed by the user (step S10). The communication button is a button of a touch panel provided in the display 14a.

  When determining that the communication button has not been pressed by the user (No in step S10), the control unit 11 determines whether the communication button has been pressed again, and thereafter repeats the determination until the button is pressed.

  On the other hand, when determining that the communication button has been pressed by the user (Yes in step S10), the control unit 11 requests the mobile terminal 2 to transmit communication fee data when the mobile terminal 2 communicates with the server device 4. (Step S11b).

  When the portable terminal 2 receives a request for transmission of communication fee data from the communication device 1, the control unit 21 of the portable terminal 2 reads the fee data 26 c from the storage unit 26 and transmits the fee data 26 c to the communication device via the linkage unit 23. Send to 1.

  When the server device 4 receives the information on the current position of the mobile terminal 2 in step S31, the server device 4 transmits a communication fee based on the location of the mobile terminal 2 to the mobile terminal 2 (step S52b).

  When receiving the communication fee, the portable terminal 2 transfers the communication fee to the communication device 1 (step S32b).

  If the priority unit 11c determines in step S13 that the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal 2 is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount (Yes in step S13), the communication unit 1 communicates with the server device 4 and the communication device 1 is mobile. It is determined which of the communication charges communicated with the server device 4 via the terminal 2 is lower (step S14b).

  If the priority unit 11c determines that the communication fee that the communication device 1 communicates with the server device 4 via the portable terminal 2 is lower ("portable terminal" in step S14b), the priority unit 11c communicates with the portable terminal 2. Decide to get. The result of the determination process is stored in the flag register of the CPU of the control unit 11. Note that the priority unit 11c may prioritize the one with a fixed communication fee instead of giving priority to the one with the lower communication fee. This is because, in the case of a flat rate charge, the charge is uniform regardless of the communication time and capacity, and communication can be performed under conditions useful for the user.

  When the priority unit 11c gives priority to communication with the mobile terminal 2, the control unit 21 communicates with the server to request the mobile terminal 2 to acquire information (step S15b in FIG. 10).

  When receiving the communication request from the communication device 1, the portable terminal 2 communicates with the server device 4, acquires information, and transmits the information to the communication device 1 (step S34b).

  When receiving a communication request from the mobile terminal 2, the server device 4 communicates with the mobile terminal 2 and transmits information (step S53b). Note that when the communication of the communication device 1, the portable terminal 2, and the server device 4 is “call”, voice information is transmitted and received.

  Next, the mobile terminal 2 determines whether or not there is a communication end request from the communication device 1 (step S35b). If it is determined that there is no communication termination request (No in step S35b), the mobile terminal 2 continues communication between the communication device 1 and the server device 4. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a request to end communication (Yes in step S35b), the mobile terminal 2 ends communication between the communication device 1 and the server device 4.

  On the other hand, when the priority unit 11c determines that the communication fee when the communication device 1 communicates with the server device 4 is lower ("communication device" in step S13), the priority is given to the information received by the communication device 1 as a user. It is decided to notify. The result of the determination process is stored in the flag register of the CPU of the control unit 11.

  When the priority unit 11c gives priority to the information received by the communication device 1, the function suppression unit 11e requests the mobile terminal 2 to suppress the execution of the function (step S12).

  When the function suppression unit 11e receives a request to suppress the execution of the function, the control unit 21 of the mobile terminal 2 suppresses the execution of a function that does not require urgency, such as a navigation function (step S36). That is, the control unit 21 performs a process of limiting the function execution time and a process of stopping the function execution.

  Next, the communication device 1 communicates with the server device 4 and acquires information from the server device 4 (step S15b).

  The notification control unit 11d displays the content of the information acquired from the server device 4 on the display 14a (step S16), and outputs a sound from the speaker 14b (step S17). As a result, the user can view the information transmitted from the server device 4.

  When the information control unit 11d displays the information content on the display 14a and outputs the information from the speaker 14b, this process ends.

  As described above, in the communication device 1 according to the third embodiment, the communication fee when the communication device 1 communicates with the server device 4 and the communication device 1 communicate with the server device 4 via the portable terminal 2. The communication charge is compared with the communication fee to determine which communication is given priority. Thereby, the user can acquire information while performing low-cost communication.

<4. Modification>
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. Various modifications are possible. Hereinafter, such a modification will be described. All the forms including the above-described embodiment and the form described below can be appropriately combined.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the communication device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 have acquired the VICS information from the server device of the VICS center, but the information to be acquired is not limited to the VICS information. In addition to VICS information, navigation destination information, weather information, facility information, and voice information by a call with another user may be used. In short, any information desired by the user may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the communication apparatus 1 and the portable terminal 2 communicated with the server apparatus 4, the communication object is not necessarily limited to the server apparatus 4. FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, in addition to the server device 4, an operator 6 by a broadcasting station 5 or a telephone may be used. In short, any device, system, or person as a source of information may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the communication apparatus 1 and the portable terminal 2 communicated with the same server apparatus 4, it is not necessarily limited to communication with the same server apparatus 4. FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the communication device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 may communicate with a server device 4 and a server device 7 that are different server devices. That is, the communication device 1 may communicate with the server device 4, and the mobile terminal 2 may communicate with the server device 7.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the communication apparatus 1 and the portable terminal 2 communicated via the server apparatus 4 and the network 3, it is not necessarily limited to the communication via the network 3. FIG. The communication device 1 and the mobile terminal 2 may communicate directly with the server device 4 without going through the network 3.

  In the first embodiment, the packet sizes are compared, but the comparison target is not necessarily limited to the packet size. In addition to the packet size, it may be a frame size or a segment size. Any unit that transmits and receives information used for communication between computers may be used. In short, any information transmission amount in communication may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication apparatus 2 Portable terminal 3 Network 4 Server apparatus 10 Communication system

Claims (8)

A communication device that communicates with a server device and a mobile terminal,
First acquisition means for acquiring first information transmitted from the server device;
Second acquisition means for acquiring second information transmitted from the portable terminal;
Deriving means for deriving the remaining battery capacity of the mobile terminal;
Priority means for prioritizing either the first information or the second information;
Informing means for informing the user of the content of the information prioritized among the first information and the second information;
With
The priority device gives priority to the first information when the remaining battery capacity is less than a predetermined amount. The communication device according to claim 1,
When the battery remaining amount is less than a predetermined amount, a suppression means for suppressing the function of the mobile terminal,
A communication device further comprising: The communication device according to claim 1 or 2,
The priority unit gives priority to information having a large packet size among the first information and the second information when the remaining battery level is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2,
The priority unit gives priority to information having a high information level among the first information and the second information when the remaining battery level is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2,
Charge acquisition means for acquiring a communication charge with the server device and a communication charge with the mobile terminal,
Further comprising
The priority unit gives priority to information with a low communication fee when the remaining battery level is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. A communication device that communicates with a server device and a portable terminal, and a communication system that includes the portable terminal,
First acquisition means for acquiring first information transmitted from the server device;
Second acquisition means for acquiring second information transmitted from the portable terminal;
Deriving means for deriving the remaining battery capacity of the mobile terminal;
Priority means for prioritizing either the first information or the second information;
An informing means for informing the user of the content of the prioritized information among the first information and the second information;
With
The priority means gives priority to the first information when the remaining amount of the battery is less than a predetermined amount. A communication method with a server device and a portable terminal,
(A) obtaining first information transmitted from the server device;
(B) obtaining second information transmitted from the mobile terminal;
(C) deriving the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal;
(D) giving priority to either the first information or the second information;
(E) a step of notifying the user of the content of the priority information among the first information and the second information;
With
The step (d) prioritizes the first information when the remaining battery capacity is less than a predetermined amount. A program executable by a computer included in a communication device that communicates with a server device and a portable terminal,
In the computer,
(A) obtaining first information transmitted from the server device;
(B) obtaining second information transmitted from the mobile terminal;
(C) deriving the remaining battery level of the mobile terminal;
(D) giving priority to either the first information or the second information;
(E) a step of notifying the user of the content of the priority information among the first information and the second information;
And execute
The step (d) prioritizes the first information when the remaining battery capacity is less than a predetermined amount.

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