JP4454924B2 - Communications system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to communication systems, for example, to transfer the information provided from the Web server to transfer to the mobile terminal via the information processing apparatus, the information of the portable terminal to the Web server through the information processing apparatus It ’s what you get.
[0002]
[Prior art]
It has become common to access the Internet from an information processing device such as a personal computer. In addition, access to the Internet from mobile terminals such as mobile phones and PDAs has become quite popular. Also, today, the use of a mobile terminal as a storage device for various information such as information for personal authentication has been proposed or realized in various service systems.
[0003]
When providing information to a mobile terminal via a Web page, a Web page for the mobile terminal is used. On the other hand, when the Web server sucks up the information of the mobile terminal, a Web page for the mobile terminal is used or communication via a mobile phone line is used.
[0004]
However, the web page for the mobile terminal has a smaller amount of information than the web page for the information processing apparatus due to restrictions on the display unit of the mobile terminal and the storage capacity of the storage unit. Therefore, in order for the Web server to provide the entire information to the mobile terminal or to suck up all necessary information from the mobile terminal, a plurality of communications (transfer of a plurality of Web pages) are required. The number of times is greater than that of information transfer by the Web page for the information processing apparatus.
[0005]
For this reason, the user obtains necessary information by accessing the Web page for the information processing apparatus using the information processing apparatus, and inputs information to the portable terminal by an input operation when the Internet access ends. ing. Also, necessary information out of the information stored in the portable terminal is re-input to the information processing apparatus while the Web page for the information processing apparatus is displayed, and the necessary information is transferred to the Web server. Something has happened.
[0006]
However, it is wasteful to re-input information into the other information processing apparatus or mobile terminal while the information exists in the mobile terminal or information processing apparatus possessed by the user.
[0007]
By the way, there are various methods for exchanging information between the information processing apparatus and the portable terminal. By using these methods, it is possible to eliminate re-input of information.
[0008]
For example, a method for transferring information by connecting an information processing device and a mobile terminal via the Internet, or after storing information of the information processing device (or mobile terminal) in a recording medium such as a card, Alternatively, it is possible to apply a method in which the recording medium is attached to the information processing apparatus to exchange information. Also, for example, in the case of one-way transmission / reception, a method in which an information processing device blinks a light emitting element such as an LED according to information and receives the information by capturing the blinking with a CCD camera of a portable terminal (see Non-Patent Document 1). ) Can be applied.
[0009]
[Non-Patent Document 1]
"Communication by digital camera and LED", published by Nikkei Electronics, Nikkei BP, April 8, 2002, p35
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, regardless of which method is applied to the information transfer between the information processing apparatus and the portable terminal, the information transfer is performed after the access to the Internet is completed or before the access to the Internet is started.
[0011]
That is, conventionally, even if information on a Web server or a mobile terminal is given to the other device via a Web page for an information processing device, it cannot be executed in real time.
[0012]
Therefore, the information management server (if the Internet Web server is applicable) and the mobile terminal information, relative to the other, communication system capable of transferring in real-time is required.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To solve such problems, the present invention provides an information management server which manages the information, and an information processing apparatus connectable to the information management server via a network, a communication system having a mobile terminal (1) The information processing apparatus displays an image, a server communication unit for exchanging information with the information management server, and an information transmission request obtained from the information management server by the server communication unit. Is converted into light pattern data, and in accordance with the converted light pattern data, the entire or part of the display image displayed by the display means changes in color between the first color component and the second color component. means and, receiving a short range radio signals from the mobile terminal facing, obtained the return information is given to the pair server communication means short distance wireless reception means for transferring to the information management server Has, (2) the mobile terminal, the information processing apparatus of the image and the light receiving means for obtaining the information transmission request color change due to the usable-light transmitting means receiving processing to storage means for storing information And reception information decoding means for decoding the information transmission request and retrieving return information from the storage means, and short-range wireless transmission means for transmitting information to the short-range wireless reception means by short-range wireless transmission. And
[0014]
Here, it is preferable that the image using light transmission unit of the information processing apparatus acquires processing procedure information performed by itself from the information management server via the server communication unit .
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(A) Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of a communication system Ru good in the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 of this embodiment includes a Web server 2, a personal computer 3 as an information processing device, and a mobile terminal 4, and the Web server 2 and the personal computer 3 are connected via the Internet 5. It can be connected.
[0017]
The Web server 2 can provide a Web page to the personal computer 3, and its internal configuration is the same as the conventional one.
[0018]
Here, in the case of this embodiment, some Web pages to be provided include data (light pattern communication program) for executing optical pattern transmission described later between the personal computer 3 and the portable terminal 4 directly or as an attached file. Have.
[0019]
The personal computer 3 of this embodiment has a function of accessing the corresponding Web server 2 via the Internet 5 and a function of performing light flashing communication with the portable terminal 4.
[0020]
FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of the personal computer 3. The personal computer 3 includes a general configuration such as a communication unit 10 that performs communication with the Internet 5 side, a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, an input unit 13, and a display unit 14, and includes a light receiving unit 15.
[0021]
The memory unit 12 stores a browser (browsing input application) for accessing the Web server 2. The memory unit 12 also stores a processing routine for converting normal data into a light pattern, a processing routine for rewriting image data in the image memory 30 to be described later according to the converted light pattern, and the like.
[0022]
The display unit 14 includes a display main body (for example, a CRT display or a liquid crystal display) 32, an image memory (so-called VRAM) 30, and a display driving unit that drives and controls the display main body based on image data stored in the image memory 30. It consists of 31.
[0023]
The light receiving unit 15 includes a light receiving element 20, a light receiving signal processing unit 21, a demodulation / digital processing unit 22, and the like.
[0024]
The light receiving element 20 converts incoming communication light into an electrical signal. The light receiving element 20 appropriately has a wavelength filter (may be omitted) on the surface thereof, and converts light of a predetermined wavelength band into an electrical signal.
[0025]
The received light signal processing unit 21 amplifies the electric signal from the light receiving element 20 or shapes the waveform into a pulse signal, and supplies the processed received signal to the demodulation / digital processing unit 22.
[0026]
The demodulating / digital processing unit 23 demodulates the electrical signal from the received light signal processing unit 21 to obtain a data frame, disassembles the data frame, performs error detection, correction, and the like. This is to restore the data series to be transmitted.
[0027]
FIG. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram of the mobile terminal 4. The mobile terminal 4 is a digital mobile terminal, and mobile phone lines such as a main CPU 40, ROM 41, RAM 42, EEPROM 43, mobile line digital processing unit 44, wireless unit 45, transmission / reception antenna 46, numeric keypad unit 47 and display unit 48. It has the structure which can perform communication via this. In FIG. 3, only the configuration for performing data communication via a mobile phone line is described, but a microphone, a speaker, an audio codec, and the like are also provided in the mobile terminal 4 that supports audio communication.
[0028]
The portable terminal 4 has an optical communication unit 49. The optical communication unit 49 of the portable terminal 4 includes a communication control unit 50, a modulation / demodulation / digital processing unit 51, a light emission driving unit 52, a light emitting element 53, a light receiving element 54, and a light reception signal processing unit 55.
[0029]
The communication control unit 50 executes communication control of optical communication under the control of the main CPU 40 that controls the entire mobile terminal 43.
[0030]
The modulation / demodulation / digital processing unit 51 performs data processing or data modulation on the data body exchanged with the personal computer 3 so as to be suitable for optical communication, or reversely data demodulation or data reverse processing. . The modulation / demodulation / digital processing unit 51 appropriately executes assembly and disassembly of data frames, addition of error correction codes, error detection, correction, and the like.
[0031]
The light emission driving unit 52 drives the light emitting element 53 on and off in accordance with the modulation data given from the modulation / demodulation / digital processing unit 51. The light emission driving unit 52 appropriately includes an amplifier or the like.
[0032]
The light emitting element 53 emits or stops emitting signal light by driving the light emission driving unit 52. Here, the wavelength band (which may be the wavelength band of natural light) emitted from the light emitting element 53 is determined by optical communication with the personal computer 3.
[0033]
The light receiving element 54 converts incoming signal light into an electrical signal. The light receiving element 54 has a wavelength filter on its surface as appropriate, and converts signal light of a predetermined wavelength band into an electrical signal.
[0034]
The received light signal processing unit 55 amplifies the electric signal from the light receiving element 54 or shapes the waveform into a pulse signal, and supplies the processed received signal to the modulation / demodulation / digital processing unit 51.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 4, the optical receiver 15 of the personal computer 3 may be provided not on the personal computer main body 3 </ b> A but on a display frame constituting the display unit 14. Further, instead of the entire light receiving unit 15, some elements such as the light receiving element 20 and the light receiving signal processing unit 21 may be provided in the frame of the display.
[0036]
Next, operation of the communication system 1 of the embodiment, specifically, the operation of providing information of the Web server 2 to the portable terminal 4 will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.
[0037]
When the user inputs a URL to the personal computer 3 (S1), the Web server 2 transmits the Web page specified by the URL to the personal computer 3 (S2), and the Web page is displayed on the personal computer 3 (S2). S3).
[0038]
Here, it is assumed that the accessed web page is a web page compatible with optical communication. In the case of such a Web page, the optical communication program is downloaded as an attached file when the Web page is transmitted to the personal computer 3 (S2). The optical communication program may be stored in the personal computer 3 as an independent file, or may be plugged into the browser.
[0039]
Note that the user may be required to transfer the optical communication program separately before opening the Web page.
[0040]
The web page compatible with optical communication includes an icon, a character string, and the like for requesting transfer of predetermined information to the mobile terminal 4.
[0041]
FIG. 5 shows an example of a Web page display screen according to this embodiment. The web page in this example is a guide for “XXX lecture”, and there is a clickable character string CH called “schedule information”, which is related to this character string “schedule information” CH. The message “I will optically transmit to the mobile terminal via the upper right transmission area” is also displayed. The transmission area AR is an area for executing an optical pattern to be described later, and this area AR may be different for each Web page.
[0042]
When the user clicks on an icon or a character string for requesting transfer of predetermined information to the portable terminal 4 and requests the Web server 2 for the predetermined information (S4), the Web server 2 sends the predetermined information to the personal computer 3 (S5), and the personal computer 3 receives it (S6). When the predetermined information is received, the personal computer 3 brings the optical communication unit 49 of the portable terminal 4 whose power is turned on and the optical communication program is activated within the predetermined distance to the transmission area (AR) as described above. And a “start transmission” icon and a character string for starting optical communication to the portable terminal 4 are displayed. At this time, the received predetermined information may also be displayed on the personal computer 3.
[0043]
When the user clicks a “start transmission” icon or character string, the personal computer 3 converts the received predetermined information into light pattern data (S7).
[0044]
Thereafter, the personal computer 3 performs a transmission operation for changing the color of the transmission area AR on the display image according to the converted light pattern data (S8).
[0045]
For example, if the light receiving element 44 of the optical communication unit 49 of the portable terminal 4 is compatible with natural light, “high brightness (white)” is obtained for each bit period in the light pattern data and the light pattern data is “1”. If the light pattern data is “0”, the transmission area AR is changed to “low luminance (black)” (light emission may be stopped). Further, for example, if the light receiving element 44 of the optical communication unit 49 of the portable terminal 4 that also the at convert only photoelectric red light, for each bit period in the optical pattern data, if the light pattern data is "1", "Red If the light pattern data is “0”, the transmission area AR is changed to “a color other than red (for example, blue)”. The bit period in the light pattern data is selected in consideration of the afterimage effect of the tube surface pixels when a CRT display is applied.
[0046]
In this case, since the memory area corresponding to the transmission area AR is not rewritten to the entire image memory 30, high-speed processing is possible.
[0047]
The optical pattern data conversion (S7) and the optical pattern data transmission operation (S8) described above are performed according to the optical communication program provided from the Web server 2.
[0048]
As the optical pattern data, for example, a Morse code can be applied, text data is converted into a Morse code string, “1” is assigned to both long and short codes in the Morse code string, and “0” is assigned to a period between codes. Anyway.
[0049]
When the transmission of the light pattern data as described above is completed, the personal computer 3 displays a message indicating the end of transmission (S9).
[0050]
On the other hand, the user activates the optical communication program before making the portable terminal 4 face the transmission area AR (S10), and then makes the portable terminal 4 face the transmission area AR.
[0051]
In such a state, the optical communication unit 49 of the mobile terminal 4 receives the optical pattern data, returns it to the original data, and stores it in the EEPROM 43, for example (S11). When the reception of the optical pattern data is completed, the portable terminal 4 displays that effect and then terminates its own optical communication program (S12).
[0052]
Predetermined information given to the mobile terminal 4 from the Web server 2 via the personal computer 3 by the above processing is arbitrary, but examples other than the “schedule information” described above are as follows.
[0053]
The mobile terminal 4 may be accessible via a mobile phone line, such as a telephone number, an e-mail address, and a Web page address (Web site address). For example, the merchandise sales company informs the Web page for the information processing apparatus that the latest product guide is to be taken out from the portable terminal 4, and displays that the address information can be loaded on the portable terminal 4, When the icon or character string is clicked, the address information may be given to the portable terminal 4 and stored by the operation as described above.
[0054]
In addition, for example, the route information that defines the traveling route of the salesman and maintenance staff is carried by the salesperson and maintenance staff via the personal computer 3 using the Web page for the information processing apparatus of the company to which the salesperson and maintenance staff belong. You may make it give to the portable terminal 4 to do.
[0055]
Next, the operation of the communication system 1 of the embodiment when the information of the portable terminal 4 is given to the Web server 2 will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.
[0056]
When the user inputs a URL to the personal computer 3 (S21), the Web server 2 transmits the Web page specified by the URL to the personal computer 3 (S22), and the Web page is displayed on the personal computer 3 (S22). S23).
[0057]
Here again, it is assumed that the accessed web page is a web page compatible with optical communication, and the optical communication program is downloaded as an attached file when the web page is transmitted to the personal computer 3 (S22).
[0058]
The web page corresponding to optical communication here includes an icon or a character string for starting to extract predetermined information of the portable terminal 4 and transferring it to the web server 2. Also, a message requesting that the infrared communication unit 49 of the portable terminal 4 that has been turned on and started the optical communication program be brought within a predetermined distance from the transmission area AR and the optical receiver 15 on the display image as described above. Is also displayed. The transmission area AR displayed for extracting information from the portable terminal 4 is selected in the vicinity of the optical receiver 15.
[0059]
When the user clicks on the icon or character string described above (S24), the personal computer 3 converts information on the information transmission request to the optical communication unit 49 of the portable terminal 4 into optical pattern data (S25), and the optical pattern. In accordance with the data, the luminance and color components of the transmission area AR are changed and optical transmission is performed (S26).
[0060]
Prior to this, the mobile terminal 4 has started the optical communication program by the user (S27), and receives the light pattern from the opposite transmission area AR (S28). The original transmission information (information transmission request) is decoded, and it is recognized that transmission of the predetermined information is required (S29).
[0061]
Then, after preparing for transmission from the optical communication unit 49 (S30), the portable terminal 4 takes out predetermined information from the EEPROM 43 or the like and optically transmits it to the personal computer 3 (S31).
[0062]
When the personal computer 3 receives the predetermined information from the portable terminal 4, it transfers it to the Web server 2 (S 32). When the Web server 2 receives all the predetermined information (S 33), it returns a reception completion signal to the personal computer 3. (S34). At this time, the personal computer 3 displays the transfer completion (S35), and returns a reception completion signal to the optical communication unit 49 of the portable terminal 4 according to the optical pattern of the transmission area AR (S36). The portable terminal 4 also displays the completion of transfer (S37).
[0063]
When the transfer completion is displayed, the mobile terminal 4 ends the program for optical communication (S38).
[0064]
According to the embodiment, the Web server 2 can immediately give predetermined information to the mobile terminal 4 as required by the user using the Web page for the information processing apparatus. In addition, the Web server 2 can obtain predetermined information existing in the mobile terminal 4 using the Web page for the information processing apparatus, in other words, without ending the Internet access state.
[0065]
In addition, according to the above embodiment, the personal computer 3 includes only an optical receiving unit in hardware, and can perform bidirectional optical communication. When the bidirectional optical communication is performed, The hardware scale can be reduced.
[0066]
(B) Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, information is transferred between the Web server 2 and the portable terminal 4 via the personal computer 3 after waiting for the user to click an icon or a character string. A processing routine for automatic activation may be added to the web page so that information transfer between the web server 2 and the portable terminal 4 via the personal computer 3 is automatically activated.
[0067]
In the above embodiment, the optical communication between the personal computer 3 and the portable terminal 4 is activated on the personal computer 3 side. However, when the user activates the portable terminal 4, the personal computer 3 and the portable terminal 4 are activated. The mobile terminal 4 may start the optical communication between the four.
[0068]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the optical communication program is provided to the personal computer 3 together with the web page has been described. However, when the predetermined information from the web server 2 to the portable terminal 4 is given to the personal computer 3. Thus, the optical communication program may be provided to the personal computer 3. Further, as described above, the optical communication program may be provided to the personal computer 3 at a timing unrelated to the Web page fetching time.
[0069]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the information transfer from the personal computer 3 to the portable terminal 4 and the information transfer from the portable terminal 4 to the personal computer 3 are performed separately has been described. However, bidirectional simultaneous communication is performed. May be.
[0070]
Further, the wavelength band in the optical communication from the personal computer 3 to the portable terminal 4 may be different from the wavelength band in the optical communication from the portable terminal 4 to the personal computer 3. In addition, information transfer from the portable terminal 4 to the personal computer 3 may be performed by a short-range wireless communication method other than optical communication, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).
[0071]
Furthermore, although the communication system using the Internet has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention can be applied to other networks. In short, any network that uses an information management server (corresponding to the Web server in the embodiment) and an information processing apparatus (a personal computer in the embodiment) as communication resources may be used, and may be a LAN, WAN, MAN, or the like. .
[0072]
Furthermore, the optical communication method from the personal computer 3 to the portable terminal 4 in the embodiment can be applied to optical communication between the information processing apparatus and another information processing apparatus.
[0073]
In the above-described embodiment, a part of the display image of the personal computer 3 (transmission area AR) is used for optical communication. However, a plurality of areas are used for optical communication. May be. In this case, simultaneous communication with a plurality of portable terminals is also possible. Further, the entire display image of the personal computer 3 may be used for optical communication.
[0074]
Further, a partial area of the display of the personal computer 3 may be fixed as an optical communication area, and in this case, a process for coloring a specific color may be performed on the tube surface of the area. good.
[0075]
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mobile terminal captures and processes the light pattern (color change) of the transmission area of the display image with the light receiving element, but the light pattern (color change) with the image sensor such as a CCD camera. ) And the pattern may be recognized by image processing.
[0076]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the communication system of the present invention, the information of the information management server and the mobile terminal, relative to the other, it can be transferred in real time via the information processing apparatus.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the personal computer according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the mobile terminal according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an installation position example of the infrared communication unit of the personal computer according to the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example of a Web page according to the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an information transfer operation from the Web server to the mobile terminal according to the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an information transfer operation from the mobile terminal to the Web server according to the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Communication system, 2 ... Web server, 3 ... Personal computer, 4 ... Mobile terminal, 5 ... Internet, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... Memory part, 14 ... Display part, 20, 54 ... Light receiving element, 21, 55 ... Light reception Signal processing unit 49. Infrared communication unit 50. Communication control unit 51. Modulation / demodulation / digital processing unit 52. Light emission drive unit 53.

Claims (3)

Manage Web pages, a communication system comprising a Web server that provides the information processing apparatus to retrieve a Web page from the Web server via the Internet, and a mobile terminal,
The information processing apparatus is
Display means for displaying an image;
Server-to-server communication means for exchanging information with the Web server;
The server-to-server communication means converts the information transmission request inserted into the Web page obtained from the information management server into light pattern data, and the whole or part of the display image by the display means according to the converted light pattern data An image using light transmitting means for changing the color of the region between the first color component and the second color component;
Short-range wireless reception means for receiving a short-range wireless signal from the mobile terminal facing the mobile terminal and providing the obtained reply information to the server communication means and transferring it to the Web server;
The mobile device
Light receiving means for receiving the information transmission request by receiving the color change by the image using light transmitting means of the information processing apparatus;
Storage means for storing information;
Receiving information decoding means for decoding the information transmission request and retrieving return information from the storage means;
Have a short-range wireless transmission means for short-range wireless transmission of information to the short-range wireless receiving means,
The Web server also provides an information processing apparatus / portable terminal communication program when providing at least a portion of the Web page, and the information processing apparatus / portable terminal communication program is stored in the information processing apparatus. A communication system characterized by causing a computer to function as the image utilizing light transmitting means and the short-range wireless receiving means . The Web server has completion information sending means for sending completion information to the information processing apparatus when the reply information is given from the information processing apparatus,
The image using light transmitting means of the information processing apparatus converts the completion information obtained from the Web server by the server-to-server communication means into light pattern data, and the entire display image by the display means according to the converted light pattern data. Alternatively, the communication system according to claim 1, wherein color development of a part of the region is changed between the first color component and the second color component. 3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the image using light transmission unit of the information processing apparatus acquires processing procedure information performed by itself from the Web server via the server communication unit. .

Images