JP2821337B2 - Radio selective call receiver - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a radio selective calling receiver and, more particularly, to a radio selective calling receiver which makes it easier to recognize a notification to a carrier and has a longer battery life.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a radio selective calling receiver, when receiving a signal for itself, performs a notification operation such as sound, light, vibration, etc., so that the carrier recognizes the reception, and the carrier recognizes the reception. When this is done, the notification is stopped by the switch operation. However, in this configuration, if the user does not notice the notification, the notification operation is continued for a long time, which may increase power consumption and shorten the battery life. In this case, if the notification operation is performed only for a certain period of time and the notification operation is stopped thereafter, it is advantageous in terms of power consumption, but in this case, there is a possibility that the carrier may not recognize the reception at all. However, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of the original function of the receiver.

For this reason, in recent years, the notification operation is performed only for a certain period of time. On the other hand, the notification operation is repeated intermittently until the carrier notices the notification and performs the switch operation. Things have been suggested. In this method, for example, the notifying operation time and the notifying operation interval time are stored in storage means provided in the receiver, and the control unit of the receiver sets the notifying time and the repetition interval time based on the stored contents. Is controlled. In this way, even if the notification cannot be recognized by the carrier at the time of the notification operation immediately after the reception, the notification is performed intermittently thereafter. Can be higher. On the other hand, by providing an interval time for stopping the notification operation, power consumption can be reduced as compared with a case where the notification operation is performed continuously.

[0004]

However, in this type of receiver, when the receiver cannot be recognized for a long time, such as when the receiver is placed at a position away from the hand of the carrier, In addition, since the intermittent notification operation is performed semipermanently, the power consumption is increased and the battery life is reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a radio selective calling receiver that increases the probability of making a carrier aware of reception while reducing power consumption and extending battery life.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A radio selective calling receiver according to the present invention receives a selective calling signal, and performs a notification operation when the selected calling number in the received selective calling signal matches its own calling number. In the radio selective call receiver, storage means for storing information relating to the time for continuing the notification operation corresponding to the call number, and information relating to the time for continuing the notification operation corresponding to the call number, from the storage means
A control unit; and a notification stopping unit that stops a notification operation based on an output from the control unit. The information on the time for continuing the notification operation stored in the storage unit is:
It is desirable to include a time for which one notification is continued, an interval time when the notification is repeatedly performed, and an upper limit of the number of times of performing the repeated notification. Further, a timer unit and a counter unit are provided, the timer unit measures the duration and the interval time stored in the storage unit, and the counter unit counts the number of re-notifications stored in the storage unit. Further, the receiver has a plurality of call numbers, the storage means stores a re-report number upper limit corresponding to each of the plurality of call numbers, and the control means stores a re-report number upper limit corresponding to the received call number. The re-notification operation is controlled based on

[0006]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.
The radio carrier modulated by the individually selected paging signal and the accompanying message signal is received by the antenna 101,
The signal is amplified by the radio unit 102 and demodulated into a baseband signal, and the call number detection unit 103 performs error correction and word cutout in accordance with a predetermined signal format. Control unit 1
In step 04, the selected calling number in the selected calling signal is extracted and compared with its own calling number stored in the EEPROM 105 in advance. If the two do not match, the process returns to the reception waiting state. If they match, the setting value of the notification operation set in the EEPROM 105 (the setting value of the use of the notification device or the setting value of the sound pattern) is sent to the notification signal generation unit 10.
6 and trigger the speaker 107, LED
The call is notified to the wearer by sound, light, and vibration through the vibration motor 108, the vibration motor 109 and the like.

The received message signal is obtained by the control unit 104 based on the reference signal generated by the oscillation unit 110 to obtain the current time.
The message is stored in the AM 112 and simultaneously displayed on the LCD 114 through the LCD driver 113 to notify the message to the carrier. The ROM 116 stores a control program for the CPU 111. Further, at least one or more switch units 115 are attached to the control unit, and by operating these switches, on / off of the entire apparatus, stop of the notification signal, stop of display, and redisplay are performed.

The control unit 104 includes a counter unit 1
17 and a timer unit 118 are provided. Counter unit 11
Numeral 7 is configured to set a count number when the above-described notification is performed by the notification signal generating unit 106, and to increase the count number each time the notification is repeated. Further, the timer unit 118 is configured to start timing when there is a notification, and to continue the notification for a predetermined time. The timer unit 118 is configured to start timing when the notification is temporarily stopped, and to execute the notification again when a predetermined time has elapsed. Further, in the EEPROM 105,
Along with the time for performing the notification operation, the number of re-notifications that repeatedly perform notification (upper limit number of re-notifications), the notification interval time at that time, and the like are preset. For example, FIG.
Is an example of an address map of a plurality of words X8
It consists of a call number storage unit, function, and system area in bits. Then, in the function area, an upper limit value of the number of re-notifications is set together with set values such as a notification time and a notification interval time at the time of notification.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of the notification operation by the timer section 118. The oscillation circuit 111 starts oscillating at the same time when the power is turned on, and generates the reference signal S1. When the notification operation is performed, the timer unit 118 is reset (a), and when the timer value reaches the notification operation set time set in the EEPROM 105, the timer unit 118 generates an interrupt to stop the notification operation and is reset. (B). Thereafter, when the timer value reaches the notification interval set time set in the EEPROM 105, the timer unit generates an interrupt and performs the notification again (c).

The operation of the radio selective calling receiver having such a configuration, particularly the notification operation, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As described above, the individual selective calling signal and the accompanying message signal are received, the selective calling number in the selective calling signal is compared with its own calling number, and if they match, the speaker 107, the LED 108, the vibrate When the notification operation for the wearer is started by sound, light, or vibration through the motor 109 (step 201), the counter unit is reset (step 202), and the timer unit 1 is reset.
18 is reset (step 203). When the timer value reaches the notification operation set time stored in the EEPROM 105 (step 204), the timer unit 118 generates an interrupt (step 205) and stops the notification (step 206). If a switch operation by the carrier, for example, a notification stop operation is performed during the notification operation, the notification is stopped and the received content is read out (step 20).
7) Display on the LCD 114 is performed.

Next, the number of times of notification, that is, the counter 117
Is compared with the set upper limit value of the number of times of notification stored in the EEPROM 105 (step 208). If the count value does not match, the timer unit 118 is reset (step 210). E
When the notification interval set time stored in the EPROM 105 has been reached (step 211), an interrupt is generated (step 212) and re-notification is performed (step 21).
3). At the same time, the counter 117 is incremented by 1 (step 214). Then, the process returns to step 203 again, and the notification operation (re-notification operation) and the notification stop operation are repeated as described above. This is repeated several times, and the counter 117
When the count value becomes equal to the notification count upper limit value set in the EEPROM 105, the re-notification is terminated (step 209). If the switch operation of the wearer is performed while the notification is stopped (step 215), the received content is read out without performing re-notification, and the LCD 1
14 is displayed.

Therefore, in this receiver, the EEP
Re-notification is repeated until the number of re-notifications reaches the upper limit set in the ROM 105, but no re-notification is performed after the re-notification reaches the upper limit. For this reason, it is prevented that the number of re-notifications is increased more than necessary beyond the number of notifications normally required, so that current consumption can be reduced and battery life can be extended.

FIG. 5 is an address map of the EEPROM 105 of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a radio selective call receiver having a plurality of call numbers, here, three call numbers 1, 2, and 3. The addresses at which the call numbers 1, 2, and 3 are stored in the EEPROM 105 are a, b, and c, and the addresses at which the upper limit of the number of re-notifications is stored are d, e, and f. When the radio selective call receiver receives the signal of the call number 1 that matches the call number of the address a, the control unit 104 uses the upper limit of the number of re-notifications of the address d. Similarly, when a signal of a call number 2 corresponding to the call number of the address b is received, the address e is set, and when a signal of the call number 3 corresponding to the call number of the address c is received, the address f is set.
The upper limit of the number of re-notifications is used.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the notification operation of the radio selective receiver having a plurality of call numbers. When the notification operation starts, the counter unit 117 and the timer unit 118 are reset, and the notification is continued until the timer value matches the notification operation time stored in the EEPROM 105. If the timer values match, the timer unit 118 generates an interrupt and stops the notification. (Steps 301 to 306). When the switch operation of the wearer is performed during the notification, the notification is stopped, and the received content is read out (step 307).
4 is displayed. This operation is the same as in the first embodiment.

Then, after step 306, it is determined whether the value of the counter 117 is equal to the upper limit of the number of re-notifications for the call numbers 1, 2, and 3 by checking each of the addresses d, e, and f corresponding to each call number. The number is compared with the upper limit of the number of re-notifications (steps 308 and 309). If the number is not reached, the timer unit 118 is reset (step 311).
When the timer value exceeds the notification interval set time stored in the EEPROM 105, an interrupt is generated to perform re-notification, and the counter 117 is incremented by 1 (step 311).
315). Then, returning to step 303, the same notification operation (re-notification operation) as described above is repeated. By repeating this a plurality of times, it is determined whether the value of the counter 117 is equal to the upper limit of the number of re-notifications for the call numbers 1, 2, and 3 each time the addresses d, e, and d corresponding to the respective call numbers.
f (steps 308 and 3
09) If the number has been reached, the re-notification is terminated (step 610). If the switch operation of the carrier is performed while the notification is stopped, the reception content is read out without performing the re-notification (step 316), and the display on the LCD 114 is performed.

Therefore, even in this receiver, for the calls of the call numbers 1, 2, and 3, re-notification is performed for the number of times reaching the preset re-notification number upper limit value. Automatically stops re-notification,
Unnecessary re-notification operation can be prevented, current consumption can be reduced, and battery life can be extended. Here, since the upper limit of the number of re-notifications can be made different corresponding to a plurality of call numbers, the number of re-notifications is set according to the importance of the content of the notification, for example, the number of re-notifications of important signals. By increasing the number of times, there is also an effect that it is possible to increase the probability of notifying the notification to the wearer by increasing the number of times of notification of important signals while prolonging the battery life.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the contents of the notification operation stored in the storage means, that is, the time during which the notification operation is continued, the interval time at which the notification operation is performed again, and the notification again. Based on the upper limit value of the number of times the operation is performed, the control means repeats the notification operation for the stored duration for each stored interval time, and further repeats the notification operation up to the number of times reaching the stored number upper limit value. Therefore, the power consumption can be reduced and the battery life can be extended as compared with the case where the notification operation is continuously performed. In addition, since the notification operation is repeatedly performed on the other hand, the probability that the wearer recognizes the reception can be increased. In a receiver having a plurality of call numbers, if the number of re-notifications is individually set for each call number, the number of repetitions of the re-notification operation can be arbitrarily set according to the importance of the notification contents. In addition, it is possible to increase the probability that the important information is recognized by the wearer while reducing power consumption.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a radio selective calling receiver of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an address map of an EEPROM.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart of a notification operation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a notification operation.

FIG. 5 is an address map of an EEPROM according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a notification operation according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference numeral 102 Radio section 103 Call number detecting section 104 Control section 105 EEPROM 106 Notification signal generating section 111 CPU 114 LCD 117 Counter section 118 Timer section

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A radio selective call receiver that receives a selective call signal and performs a notification operation when a selective call number in the received selective call signal matches its own call number. Storage means for storing information relating to the time for which the notification operation is continued; control means for reading information relating to the time for which the notification operation corresponding to the call number is to be continued from the storage means; and stopping the notification operation by an output from the control means. A radio selective call receiver, comprising: 2. The information relating to the time for continuing the notification operation stored in the storage means includes a time for which one notification is continued, an interval time when the notification is repeatedly performed, and an upper limit of the number of times of repeated notification. 2. The radio selective calling receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a value. 3. A timer unit and a counter unit, wherein the timer unit measures the duration and the interval time stored in the storage unit, and the counter unit counts the number of re-notifications stored in the storage unit. Item 2. The radio selective calling receiver according to Item 2. 4. A receiver has a plurality of call numbers, the storage means stores the re-notification count upper limit values respectively corresponding to these plurality of call numbers, said control means corresponds to a call number received 4. The radio selective calling receiver according to claim 2, wherein a re-notification operation is controlled based on the re-notification count upper limit value.