JP2024090912A - Terminal device and terminal device control method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a technology for enabling a specific function when it is determined that the device is located in a specific area based on location information. [Solution] A terminal device is provided that has a storage unit that prestores information indicating a first location, a positioning unit that measures the current location of the device, and a control unit that controls the device to enable the specific function when the current location of the device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a beacon transmission device and a beacon transmission method.

Conventionally, beacon transmitters have been used to quickly search for victims who are lost in an avalanche or other incident while climbing a mountain. Companions or search teams carrying receivers can search for the victim based on radio waves from the beacon transmitter carried by the victim. Such beacon transmitters are also called, for example, "avalanche beacons."

Related to this technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a beacon checker device that is installed at mountain entrances and the like, and detects and warns if a mountain entrant forgets to turn on the power to their beacon transmitter. If a mountain entrant attempts to enter the mountain without turning on their beacon transmitter, the display of the beacon checker device will continue to show a cross mark. Seeing this, the mountain entrant can know that the power to their beacon transmitter is off.

JP 2022-061927 A

However, with conventional technology, for example, if a mountaineer forgets to approach a beacon checker, he or she may not realize that the beacon transmitter has been turned on.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that reduces the chance of climbers forgetting to turn on their beacon transmitters when entering the mountains, without making them particularly aware of it.

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beacon transmitting device having a transmitting unit that transmits a wireless signal to the outside, a storage unit that prestores information indicating a first position, a positioning unit that measures the current position of the beacon transmitting device, and a control unit that controls the transmitting unit to transmit a wireless signal when the current position of the beacon transmitting device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first position.

In addition, a second aspect of the present invention provides a beacon transmission method in which a beacon transmission device pre-stores information indicating a first location, measures the current location of the beacon transmission device, and transmits a wireless signal when the current location of the beacon transmission device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location.

The present invention can reduce the incidence of climbers forgetting to turn on their beacon transmitters when entering the mountains, without making them particularly aware of it.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a beacon transmitting device according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of a beacon transmitting device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting information according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer of a beacon transmitting device according to an embodiment.

The principles of the present invention are described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are set forth for illustrative purposes only, to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present invention, without implying any limitation on the scope of the invention. The invention described herein may be implemented in a variety of ways other than those described below.
In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration>
The configuration of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to an embodiment. In the example of Fig. 1, the beacon transmitting device 10 has a transmitting unit 11, a storage unit 12, a positioning unit 13, and a control unit 14.

The transmitter 11 transmits a wireless signal (beacon) to notify an external device of the position of the beacon transmitter 10. The transmitter 11 may transmit, for example, radio waves of 457 kHz, which is a global standard for avalanche beacons. In addition, the transmitter 11 may transmit radio waves of a wireless LAN (Local area network) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) when the beacon transmitter 10 is, for example, a smartphone.

The memory unit 12 stores information indicating the first location and information indicating the second location. Specifically, the location of the mountain to be climbed is registered in advance as the first location. The location registered as the first location may be one location, or multiple different locations. For example, the locations of multiple mountains with an altitude of a predetermined height or higher may be registered as the first location. As the second location, a place such as the user's home where the user spends their daily time is registered in advance. Multiple locations may be registered as the second location. The positioning unit 13 measures (locates) the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10. When the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location, the control unit 14 causes the transmitting unit 11 to transmit a wireless signal.

The beacon transmitting device 10 may be, for example, a dedicated device. The beacon transmitting device 10 may also be a terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. Note that the beacon transmitting device 10 may receive a wireless signal from another beacon transmitting device 10 in response to an operation from a user, and notify the user of the distance and direction to the other beacon transmitting device 10.

<Processing>
Next, an example of the process of the beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the setting information 301 according to the embodiment. Note that the order of each process below may be changed as appropriate within a range that does not cause contradictions.

The process in FIG. 2 may be executed, for example, when a set positioning timing occurs. It may also be executed, for example, when a predetermined operation is received from the user.

In step S1, the positioning unit 13 measures the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10. Here, the positioning unit 13 may perform positioning based on a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). The positioning unit 13 may also calculate the distances from each base station of a mobile communications carrier to the beacon transmitting device 10, which is a mobile terminal, and perform positioning based on these distances. The positioning unit 13 may also use, for example, the position information of the access point of the connected wireless LAN as the position information of the beacon transmitting device 10.

Next, the control unit 14 refers to the setting information 301 and determines whether the current location of the beacon transmission device 10 is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location (for example, within 5 km from the destination location, or within a range set according to the destination) (step S2). In the example of FIG. 3, the setting information 301 records information on the first location and the second location. The location information may include information indicating latitude and longitude. The information recorded in the setting information 301 may be set in advance by the user, for example. The information recorded in the setting information 301 may also be automatically determined, for example, by AI (Artificial Intelligence) or the like. In this case, the control unit 14 may, for example, obtain location information of the mountain to be climbed from a specific server via the Internet or the like and determine it as the first location. The control unit 14 may also determine, for example, the location where the beacon transmission device 10 is staying during a specific period (for example, multiple nights) as the second location.

If the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location (YES in step S2), the control unit 14 sets the transmission setting of the transmitting unit 11 to ON, causing the transmitting unit 11 to continue transmitting a wireless signal for notifying an external device of the location of the beacon transmitting device 10 (step S3). As a result, if the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within the first specific range corresponding to the first location, the wireless signal for the beacon is automatically transmitted. This prevents the user from entering the mountains with the transmission of the wireless signal for the beacon stopped.

Then, the control unit 14 sets the frequency of positioning to a third frequency (medium frequency, for example, every 30 minutes) (step S4), and ends the process. As a result, for example, when the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within the first specific range corresponding to the first position, the frequency of performing the process in FIG. 2 is set to medium frequency, so that the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 can be reduced.

On the other hand, if the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is not within the first specific range corresponding to the first location (NO in step S2), the control unit 14 sets the transmission setting of the transmitting unit 11 to OFF, thereby setting it to a state in which no wireless signal is transmitted (step S5). This allows the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 to be reduced, for example, since the wireless signal for the beacon is not transmitted while moving to home or a destination.

Then, the control unit 14 determines whether the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within a specific range corresponding to the second location (e.g., within 5 km from the second location) (step S6). If the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within the second specific range corresponding to the second location (YES in step S6), the control unit 14 sets the positioning frequency to a first frequency (low frequency, e.g., every hour) lower than the third frequency (step S7), and ends the process. As a result, for example, when the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is the user's home, the frequency of performing the process in FIG. 2 is set to a low frequency, and the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 can be reduced.

On the other hand, if the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is not within the second specific range corresponding to the second location (NO in step S6), the control unit 14 sets the frequency of positioning to the second frequency (high frequency, for example, every 5 minutes) (step S8) and ends the process. As a result, for example, when the user is moving from home or the like toward a destination, the process in FIG. 2 is performed at a high frequency. Therefore, for example, when the user arrives within the specific range corresponding to the destination, the transmission of the wireless signal for the beacon can be turned on more quickly.

Here, the control unit 14 may determine the second frequency based on at least one of the distance from the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10 to the destination and the moving speed of the beacon transmitting device 10. In this case, the control unit 14 may determine the value of the second frequency to be a higher value, for example, as the distance from the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10 to the destination is shorter. Also, the control unit 14 may determine the value of the second frequency to be a higher value, for example, as the moving speed of the beacon transmitting device 10 is faster. This allows, for example, the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 to be further reduced, while allowing the user to turn on the transmission of the wireless signal for the beacon more quickly when the user arrives within a specific range according to the destination. Note that the control unit 14 may calculate the moving speed of the beacon transmitting device 10 based on, for example, the history of the position information of the beacon transmitting device 10.

<Hardware Configuration>
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 100 of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to an embodiment. In the example of Fig. 4, the computer 100 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and a communication interface 103. These units may be connected by a bus or the like. The memory 102 stores at least a part of a program 104. The communication interface 103 includes an interface required for communication with other network elements.

When the program 104 is executed by the processor 101, the memory 102, etc. in cooperation with each other, the computer 100 performs at least some processing of the embodiment of the present invention. The memory 102 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network. The memory 102 may be, as a non-limiting example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The memory 102 may also be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. Although only one memory 102 is shown in the computer 100, there may be several physically different memory modules in the computer 100. The processor 101 may be of any type. The processor 101 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, as a non-limiting example. The computer 100 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device.

The present invention also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules, that execute on a target real or virtual processor device to perform the processes or methods of the present invention. Program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or divided between program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

The program codes for carrying out the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes are provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus. When the program codes are executed by the processor or controller, the functions/operations in the flowcharts and/or implementing block diagrams are performed. The program codes may be executed entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

The program can be stored and supplied to the computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media, magneto-optical recording media, optical disk media, semiconductor memory, etc. Magnetic recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives, etc. Magneto-optical recording media include, for example, magneto-optical disks, etc. Optical disk media include, for example, Blu-ray disks, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R (Recordable), CD-RW (ReWritable), etc. Semiconductor memories include, for example, solid-state drives, mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, RAMs (random access memories), etc. The program may also be supplied to the computer by various types of temporary computer-readable media. Examples of temporary computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can provide the program to the computer via a wired communication path, such as an electric wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

<Modification>
The beacon transmitting device 10 may be a device contained in one housing, but the beacon transmitting device 10 of the present invention is not limited to this. Each part of the beacon transmitting device 10 (e.g., the storage unit 12, the control unit 14) may be realized by cloud computing consisting of one or more computers. Such beacon transmitting devices are also included as examples of the "beacon transmitting device" of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

10 Beacon transmitting device 11 Transmitting unit 12 Memory unit 13 Positioning unit 14 Control unit

The present invention relates to a terminal device and a terminal device control method.

However, in the conventional technology, for example, if a climber forgets to approach the beacon checker and enters the mountain, he or she may not notice that the beacon transmitter has been turned on . For this reason, there has been a demand for technology that reduces the number of climbers forgetting to turn on the beacon transmitter when entering the mountain without making the climber particularly aware of it. In addition, there has been a demand for technology that enables a specific function when it is determined that the climber is located in a specific area based on location information, not limited to the climber's beacon transmitter.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for enabling a specific function when it is determined that a device is located in a predetermined area based on location information .

A terminal device is provided having a memory unit that pre-stores information indicating a first location and information of a specific function corresponding to the first location , a positioning unit that measures the current location of the device , and a control unit that controls the specific function to be enabled when the current location of the device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location.

In addition, in a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device control method, which pre-stores information indicating a first location and information of a specific function corresponding to the first location , measures a current location of the device , and enables the specific function if the current location of the device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location .

According to the present invention, a function that is effective in a specific area can be enabled without the user being particularly aware of it .

<Configuration>
In this embodiment, a beacon transmitting device for quickly searching for a mountain climber in case of accident will be described as an example. The configuration of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment. In the example of Fig. 1, the beacon transmitting device 10 has a transmitting unit 11, a storage unit 12, a positioning unit 13, and a control unit 14.

In the above embodiment, the beacon transmission device 10 that transmits a beacon signal has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the beacon transmission device 10, and can also be applied to a terminal device that can switch between enabling and disabling the operation of a specific function equipped therein. For example, this is effective when it is desired to enable the communication function of the terminal device only in a specific location range, or when it is desired to disable the communication function only in a specific location range. It can also be applied when it is desired to enable (operate) an application that needs to be operated on the terminal in order to receive a service provided in a specific location range only in a specific location range.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

10 Beacon transmitter
11. Transmission Department
12 Memory unit
13 Positioning unit
14 Control unit

The present invention relates to a terminal device and a terminal device control method.

Conventionally, beacon transmitters have been used to quickly search for victims who are lost in an avalanche or other incident while climbing a mountain. Companions or search teams carrying receivers can search for the victim based on radio waves from the beacon transmitter carried by the victim. Such beacon transmitters are also called, for example, "avalanche beacons."

Related to this technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a beacon checker device that is installed at mountain entrances and the like, and detects and warns if a mountain entrant forgets to turn on the power to their beacon transmitter. If a mountain entrant attempts to enter the mountain without turning on their beacon transmitter, the display of the beacon checker device will continue to show a cross mark. Seeing this, the mountain entrant can know that the power to their beacon transmitter is off.

JP 2022-061927 A

However, in the conventional technology, for example, if a climber forgets to approach the beacon checker and enters the mountain, he or she may not notice that the beacon transmitter has been turned on . For this reason, there has been a demand for technology that reduces the number of climbers forgetting to turn on the beacon transmitter when entering the mountain without making the climber particularly aware of it. In addition, there has been a demand for technology that enables a specific function when it is determined that the climber is located in a specific area based on location information, not limited to the climber's beacon transmitter.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for enabling a specific function when it is determined that a device is located in a predetermined area based on location information .

A terminal device is provided having a memory unit that pre-stores information indicating a first location and information of a specific function corresponding to the first location , a positioning unit that measures the current location of the device , and a control unit that controls the specific function to be enabled when the current location of the device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location.

In addition, in a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device control method, which pre-stores information indicating a first location and information of a specific function corresponding to the first location , measures a current location of the device , and enables the specific function if the current location of the device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location .

According to the present invention, a function that is effective in a specific area can be enabled without the user being particularly aware of it .

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a beacon transmitting device according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of a beacon transmitting device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting information according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer of a beacon transmitting device according to an embodiment.

The principles of the present invention are described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are set forth for illustrative purposes only, to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present invention, without implying any limitation on the scope of the invention. The invention described herein may be implemented in a variety of ways other than those described below.
In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration>
In this embodiment, a beacon transmitting device for quickly searching for a mountain climber in case of accident will be described as an example. The configuration of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment. In the example of Fig. 1, the beacon transmitting device 10 has a transmitting unit 11, a storage unit 12, a positioning unit 13, and a control unit 14.

The transmitter 11 transmits a wireless signal (beacon) to notify an external device of the position of the beacon transmitter 10. The transmitter 11 may transmit, for example, radio waves of 457 kHz, which is a global standard for avalanche beacons. In addition, the transmitter 11 may transmit radio waves of a wireless LAN (Local area network) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) when the beacon transmitter 10 is, for example, a smartphone.

The memory unit 12 stores information indicating the first location and information indicating the second location. Specifically, the location of the mountain to be climbed is registered in advance as the first location. The location registered as the first location may be one location, or multiple different locations. For example, the locations of multiple mountains with an altitude of a predetermined height or higher may be registered as the first location. As the second location, a place such as the user's home where the user spends their daily time is registered in advance. Multiple locations may be registered as the second location. The positioning unit 13 measures (locates) the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10. When the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location, the control unit 14 causes the transmitting unit 11 to transmit a wireless signal.

The beacon transmitting device 10 may be, for example, a dedicated device. The beacon transmitting device 10 may also be a terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. Note that the beacon transmitting device 10 may receive a wireless signal from another beacon transmitting device 10 in response to an operation from a user, and notify the user of the distance and direction to the other beacon transmitting device 10.

<Processing>
Next, an example of the process of the beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the beacon transmitting device 10 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the setting information 301 according to the embodiment. Note that the order of each process below may be changed as appropriate within a range that does not cause contradictions.

The process in FIG. 2 may be executed, for example, when a set positioning timing occurs. It may also be executed, for example, when a predetermined operation is received from the user.

In step S1, the positioning unit 13 measures the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10. Here, the positioning unit 13 may perform positioning based on a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). The positioning unit 13 may also calculate the distances from each base station of a mobile communications carrier to the beacon transmitting device 10, which is a mobile terminal, and perform positioning based on these distances. The positioning unit 13 may also use, for example, the position information of the access point of the connected wireless LAN as the position information of the beacon transmitting device 10.

Next, the control unit 14 refers to the setting information 301 and determines whether the current location of the beacon transmission device 10 is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location (for example, within 5 km from the destination location, or within a range set according to the destination) (step S2). In the example of FIG. 3, the setting information 301 records information on the first location and the second location. The location information may include information indicating latitude and longitude. The information recorded in the setting information 301 may be set in advance by the user, for example. The information recorded in the setting information 301 may also be automatically determined, for example, by AI (Artificial Intelligence) or the like. In this case, the control unit 14 may, for example, obtain location information of the mountain to be climbed from a specific server via the Internet or the like and determine it as the first location. The control unit 14 may also determine, for example, the location where the beacon transmission device 10 is staying during a specific period (for example, multiple nights) as the second location.

If the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location (YES in step S2), the control unit 14 sets the transmission setting of the transmitting unit 11 to ON, causing the transmitting unit 11 to continue transmitting a wireless signal for notifying an external device of the location of the beacon transmitting device 10 (step S3). As a result, if the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within the first specific range corresponding to the first location, the wireless signal for the beacon is automatically transmitted. This prevents the user from entering the mountains with the transmission of the wireless signal for the beacon stopped.

Then, the control unit 14 sets the frequency of positioning to a third frequency (medium frequency, for example, every 30 minutes) (step S4), and ends the process. As a result, for example, when the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within the first specific range corresponding to the first position, the frequency of performing the process in FIG. 2 is set to medium frequency, so that the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 can be reduced.

On the other hand, if the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is not within the first specific range corresponding to the first location (NO in step S2), the control unit 14 sets the transmission setting of the transmitting unit 11 to OFF, thereby setting it to a state in which no wireless signal is transmitted (step S5). This allows the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 to be reduced, for example, since the wireless signal for the beacon is not transmitted while moving to home or a destination.

Then, the control unit 14 determines whether the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within a specific range corresponding to the second location (e.g., within 5 km from the second location) (step S6). If the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is within the second specific range corresponding to the second location (YES in step S6), the control unit 14 sets the positioning frequency to a first frequency (low frequency, e.g., every hour) lower than the third frequency (step S7), and ends the process. As a result, for example, when the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is the user's home, the frequency of performing the process in FIG. 2 is set to a low frequency, and the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 can be reduced.

On the other hand, if the current location of the beacon transmitting device 10 is not within the second specific range corresponding to the second location (NO in step S6), the control unit 14 sets the frequency of positioning to the second frequency (high frequency, for example, every 5 minutes) (step S8) and ends the process. As a result, for example, when the user is moving from home or the like toward a destination, the process in FIG. 2 is performed at a high frequency. Therefore, for example, when the user arrives within the specific range corresponding to the destination, the transmission of the wireless signal for the beacon can be turned on more quickly.

Here, the control unit 14 may determine the second frequency based on at least one of the distance from the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10 to the destination and the moving speed of the beacon transmitting device 10. In this case, the control unit 14 may determine the value of the second frequency to be a higher value, for example, as the distance from the current position of the beacon transmitting device 10 to the destination is shorter. Also, the control unit 14 may determine the value of the second frequency to be a higher value, for example, as the moving speed of the beacon transmitting device 10 is faster. This allows, for example, the power consumption of the beacon transmitting device 10 to be further reduced, while allowing the user to turn on the transmission of the wireless signal for the beacon more quickly when the user arrives within a specific range according to the destination. Note that the control unit 14 may calculate the moving speed of the beacon transmitting device 10 based on, for example, the history of the position information of the beacon transmitting device 10.

<Hardware Configuration>
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 100 of a beacon transmitting device 10 according to an embodiment. In the example of Fig. 4, the computer 100 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and a communication interface 103. These units may be connected by a bus or the like. The memory 102 stores at least a part of a program 104. The communication interface 103 includes an interface required for communication with other network elements.

When the program 104 is executed by the processor 101, the memory 102, etc. in cooperation with each other, the computer 100 performs at least some processing of the embodiment of the present invention. The memory 102 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network. The memory 102 may be, as a non-limiting example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The memory 102 may also be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. Although only one memory 102 is shown in the computer 100, there may be several physically different memory modules in the computer 100. The processor 101 may be of any type. The processor 101 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, as a non-limiting example. The computer 100 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device.

The present invention also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules, that execute on a target real or virtual processor device to perform the processes or methods of the present invention. Program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or divided between program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

The program codes for carrying out the methods of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes are provided to a processor or controller of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus. When the program codes are executed by the processor or controller, the functions/operations in the flowcharts and/or implementing block diagrams are performed. The program codes may be executed entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

The program can be stored and supplied to the computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media, magneto-optical recording media, optical disk media, semiconductor memory, etc. Magnetic recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives, etc. Magneto-optical recording media include, for example, magneto-optical disks, etc. Optical disk media include, for example, Blu-ray disks, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R (Recordable), CD-RW (ReWritable), etc. Semiconductor memories include, for example, solid-state drives, mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, RAMs (random access memories), etc. The program may also be supplied to the computer by various types of temporary computer-readable media. Examples of temporary computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can provide the program to the computer via a wired communication path, such as an electric wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

<Modification>
The beacon transmitting device 10 may be a device contained in one housing, but the beacon transmitting device 10 of the present invention is not limited to this. Each part of the beacon transmitting device 10 (e.g., the storage unit 12, the control unit 14) may be realized by cloud computing consisting of one or more computers. Such beacon transmitting devices are also included as examples of the "beacon transmitting device" of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the beacon transmission device 10 that transmits a beacon signal has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the beacon transmission device 10, and can also be applied to a terminal device that can switch between enabling and disabling the operation of a specific function equipped therein. For example, this is effective when it is desired to enable the communication function of the terminal device only in a specific location range, or when it is desired to disable the communication function only in a specific location range. It can also be applied when it is desired to enable (operate) an application that needs to be operated on the terminal in order to receive a service provided in a specific location range only in a specific location range.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

10 Beacon transmitter
11. Transmission Department
12 Memory unit
13 Positioning unit
14 Control unit

Claims (5)

A beacon transmitting device,
A transmitter that transmits a wireless signal to the outside;
A storage unit that stores information indicating the first position in advance;
A positioning unit that measures the current location of the beacon transmitting device;
a control unit that controls the transmitter unit to transmit a wireless signal when a current location of the beacon transmitter device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location;
A beacon transmitting device having the above configuration. The storage unit further stores information indicating a second position,
The control unit causes the positioning unit to measure the current location at a first frequency when the current location of the beacon transmitting device is within a second specific range corresponding to the second location, and causes the positioning unit to measure the current location at a second frequency higher than the first frequency when the current location of the beacon transmitting device is not within the second specific range corresponding to the second location.
2. The beacon transmitting device according to claim 1. The control unit determines the second frequency based on at least one of a distance from a current location of the beacon transmitting device to the first location and a moving speed of the beacon transmitting device.
3. The beacon transmitting device according to claim 2. The control unit causes the positioning unit to measure the current location at a third frequency lower than the second frequency when the current location of the beacon transmitting device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location.
4. The beacon transmitting device according to claim 2 or 3. The beacon transmitter,
storing information indicating the first position in advance;
Measure the current location of the beacon transmitting device;
When the current location of the beacon transmitting device is within a first specific range corresponding to the first location, transmitting a wireless signal;
Beacon transmission method.

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