JP5063261B2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus that performs communication using a plurality of communication lines.

  Conventionally, a mobile phone is known as a portable communication device.

  Among mobile phones, in particular, in IMT-2000 phones, IC cards called SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) cards are distributed to users.

  Each SIM card stores subscriber identification information such as a telephone (subscriber) number and a carrier (contracted company and its communication method) for each line contract. Then, by placing this SIM card on the telephone and reading the identification information from the SIM card, outgoing and incoming calls can be made. Further, by replacing the SIM card attached to the telephone, it becomes possible to use a plurality of telephones properly using one contract line.

  In addition, when a user contracts a plurality of communication lines alone, a SIM card storing identification information for each contract is provided. Therefore, by replacing the SIM card attached to the telephone, it becomes possible to use a plurality of lines properly with one telephone.

  In addition, a telephone that can be equipped with two SIM cards has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Therefore, a user can make a call using these two lines by using two SIM cards provided by contracting the two lines by the user.

Further, in this type of mobile phone, when power is turned on, a wireless base station capable of communication is searched and a cell search for performing location registration is executed. In addition, when a transition from a communicable area to a wireless base station is made out of the service area, a cell search is periodically performed, and a quick transition to the standby state is made when the next service area is restored.
JP2003-189361

  As described above, when the mobile phone is out of the service area and the cell search execution interval is lengthened, the time until the mobile phone shifts to the standby state when the service area returns is delayed. On the other hand, when the cell search interval is short, base station search processing is frequently performed, and the battery remaining amount of the mobile phone is consumed greatly.

  In particular, in a mobile phone in which a plurality of SIM cards are mounted and communication is possible using a plurality of carriers, it is necessary to perform cell search and location registration processing for the number of carriers to be used.

  Therefore, there is a problem that the power consumption is further increased as compared with the conventional mobile phone using only one carrier.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and provide an apparatus capable of suppressing power consumption even when a plurality of communication lines are used.

  In the present invention, a reading means for reading the identification information from a plurality of storage media each storing identification information relating to a communication line, and the identification information read from the plurality of storage media by the reading means. A communication line corresponding to a plurality of storage media is determined, and means for communicating with a base station using the determined plurality of communication lines, and executes a process of searching for a communicable base station A communication means, a storage means for storing information of a telephone book in which a communication partner's line number and a communication carrier for communication via the base station are associated with each other, and a plurality of communications related to the determined plurality of communication lines Setting means for setting the interval for the communication means to execute the search process for each carrier, and setting the interval shorter as the number of carriers stored in the telephone book is larger , At set intervals by the setting unit, to perform the search processing for a plurality of communication lines with the determined and configured to include a control means for controlling said communication means.

  Even when multiple communication lines are used, power consumption can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system in which the mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention is used.

  A cellular phone (hereinafter referred to as a telephone) 100 implements a function for sending and receiving calls via a plurality of radio base stations 201 to 203. As is well known, the telephone 100 searches for a radio base station to be used for communication among the plurality of radio base stations 201 to 203. And it communicates via the wireless base station detected as a result of search.

  Next, the telephone 100 will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a telephone 100 as an embodiment of the present invention.

  The telephone 100 in FIG. 1 can perform communication using a plurality of communication methods. In this embodiment, communication by the W-CDMA system and the CDMA2000 system is possible. Of course, other communication methods may be used, and calls using three or more communication methods may be possible.

  In addition to the voice communication function, the telephone 100 has a multimedia function such as videophone communication, an electronic mail transmission / reception function, and a WEB browsing function. Furthermore, the mobile phone 100 has a phone book function, an electronic notebook function, a function for downloading and using an application such as a game, a navigation function, and a music playback function.

  In the casings 1a and 1b of the telephone 100, an antenna and a vibrator that vibrates when receiving a call are incorporated. The housing 1a is provided with a liquid crystal display (LCD) 2. A speaker 11 is disposed on the upper portion of the display unit 2.

  Further, the telephone 100 is provided with three slots 3, 4, and 5 for mounting a SIM card. Different SIM cards 5 and 6 can be attached to these SIM slots 3, 4 and 5. Each of the SIM cards 6, 7, and 8 can be freely removed.

  In addition, a microphone 10 for inputting voice during a call is arranged at the bottom of the casing 1b, and a key operation unit 9 for inputting operations related to various functions in addition to the calling function is provided at the bottom of the casing 1b. I have.

  The telephone 100 can rotate the housings 1a and 1b in the directions of arrows 12 or 13. It can be closed by rotating the casings 1a and 1b in the arrow 12 direction with the telephone 100 opened. When the telephone 100 is closed, the display unit 2 is inside the telephone. Further, it can be opened by rotating the casings 1a and 1b in the direction of arrow 13 with the telephone 100 closed.

  The user can use various functions by operating the key operation unit 9 with the telephone 100 opened. In addition, incoming calls and mails can be performed even when the telephone 100 is closed.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the telephone 100 of FIG. Note that the block diagram of FIG. 3 mainly describes only the blocks necessary for the call function and the e-mail transmission / reception function. As described above, the telephone 100 has various functions in addition to the telephone call function and the mail transmission / reception function. However, the blocks related to these functions and the detailed description thereof use a well-known configuration and are described in detail. Description is omitted.

  In FIG. 3, various operations of the telephone 100 are controlled by the CPU 106. The CPU 106 controls each unit via the CPU bus 112. Connected to the CPU bus 112 are a RAM 107 and a ROM 108 for storing data and programs, and an EEPROM 109 which is a nonvolatile memory capable of holding data even when the power is turned off.

  The CPU 106 performs control to receive a key input from the key operation unit 9 via the input / output control unit 110 or to light a button of the key operation unit 9. Further, the CPU 106 displays various images and information on the display unit 2 by controlling the display control unit 111.

  Further, the CPU 106 reads the information of the SIM card mounted in the SIM slot (A) 3, the SIM slot (B) 4, and the SIM slot (C) 5 via the external memory I / F 105.

  Reference numeral 113 denotes a rechargeable battery. Reference numeral 114 denotes a power supply unit that supplies power from the battery 113 to each unit of the telephone 100.

  The telephone 100 also includes communication units 101 and 102 for the W-CDMA system (first communication system) and a communication unit 103 for the CDMA2000 system (second communication system). Then, as will be described later, according to the subscriber information read from the installed SIM cards 4 to 6, one of the communication units 101, 102, 103 is selected to perform communication. That is, when the installed SIM card is compatible with the first communication method, communication is performed by selecting either of the communication units 101 and 102, and the SIM card is compatible with the second communication method. In the case of communication, the communication unit 103 is selected for communication. In the present embodiment, two SIM cards compatible with the first communication method can be mounted at the same time for communication. Furthermore, in this embodiment, communication can be performed by simultaneously mounting two SIM cards corresponding to the first communication method and one SIM card corresponding to the second communication method.

  First, basic incoming / outgoing processing of telephone and e-mail in the telephone 100 will be described.

  Here, as an example, processing at the time of an incoming call by the first communication unit 101 will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the communication units 101 to 103. The communication units 101 to 103 are all composed of similar functional blocks. In FIG. 4, the antenna duplexer 402, the reception unit 403, the transmission unit 404, the frequency synthesizer 405, and the baseband processing unit 406 are each controlled by the CPU 106 via the CPU bus 112.

  In FIG. 4, the radio signal transmitted from the base station shown in FIG. 2 is received by the antenna 401, and the received signal is input to the receiving unit 403 via the antenna duplexer 402. The receiving unit 403 includes a high frequency amplifier, a frequency converter, and a demodulator. The receiving unit 403 amplifies the received signal with a low noise amplifier and then mixes the received signal with the received local transmission signal generated by the frequency synthesizer 405, and converts the frequency into a received intermediate frequency signal or a received baseband signal. The frequency-converted signal is demodulated by a demodulator.

  The demodulated signal is sent to the baseband processing unit 406 and separated into control data, a voice signal, and e-mail data. The control data is sent to the CPU 106. CPU 106 detects an incoming call according to the control data.

  After receiving the incoming call, the baseband processing unit 406 detects the audio data and sends it to the codec 104. The codec 104 decodes the audio data according to the communication method and outputs it from the speaker 11.

  On the other hand, if it is e-mail data, it is sent to the RAM 107 and stored. The user can arbitrarily read out the e-mail data stored in the RAM 107 and display it on the display unit 2 by operating the key operation unit 9.

  Thus, when a voice call is received, the other party's voice is output from the speaker 11.

  On the other hand, when transmitting voice during a call, the voice signal of the user output from the microphone 10 is encoded by the codec 104 according to the communication method. The encoded audio data is subjected to necessary processing by the baseband processing unit 406, and the transmission unit 404 output to the transmission unit 404 includes a modulator, a frequency converter, and a transmission power amplifier. Then, the transmitter 404 modulates the audio data according to the communication method, mixes it with the transmission local transmission signal generated from the frequency synthesizer 405, and converts the frequency into a radio frequency signal. Then, after the converted signal is amplified, it is transmitted to a base station (not shown) via the antenna duplexer 402 and the antenna 401.

  The user can end the call by operating the key operation unit 9.

  Next, the process at the time of transmission will be described.

  The user operates the key operation unit 9 to input the partner's number and instruct to make a call. When the CPU 106 is instructed to transmit, the CPU 106 transmits data for transmission to the baseband processing unit 406. First, the baseband processing unit 406 sends data for a transmission request to the transmission unit 404. The transmission unit 404 modulates, frequency converts, and amplifies the transmission request data as described above, and transmits the data to the base station using the channel specified by the antenna duplexer 402 and the antenna 401.

  After the transmission request is transmitted, the CPU 106 detects whether or not the line with the other party is connected based on the control data transmitted from the base station. When the line connection with the other party is confirmed, the process of receiving the other party's voice data and transmitting the voice here is executed as in the case of the incoming call.

  When transmitting an e-mail, the user uses the key operation unit 9 to instruct mail creation. When mail creation is instructed, the CPU 106 controls the display control unit 111 to display a mail creation screen on the display unit 2. The user inputs a transmission destination address and text using the key operation unit 9 and instructs transmission. When the CPU 106 is instructed to send mail, the CPU 106 sends address information to the baseband processing unit 406 and sends text data to the codec 104. The codec 104 encodes the text data and sends it to the baseband processing unit 406.

  The baseband processing unit 406 sends the address and text data to the transmission unit 404, performs processing such as modulation by the transmission unit 404, and transmits the processed data to the base station via the antenna duplexer 402 and the antenna 401.

  The antenna sharing device 402 detects the intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the base station, and sends the detection result to the CPU 106 via the CPU bus 112.

  In the present embodiment, the subscriber identification information is read from the SIM card mounted in the SIM slot (A) 3, the SIM slot (B) 4, and the SIM slot (C) 5, and communication processing is performed based on the subscriber information. .

  Here, information stored in the SIM card will be described.

  FIG. 7 shows information stored in the SIM card.

  Each SIM card stores an IC card ID 701, an international mobile terminal number 702, an authentication key value 706, a PIN code 707, telephone directory information 710, mail data 712, and a reserve 713.

  The IC card ID 702 is information for uniquely identifying the card. The international mobile terminal number 702 is information for specifying a subscriber provided by a contracted carrier. The international mobile terminal number 702 includes a mobile communication country number 703, a mobile communication network identification number 704, and a mobile terminal identification number 705. The country of the carrier contracted by the mobile communication country number 703 can be identified, and the carrier contracted by the mobile communication network identification number 704 can be identified. A mobile terminal identification number 705 is provided to the subscriber as a telephone number.

  The authentication key value 706 is information for authenticating with the telephone in order to access the telephone network provided by the carrier. A PIN (Personal Identify Number) code 707 is an authentication code for identifying a user when the SIM card is mounted on the telephone in order to prevent unauthorized use by a third party. Two types of PIN codes can be stored.

  The telephone directory 710 includes a destination fixed telephone directory 711 that can be transmitted by inputting a PIN code 709.

  Next, SIM card detection and authentication processing at power-on will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In the telephone set 100 of this embodiment, the SIM card cannot be removed from the SIM slot while the power is on. Therefore, when the user inserts and ejects the SIM card, the telephone 100 is turned off.

  Then, after the SIM card is ejected and mounted in this way while the power is off, the flowchart of FIG. 5 starts when the power is turned on by operating the key operation unit 9. Note that the processing in FIG. 5 is executed by the CPU 106 controlling each unit.

  First, it is determined whether or not a SIM card is installed in the SIM slot (A) 3 (S501). If a card is inserted in the SIM slot 3, the subscriber information as shown in FIG. 7 is read from the SIM card via the SIM slot 3 and stored in the RAM 107 (S502).

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a SIM card is installed in the SIM slot (B) 4 (S503). If a card is inserted in the SIM slot 4, the subscriber information as shown in FIG. 7 is read from the SIM card via the SIM slot 4 and stored in the RAM 107 (S504).

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a SIM card is installed in the SIM slot (C) 5 (S505). If a card is inserted in the SIM slot 5, the subscriber information as shown in FIG. 7 is read from the SIM card via the SIM slot 5 and stored in the RAM 107 (S506).

  Next, an authentication process for the SIM card A installed in the SIM slot 3 is executed (S507).

  The authentication process of S507 will be described using the flowchart of FIG.

  First, a PIN code authentication screen for the card of the selected slot, here, the SIM card A6 installed in the slot 3 is generated and displayed on the display unit 2 (S601). FIG. 8 shows a PIN code input screen.

  Reference numeral 801 denotes a display screen of the display unit 2, which displays a message 802 that prompts input. The user inputs a PIN code in the input field 803 using the key operation unit 9. Reference numeral 804 denotes a decision cursor.

  After the PIN code input screen is displayed, when a PIN code is input by the user, it is determined whether or not the input code matches the PIN code read from the SIM card A6 (S602). When the PIN codes match and are correctly authenticated, information indicating that the SIM card A6 has been authenticated is stored in the RAM 107 (S603). On the other hand, if the authentication fails, the authentication of the SIM card A3 fails, and a screen indicating that communication using the SIM card A3 cannot be performed is displayed on the display unit 2 (S604).

  In this way, when the authentication process of the SIM card A6 installed in the SIM slot 3 is completed, the authentication process of the SIM card B7 and the SIM card C8 installed in the SIM slot 4 and the SIM slot 5 is subsequently executed (S508, S509).

  Then, the communication line to be used is determined based on the identification information of the SIM card that has been authenticated. Then, among the communication units 101 to 103, a communication unit for performing communication using the communication line of each SIM card is determined in association with each SIM card.

  Also, the application program information set for each contracted line based on the identification information is read from the ROM 108, and user information such as wallpaper and address information is read from the EEPROM 109. Each read information is stored in the RAM 107 (S528).

  If the SIM card is not inserted into the SIM slot 5 in S501, the authentication process for the SIM card A6 and the SIM card B7 is executed (S510, S511).

  If no SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 4 in S503, it is determined whether or not a SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 5 (S512). If a SIM card is loaded in the SIM slot 5, the identification information is read from the loaded SIM card C8 (S513). Then, the authentication process for the SIM card A6 and the SIM card C8 is executed (S514, S515).

  If no SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 5 in S512, the authentication process for the SIM card A6 is executed (S516).

  If no SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 3 in S501, it is determined whether or not a SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 4 (S517). If a SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 4, the subscriber information is read from the SIM card B7 via the SIM slot 4 and stored in the RAM 107 (S518).

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a SIM card is inserted in the SIM slot 5 (S519). If a card is inserted in the SIM slot 5, the subscriber information is read from the SIM card C8 via the SIM slot 5 and stored in the RAM 107 (S520). Then, the authentication process of the SIM card B7 and the SIM card C8 is executed (S521, S522).

  If no SIM card is inserted in the SIM slot 5 in S519, authentication processing for the SIM card B7 is executed (S523).

  If no SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 4 in S517, it is determined whether or not a SIM card is installed in the SIM slot 5 (S524). If a card is inserted in the SIM slot 5, the subscriber information is read from the SIM card C8 via the SIM slot 5 and stored in the RAM 107 (S525). Then, an authentication process for the SIM card C8 is executed (S526).

  If no card is installed in the SIM slot 5 in S524, information indicating that no SIM card is installed is displayed on the display unit 2 and the process returns to a predetermined process (S527). In the present embodiment, when the SIM card is not attached, the function using the communication units 101 to 103 cannot be used, but other functions can be used.

  As described above, when the power is turned on, the authentication process is executed in accordance with the identification information read from the SIM card installed in the SIM slots 3, 4, and 5.

  Next, cell search processing associated with power-on of the telephone 100 will be described.

  In a telephone that performs communication using the W-CDMA system or the CDMA2000 system, a base station that can communicate with itself is searched from radio base stations that cover a large number of cells included in each location registration area. Then, location registration is performed via the base station detected as a result of the search.

  In the telephone set 100 of the present embodiment, after the power is turned on, the cell search operation is executed following the recognition processing of each SIM card as described above.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process related to a cell search executed when the power is turned on. Note that the processing in FIG. 9 is executed by the CPU 106.

  First, the count value COUNT of the built-in counter and the variables TA, TB, and TC are reset (S901). TA, TB, and TC are variables that determine the execution interval of the cell search process for the communication line determined by the SIM card A, SIM card B, and SIM card C, respectively.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the SIM card A has been authenticated (S902). If not authenticated (including the case where the SIM card A is not attached), the process proceeds to S904. If authenticated, the process proceeds to cell search processing (S903).

  The cell search process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 10, the cell search process for the communication line corresponding to the SIM card A will be described, but the cell search for the communication line corresponding to the other SIM card is also replaced with TB, TC instead of the variable TA. Can be performed in the same way.

  First, it is determined whether or not it is the first cell search process after power-on (S1001). Here, since it is the first cell search process, the process proceeds to S1003, and the radio wave intensity from surrounding base stations is determined.

  As described above, the value of the radio field intensity is measured by the shared antenna device of the communication units 101 to 103 and output to the CPU 106. Therefore, the CPU 106 detects the radio wave intensity output from the communication unit corresponding to the selected SIM card.

  Here, if the radio field intensity exceeds the threshold value, a known base technology is used to search for a communicable base station among the surrounding radio base stations using a communication unit corresponding to the selected SIM card (S1004).

  As a result of the search, it is determined whether or not the base station has been detected (S1005). If the base station has been detected, communication is performed with the base station, and location registration processing is performed using a known technique (S1006). ). Then, the communication line corresponding to the selected SIM card shifts to a standby state, and that effect is stored in the RAM 107 (S1007).

  On the other hand, when the radio field intensity is equal to or less than the threshold value in S1003, or when the base station cannot be detected in S1005, the priority set in the selected SIM card is detected as described later (S1008).

  If the priority is high, the interval until the next cell search is executed is set to T1, and this T1 is added to the current count value COUNT and set to TA (S1009).

  If a low priority is set in S1008, T2 longer than T1 is set as an interval until the next cell search is executed. Then, T2 is added to COUNT and set to TA (S1010).

  Returning to FIG. 9, after completion of the cell search process of the SIM card A, it is determined whether or not the SIM card B has been authenticated (S904). If not authenticated (including the case where the SIM card B is not attached), the process proceeds to S906. If it has been authenticated, the process proceeds to the cell search process for the SIM card B in FIG. 10 (S905).

  After the cell search process of the SIM card B is completed, it is determined whether or not the SIM card C has been authenticated (S904). If it is not authenticated (including the case where the SIM card C is not attached), the process is terminated. If it has been authenticated, the process proceeds to the cell search process for the SIM card C in FIG. 10 (S907).

  Next, priority setting processing will be described.

  In this embodiment, the user can arbitrarily set the priority for executing the cell search process between the communication lines determined by the installed SIM card. That is, for the communication line for which the high priority is set, the cell search execution interval is set shorter than that for the communication line for which the low priority is set.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the priority setting process.

  When the user operates the operation unit 9, a menu screen is displayed on the display unit 2, and a priority setting item is selected using the menu screen, whereby the flow of FIG. 13 starts. Note that the processing in FIG. 13 is executed by the CPU 106.

  When the priority setting is instructed, first, an authenticated SIM card is detected among the SIM cards installed in the slots 3, 4, and 5 (S1301). Then, a setting screen for setting the priority of each communication line corresponding to the detected SIM card is displayed on the display unit 2 (S1302).

  FIG. 14 is a priority setting screen displayed at this time.

  In FIG. 14, a display screen 1401 displays a telephone number corresponding to the approved SIM card and contract company information 1403. The user operates the operation unit 9 to move the cursor 1402 up and down to select a telephone number (communication line) for which priority is to be set. When a telephone number is selected, priority information is displayed on the right side of the telephone number, and the user sets a priority by selecting one of the priorities with the cursor 1402. Reference numeral 1404 denotes an enter button, which stores the priority when the user moves the cursor 1402 to the enter button. Reference numeral 1405 denotes a cancel button.

  The user can set the priority for each communication line by operating the operation unit 9. In the present embodiment, one of the high priority and the low priority is selected and set.

  When the priority is set (S1303), information on the priority set for each communication line is stored in the RAM 107. When the priority setting process is canceled, the process is terminated without setting a new priority.

  In the present embodiment, when a SIM card is newly installed in any of the SIM slots 3, 4, and 5, all priorities set up to that point are reset. Then, the priority of the communication line corresponding to each SIM card is uniformly set to a high priority.

  Next, cell search and standby processing that are periodically executed after power-on will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the CPU 106 after power is turned on. The process of FIG. 11 is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals while the telephone 100 is powered on.

  First, it is determined whether or not the SIM card A has been authenticated (S1101). If not authenticated (including the case where the SIM card A is not attached), the process proceeds to S1105. If it has been authenticated, it is determined whether or not the communication line corresponding to the SIM card A is in a standby state (S1102). If it is in the standby state, the process advances to step S1103 to execute the standby process.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing processing during standby.

  First, the radio wave intensity for the communication line corresponding to the currently selected SIM card is compared with a threshold value (S1201). If the radio field intensity is larger than the threshold value, a known technique is used to receive a signal of a predetermined channel by the communication unit, and the current location registration area is detected using the received data (S1202). If the position registration area can be detected, the process ends. If the location registration area can be detected, publicly known processing such as location registration area transition determination and location registration processing using this location registration area is executed. Omit.

  On the other hand, if the radio wave intensity is equal to or smaller than the threshold value in S1201, or if the location registration area cannot be detected in S1202, the standby state is canceled and set to the out-of-service state (S1203). Information indicating that the currently selected communication line is out of service is stored in the RAM 107.

  Next, the priority of the currently selected communication line is determined (S1204). If a high priority is set, the interval until the next cell search is executed is set to T1, and this T1 is added to the current count value COUNT and set to TA (S1205).

  If a lower priority is set in S1204, T2 longer than T1 is set as an interval until the next cell search is executed. Then, T2 is added to COUNT and set to TA (S1206).

  Returning to FIG. 11, if it is determined in S1102 that there is no standby state, the process proceeds to S1104 and the above-described cell search process is executed.

  The cell search process in S1104 is the same as the process shown in FIG. 10, but here, since it is not a cell search process immediately after power-on, the process proceeds from S1001 to S1002. In S1002, it is determined whether or not the count value COUNT is equal to or greater than a variable of the currently selected SIM card, for example, in the case of SIM card A.

  As a result of determination, if COUNT is equal to or greater than TA, the process proceeds to S1003, and thereafter, the above-described processing is performed. If COUNT is smaller than TA, the cell search process has not yet been executed, and the process ends.

  Returning again to FIG. 11, it is determined whether or not the SIM card B has been authenticated (S1105). If not authenticated, the process proceeds to S1105. If it has been authenticated, it is determined whether or not the communication line corresponding to the SIM card B is in a standby state (S1106). If it is in the standby state, the process advances to step S1107 to execute the standby process shown in FIG. On the other hand, if it is not in the standby state but in the out-of-service state, the process proceeds to S1108, and the cell search process shown in FIG. 10 is executed.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the SIM card C has been authenticated (S1109). If not authenticated, the process ends. If it has been authenticated, it is determined whether or not the communication line corresponding to the SIM card C is in a standby state (S1110). If it is in the standby state, the process advances to step S1111 to execute the standby process shown in FIG. On the other hand, if it is not in the standby state but in the out-of-service state, the process proceeds to S1112 and the cell search process shown in FIG. 10 is executed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the interval for executing the cell search process in the out-of-service state is set for each communication line corresponding to each SIM card. And since the cell search process is executed according to the set interval, even when communication is performed using a plurality of communication lines, the cell search process is appropriately set when out of service area to reduce power consumption. be able to.

  In particular, in this embodiment, since the user himself / herself sets the priority for each communication line, for the communication line for which the user has set a high priority, the cell search processing execution interval is shortened to increase the frequency. Can do.

  For this reason, a communication line with a high priority can quickly shift to a standby state when it returns to an area where the radio wave intensity from the base station is high.

  For low priority communication lines, power consumption can be suppressed by increasing the cell search processing interval.

  In the present embodiment, two levels of priority are set between a plurality of communication lines. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more levels of priority may be set. The cell search execution interval may be selected by the user from a plurality of predetermined intervals.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described.

  In the second embodiment, the configuration and basic operation of the telephone 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the priority setting process is different from that of the first embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the priority is set for each communication line corresponding to the installed SIM card, and the interval for executing the cell search process is set.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, a priority is set for each communication carrier (contract company) corresponding to the installed SIM card.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing priority setting processing in the present embodiment.

  The user operates the operation unit 9 to display a menu screen on the display unit 2 and uses this menu screen to select a priority setting item, thereby starting the flow of FIG. Note that the processing of FIG. 15 is executed by the CPU 106.

  When priority setting is instructed, first, an authenticated SIM card is detected among the SIM cards installed in the slots 3, 4, and 5 (S1501). Then, a contract company corresponding to the authenticated SIM card is detected (S1502). Next, a setting screen for setting the priority for each contracted company corresponding to the detected SIM card is displayed on the display unit 2 (S1503).

  FIG. 16 is a priority setting screen displayed at this time.

  In FIG. 16, the display screen 1601 displays contract company information 1603 corresponding to the authenticated SIM card. The user operates the operation unit 9 to move the cursor 1602 up and down to select a contract company (communication line) for which priority is to be set. When a contract company is selected, priority information is displayed on the right side, and the user sets a priority by selecting any priority with the cursor 1602. Reference numeral 1604 denotes a determination button, and the priority is stored by the user moving the cursor 1602 to the determination button 1604. Reference numeral 1605 denotes a cancel button.

  The user can set the priority for each contracted company by operating the operation unit 9. In the present embodiment, one of the high priority and the low priority is selected and set.

  When the priority is set (S1504), the communication line corresponding to each contract company is detected, and information on the priority set for each communication line is stored in the RAM 107 (S1505). If the priority setting process is canceled, the process ends without setting a new priority (S1506).

  In the present embodiment, when a SIM card is newly installed in any of the SIM slots 3, 4, and 5, all priorities set up to that point are reset. Then, the priority of the communication line corresponding to each SIM card is uniformly set to a high priority.

  In this embodiment, since the user himself / herself sets the priority for each contract company, the frequency of the cell search process execution interval is shortened and increased for the communication line of the contract company for which the user has set a high priority. be able to.

  Therefore, a communication line of a contract company with a high priority can quickly shift to a standby state when returning to an area where the radio field intensity from the base station is high.

  For low priority communication lines, power consumption can be suppressed by increasing the cell search processing interval.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described.

  In the third embodiment, the configuration and basic operation of the telephone 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the priority setting process is different from that of the first embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the usage can be set for the installed SIM card. And a priority is set for every use.

  The user operates the operation unit 9 to display a menu screen, and uses this menu screen to set the usage for each communication line corresponding to each SIM card. In the present embodiment, two uses for work and personal are prepared in advance, and the user can select and set one of these two uses. It is also possible to facilitate other uses in advance, and it is also possible for the user to set his / her preferred use by himself / herself.

  When the use is set by the user, the set use information is stored in the RAM 107 for each communication line.

  After setting the usage for each communication line in this way, the priority for cell search is further set for each usage. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing priority setting processing in the present embodiment.

  When the user operates the operation unit 9, a menu screen is displayed on the display unit 2, and a priority setting item is selected using the menu screen, whereby the flow of FIG. 17 starts. Note that the processing in FIG. 17 is executed by the CPU 106.

  When priority setting is instructed, first, an authenticated SIM card is detected among the SIM cards installed in the slots 3, 4, and 5 (S1701). Then, use information set for each authenticated SIM card is detected (S1702). Next, a setting screen for setting the priority for each use corresponding to the detected SIM card is displayed on the display unit 2 (S1703).

  FIG. 18 is a priority setting screen displayed at this time.

  In FIG. 18, the display screen 1801 displays usage information 1803 corresponding to the authenticated SIM card. In the present embodiment, since two uses for personal use and work use are prepared in advance, these are displayed.

  The user operates the operation unit 9 to move the cursor 1802 up and down to select an application for which priority is to be set. When a use is selected, priority information is displayed on the right side, and the user sets a priority by selecting any priority with the cursor 1802. Reference numeral 1804 denotes a determination button, and the priority is stored by the user moving the cursor 1802 to the determination button 1804. Reference numeral 1805 denotes a cancel button.

  The user can set the priority for each application by operating the operation unit 9. In the present embodiment, one of the high priority and the low priority is selected and set.

  When the priority is set (S1704), a communication line corresponding to each application is detected, and information on the priority set for each communication line is stored in the RAM 107 (S1705). If the priority setting process is canceled, the process ends without setting a new priority (S1706).

  In this embodiment, the user sets the usage for each communication line. Since the priority is set for each use, the frequency of the cell search process execution interval can be shortened and increased for the use communication line for which the user has set a high priority.

  For this reason, communication lines for high priority applications can quickly transition to a standby state when the communication line returns to a range where the radio wave intensity from the base station is high.

  For low priority communication lines, power consumption can be suppressed by increasing the cell search processing interval.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.

  In the fourth embodiment, the configuration and basic operation of the telephone 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the first to third embodiments, the user sets the priority for cell search for each communication line, each contract company, or each application.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the priority at the time of cell search is automatically determined according to the usage status of the telephone 100. Specifically, the priority is set according to the number of carriers of the telephone numbers registered in the telephone directory 100.

  In the present embodiment, not only the phone number of the other party but also carrier information can be registered in the phone book.

  That is, the user displays the phone book registration screen by operating the operation unit 9, and uses the phone book registration screen to register the other party's phone number and other information. Furthermore, in this embodiment, information on the carrier of the other party can also be registered. Information such as the registered name, telephone number, and carrier is stored in the RAM 107 as telephone directory information.

  In the present embodiment, as is well known, outgoing processing using this telephone directory is possible. That is, the user can make a call to the selected partner by displaying the phone book, selecting the other party's phone number from the registered phone numbers, and instructing the outgoing call.

  In this way, when the contents of the telephone directory are updated, priority setting processing is executed.

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the priority setting process. Note that the processing in FIG. 19 is realized by the CPU 106. 19 is performed when the telephone 100 is turned on, when the contents of the phone book are updated, when a SIM card is inserted into any slot, and when the SIM card is removed. To be executed.

  First, the variable i is set to 1 (S1901). Next, the telephone directory information stored in the RAM 107 is confirmed, and the number of carriers corresponding to the telephone number registered in the telephone directory is calculated for each carrier. Then, the carriers are rearranged in descending order of the ratio (S1902).

  Next, the carrier of the authenticated SIM card is detected (S1903).

  Then, according to the order rearranged in S1902, it is determined whether or not the SIM card corresponding to the i-th carrier is authenticated (S1904). If the SIM card corresponding to the i-th carrier has been authenticated, a high priority is set for this i-th carrier (S1905). Then, among all the authenticated SIM cards, a high priority is set for all the SIM cards corresponding to the i-th carrier, and information on this priority is stored in the RAM 107 (S1906).

  On the other hand, if the SIM card corresponding to the i-th carrier is not authenticated in S1904, it is determined whether there is a remaining carrier among the carriers calculated in S1902 (S1907). If there is no remaining carrier, the process is terminated.

  If there are remaining carriers, 1 is added to the variable i, and the process returns to S1904 (S1908).

  After the priority is set in this way, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the cell search process or the standby process is executed.

  It is considered that there is a high possibility that a telephone call is made from the largest number of carriers registered in the telephone directory to the telephone 100.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, a high priority is set for the SIM card corresponding to the carrier having the highest ratio among the carriers corresponding to the telephone numbers registered in the telephone directory. Therefore, for communication lines for applications for which the user has set a high priority, the frequency of cell search processing can be shortened to increase the frequency.

  In addition, for the lines corresponding to other carriers, the frequency of cell search processing can be lowered to reduce power consumption.

  Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.

  In the fifth embodiment, the configuration and basic operation of the telephone 100 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  In the fourth embodiment, the priority is set based on the ratio of the other party's carrier registered in the telephone directory.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the priority at the time of cell search is automatically determined according to the call history of the telephone 100.

  Also in this embodiment, not only the telephone number of the other party but also information on the contracting company can be registered in the telephone directory. When the telephone 100 makes a call with the other party registered in the phone book by outgoing call or incoming call, the other party's number, name and carrier, and call time information are stored in the RAM 107 as history information. The history information when the call is made from the telephone 100 is stored as the call history (redial) information, and the history information when the call is received is stored as the call history information. Further, in the present embodiment, histories for the past several dozen cases, for example, 30 cases are stored.

  In this way, when a new incoming call is terminated, priority setting processing is executed.

  FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the priority setting process. Note that the processing in FIG. 20 is realized by the CPU 106. 20 is performed when the telephone 100 is turned on, when a new incoming call is terminated, when a SIM card is installed in any slot, and when the SIM card is removed. To be executed.

  First, the variable i is set to 1 (S2001). Next, the call history information stored in the RAM 107 is confirmed, and the call time for the registered partner is calculated for each carrier of the partner. Then, the opponents are rearranged in descending order of the ratio (S2002).

  Next, the carrier of the authenticated SIM card is detected (S2003).

  Then, according to the order rearranged in S2002, it is determined whether or not the SIM card corresponding to the i-th carrier is authenticated (S2004). If the SIM card corresponding to the i-th carrier has been authenticated, a high priority is set for this i-th carrier (S2005). Then, a high priority is set for all the SIM cards corresponding to the i-th carrier among all the authenticated SIM cards, and information on the priority is stored in the RAM 107 (S2006).

  On the other hand, if the SIM card corresponding to the i-th carrier has not been authenticated in S2004, it is determined whether or not there is a remaining carrier among the carriers calculated in S2002 (S2007). If there is no remaining carrier, the process is terminated.

  If there is a remaining carrier, 1 is added to the variable i, and the process returns to S2004 (S2008).

  After the priority is set in this way, as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the cell search process or the standby process is executed.

  It is considered that there is a high possibility of making a call from the telephone 100 to the partner who has the longest call time among the partners registered in the transmission history.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, a high priority is set for the SIM card of the carrier corresponding to the partner whose call time is long among the partners stored in the outgoing call history. Therefore, for communication lines for applications for which the user has set a high priority, the frequency of cell search processing can be shortened to increase the frequency.

  In the present embodiment, the call time of the other party registered in the outgoing call history is calculated, and the priority is set higher for the carrier of the other party with the longest call time. You can also use information such as the number of outgoing calls.

  In the above-described second to fifth embodiments, two levels of priority are set between a plurality of communication lines. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more levels of priority may be set. . In this case, the higher the priority is, the shorter the cell search process execution interval is set.

  In the first to fifth embodiments described above, the remaining battery level is detected, and when the remaining battery level is less than the threshold, the cell search interval is changed according to the priority for each communication line. You may do it.

  In the above-described embodiment, the subscriber identification information is read from the SIM card and the communication line is set. However, the same applies to the case where identification information stored in another storage medium is used instead of the SIM card. The present invention can be applied to.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a mobile phone has been described. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to other devices that perform communication using a plurality of communication lines. .

It is an external view of the mobile phone in the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the system by which the mobile telephone of embodiment is used. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the mobile telephone in embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a communication part. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of power activation. It is a flowchart which shows an authentication process. It is a figure which shows the identification information stored in the SIM card. It is a figure which shows the input screen of PIN code. It is a flowchart which shows the cell search process at the time of power activation. It is a flowchart which shows a cell search process. It is a flowchart which shows the process performed while a power supply is turned on. It is a flowchart which shows the process at the time of standby. It is a flowchart which shows the setting process of a priority. It is a figure which shows the mode of the display screen for priority setting. It is a flowchart which shows the setting process of a priority. It is a figure which shows the mode of the display screen for priority setting. It is a flowchart which shows the setting process of a priority. It is a figure which shows the mode of the display screen for priority setting. It is a flowchart which shows the setting process of a priority. It is a flowchart which shows the setting process of a priority.

Claims (4)

Read means for reading the identification information from a plurality of storage media each storing identification information relating to a communication line;
A communication line corresponding to the plurality of storage media is determined based on the identification information read from the plurality of storage media by the reading means, and between the base station using the determined plurality of communication lines A communication means for performing a process of searching for a communicable base station;
Storage means for storing information in a telephone directory in which a communication partner's line number and a communication carrier that perform communication via the base station are associated with each other;
Means for setting an interval for the communication means to execute the search process for each of a plurality of communication carriers related to the determined plurality of communication lines; A setting means for short setting;
A communication apparatus comprising: control means for controlling the communication means so as to execute the search processing for the determined plurality of communication lines at intervals set by the setting means.   2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the communication unit corresponding to a communication line that is not in a standby state among the plurality of determined communication lines to perform the search process. The communication device described.   The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slots for mounting the plurality of storage media, wherein the reading unit reads the identification information from the storage media mounted in the plurality of slots. .   The said setting means sets the execution interval of the said search process about the carrier with the largest number memorize | stored in the said telephone directory to be shorter than the execution interval of the said search process about another carrier, The communication apparatus according to 1.

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