JP2016174231A - Communication device, communication program, and communication method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication device and the like that can avoid trouble due to radio wave interference when simultaneously using a plurality of radio communication functions.SOLUTION: A communication device comprises: a communication unit that communicates by radio wave in a first band selected from a plurality of predetermined frequency bands; a first acquisition unit that acquires a value indicating reception quality in the first band; a detection unit that detects the start of a reception unit that receives a radio wave in a band different from the plurality of frequency bands; and an alteration unit that, when the detection unit detects the start of the reception unit, alters the value indicating the reception quality in the first band acquired by the first acquisition unit to a value indicating that the reception quality is poor than a predetermined threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication program, and a communication method.

  In mounting a plurality of wireless communication functions in a vehicle, an in-vehicle communication device is disclosed that prevents mutual interference by sharing an antenna and dividing the operation of each function by frequency or time (Patent Document 1). ).

  An apparatus having two antennas and adjusting the transmission of one antenna by a controller is disclosed (Patent Document 2).

JP 2010-56980 A Special table 2010-534421 gazette

  However, since the technique of Patent Document 1 uses a common antenna for a plurality of functions, it cannot be used when combining wireless communication functions having different frequencies.

  In addition, the technique of Patent Document 2 accurately arranges two antennas in order to transmit a radio wave having a specific radiation polarization pattern, and cannot use a plurality of wireless communication functions at the same time.

  An object of one aspect is to provide a communication device or the like that can avoid problems caused by radio wave interference when using a plurality of wireless communication functions simultaneously.

The communication apparatus includes: a communication unit that communicates with radio waves in a first band selected from a plurality of predetermined frequency bands; a first acquisition unit that acquires a value indicating reception quality of the first band;
The detection unit that detects activation of a reception unit that receives radio waves in a band different from the plurality of frequency bands, and the detection unit that is acquired by the first acquisition unit when the detection unit detects activation of the reception unit A modification unit that modifies a value indicating the reception quality of the first band to a value indicating that the reception quality is worse than a predetermined threshold value.

  In one aspect, it is possible to avoid problems due to radio wave interference when using a plurality of wireless communication functions simultaneously.

It is explanatory drawing which shows a radio | wireless communication network. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a smart phone. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a communication part. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the smart phone in data communication. It is a flowchart which shows the process of a communication apparatus. 6 is a configuration diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a communication unit according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of the communication device according to the second embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication apparatus according to the third embodiment. 10 is a table showing values used for modification in the fourth embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. 18 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication device according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a configuration diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a seventh embodiment.

[Embodiment 1]
In this embodiment, when another function that uses radio is activated during radio communication, a value indicating the reception quality of another band that can be used for radio communication is acquired, and the radio communication is performed according to the situation. The present invention relates to a communication device that changes a band to be used. Specifically, the wireless communication in the present embodiment is data communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution). Another function that uses radio is to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting. The communication device is a smartphone. Below, it demonstrates using these specific examples.

  A plurality of LTE radio bands such as 700 MHz band, 800 MHz band, 1.5 GHz band, and 2 GHz band are allocated to telecommunications carriers by an authority that manages radio waves. Telecommunications carriers have installed base stations that transmit and receive radio waves in the allocated band at various locations in the business area. The smartphone used by each user performs data communication with the base station using a band selected according to the situation from the LTE radio wave band allocated to the contracted telecommunications carrier. When application software for viewing terrestrial digital broadcasting is started during data communication, a value indicating the reception quality of another band of LTE radio waves is checked, and the band to be used is changed if appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a wireless communication network. The outline of the wireless communication network will be described below using FIG.

  In FIG. 1, LTE base stations 11A and 11B are installed. The base station 11A performs data communication with the smartphone 13 in the range 12A using a plurality of data communication bands assigned to the telecommunications carrier. Similarly, the base station 11B performs data communication with the smartphone 13 in the range 12B using a plurality of data communication bands allocated to the telecommunications carrier. The range 12A and the range 12B partially overlap. In the following description, the base station 11A and the base station 11B are collectively referred to as the base station 11. Similarly, in the following description, the range 12A and the range 12B are collectively referred to as the range 12.

  The case where the user's smartphone 13 is performing data communication by LTE within the range 12A will be described as an example. The radio wave radiated from the base station 11A becomes weaker as it goes away from the base station 11A in principle due to attenuation and spread. On the other hand, radio waves are reflected and diffracted by the walls of buildings, the body of large vehicles, etc., so that there are places where radio waves are weak even if they are close to the base station 11A and places where radio waves are strong even if they are far from the base station 11A. Further, since the behavior of radio wave attenuation, diffraction, and the like varies depending on the frequency band, there is also a phenomenon in which the quality of radio waves in one band is high even in the same place, but the quality of radio waves in another band is low.

  The smartphone 13 evaluates the quality of radio waves received from the base station 11 as needed, and if the quality is below a predetermined threshold, evaluates the quality of radio waves received from other bands or from other base stations 11. Start. When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the smartphone 13 switches the band of the received radio wave or the base station 11. With the above operation, the smartphone 13 can continue data communication without interruption even if the status of the received radio wave changes.

  The radio tower 14 broadcasts a terrestrial digital broadcast program. In terrestrial digital broadcasting, a plurality of programs are broadcast simultaneously using a plurality of channels. Each channel is assigned a radio wave band to be used. When the user activates application software for viewing the terrestrial digital broadcast on the smartphone 13, the smartphone 13 starts receiving the terrestrial digital broadcast. The user can select a favorite channel and view a digital terrestrial broadcast program.

  By the way, the band used for data communication may be close to the band of the terrestrial digital broadcast being viewed by the user. When performing data communication, the smartphone 13 performs transmission and reception of radio waves. When the two bands are close to each other, the transmitted data communication radio wave is received by the terrestrial digital broadcast receiving antenna of the smartphone 13, thereby causing radio wave interference. Phenomena caused by radio wave interference include square mosaic block noise on the screen of terrestrial digital broadcasting, and temporary suspension of video and audio. When these phenomena occur, the user cannot comfortably view the terrestrial digital broadcast.

  Therefore, the smartphone 13 checks the quality of radio waves in the unused LTE band, and changes the band used for data communication when appropriate. By separating the terrestrial digital broadcasting and data communication bands, the smartphone 13 capable of comfortably using both simultaneously can be realized.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the smartphone 13. The configuration of the smartphone 13 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The smartphone 13 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 15, a main storage device 16, an auxiliary storage device 17, a display unit 18, an input unit 19, a communication unit 20, a TV (TeleVision) reception unit 30, and a bus.

  The CPU 15 is an arithmetic control device including one or a plurality of CPUs or a multi-core CPU. The CPU 15 is connected to each part of the hardware via a bus. The CPU 15 performs arithmetic processing necessary for the smartphone 13 and controls each part of the hardware in accordance with a control program stored in the auxiliary storage device 17.

  The main storage device 16 is a storage device such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The main storage device 16 temporarily stores information necessary during the processing performed by the CPU 15 and a program being executed by the CPU 15.

  The auxiliary storage device 17 is a storage device such as a semiconductor memory disk. The auxiliary storage device 17 stores a control program to be executed by the CPU 15 and various data necessary for executing the control program.

  The display unit 18 is a display that substantially covers one surface of the smartphone 13. A speaker (not shown) may be used for the display unit 18. Further, an external display or the like connected to the smartphone 13 by wire or wireless may be used for the display unit 18.

  The input unit 19 is a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 18. Input may be performed by voice recognition using a microphone (not shown) for the input unit 19. A mouse, a keyboard, or the like connected to the smartphone 13 by wire or wireless may be used as the input unit 19.

  The communication unit 20 performs data communication using LTE. The hardware configuration of the communication unit 20 will be described later.

  The TV receiving unit 30 includes a TV antenna 31, a TV tuner 32, and a channel switching unit 33. The TV receiving unit 30 is controlled by the CPU 15 executing TV viewing application software stored in the auxiliary storage device 17.

  The TV antenna 31 receives radio waves of terrestrial digital broadcasting. The TV tuner 32 demodulates the radio wave received by the TV antenna 31. The channel switching unit 33 switches the channel of digital terrestrial broadcasting that the TV tuner 32 demodulates based on the operation received by the CPU 15 from the input unit 19. The CPU 15 displays the terrestrial digital broadcast demodulated by the TV tuner 32 on the display unit 18.

  FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the communication unit 20. The configuration of the communication unit of the present embodiment will be described using FIG.

  The communication unit 20 includes a communication antenna 21, a switch 22, a 700 MHz transmission / reception circuit 231, an 800 MHz transmission / reception circuit 232, a 1.5 GHz transmission / reception circuit 233, a 2 GHz transmission / reception circuit 234, a 700 MHz acquisition unit 241, an 800 MHz acquisition unit 242, and a 1.5 GHz acquisition unit 243. 2 GHz acquisition part 244, the detection part 25, the modification part 26, and the change part 27 are provided. Hereinafter, the 700 MHz transmission / reception circuit 231, the 800 MHz transmission / reception circuit 232, the 1.5 GHz transmission / reception circuit 233 and the 2 GHz transmission / reception circuit 234 are collectively referred to as the transmission / reception circuit 23. Similarly, the 700 MHz acquisition unit 241, the 800 MHz acquisition unit 242, the 1.5 GHz acquisition unit 243, and the 2 GHz acquisition unit 244 are collectively referred to as an acquisition unit 24. Each part shown in FIG. 3 is controlled by the CPU 15.

  The communication antenna 21 transmits and receives LTE radio waves. The switch 22 switches the transmission / reception circuit 23 connected to the communication antenna 21. The transmission / reception circuit 23 transmits / receives radio waves of each frequency via the communication antenna 21.

  The acquisition unit 24 obtains two types of reception quality, RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) indicating the strength of the signal received from the radio wave received by the transmission / reception circuit 23 and RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) indicating the quality of the received signal. Gets the indicated value. RSRQ and RSRP both indicate that the larger the value, the higher the reception quality. In the following description, RSRQ and RSRP are collectively described as reception quality values.

  The detection unit 25 detects whether the TV reception unit 30 is activated and notifies the modification unit 26 of it. The modification unit 26 modifies the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24 based on the information input from the detection unit 25 and returns it to the acquisition unit 24 when the TV reception unit 30 is activated. On the other hand, when the TV receiving unit 30 is not activated, the modifying unit 26 returns the reception quality value acquired by the acquiring unit 24 to the acquiring unit 24 without modifying it. The change unit 27 changes the band used for data communication by switching the switch 22 when the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24 and the status of the TV reception unit 30 detected by the detection unit 25 satisfy predetermined conditions. Here, the modification unit 26 modifies the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24 to a value indicating that the reception quality is worse than a predetermined value.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the smartphone 13 during data communication. 4A shows the operation of the 700 MHz acquisition unit 241, FIG. 4B shows the operation of the 800 MHz acquisition unit 242, FIG. 4C shows the operation of the 1.5 GHz acquisition unit 243, FIG. 4D shows the operation of the 2 GHz acquisition unit 244, and FIG. . The horizontal axes in FIGS. 4A to 4E are all time. The same place in the direction parallel to the vertical axis in each figure indicates the same time. The vertical axis in FIGS. 4A to 4D indicates RSRP among the reception quality values of each band acquired by the acquisition unit 24. The arrow indicates that the acquisition unit 24 has operated. A black circle in the extension of the arrow indicates the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24. The vertical axis in FIG. 4E indicates whether or not the TV receiver 30 operates. OFF indicates that the TV receiver 30 is not operating, and ON indicates that the TV receiver 30 is operating.

  An example of the operation of the smartphone 13 during data communication will be described in time series with reference to FIG. At the start time T0 in FIG. 4, the smartphone 13 performs data communication in the 800 MHz band. The reception quality value in the 800 MHz band at time T0 is G. Note that since data communication is performed by a packet communication method, strictly speaking, communication is performed intermittently, and a reception quality value is also obtained intermittently. However, the reception quality value during data communication is indicated by a continuous line for convenience.

  At time T0, the TV receiving unit 30 is not operating. The detection unit 25 detects that the TV reception unit 30 is not operating. When the TV receiving unit 30 is not operating, the modifying unit 26 does not modify the reception quality value.

  The reception quality value in the 800 MHz band gradually decreases due to the movement of the smartphone 13 or the change in the surrounding radio wave conditions, and reaches the threshold value K at time T1. Triggered when the reception quality value in the 800 MHz band used for data communication falls below the threshold value K, the acquisition unit 24 for other bands performs a different band search. The different band search is an operation in which the acquisition unit 24 operates one by one to acquire the reception quality value of each band. In FIG. 4, the operation of the different band search for each band is indicated by an upward arrow. The reception quality value of each band acquired by the different band search is indicated by a point near the upward arrow. In FIG. 4, the reception quality values in the 700 MHz band and the 2 GHz band are low, and the reception quality value in the 1.5 GHz band is high.

  As described above, the acquisition unit 24 acquires two types of reception quality values, RSRP and RSRQ. The acquisition unit 24 performs a different band search with a trigger that one or both of RSRP and RSRQ of a band used for data communication falls below a threshold value.

  When the reception quality value in the 800 MHz band further decreases due to the movement of the smartphone 13 or the surrounding radio wave condition, the CPU 15 operates the changing unit 27 at time T2 to change the band used for data communication from the 800 MHz band to 1.5 GHz. Switch to obi. The conditions for switching the band used by the CPU 15 for data communication will be described later.

  In FIG. 4, since the reception quality value in the 1.5 GHz band being used for data communication is larger than the threshold value L from time T2 to time T3, the acquisition unit 24 does not perform a different band search. When the reception quality value in the 1.5 GHz band decreases due to the movement of the smartphone 13 or a change in surrounding radio wave conditions and becomes the threshold value L at time T3, the acquisition unit 24 performs a different band search. In FIG. 4, the reception quality value in the 700 MHz band is high, and the reception quality values in the 800 MHz band and the 2 GHz band are low.

  FIG. 4 shows a case where the reception quality value in the 1.5 GHz band further decreases due to the movement of the smartphone 13 or a change in the surrounding radio wave condition. The CPU 15 operates the changing unit 27 at time T4 to switch the band used for data communication from the 1.5 GHz band to the 700 MHz band. After switching, the acquisition unit 24 does not perform a different band search because the received quality value in the 700 MHz band being used for data communication is greater than the threshold value J.

  In response to a user operation, the CPU 15 activates the TV receiver 30 at time T5. The CPU 15 detects the activation of the TV receiving unit 30 using the detecting unit 25. When detecting that the TV receiving unit 30 is activated, the CPU 15 instructs the modifying unit 26 to modify the reception quality value acquired by the 700 MHz acquiring unit 241 to a value lower than the threshold value of each band. The reception quality value modified by the modification unit 26 is transmitted to the 700 MHz acquisition unit 241. The 700 MHz acquisition unit 241 determines that the reception quality value has fallen below the threshold, and using this as a trigger, the acquisition unit 24 of another band performs a different band search.

  When the reception quality value of each band and the operating condition of the TV receiver satisfy predetermined conditions, the changing unit 27 switches the band used for data communication. The predetermined condition will be described later.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing of the communication apparatus. The processing flow of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The CPU 15 determines whether or not the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (step S501). If it is determined that the TV receiving unit 30 is not activated (NO in step S501), the modifying unit 26 does not operate, so the CPU 15 receives a reception quality value of the first band that is a band used for data communication ( Step S502).

  If it is determined that the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (YES in step S501), the CPU 15 receives the reception quality value of the first band after modification by the modification unit 26 (step S503). Note that the reception quality value received by the CPU 15 in step S503 is modified by the modification unit 26 to a value lower than the threshold value.

  The CPU 15 determines whether or not the reception quality value received in step S502 or step S503 is smaller than a threshold value (step S504). If it is determined that the reception quality value is greater than or equal to the threshold (NO in step S504), the CPU 15 ends the process.

  If it is determined that the reception quality value is less than the threshold value (YES in step S504), the CPU 15 instructs the acquisition unit 24 to execute a different band search (step S505). If it is determined in step S501 that the TV receiving unit 30 is activated, the CPU 15 has received a reception quality value smaller than the threshold value in step S503, so that it is always determined YES in step S504.

  The CPU 15 receives the reception quality value of the second band that is a candidate for the band to which the data communication is transferred from the acquisition unit 24 (step S506). Here, the second band is a band having the best reception quality value among bands not used for data communication. The second band may be selected based on one of RSRP and RSRQ, or may be selected using both based on a predetermined calculation method.

  The CPU 15 receives a reception quality value of the first band, which is a band currently used for data communication, from the receiving unit 24 (step S507). The CPU 15 determines whether or not the reception quality value of the second band is larger than a value obtained by adding a predetermined value α to the reception quality value of the first band (step S508). Here, α is an offset value for preventing frequent band switching between both bands when the reception quality value of the first band and the reception quality value of the second band are close to each other. It is. When it is determined that the reception quality value of the second band is equal to or less than the value obtained by adding the value α to the reception quality value of the first band (NO in step S508), the CPU 15 ends the process.

  In step S508, YES is determined when one of RSRP and RSRQ satisfies the condition, and NO is determined otherwise. The value α is determined for each of RSRP and RSRQ.

  When it is determined that the reception quality value of the second band is greater than the value obtained by adding the value α to the reception quality value of the first band (YES in step S508), the CPU 15 sets the band used for data communication in the changing unit 27. An instruction to switch to the second band is given (step S509). Thereafter, the CPU 15 ends the process.

  According to the present embodiment, when the TV receiving unit 30 is operating, the different band search can be performed even when the reception quality value of the band being used for data communication is sufficiently high. Therefore, the CPU 15 can comprehensively determine the quality of each band of the TV receiver 30 and LTE, and can change the band used for data communication when appropriate.

  The threshold for performing the determination in step S504 may be determined only for either RSRP or RSRQ, or may be determined for both RSRP and RSRQ. When threshold values are set for both, a different band search may be executed when one of them falls below the threshold value, or a different band search may be executed when both of them fall below the threshold value.

  In step S506, the second band may be selected based on only RSRP, or may be selected using both RSRP and RSRQ.

  In step S508, YES may be determined when both RSRP and RSRQ satisfy the conditions, and NO may be determined otherwise. This makes it difficult for band switching to occur, so the load on the base station 11 is reduced. In step S508, determination may be made using only one of RSRP and RSRQ. In this way, the determination becomes simple and the load on the CPU 15 is reduced.

  If the value α used in step S508 is set to a large value, band switching is unlikely to occur, so the load on the base station 11 is reduced.

  The communication device is not limited to the smartphone 13. A mobile communication device such as a multifunctional mobile phone, a wearable information device, or a car navigation device can be used.

  Wireless communication is not limited to LTE. A so-called fourth generation mobile communication system or the like can also be employed.

  The acquisition unit 24 may acquire reception quality values other than RSRQ and RSRP, such as RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) and SIR (Signal to Interference Retio). The acquisition unit 24 may acquire only one of RSRQ and RSRP.

  Other functions that use radio are not limited to terrestrial digital broadcasting. A road traffic system or a data communication function using a wireless local area network (LAN) or the like may be used.

[Embodiment 2]
In the second embodiment, when communication in a specific band is started when another function using radio is activated, a reception quality value of another band that can be used for radio communication is acquired. The present invention relates to a communication device that changes a band used for wireless communication according to a situation. Also in the present embodiment, specifically, wireless communication is data communication by LTE. Another function that uses radio is to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting. The specific band is a band that should not be used while other functions of the band that can be used for LTE are used. The communication device is a smartphone 13. Below, it demonstrates using these specific examples. Description of portions common to the first embodiment is omitted.

  Of the channels of terrestrial digital broadcasting, channels 50 to 52 use the frequency band of 692 MHz to 710 MHz, and thus easily cause radio wave interference with the 700 MHz band of LTE. For this reason, when using the reception function of terrestrial digital broadcasting, it is desirable to use a band other than the 700 MHz band for data communication. Therefore, 700 MHz is set as a specific band.

  FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the communication unit 20 according to the second embodiment. The configuration of the communication unit of the present embodiment will be described using FIG.

  The communication unit 20 includes a communication antenna 21, a switch 22, a 700 MHz transmission / reception circuit 231, an 800 MHz transmission / reception circuit 232, a 1.5 GHz transmission / reception circuit 233, a 2 GHz transmission / reception circuit 234, a 700 MHz acquisition unit 241, an 800 MHz acquisition unit 242, and a 1.5 GHz acquisition unit 243. 2 GHz acquisition part 244, the detection part 25, the modification part 26, the change part 27, and the detection part 28 are provided. Hereinafter, the 700 MHz transmission / reception circuit 231, the 800 MHz transmission / reception circuit 232, the 1.5 GHz transmission / reception circuit 233 and the 2 GHz transmission / reception circuit 234 are collectively referred to as the transmission / reception circuit 23. Similarly, the 700 MHz acquisition unit 241, the 800 MHz acquisition unit 242, the 1.5 GHz acquisition unit 243, and the 2 GHz acquisition unit 244 are collectively referred to as an acquisition unit 24. Each part shown in FIG. 6 is controlled by the CPU 15.

  The detection unit 28 is connected between the 700 MHz transmission / reception circuit 231 and the modification unit 26 which are specific bands. The modification unit 26 uses the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24 when both the TV reception unit 30 and the 700 MHz transmission / reception circuit 231 are operating based on information input from the detection unit 25 and the detection unit 28. Modify and return to the acquisition unit 24. On the other hand, the modification unit 26 returns the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24 to the acquisition unit 24 as it is when only one of the TV reception unit 30 and the 700 MHz transmission / reception circuit 231 is operating. . Here, the modification unit 26 modifies the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24 to a value indicating that the reception quality is worse than a predetermined value.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. 7A shows the operation of the 700 MHz acquisition unit 241, FIG. 7B shows the operation of the 800 MHz acquisition unit 242, FIG. 7C shows the operation of the 1.5 GHz acquisition unit 243, FIG. 7D shows the operation of the 2 GHz acquisition unit 244, and FIG. . The horizontal axes in FIGS. 7A to 7E are all time. The same place in the direction parallel to the vertical axis in each figure indicates the same time. The vertical axis in FIG. 7A to FIG. 7D indicates RSRP among the reception quality values of each band acquired by the acquisition unit 24. The arrow indicates that the acquisition unit 24 has operated. A black circle in the extension of the arrow indicates the value of the reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24. The vertical axis in FIG. 7E indicates whether the TV receiver 30 is operating. OFF indicates that the TV receiver 30 is not operating, and ON indicates that the TV receiver 30 is operating.

  An example of the operation of the smartphone 13 during data communication will be described in chronological order with reference to FIG. At the start time T10 of FIG. 7, the smartphone 13 is not performing data communication and is performing a standby operation in the 2 GHz band. The standby operation is an operation of receiving a radio wave in order to confirm whether there is an incoming call. In order to save the battery capacity of the smartphone 13, the standby operation is performed intermittently. The reception quality value acquired by the acquisition unit 24 when the standby operation is performed is indicated by white circles in FIG.

  In FIG. 7, the TV receiving unit 30 is not operating at time T10. In response to a user operation, the CPU 15 activates the TV receiver 30 at time T11. Thereafter, a standby operation at 2 GHz is performed until time T12.

  The reception quality value in the 2 GHz band gradually decreases due to the movement of the smartphone 13 or the change in surrounding radio wave conditions, and falls below the threshold M at time T12. Triggered by the reception quality value of the 2 GHz band used for the standby operation being lower than the threshold value M, the acquisition unit 24 for other bands performs a different band search. In FIG. 7, the operation of the different band search for each band is indicated by an upward arrow. The reception quality value of each band acquired by the different band search is indicated by a point near the upward arrow. In FIG. 7, the reception quality values in the 700 MHz band and the 800 MHz band are low, and the reception quality value in the 1.5 GHz band is high. In FIG. 7, at time T13, the CPU 15 operates the changing unit 27 to switch the band used for data communication from the 2 GHz band to the 1.5 GHz band.

  The reception quality value in the 1.5 GHz band gradually decreases due to the movement of the smartphone 13 or a change in surrounding radio wave conditions, and falls below the threshold value L at time T14. When the reception quality value in the 1.5 GHz band used for the standby operation is below the threshold value M, the acquisition unit 24 for other bands performs a different band search. In FIG. 7, the reception quality values in the 800 MHz band and the 2 GHz band are low, and the reception quality values in the 700 MHz band are high. However, since the TV receiving unit 30 is operating, the modifying unit 26 operates to modify the 700 MHz band reception quality value to a value lower than the threshold value J. The modified reception quality value is indicated by X in FIG. Therefore, the band used for data communication is not switched, and the standby operation is performed in the 1.5 GHz band even after T15.

  When the reception quality value of each band and the operating condition of the TV receiver satisfy predetermined conditions, the changing unit 27 switches the band used for data communication.

  Even if the modification unit 26 modifies the reception quality value in the 700 MHz band to a value lower than the threshold value J, the modification unit 27 is used for the standby operation when the reception quality value in another band is a lower value. Switch the band to 700 MHz.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. The processing flow of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The CPU 15 determines whether or not the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (step S501). When it is determined that the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (YES in step S501), the CPU 15 determines whether or not communication is performed in a predetermined specific band (step S521). Here, the case where communication is performed includes both the case where data communication is performed and the case where standby operation is performed. When it is determined that communication is performed in a specific band (YES in step S521), the CPU 15 receives the modified reception quality value of the specific band (step S522). Note that the reception quality value received by the CPU 15 in step S522 is modified by the modification unit 26 to a value lower than the threshold value.

  The specific band in step S521 is the LTE 700 MHz band as described above. This is because the 700 MHz band is close to the band of terrestrial digital broadcasting, and therefore radio wave interference may occur when the TV receiving unit 30 is activated.

  When it is determined that the TV receiving unit is not activated (NO in step S501) and when it is determined that communication is not performed in a specific band (NO in step S521), the CPU 15 is a band that is being used for data communication. A reception quality value of the first band is received (step S502).

  After the end of step S502 or step S522, the CPU 15 proceeds to step S504, and thereafter the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed.

  According to the present embodiment, only when data communication is performed in a specific band where interference with the TV receiver 30 is likely to occur, the reception quality value of the band being used for data communication is sufficiently high. Even if there is, a different band search can be performed. Since the frequency of different band searches can be suppressed, the battery capacity of the smartphone 13 can be used effectively.

  The specific band is not limited to the 700 MHz band. Depending on the relationship between the band allocated for data communication and the band allocated for functions such as terrestrial digital broadcasting, the detection unit 28 may detect the presence or absence of communication with a band other than 700 MHz as a specific band. .

  The specific band is not limited to one. Depending on the relationship between the band allocated for data communication and the band allocated for functions such as terrestrial digital broadcasting, the presence or absence of communication may be detected by the detection unit 28 using a plurality of bands as specific bands.

  In step S521, it may be determined whether the band received by the TV receiving unit 30 is a specific band in addition to the band in which data communication is performed. Here, the specific band is, for example, 50 to 52 channels of terrestrial digital broadcasting. This is because channels 50 to 52 are close to the 700 MHz band of LTE as described above, and radio wave interference may occur.

[Embodiment 3]
In the third embodiment, the reception quality value of another band that can be used for radio communication when the band used by another function that uses radio is close to the band used for radio communication. And a communication device that changes a band used for wireless communication according to the situation. Also in the present embodiment, specifically, wireless communication is data communication by LTE. Another function that uses radio is to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting. The communication device is a smartphone 13. Below, it demonstrates using these specific examples. Description of portions common to the first embodiment is omitted.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication apparatus according to the third embodiment. The processing flow of the present embodiment will be described using FIG.

  The CPU 15 determines whether or not the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (step S501). When it is determined that the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (YES in step S501), the CPU 15 has a first band that is a band used for data communication and a reception band of the TV receiving unit closer than a predetermined interval. It is determined whether or not (step S523). The predetermined interval may be described in a table created so as to cover the combination of both in advance, or may be a value determined in advance as a constant. Further, it may be determined in advance as a function of both bands. A table, constant, or function at a predetermined interval is stored in the auxiliary storage device 17.

  When it is determined that the first band is close to the reception band (YES in step S523), the CPU 15 receives the modified reception quality value of the first band (step S503). Note that the reception quality value received by the CPU 15 in step S503 is modified by the modification unit 26 to a value lower than the threshold value.

  When it is determined that the TV receiving unit 30 is not activated (NO in step S501), and when it is determined that the first band is close to the reception band (NO in step S523), the CPU 15 uses the band used for data communication. The reception quality value of the first band is received (step S502).

  After the end of step S502 or step S503, the CPU 15 proceeds to step S504, and thereafter the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed.

  According to the present embodiment, only when two functions using radio waves are using adjacent bands, even if the reception quality value of the band being used for data communication is sufficiently high, different bands are used. Search can be performed. Since the frequency of performing the different band search can be reduced, the battery capacity of the smartphone 13 can be used effectively.

[Embodiment 4]
In the fourth embodiment, a value for modifying a reception quality value of a band used for wireless communication is adjusted according to a band used by another function that uses radio and a band used for wireless communication. The present invention relates to a communication apparatus that controls whether or not a different band search occurs. Also in the present embodiment, specifically, wireless communication is data communication by LTE. Another function that uses radio is to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting. The communication device is a smartphone 13. Below, it demonstrates using these specific examples. Description of portions common to the first embodiment is omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a table showing values used for modification in the fourth embodiment. The processing flow of the present embodiment is the same as the flowchart of the first embodiment. However, it differs from Embodiment 1 in that the table shown in FIG. 10 is used when modifying the reception quality value of the first band in step S503.

  The table shown in FIG. 10 is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 17. The table shown in FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the terrestrial digital broadcast channel being viewed by the user and the LTE band used for data communication and the value β used for modification.

  The values β used for modification are all 0 dB when the 800 MHz band, 1.5 GHz band, or 2 GHz band is used for data communication. The value β used for modification when the 700 MHz band is used for data communication is a maximum value of 10 dB, which is the largest when viewing 52 channels of terrestrial digital broadcasting. When viewing 51 channels, it is 5 dB, and when viewing 50 channels, it is 3 dB. The lower the band used for terrestrial digital broadcasting, the smaller the number of channels, which is 49 channels or less. In this case, it is 0 dB.

  In step S503 in FIG. 5, the CPU 15 receives the reception quality value of the first band after modification. At this time, the CPU 15 receives the modified value by subtracting the value β used for modification shown in FIG. 10 from the reception quality value of the first band which is the band currently used for data communication acquired by the acquiring unit 24.

  When the value β used for modification is large, the reception quality value used in the determination in step S504 is small, so that it is easy to branch to YES. That is, the different band search is easily activated.

  According to the present embodiment, when the band of the terrestrial digital broadcast being viewed is close to the LTE band, the CPU 15 can easily determine that the different band search is performed. However, when the reception quality value is very large and good data communication can be performed, the different band search is not performed. Thereby, the smartphone 13 that places importance on ensuring the quality of data communication can be provided.

  The value β used for the modification shown in FIG. 10 is an example. The table shown in FIG. 10 can be appropriately changed according to the antenna sensitivity of the smartphone 13, the arrangement status of the base stations 11 owned by the communication carrier, the performance of the TV receiver 30, and the like.

[Embodiment 5]
The fifth embodiment relates to a communication apparatus that switches a band regardless of the quality of a band in use when a reception quality value of a candidate band for switching a band used for wireless communication is larger than a predetermined value. Also in the present embodiment, specifically, wireless communication is data communication by LTE. Another function that uses radio is to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting. The communication device is a smartphone 13. Below, it demonstrates using these specific examples. Description of portions common to the first embodiment is omitted.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. The process flow of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The processing flow in the present embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment up to step S507. The CPU 15 determines whether or not the first band, which is a band being used for data communication, is close to the reception band of the TV receiving unit (step S523). The determination may be performed based on a table created so as to cover the combination of both in advance, or may be performed based on a comparison between the interval between both bands and a predetermined value.

  If it is determined that the first band and the reception band are close (YES in step S523), the CPU 15 determines whether or not the reception quality value of the second band is higher than the specified value (step S525). The specified value used in step S525 is determined in advance and stored in the auxiliary storage device 17.

  When it is determined that the first band and the reception band are close (NO in step S523) and the reception quality value of the second band is not higher than the specified value (NO in step S525), the CPU 15 receives the reception quality value of the second band. Is greater than the value obtained by adding a predetermined value α to the reception quality value of the first band (step S508). When it is determined that the reception quality value of the second band is equal to or less than the value obtained by adding the value α to the reception quality value of the first band (NO in step S508), the CPU 15 ends the process.

  When the reception quality value of the second band is higher than the specified value (YES in step S525) and when it is determined that the reception quality value of the second band is larger than the value obtained by adding the value α to the reception quality value of the first band (YES in step S508), the CPU 15 instructs the changing unit 27 to switch the band used for data communication to the second band (step S509). Thereafter, the CPU 15 ends the process.

  According to the present embodiment, the band of the terrestrial digital broadcast being viewed and the band being used for data communication are close, and if there is a band with a high reception quality value that can be used for data communication, It is possible to provide a communication device that switches a band used for data communication regardless of the reception quality value of the band.

[Embodiment 6]
Embodiment 6 relates to a communication apparatus that changes a band used by another function if possible when a band used for wireless communication is close to a band used by another function that uses radio. . Also in the present embodiment, specifically, wireless communication is data communication by LTE. Another function that uses radio is to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting. The communication device is a smartphone 13. Below, it demonstrates using these specific examples. Description of portions common to the first embodiment is omitted.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating processing of the communication apparatus according to the sixth embodiment. The process flow of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The CPU 15 determines whether or not the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (step S501). If it is determined that the TV receiving unit 30 is activated (YES in step S501), the CPU 15 determines whether the channel received by the TV receiving unit 30 is a channel affected by data communication (step S531). ). More specifically, when channels 50 to 52 are received from the terrestrial digital broadcasting channels, it is determined that the channel affected by the data communication is received.

  If it is determined that the affected channel is received (YES in step S531), the CPU 15 determines whether the channel can be changed (step S532). The case where the channel can be changed is a case where the user broadcasts the same program as the program being viewed and there is another channel that does not affect the data communication. The presence or absence of other channels is determined by information on EPG (Electronic Program Guide) that provides a program guide using radio waves of TV broadcasting, program guide information acquired from the Internet via the communication unit 20, or terrestrial digital The broadcast program guide is determined with reference to a server that has collected in advance.

  If it is determined that the channel can be changed (YES in step S532), the CPU 15 controls the channel switching unit 33 to change the channel (step S533). If it is determined that the channel cannot be changed (NO in step S532), the CPU 15 receives the modified reception quality value of the first band (step S503). Note that the reception quality value received by the CPU 15 in step S503 is modified by the modification unit 26 to a value lower than the threshold value.

  If it is determined that the TV receiving unit 30 is not activated (NO in step S501), if it is determined that the affected channel is not received (NO in step S531), and after changing the channel in step S533, the CPU 15 Receives the reception quality value of the first band, which is the band in use for data communication (step S502).

  After the end of step S502 or step S503, the CPU 15 proceeds to step S504, and thereafter the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed.

  According to the present embodiment, when the same TV program is broadcast on a plurality of channels, the data communication and the viewing of the terrestrial digital TV are made compatible by switching to a channel having a band that does not affect the data broadcasting. be able to.

  Note that in step S531, the radio wave band used by the TV receiving unit 30 and the transmission / reception status of each radio wave may be determined in combination. Specifically, when the reception power value of the radio wave received by the TV receiving unit 30 is large, the resistance to interference is large, and thus even a channel close to the band used for data communication is not easily affected. In addition, when the transmission power value of data communication is small, the radio wave for data communication received by the TV antenna 31 is weak, so that even a channel close to the band used for data communication is not easily affected. Therefore, for example, the determination in step S531 may be performed based on a table or an expression combining a channel stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 17 and the reception power value of the TV receiver 30 or the transmission power value of data communication. Further, the determination in step S531 may be performed based on a table or an expression that combines the channel, the reception power value of the TV receiver 30, and the transmission power value of data communication.

  Instead of the reception power value of the TV receiver 30, an arbitrary index indicating resistance to interference of other functions using radio, such as CNR (carrier-noise ratio), can be used. Further, instead of the transmission power value of data communication, an arbitrary index indicating the likelihood of interference with other functions such as communication speed can be used.

  The received power value of the radio wave received by the TV receiver 30 tends to become weaker as the distance from the radio tower 14 increases. In addition, the transmission power value of data communication tends to increase as the distance from the base station 11 increases. Therefore, the determination in step S531 may be performed based on position information acquired by a GPS (Global Positioning System) mounted on the smartphone 13 and the installation position of the radio tower 14 or the base station 11. The determination in step S531 may be performed based on the position information and the installation positions of the radio tower 14 and the base station 11. In these cases, the installation position of the radio tower 14 or the base station 11 is acquired in advance by data communication and stored in the auxiliary storage device 14.

[Embodiment 7]
The seventh embodiment relates to a mode in which a communication device and a communication program 41 are operated in combination. Also in the present embodiment, specifically, wireless communication is data communication by LTE. Another function that uses radio is to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting. The communication device is a smartphone 13. Below, it demonstrates using these specific examples. Description of portions common to the first embodiment is omitted.

  FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the seventh embodiment. The configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that description of portions common to the first embodiment is omitted.

  The smartphone 13 includes a CPU 15, a main storage device 16, an auxiliary storage device 17, a display unit 18, an input unit 19, a communication unit 20, a TV reception unit 30, a reading unit 40, and a bus.

  The reading unit 40 is a device that reads the portable recording medium 42, and specifically, for example, a micro SD (Secure Digital) card slot.

  The communication program 41 is recorded on the portable recording medium 42. The CPU 15 reads the communication program 41 via the reading unit 40 and stores it in the auxiliary storage device 17. The CPU 15 may read the communication program 41 stored in the semiconductor memory 43 such as a flash memory mounted in the smartphone 13. Further, the CPU 15 may download the communication program 41 from another server computer (not shown) connected via the communication unit 20 and store it in the auxiliary storage device 17.

  The smartphone 13 reads the communication program 41 for executing the above-described various software processes from the portable recording medium 42 or the semiconductor memory 43 or downloads it from another server computer (not shown) via the communication unit 20. The communication program 41 is installed as a control program for the smartphone 13, loaded into the main storage device 16 and executed. Thereby, the smart phone 13 functions as a communication apparatus mentioned above as a whole.

The technical features (components) described in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and new technical features can be formed by combining them.
The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-described meaning but by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

11 Base station 12 Range 13 Smartphone 14 Radio tower 15 CPU
16 Main storage device 17 Auxiliary storage device 18 Display unit 19 Input unit 20 Communication unit 21 Communication antenna 22 Switch 23 Transmission / reception circuit 24 Acquisition unit 25 Detection unit 26 Modification unit 27 Change unit 28 Detection unit 30 TV reception unit 31 TV antenna 32 TV tuner 33 Channel switching part

Claims (9)

A communication unit that communicates with radio waves in a first band selected from a plurality of predetermined frequency bands;
A first acquisition unit that acquires a value indicating reception quality of the first band;
A detection unit that detects activation of a reception unit that receives radio waves in a band different from the plurality of frequency bands;
When the detection unit detects activation of the reception unit, the value indicating the reception quality of the first band acquired by the first acquisition unit is in a state where the reception quality is worse than a predetermined threshold. And a modification unit that modifies the value to indicate a value. A detection unit for detecting that the communication unit is communicating in a specific band among the plurality of frequency bands;
The modification unit detects the first acquired by the first acquisition unit when the detection unit detects activation of the reception unit and detects that the detection unit is communicating in a specific band. 2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a value indicating the reception quality of the band is modified to a value indicating that the reception quality is worse than a predetermined threshold value.   When the value indicating the reception quality of the first band is a value indicating that the reception quality is worse than the threshold, the value indicating the reception quality of the second band selected from the plurality of frequency bands is acquired. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second acquisition unit configured to perform the second acquisition unit.   The communication according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the modifying unit does not operate when the first band and the different band are separated from each other by a predetermined distance. apparatus. The value indicating the reception quality of the second band acquired by the second acquisition unit is received from the sum of the value indicating the reception quality of the first band acquired by the first acquisition unit plus a predetermined value. A first determination unit that determines whether or not the value indicates that the quality is good;
The frequency band used by the communication unit when the first determination unit determines that the value indicating the reception quality of the second band is a value indicating that the reception quality is better than the sum. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a changing unit that changes the second band. A second determination unit that determines whether or not the value indicating the reception quality of the second band acquired by the second acquisition unit is a value indicating that the reception quality is better than a predetermined specified value. When,
The frequency band used by the communication unit when the second determination unit determines that the value indicating the reception quality of the second band is a value indicating that the reception quality is better than the specified value. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a changing unit that changes the second band to the second band. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive radio waves of any one of terrestrial digital broadcasting, a road traffic system, and data communication. . Communicate with radio waves in the first band selected from a plurality of predetermined frequency bands,
Detecting activation of a receiving unit that receives radio waves in a band different from the plurality of frequency bands,
When the activation of the receiving unit is detected, the computer executes processing for changing the acquired value indicating the reception quality of the first band to a value indicating that the reception quality is worse than a predetermined threshold value Communication program to let you. Communicate with radio waves in the first band selected from a plurality of predetermined frequency bands,
Detecting activation of a receiving unit that receives radio waves in a band different from the plurality of frequency bands,
A communication method for changing the acquired value indicating the reception quality of the first band to a value indicating that the reception quality is worse than a predetermined threshold when detecting the activation of the reception unit.

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