JP2606629B2 - IC memory card type wireless modem - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an IC memory card type wireless modem connected to an IC memory card insertion portion of a personal computer or the like, and more particularly, to an IC memory card type wireless modem having at least one or more types of wireless infrastructure. About the modem.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the prior art, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
As disclosed in 880, communication in multiple radios and different multiple wireless systems is known. However, in the related art, switching between each wireless device and each wireless system is left to the judgment of the carrier.

Further, in the prior art, individual communication that can be connected to a plurality of wireless infrastructures having a plurality of wireless units is possible, but simultaneous communication by connecting a plurality of lines is impossible. .

[0004]

In the conventional IC memory card type wireless modem, communication must be performed by selecting a wireless infrastructure at the discretion of the person carrying the portable information processing device. Communication becomes impossible due to moving out of the service area, etc., communication must be interrupted, communication must be resumed after changing the wireless infrastructure used so far to another wireless infrastructure .

In order to send data to a plurality of addresses, it is necessary to confirm that the transmission of data at one address has been completed, and then connect to the wireless infrastructure again and perform communication to another address. Must be repeated. Such retransmission control causes a significant decrease in information management efficiency.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an IC memory card type wireless modem capable of simultaneously performing data communication with a large number of partners and data communication in a plurality of wireless infrastructure providing areas without interference.

[0007]

An IC memory card type wireless modem according to the present invention comprises a wireless unit corresponding to at least one kind of wireless infrastructure, a wireless interface unit corresponding to the wireless unit, and a wireless interface unit. A wireless interface unit including a connected line selecting circuit unit, a terminal interface unit unit connected to the line selecting circuit unit, and a control unit for performing integrated control of each component block, so that the wireless interface unit can always be switched to a communicable wireless infrastructure. The unit is controlled.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an IC memory card type wireless modem further comprising a detecting means for detecting a reception state, wherein communication cannot be continued due to the fact that the person carrying the portable information processing device has moved out of the service area. When the detection unit determines that the wireless infrastructure is currently in use, the control unit performs control to switch the currently used wireless infrastructure to another communicable wireless infrastructure.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an IC memory card type wireless modem, wherein a plurality of lines are simultaneously connected to a plurality of addresses, thereby enabling simultaneous communication to a plurality of addresses. .

[0010]

Since the IC memory card type wireless modem of the present invention has a wireless section corresponding to at least one or more types of wireless infrastructure, when the carrier moves outside the service area and communication becomes impossible. In this case, the communication is switched to another communicable wireless infrastructure, so that the communication can be continuously used without interruption.

Further, since the portable information processing apparatus can be connected to a plurality of lines at the same time, the person carrying the portable information processing device can simultaneously transmit data to a plurality of addresses without performing a complicated line switching operation.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of an embodiment of an IC memory card type wireless modem according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the IC memory card type wireless modem 1 includes an IC memory card unit 3, a main body unit 4, a battery pack 5, an antenna 6
And so on.

The IC memory card section 3 has a shape that can be directly inserted into a data terminal such as a personal computer or an IC memory card section of various terminals, and the distal end 2 is a connection terminal. The battery pack 5 is a power supply for supplying electric power required for operating the IC memory card type wireless modem 1, and is detachable regardless of a primary battery or a secondary battery.

Next, the main body 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the main unit 4 of the IC memory card type wireless modem 1 of the present invention.
The main body 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The main unit 4 includes a terminal interface unit 16 connected to the data terminal 15, a line selection circuit 17 for selecting a line, a wireless interface unit 18 for connecting a wireless unit 19 and the like according to the selected line, and a wireless interface unit 18. , A plurality of wireless units 19, 20,.
0 + n and a control unit 22 for controlling each component block.

Next, the specific configuration and operation of the IC memory card type wireless modem 1 will be described.

The IC memory card type wireless modem 1 inserts the IC memory card section 3 into an IC memory card insertion section of a portable information processing device such as a personal computer and connects to the personal computer. When data is transmitted from the connected data terminal 15, the data is transmitted to the terminal interface unit 16, where the data is converted, and the line selection circuit 17, the wireless interface unit 18, the wireless units 19, 20,.
Then, the data is transmitted to the other party from the respective wireless infrastructures via the respective wireless infrastructures.

When data is received by the respective wireless units 19 and the like via the respective wireless infrastructures, the data is input to the wireless interface unit 18 so that the line numbers correspond to the received data. 17, the data terminal 1 via the terminal interface unit 16
5 and the data is output to the data terminal 15 for each wireless infrastructure.

As described above, since there are N wireless units 19, 20,..., 20 + n and the wireless interface unit 18 corresponding to a plurality of different wireless infrastructures,
For example, the wireless unit 19 of the IC memory card type wireless modem 1,
20 and the like, the same data is simultaneously transmitted from the personal computer connected to the IC memory card type wireless modem 1 to the plurality of other parties by connecting to the plurality of parties by communication means such as telephones. Each data can be received from the side. In this case, the same service providing means may be used as well as a plurality of wireless infrastructures.

Next, the operation when the portable information processing device such as a personal computer to which the IC memory card type wireless modem 1 of the present invention is connected is carried and moved will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. .

First, communication is started using a certain communication means (F-1), and communication with the other party is performed via the IC memory card type wireless modem 1. Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the communication has been completed (F-2). If the communication has not been completed, the electric field intensity is detected from the electric field intensity detecting unit provided in the radio unit 19 or the like (F-3), and the electric field intensity is detected. It is determined whether the intensity exceeds the threshold (F-4). If the electric field strength exceeds the threshold, communication is continued.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the electric field strength has fallen below the threshold value, it is determined that the user or the other party has moved out of the service area, and it is determined whether or not there is another communication means in the place where the user has moved (F). -5). If a different service cannot be obtained at the moved place, the communication is terminated (F-7), but if there is another communication means at the moved place,
For example, when the place where the user has moved is in the area of a different service company, the communication is continued by using the new communication means by changing the wireless unit 19 or the like to another wireless unit (F-6). .

That is, when data communication is performed using the wireless unit 19 among the N wireless units 19, 20,... If communication becomes impossible due to, for example, moving out of the service providing area of
0,..., 20+ (n−1) to 20 + n in order to search for a communicable wireless unit, and if there is a communicable wireless unit, switch to that wireless unit and support the communicable wireless unit. Via the wireless infrastructure, the data communication is continued and the data terminal 15 is displayed outside the area.

Next, FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of a packet for performing communication using a plurality of lines, which will be described below.

FIG. 4A shows an example of packet transmission / reception with the horizontal axis representing time. By transmitting / receiving packets in the order of a, b, c,... Frequency interference can be prevented. The packet order of a, b, c,... Is determined by the control unit 22 that controls each wireless unit, by each of the wireless units 19, 20,.
If there is a vacant channel while watching channel vacancy information from the operator coming into 0 + n, packets are arranged in the order in which vacancies are found, and transmission and reception are performed.

FIG. 4B shows the structure of one packet, taking the packet b shown in FIG. 4A as an example. Each of the packets is composed of flag bits 23 and 26 indicating the beginning and end of the packet, address bits 24 indicating the destination and source addresses, and data bits 25, respectively. With such a packet configuration, communication using a plurality of lines can be performed without mutual interference.

[0027]

According to the IC memory card type wireless modem of the present invention, since a wireless unit which can use at least one kind of wireless infrastructure is provided, data communication can be performed simultaneously using a plurality of wireless units. This has the effect of significantly increasing the information management efficiency. In addition, even if the person carrying the portable information processing device moves outside the service providing area currently being used due to the movement of the person carrying the portable information processing device, the wireless unit is switched to connect to another type of wireless infrastructure. As a result, it is possible to maintain and provide the wireless data communication service without interruption.

For example, in Japan, when a portable information processing equipment carrier subscribes to both NTT (registered trademark) and NCC, these two operator companies have service areas that are not shared. By properly using the service areas owned by both operators, the available service areas can be expanded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of an IC memory card type wireless modem according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a data communication system of the IC memory card type wireless modem of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a packet relating to data communication in the IC modem wireless modem of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating the configuration of one packet using packet b as an example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 IC memory card type wireless modem 2 Terminal part 3 IC memory card part 4 Main body part 5 Battery pack 6 Antenna 15 Data terminal 16 Terminal interface unit part 17 Line selection circuit part 18 Wireless interface unit part 19, 20, ..., 20 + n wireless part 22 control unit 23, 26 flag bit 24 address bit 25 data bit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Reference number in the agency FI Technical display location H04L 13/00 307Z

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connection unit connectable to an IC memory card insertion slot of a portable information processing device, a wireless unit corresponding to at least one or more types of wireless infrastructure, a wireless interface unit unit corresponding to the wireless unit, A line selecting circuit unit connected to the wireless interface unit unit, a terminal interface unit unit connected to the line selecting unit, and a control unit for controlling a plurality of the wireless units; An IC memory card type wireless modem, wherein the wireless interface unit is controlled to switch to an infrastructure. 2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting unit configured to detect a reception state received by the wireless unit, wherein when the detecting unit determines that communication cannot be continued, the currently used wireless infrastructure is switched to a communicable wireless infrastructure. And controlling the wireless interface unit.
3. The wireless modem according to claim 1. 3. The IC memory card type wireless modem according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of lines are simultaneously connected to a plurality of addresses, thereby enabling simultaneous communication to a plurality of addresses. .