JP7487764B2 - Wireless communication device and wireless communication method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wireless communication device and a wireless communication method.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a portable wireless terminal that performs wireless communication. This portable wireless terminal includes a wireless unit, a determination unit that determines whether or not it is out of communication range, a movement detection unit that detects a moving state, and a power supply control unit that controls the power supply of the wireless unit. When the determination unit determines that it is out of range and the movement detection unit detects movement in a downward direction, the power supply control unit stops the power supply to the wireless unit.

JP 2012-191488 A

When a wireless communication device moves from an out-of-service location to an in-service location, communication cannot be performed immediately. For example, the user of the wireless communication device must select a communication partner.
It is also necessary to perform a process of setting a channel that the wireless communication device will use for communication. However, in Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to efficiently starting communication when the wireless communication device in a power saving state moves to a position within the communication range.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and provides a wireless communication device capable of efficient communication,
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication method.

The wireless communication device of this embodiment includes a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the device itself, a map information holding unit that stores map information including information about a location where the communication range changes from outside to within the communication range, a movement information acquisition unit that calculates movement information that is information about the movement speed, movement distance, and movement direction of the device itself, and a control unit that sets the device to a first operation mode when the device is located at a location where the movement time from outside the communication range to the location where the communication range changes to within the communication range is equal to or longer than a predetermined time based on the map information, location information, and movement information, and sets the device to a second operation mode when the device is located at a location where the movement time from outside the communication range to the location where the communication range changes to within the communication range is less than the predetermined time,
The control unit sets the predetermined time in accordance with a preparation time required for a user to start communication.

The wireless communication device of this embodiment comprises a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the device itself, a map information holding unit that stores map information, a movement information acquisition unit that calculates movement information which is information regarding the movement speed, movement distance, and movement direction of the device itself, and a control unit that, when the distance between the section between the exit of a tunnel acquired from the map information holding unit and the entrance of a tunnel close to the exit of the tunnel is less than a threshold value or the movement time of the section is less than a threshold value, regards the two tunnels as one tunnel, and sets the device to a first operating mode when the device is located at a position that is more than a predetermined distance or more than a predetermined time from the exit of one of the tunnels based on the map information, location information, and movement information, and sets the device to a second operating mode when the device is located at a position that is less than the predetermined distance or less than a predetermined time from the exit of one of the tunnels.

The wireless communication method of this embodiment includes a location information acquisition step for acquiring location information of the device itself; a map information retention step for storing map information including information regarding the location where the communication range switches between outside and within the communication range; a movement information acquisition step for calculating movement information which is information regarding the movement speed, movement distance, and movement direction of the device itself; and a control step for setting the device to a first operation mode when the device is located at a location where the movement time from outside the communication range to the location where the communication range switches to within the communication range is equal to or longer than a predetermined time based on the map information, location information, and movement information, and setting the device to a second operation mode when the device is located at a location where the movement time from outside the communication range to the location where the communication range switches to within the communication range is less than the predetermined time, and the control step sets the predetermined time according to the preparation time required for the user to start communication.

The wireless communication method of this embodiment includes a location information acquisition step of acquiring location information of the device itself, a map information retention step of storing map information, a movement information acquisition step of calculating movement information which is information regarding the movement speed, movement distance, and movement direction of the device itself, and a control step of treating the two tunnels as one tunnel when the distance between the exit of a tunnel acquired from the map information retention unit and the entrance of a tunnel close to the exit of the tunnel is less than a threshold value or when the movement time of the section is less than a threshold value, and setting the device to a first operation mode when the device is located at a position that is more than a predetermined distance or more than a predetermined time from the exit of one of the tunnels based on the map information, location information, and movement information, and setting the device to a second operation mode when the device is located at a position that is less than the predetermined distance or less than a predetermined time from the exit of one of the tunnels.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless communication device and a wireless communication method capable of performing efficient communication.

2 is a functional block diagram showing a control system of the wireless communication device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining displays on the display unit in each mode. 4 is a flowchart showing a control method of the wireless communication device according to the first embodiment; 1 is a diagram for explaining a control method of a wireless communication device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining control of a wireless communication device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining control of a wireless communication device according to a second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a control method of a wireless communication device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a control system of a wireless communication device according to a modified example.

In the present embodiment, the wireless communication device is described as a digital wireless communication device for business use. For example, the wireless communication device modulates an audio signal collected by a microphone and wirelessly transmits the modulated signal to another wireless device.
In addition, the wireless communication device demodulates a wireless signal received from another wireless device and outputs it as an audio signal from a speaker. In addition, the wireless communication device may be a smartphone, a mobile phone, etc. Of course, the wireless communication device is not limited to a terminal that wirelessly transmits an audio signal, and may be one that transmits and receives text data, video data, etc.

The wireless communication device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a control system of the wireless communication device 100. The wireless communication device 100 includes an operation unit 10, a display unit 20, a movement information acquisition unit 30, a map information storage unit 40, a control unit 50, a wireless communication unit 60, and a position information acquisition unit 70. In the following description, it is assumed that a user carrying the wireless communication device 100 is in a vehicle such as an automobile, or that the wireless communication device 100 is mounted on a vehicle. Of course, the means of transportation is not limited to travel by vehicle, and may be rail, walking, bicycle, or the like.

The operation unit 10 has input devices such as buttons, keys, switches, levers, etc., and accepts user operations. For example, the operation unit 10 may have a PTT (Push To Talk) button. When a user wants to talk, the user presses the PTT button.
If the PTT button is not pressed, the wireless communication device 1
00 is in a reception standby state. When the wireless communication device 100 receives a wireless signal, the audio is reproduced. Furthermore, the user can switch frequencies, adjust the volume, and so on by operating the operation unit 10. A known configuration can be used for the operation unit 10, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that a touch panel provided on the display unit 20, which will be described later, may be used as the operation unit 10.

The display unit 20 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting diode (OLED).
The wireless communication device 100 has a monitor such as a power supply diode (PSU) that displays the state of the wireless communication device 100 and the communication status.
In this embodiment, the display unit 20 is described as an LCD equipped with a backlight. In addition, when the operation unit 10 is a touch panel, the display unit 20 may display an input keyboard or the like. In addition, the display unit 20 may have a function of adjusting the display brightness depending on the brightness of the surroundings. For example, when the display unit 20 has a luminance adjustment function such as an auto-dimmer, the brightness of the display unit 20 may be controlled according to the determination of the luminance adjustment function. In other words, when the surroundings are bright, the amount of light of the backlight may be increased, and when the surroundings are dark, the backlight may be dimmed.

The movement information acquisition unit 30 has a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and acquires movement information. The movement information acquisition unit 30 calculates movement information such as the movement speed, movement distance, and movement speed of the wireless communication device 100 based on the detection results of the sensors. The movement information includes at least one of the movement distance, movement speed, and movement direction. A publicly known method can be used to acquire the movement information using the sensors, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The map information storage unit 40 has a memory and the like, and stores map information. Note that a part or all of the map information may be stored in an external server or the like. In this case, the wireless communication device 100 may download a part of the map information from the server as appropriate. The map information includes area information indicating out-of-service areas or in-service areas. The information on out-of-service areas and in-service areas is created, for example, from data obtained by actually measuring radio wave strength (electric field strength) or data obtained by simulating radio wave propagation. Alternatively,
In cases where such data is not available, the following will be considered based on the characteristics, uses, topography, etc. of each location:
The in-service area and out-of-service area may be estimated and created. For example, since there is a high possibility that wireless signals cannot be transmitted or received inside a tunnel, the inside of the tunnel may be treated as an out-of-service area and the outside of the tunnel as an in-service area in the map information. By performing such processing,
Information on areas outside and within coverage can be created from regular road maps, etc.

It should be noted that out-of-service areas are not limited to tunnels. For example, mountainous areas or areas between high-rise buildings may be out-of-service areas. The map information storage unit 40 may use map information for a car navigation system. For example, it is sufficient that in-service areas or out-of-service areas are set in the map information. Alternatively, area information indicating out-of-service areas does not have to be set in advance in the map information. For example, the control unit 50 may set a tunnel as an out-of-service area. Alternatively, the control unit 50 may set an out-of-service area based on past travel history. In other words, information indicating whether or not the vehicle was out of communication range when passing through in the past is collected, and the control unit 50 may set the out-of-service area based on the collected information.
0 may specify an out-of-service area or an in-service area. Also, in-service/out-of-service information collected by other wireless communication devices 100, not limited to the wireless communication device 100 itself, may be used. In other words, in-service/out-of-service information collected by a plurality of wireless communication devices 100 may be exchanged with each other to create map information.

The control unit 50 includes the operation unit 10, the display unit 20, the movement information acquisition unit 30, the map information storage unit 40,
The control unit 50 controls the wireless communication unit 60 and the position information acquisition unit 70 in an integrated manner. The control unit 50 switches between modes in order to reduce power consumption. For example, the control unit 50 can reduce power consumption by controlling the backlight of the display unit 20. The control unit 50 also controls the RAM (Ra
The control unit 50 may include memories such as random access memory (ROM), read only memory (ROM), and flash memory. It may also include a solid state drive (SSD). That is, the control unit 50 may have a function as a storage unit. Also, a program may be stored in the ROM or SSD, and the control unit 50 may operate according to the program. The control of the control unit 50 will be described later.

The wireless communication unit 60 has a long-distance wireless communication function. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 60 includes an antenna, a demodulation circuit, a modulation circuit, and the like for processing wireless signals. The antenna receives a received signal and radiates a transmitted signal into space. The demodulation circuit demodulates the received signal received by the antenna. The modulation circuit modulates the transmitted signal and outputs it to the antenna. For example, the wireless communication unit 60 performs communication processing according to a communication standard for digital business wireless. Alternatively, the wireless communication unit 60 may perform communication processing according to a mobile phone communication standard such as 3G, LTE (registered trademark), 4G, or 5G. The communication standard of the wireless communication unit 60 is not particularly limited.

The location information acquisition unit 70 acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal itself based on a positioning signal from a satellite. That is, it acquires location information of the wireless communication device 100. For example, the location information acquisition unit 70 receives a GPS signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. The location information acquisition unit 70 calculates location information indicating the current location of the vehicle based on the GPS signal. The location information includes, for example, latitude and longitude. The location information may also include information such as altitude, moving speed, and moving direction. Note that a method for calculating latitude, longitude, and the like using a GPS signal is well known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The position information acquisition unit 70 updates the current terminal position based on the latest GPS signal. That is, the position information acquisition unit 70 estimates the latest terminal position. Of course, a satellite positioning system other than GPS, for example, a quasi-zenith satellite positioning system, may be used to acquire the position information. In a tunnel, etc., it is highly likely that the wireless communication device 100 cannot receive a GPS signal. In this case, the position information acquisition unit 70 may calculate the current position by combining the positioning by the GPS signal and the movement information. For example, when the GPS signal cannot be received for a certain period of time or more, the position information acquisition unit 70 acquires the latest position information based on the previous position measured by the GPS signal and the movement information. Specifically, the current position is the position obtained by moving the previous position measured by the GPS signal by the movement distance indicated by the movement information.

The battery 80 supplies power to each unit. That is, the operation unit 10, the display unit 20, the movement information acquisition unit 30, the map information storage unit 40, the control unit 50, the wireless communication unit 60, and the position information acquisition unit 70 operate on power from the battery 80. The battery 80 may be a primary battery such as a dry cell, or may be a rechargeable secondary battery.

The power control by the control unit 50 will be described below. As described above, the control unit 50 identifies the terminal's own position on the map based on the map information and the position information. Then, the control unit 50 controls the power supply from the battery 80 according to the terminal's own position. If the current position is in an out-of-service area, the control unit 50 switches to a reduced mode in which power consumption is reduced. If the current position is in an in-service area, the control unit 50 switches to a normal mode in which normal operation is performed. If the current position is near the border between the in-service area and the out-of-service area, the control unit 50 switches to a power saving mode. The power saving mode has a power consumption between the normal mode and the power saving mode. In this way, the control unit 50 reduces the power consumption of at least some of the functions of the wireless communication device 100 based on the area information. The degree of power consumption reduction is arbitrary.

An example in which the control unit 50 controls the power consumption of the display unit 20 will be described with reference to FIG.
2 is a diagram for explaining the display of the display unit 20 in each mode. In the normal mode, the display unit 20 turns on the backlight and performs normal display. In the power saving mode, the display unit 2
In the power saving mode, the control unit 50 dims the backlight to perform power saving display. That is, in the power saving mode, the screen display is darker than in the normal mode, but information is displayed on the screen. In the reduction mode, the control unit 50 turns off the display unit 20, and the screen becomes non-display. For example, the control unit 50
The display unit 20 is put into a non-display state by stopping the power supply to the display unit 20 or by putting the display unit 20 into a sleep state. In the reduction mode, no information is displayed on the screen.

In this way, the control unit 50 can switch between three modes: normal mode, power saving mode, and reduced power mode. The control unit 50 reduces power consumption by changing the brightness of the screen display. In FIG. 2, in the reduced power mode, the display unit 20 is completely turned off, reducing power consumption to zero.
However, power consumption does not have to be completely zero. In other words, it is sufficient that the reduction mode consumes less power than the power saving mode and the normal mode.

A control method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing a control method for controlling the power supply of the wireless communication device 100. For the sake of simplicity, the flowchart in Fig. 3 will be described using an example in which the in-service area is the area outside the tunnel, and the out-of-service area is the area inside the tunnel.

First, the control unit 50 determines which area the current position is in (S1). Specifically, the position information acquisition unit 70 acquires position information indicating the current position based on a positioning signal, etc. The control unit 50 refers to the map information stored in the map information storage unit 40 and specifies which area the current position corresponds to.

The control unit 50 determines whether the current location is in: (1) an area outside the tunnel (in-range area), (2) an area close to the entrance/exit inside the tunnel (border area), or (3) an area far from the entrance/exit inside the tunnel (out-of-range area).

(1) The area outside the tunnel is an area within range where wireless communication is possible. (2) An area close to the entrance/exit inside the tunnel is a boundary area. The boundary area is registered as an out-of-range area in the area information included in the map information, but since it is on the boundary between the out-of-range area and the in-range area, communication may be possible depending on the conditions at that time. In particular, if the area information is not created using data that actually measures the radio wave strength (electric field strength), the in-range area and the out-of-range area are not absolute and contain a certain degree of error, so that communication may actually be possible in the boundary area. Specifically, a position within a first distance from the entrance inside the tunnel and a position within a second distance from the exit inside the tunnel are set as the boundary area. The first distance and the second distance may be the same, but the second distance is usually set to be longer than the first distance. (3) An area far from the entrance/exit inside the tunnel is an out-of-range area where wireless communication is not possible, but may be called a "true out-of-range area" to clarify the difference from the boundary area. The true out-of-range area is registered as an out-of-range area in the area information included in the map information. Specifically, the true out-of-service area is an area inside the tunnel that is farther than a first distance from the entrance and farther than a second distance from the exit. The control unit 50 also distinguishes between the entrance and the exit based on the direction of movement of the terminal acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 30 or the position information acquisition unit 70.

When it is determined in S1 that the current location is (1) in an area outside the tunnel, the control unit 50 checks the display state of the display unit 20 (S2). If the display unit 20 is in normal display (a of S2), the control unit 50 ends the process without doing anything (S3). In other words, the process ends with the display unit 20 maintaining the normal display. If the display unit 20 is in power-saving display (
(b) of S2), the control unit 50 changes the display unit 20 to a normal display (S4).

When the display unit 20 is in the non-display state (c of S2), the control unit 50 cancels the non-display state of the display unit 20 (S5). Then, the control unit 50 sets the display unit 20 to the normal display state (S6
In this way, when the terminal is located in the area outside the tunnel (1), that is, in the area within the tunnel's coverage area, the control unit 50 sets the display unit 20 to the normal mode. This causes the display unit 20 to perform normal display.

In S1, when it is determined that the current location is (2) in an area close to the entrance/exit inside the tunnel (S1(2)), the control unit 50 checks the display state of the display unit 20 (S7).
When the display unit 20 is in the normal display state (a of S7), the control unit 50
The display unit 20 is changed to a power-saving display (S8). If the display unit 20 is in the power-saving display (S7b), the control unit 50 ends the process without doing anything (S9). In other words, the process ends with the display unit 20 maintaining the power-saving display.

When the display unit 20 is in the non-display state (c in S7), the control unit 50 cancels the non-display state of the display unit 20 (S10). Then, the control unit 50 sets the display unit 20 to the power saving display state (
S11). In this way, when the terminal is located in (2) an area close to the entrance/exit inside the tunnel, that is, in a boundary area, the control unit 50 sets the display unit 20 to the power saving mode. This causes the display unit 20 to perform a power saving display.

When it is determined in S1 that the current location is (3) in an area far from the entrance/exit inside the tunnel, the control unit 50 checks the display state of the display unit 20 (S12).
When the display unit 20 is in the normal display mode (S12(a)), the control unit 50 makes the screen of the display unit 20 non-display (S13). When the display unit 20 is in the power saving display mode (S12(b)), the control unit 5
0 turns off the screen of the display unit 20 (S14).

If the display unit 20 is in a non-display state (c in S12), the control unit 50 ends the process without doing anything (S15). In other words, the process ends with the display unit 20 maintaining the non-display state. In this way, when the terminal position is in an area far from the entrance/exit inside the tunnel (3), the control unit 50 sets the display unit 20 to the reduction mode. This causes the display unit 20 to become non-display. Then, the control unit 50 repeatedly executes the flow shown in FIG. 3 to reduce the display unit 20
In the reduction mode, when the user operates the operation unit 10, the wireless communication device 100 may switch to the power saving mode for a certain period of time and then return to the reduction mode after the period has elapsed. Alternatively, the wireless communication device 10 may ignore the user's operation and switch to the power saving mode.
0 may continue in pruning mode.

An example of control when a vehicle in which a user carrying the wireless communication device 100 is aboard or a vehicle equipped with the wireless communication device 100 passes through a tunnel will be described with reference to FIG.
This is a diagram for explaining mode switching of the display unit 20. Here, the state of the display unit 20 when the vehicle moves from area A to area E will be explained. Areas B and D are inside the tunnel. Also, areas A, C, and E are outside the tunnel. In the area information included in the map information stored in the map information storage unit 40, areas B and D are out-of-service areas, and areas A, C, and E are in-service areas.

The tunnel in area B is the first tunnel, and the tunnel in area D is the second tunnel.
The entrance and exit of the first tunnel are defined as points P1 and P4, respectively. That is, the boundary position between area A and area B is point P1, and the boundary position between area B and area C is point P4.
The entrance and exit of the second tunnel are defined as points P5 and P8. That is, the boundary position between area C and area D is point P5, and the boundary position between area D and area E is point P8.

Within the tunnel, an area within a predetermined distance from the entrance/exit of the tunnel is set as a boundary area. For example, within the first tunnel,
A point a predetermined distance (first distance) from point 1 is defined as point P2, and a point a predetermined distance (second distance) ahead of point P4, the tunnel exit, is defined as point P3. Points P1 to P2 are boundary areas, and points P3 to P4 are boundary areas.

Similarly, inside the second tunnel, a predetermined distance (the first
The point where the vehicle has traveled a certain distance (a second distance) from the tunnel exit point P8 is called point P6, and the point where the vehicle has traveled a certain distance (a second distance) from the tunnel exit point P8 is called point P7. The points P5 to P6 are the boundary area, and the point P7 is the boundary area.
~Point P8 is the border area.

Here, the boundary area near the tunnel entrance is defined as the entrance boundary area, and the boundary area near the tunnel exit is defined as the exit boundary area.
The boundary area from point P5 to point P6 is the entrance boundary area. The boundary area from point P3 to point P4 and the boundary area from point P7 to point P8 are the exit boundary area. The exit boundary area is larger than the entrance boundary area. That is, the second distance is set to be longer than the first distance. For example, the entrance boundary area can be set to 100 m and the exit boundary area can be set to 300 m. However, the entrance boundary area and the exit boundary area may be the same size.

The size of the boundary area may be variable depending on the moving speed of the terminal. For example, the faster the moving speed of the terminal, the larger the boundary area may be. In other words, the faster the moving speed of the terminal, the longer the first distance and the second distance may be set. The boundary area may also be set so that the time it takes for the terminal to pass through the boundary area is a predetermined time. For example,
If the moving speed of the terminal is 10 m per second, a distance of 100 m that takes 10 seconds to pass may be set as the first distance, and a distance of 300 m that takes 30 seconds to pass may be set as the second distance. In other words, a distance that takes a first predetermined time for the terminal to pass may be set as the first distance, and a distance that takes a second time may be set as the second distance. In addition, as described later, the second time may be set longer than the first time in the sense of giving the user of the wireless communication device 100 time to prepare for communication in advance.

While the wireless communication device 100 is moving through area A, which is an in-service area, the display unit 20 displays normally. When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P1, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an entrance boundary area close to the tunnel entrance. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to a power-saving display. When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P2, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an out-of-service area (true out-of-service area) far from the tunnel entrance/exit. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to a non-display mode. The true out-of-service area is from point P2 to point P3, and the non-display mode continues.

When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P3, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an exit boundary area close to the tunnel exit. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to power saving display. When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P4, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an area within the range outside the tunnel. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to normal display.

When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P5, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an entrance boundary area close to the tunnel entrance. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to power saving display. When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P6, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an out-of-service area (true out-of-service area) far from the tunnel entrance/exit. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to non-display mode. The true out-of-service area is from point P6 to point P7, and the non-display mode continues.

When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P7, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an exit boundary area close to the tunnel exit. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to power saving display. When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P8, the control unit 50 determines that it has reached an in-service area outside the tunnel. The control unit 50 switches the display unit 20 to normal display. Then, while the wireless communication device 100 is moving through area E, which is an in-service area, the display unit 20 displays normal display.

One of the reasons for setting the display unit 20 to the power saving display in the entrance boundary area is to improve visibility. Specifically, the illuminance inside a tunnel is usually lower than that outside the tunnel. Therefore, by adjusting the brightness of the screen of the display unit 20 to the illuminance of the surroundings, visibility can be improved. Another reason for setting the power saving display is that the user is less likely to use the wireless communication device 100 in the entrance boundary area. Therefore, even if the out-of-service area is not a tunnel and the illuminance does not decrease in the out-of-service area, it is preferable to set the display unit 20 to the power saving display. Another reason is that the display unit 20 serves to notify (preview) the user that "the reduction mode will be activated soon." When the user recognizes the power saving mode, he or she can check information on the next communication destination (contact information) to be used in preparation for the next time the user is in service. Another reason for not hiding the display unit 20 in the entrance boundary area is that even if the area information indicates that the area is out of service, wireless communication may actually be possible.

On the other hand, in an out-of-service area (true out-of-service area) far from the entrance/exit of the tunnel, there is a high possibility that the display and user operation related to the communication function will be wasted. In other words, if a display related to an unavailable function is made, the user may perform an unnecessary operation even though the function is unavailable. In such a case, depending on the function operated, the power of the battery 80 may be wasted. As in this embodiment, in an out-of-service area far from the entrance/exit of the tunnel, power consumption can be effectively reduced by hiding the display unit 20. By hiding the display unit 20, power consumption can be reduced and the operating time of the wireless communication device 100 by the battery 80 can be extended. Furthermore, battery deterioration due to repeated charging and discharging can be reduced, so that the battery life can be extended.

One of the reasons for setting the display unit 20 to the power saving display in the exit boundary area is to enable communication preparation at an early stage and resume communication promptly. For example, even if the point P3 is out of communication range, the screen display can be performed before returning to the communication range to show the user that the wireless communication device 100 is operable. Just because the wireless communication device 100 moves from out of communication range to within communication range does not mean that the user can transmit information immediately. The user needs time to select a communication destination, consider the content of the communication, and input characters if the communication is a text message (email, etc.). By displaying the display unit 20 in the power saving mode in the exit boundary area, the user can prepare for communication, such as selecting a communication destination in advance. It can be said that the display in the power saving mode plays a role of notifying (previewing) the user that "the communication range will be reached soon." Therefore, after the communication range is reached, the user can start communication promptly.

By making the exit boundary area larger than the entrance boundary area, the time of the power-saving display in the exit boundary area can be longer than the time of the power-saving display in the entrance boundary area. This allows the user to start preparing for communication at an early stage. Therefore, after returning to the communication range, communication can be started promptly. One of the reasons for displaying in the power-saving mode is to improve visibility. As described above, the illuminance inside the tunnel is usually lower than that outside the tunnel, so if the screen of the display unit 20 is suddenly changed from the non-display state to the normal state, the user feels dazzled. By displaying in the power-saving mode, such a problem can be prevented and the visibility of the user can be improved. In addition, one of the reasons for displaying in the power-saving mode is that even if the area is an out-of-service area in the area information, there is a possibility that wireless communication is actually possible. If the user is actually within the service range, of course, the user can start communication.

When entering an out-of-service area from an in-service area, the control unit 50 starts a reduction mode in which power consumption is significantly reduced compared to normal at point P2 after passing point P1, which is the boundary entrance of the out-of-service area. When leaving the out-of-service area after entering from an in-service area, the control unit 50 cancels the reduction mode at point P3 before passing point P4, which is the boundary exit of the out-of-service area. The control unit 50 then controls so that the travel time (second time) from point P3 to point P4 is longer than the travel time (first time) from point P1 to point P2. In this way, the time during which the display unit 20 is in the power saving mode in the exit boundary area can be longer than the time during which the display unit is in the power saving mode in the entrance boundary area. This allows the user to be given sufficient time (grace period) to prepare for communication before entering the communication range, so that the user can promptly start communication when entering the communication range. This improves convenience. In particular, when the next communication range is located in an area between two tunnels and the user is about to enter another tunnel, the time the user can stay in the next communication range is very limited. According to this embodiment, the user can make sufficient preparations for communication in advance, so that the user can effectively use the limited communication range even when the time the user can stay in the communication range is limited.

The distance from point P1 to point P2 is set to be shorter than the distance from point P3 to point P4. In this way, the travel time (second time) of the exit boundary area can be longer than the travel time (first time) of the entrance boundary area. Alternatively, the travel time may be set in advance so that the travel time of the exit boundary area is longer than the travel time of the entrance boundary area. Then, the control unit 50 may estimate the travel distance according to the travel time and travel speed and set the exit boundary area. In other words, the point P3 at which the reduction mode is changed to the power saving mode is calculated according to the travel speed of the wireless communication device 100 traveling through the tunnel. For example, even if the travel speed changes while passing through a tunnel, the power consumption can be appropriately reduced by setting the exit boundary area based on the travel speed at each time.

For example, if the travel speed gradually decreases while traveling through a tunnel,
The moving speed between P3 and P4 is slower than the moving speed between points P1 and P2. Even in such a case, the first distance and the second distance may be set according to the speed at each time so that the second time required to move from P3 to P4 is longer than the first time required to move from P1 to P2. This makes it possible to secure time for communication preparation. If the moving speed decreases inside the tunnel, the second distance may end up being shorter than the first distance.

In addition, when switching the mode, the wireless communication device 100 may emit an alarm sound or a message to inform the user that the mode has been switched. In particular, when the wireless communication device 100 reaches the point P3, that is, when the wireless communication device 100 switches from the reduced mode to the power-saving mode, the user can easily understand that the power-saving mode has been entered, and this is highly convenient for the user. The alarm sound or message for switching the mode may be the same for each mode, or may be different. The volume of the alarm sound may be changed. For example, the alarm sound when switching from the power-saving mode to the reduced mode may be output at a relatively low volume, and the alarm sound when switching from the reduced mode to the power-saving mode may be output at a relatively high volume. In addition, for example, the wireless communication device 100 may emit the same alarm sound or different alarm sounds at the timing when switching from the non-display mode to the power-saving display mode and the timing when switching from the power-saving mode to the non-display mode.

In addition, there are cases where GPS signals from satellites cannot be received inside tunnels. In such cases, the travel distance and travel speed can be estimated based on the output from the sensor provided in the travel information acquisition unit 30. This allows for more appropriate control.

In the above description, the power consumption is reduced by stopping the function of the display unit 20. However, the power consumption can be reduced by stopping other functions instead of or in addition to the display unit 20.
Power consumption may be reduced by stopping the operation of circuits such as a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit and an RF (Radio Frequency) circuit of the wireless communication unit 60.

In the above description, three types of modes, namely, normal mode, power saving mode, and reduced mode, are used, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, more detailed power control may be performed using four or more types of modes. Alternatively, two types of modes may be used. For example, two types of modes, normal mode and reduced mode, may be used, with the normal mode being set from point P1 to point P2 and the normal mode being set from point P3 to point P4. When such control is performed, the visibility of the user is lower than that of the above-mentioned method, but the effect of being able to give the user time to prepare for communication can be obtained in the same way. In addition, even if the area information indicates an out-of-service area, when wireless communication is actually possible, the effect of being able to increase communication opportunities can be obtained in the same way.

Furthermore, the control unit 50 may perform power control based on the radio wave reception status of the wireless communication device 100. For example, when the wireless communication device 100 reaches the point P1, if the wireless communication device 100 is able to receive radio waves from a base station, the wireless communication device 100 may continue in the normal mode without switching to the power saving mode.
If communication is in progress at point P1, the normal mode is continued. Then, the power saving mode may be set until a predetermined distance is traveled from the point where radio waves cannot be received, or until a predetermined time has elapsed. Alternatively, the power saving mode may be switched to the reduced mode at the point where radio waves cannot be received. Also, if radio waves from a base station cannot be received before reaching point P1 in area A, the power saving mode may be switched to at that point. However, for point P3, it is desirable to switch to the power saving mode even if radio waves cannot be received. By performing such control, the user is given time to prepare for communication, and communication can be started quickly when the user is within range.

The position of point P3 may be set according to the type of communication used by the user. This is processing based on the knowledge that the preparation time required for a user to start communication differs depending on the type of communication. For example, when a user makes a voice call using the PTT button, this requires the shortest preparation time, so the passing time from point P3 to point P4 is set to 5 seconds. When a user makes a voice call specifying a phone number, more preparation time is required, so the passing time from point P3 to point P4 is set to 20 seconds. Also,
When the communication type is a standard text message transmission (when a message is selected from several options), the transit time is set to 20 seconds, and when the communication type is a text message transmission in which the user inputs any characters, the transit time is set to 60 seconds. The user may set in the wireless communication device 100 the communication type to be used as the default or the communication type to be used in the next communication.

In the above description, the in-service area is the area outside the tunnel, and the out-of-service area is the area inside the tunnel, and the wireless communication device 100 moves in a predetermined direction along a predetermined route including the tunnel, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a situation where a user moves on foot through grasslands or mountain areas where in-service areas and out-of-service areas are intertwined in a complex manner, and the user can change the direction of movement as desired. Specifically, the following process is performed.

The location information acquisition unit 70 acquires the location information of the terminal, and the movement information acquisition unit 30 acquires the movement direction and movement speed of the terminal. The control unit 50 recognizes the in-service area and out-of-service area on the extension of the current movement direction based on the acquired information and the information stored in the map information storage unit 40. For example, the current position is in the in-service area, and the control unit 50 recognizes that if the current position continues in the same direction, the out-of-service area extends from 200 m to 800 m ahead of the current position. Also, for example, the control unit 50 recognizes that the out-of-service area extends from 800 m ahead of the current position to 1000 m ahead of the current position.
In this case, the area from 200 m to 800 m ahead of the current position along the current moving direction corresponds to area B in FIG. 4, and the area from 1000 m to 1300 m ahead of the current position corresponds to area D.
Since this corresponds to the distance from point P1 to point P2 (first distance), a fixed distance such as 50 m may be used, or a distance that requires, for example, 30 seconds to pass. In this case, the distance may be calculated approximately using the current moving speed, or the distance may be calculated with higher accuracy using the moving speed at point P1 or the moving speed between point P1 and point P2. The distance from point P3 to point P4 (second distance) may be calculated approximately using the current moving speed.
The same applies to the distance between the current moving direction and the current service area (the distance between the current moving direction and the service area). Each time the moving direction of the terminal changes, the control unit 50 recognizes the in-service area and the out-of-service area on the extension of the current moving direction and performs the same process. By performing such a process, the power consumption of the wireless communication device 100 can be appropriately controlled even in a situation where the user arbitrarily changes the moving direction and moving speed.
Embodiment 2.
The control of the wireless communication device 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
is a diagram for explaining control when passing through three tunnels. Here, the state of the display unit 20 when the vehicle moves in order from area A to area F will be explained. Areas A, C, and E are outside the tunnel. Additionally, areas B, D, and F are inside the tunnel. Hereinafter, the tunnel in area B will be referred to as the first tunnel, the tunnel in area D as the second tunnel, and the tunnel in area F as the third tunnel. In the area information, areas B, D, and F are out-of-service areas, and areas A, C, and E are in-service areas.

The entrance and exit of the tunnel that becomes area B are designated as points P1 and P4. That is, the boundary position between areas A and B is point P1, and the boundary position between areas B and C is point P4. The entrance and exit of the tunnel that becomes area D is designated as points P5 and P8. That is, the boundary position between areas C and D is point P5, and the boundary position between areas D and E is point P8. The entrance and exit of the tunnel that becomes area F is designated as points P9 and P12. That is, the boundary position between areas E and F is point P9.

In this embodiment, when two out-of-service areas are adjacent to each other, the control unit 50 performs a process of merging (integrating) the two out-of-service areas and regarding them as one out-of-service area. In other words, the control unit 50 combines two tunnels that satisfy a predetermined condition into one out-of-service area. Note that the process other than the process of merging the tunnels is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

Specifically, because area B and area D are close to each other, the control unit 50 regards points P1 to P8 as one out-of-service area. In other words, area C, which is outside the tunnel, is also treated as an out-of-service area. The display unit 20 is hidden between points P2 and P7, and between points P10 and P11. The display unit 20 is hidden between points P1 and P2, between the starting point P7 and P8, between points P9 and P10, and between points P11 and P
Between points P8 and P9, the display unit 20 displays a power saving display.
will display normally.

The conditions for merging two tunnels are as follows. The first condition is that
The control unit 50 determines whether to merge the two tunnels depending on the distance between the two tunnels. If the distance between the two tunnels is less than a threshold, the control unit 50 merges the two tunnels and regards them as one out-of-service area. For example, the threshold distance is set to 500 m. In the example of FIG. 5, the distance from point P4 to point P5 is 100 m. Since the distance is smaller than the threshold, the control unit 50
In other words, if there are two out-of-service areas on the extension line of the moving direction of the terminal, and the distance between the two out-of-service areas (the width of the in-service area between the two out-of-service areas) is less than a threshold (a predetermined value), the two tunnels are merged.
In other words, whether or not to combine two out-of-service areas is determined depending on the size of the in-service area between the two out-of-service areas.

On the other hand, the distance from point P8 to point P9 is 5000 m, which is greater than 500 m.
Therefore, the control unit 50 treats the second tunnel and the third tunnel as separate out-of-service areas. In other words, the control unit 50 processes area E as an in-service area.
The distance to the destination is 5000 m, and the travel time is longer than the threshold.
treats the second and third tunnels as separate out-of-service areas.

In the second condition, the control unit 50 judges whether to merge the two tunnels depending on the interval between the two tunnels, that is, the travel time to travel through the area outside the tunnels. If the travel time to travel the interval between the two tunnels is less than a threshold, the control unit 50 merges the two tunnels and regards them as one out-of-service area. For example, the threshold time is set to 30 seconds. The distance from point P4 to point P5 is 100 m, and the travel speed is constant at 10 m/sec. In this case, the travel time of 10 seconds is less than the threshold of 30 seconds, so the control unit 50 merges the first tunnel and the second tunnel into one out-of-service area. In other words, the out-of-service area is from point P1 to point P8. In other words, if there are two out-of-service areas on the extension line of the movement direction of the terminal, and the expected time to pass through the in-service area between the two out-of-service areas is less than a threshold (predetermined value), the two out-of-service areas are integrated and regarded as one out-of-service area. It is preferable to set this threshold based on the time required for the user to perform communication. For example, when a voice call is made using the PTT button, the time is set to 10 seconds, whereas when a voice call is made by specifying a phone number, a longer time is required, and the time is set to 30 seconds, etc. When a standard text message is sent, the time is set to 10 seconds, and when a user sends an arbitrary text message by inputting characters, the time is set to 60 seconds, etc. In this way, the time is set to 20 seconds depending on the type of communication used.
The conditions for merging two out-of-service areas may be varied.

In the third condition, the control unit 50 judges whether or not to merge based on the past travel history. For example, when the vehicle has passed through area C and area E between tunnels in the past, the control unit 50 checks whether the wireless communication device 100 was able to communicate wirelessly when passing through the area C and area E (information indicating whether communication is possible or not).
The control unit 50 may store the above-mentioned data as a passing history. The control unit 50 may treat a case in which communication could not be started at all in the passing history as communication impossible, or may treat a case in which communication could be started but not completed (not all necessary information could be transmitted) as communication impossible. The control unit 50 then refers to the passing history and performs the following judgment on whether to merge based on the number or percentage of times communication was impossible when the wireless communication device 100 referred to the passing history.

For example, assume that the area C has been passed through five times in the past, and wireless communication was not possible four of those times. The percentage threshold for merging is set to 70%. In the past history, the percentage of times communication was not possible was 80% (=4/5), which is equal to or greater than the threshold. The control unit 50
The first and second tunnels are merged into one out-of-service area. That is, point P1
The out-of-service area extends to point P8.

In this way, the control unit 50 may specify an area where wireless communication is difficult to perform from the past passing history. Then, the control unit 50 merges the two out-of-service areas by designating this area as an out-of-service area. Note that the past history is not limited to the passing history of the same area, and the control unit 50 may use the passing history within a predetermined distance from the current position. Furthermore, in addition to using all past passing history, the determination may be made using the passing history of areas passed within a predetermined time up to the current time.

By using the above first to third conditions, it is possible to prevent the user from performing unnecessary operations, and it is possible to effectively suppress power consumption. For example, after exiting the first tunnel, the wireless communication device 100 is temporarily in a state where communication is possible. However, when two tunnels are adjacent to each other, the time in the communication range is very short, so there are cases where communication cannot be performed substantially. For example, there are cases where communication is cut off while calling the other party, or where the other party can be called but communication is cut off in the middle of the call, and information cannot be transmitted substantially. As in this embodiment, when the control unit 50 determines that substantial (effective) communication is not possible in an in-range area in two out-of-range areas, the two out-of-range areas are merged into one out-of-range area. In this way, the display unit 20 continues to be hidden from point P2 to point P7, so that power consumption can be reduced more appropriately. In other words, not only can power consumption be reduced by continuing the hidden state for a longer period of time, but also, by making the display state hidden, the user can be notified that it is not the timing to operate the wireless communication device 100, so that power consumption can be reduced more appropriately.

Furthermore, if the distance between two tunnels is large, the two tunnels are not merged, so that user convenience is not impaired. Note that the control unit 50 may determine whether or not to merge tunnels using at least one of the first to third conditions. Of course, the control unit 50 may merge tunnels using two or more conditions.

In addition, when three or more tunnels are close to each other, the three or more tunnels may be merged into one out-of-service area. For example, when the area E is less than 100 m, the control unit 50
The first to third tunnels are merged into one out-of-service area. In this case, the area from point P1 to point P12 becomes one out-of-service area.

The control unit 50 can use a flag to indicate that two tunnels have been merged.
The control unit 50 sets a flag according to the result of the determination under the above conditions. For example, the control unit 5
0 means that if a tunnel is merged, the flag is turned on. If a tunnel is not merged,
If the flag is on, the control unit 50 sets the two tunnels as one.
If the control unit 50 turns the flag OFF, the two tunnels are regarded as separate out-of-service areas.
Embodiment 3.
In the third embodiment, in order to reduce power consumption, the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 is controlled. The scanning process is a function for searching whether the wireless communication device 100 is being called by another wireless communication device. In the wireless communication device 100 having a plurality of channels CH set, the wireless communication unit 60 periodically switches the standby channel CH to check whether it is being called by another wireless communication device. The scanning process also includes a process for detecting the control channels of base stations and determining which base station the wireless communication device 100 will use. For example, the wireless communication unit 60 searches for the RSSI (Received Signal Indicator) of the detected channels to determine whether it is being called by another wireless communication device.
Select the channel with the highest Signal Strength Indication.

The control unit 50 controls the wireless communication unit 60 to switch between the reduction mode, the power saving mode, and the normal mode. In the reduction mode, the scanning process is stopped.
The control unit 50 controls the wireless communication unit 60 not to perform scanning processing. Note that scanning processing does not have to be completely turned off. In other words, the control unit 50 may reduce the frequency (cycle) at which the wireless communication unit 60 switches channels. For example, the idle period between scanning processes may be set to be longer. Since power is required for switching standby channels, stopping scanning processing can reduce power consumption. Furthermore, in the reduction mode, not only is the scanning process for switching standby channels stopped, but all reception processing may also be stopped. Such control can further reduce power consumption.

In the normal mode, the channel is switched at a predetermined cycle. In the power saving mode, the cycle at which the wireless communication unit 60 switches the channel is set to a cycle between the normal mode and the reduced mode. For example,
The wireless communication unit 60 switches channels less frequently than in the normal mode. Alternatively, when a valid signal is not detected during reception of a channel, the wireless communication unit 60 stops for a predetermined period of time before processing the next received signal. Therefore, power consumption is the largest in the normal mode.
It is smallest in reduced mode, and in power saving mode it is between normal mode and reduced mode.

The control of the wireless communication device 100 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining control when passing through three tunnels. Here, the state of the display unit 20 when the vehicle moves from area A to area F in order will be explained. The settings of areas A to F are the same as those in FIG. 5, so the explanation will be omitted.

As in the second embodiment, the first tunnel and the second tunnel are merged to form a single out-of-service area. Specifically, the two tunnels are merged in accordance with the first condition.
Under these conditions, the threshold distance is 500m.
The distance to the entrance of the tunnel is 100 m, which is less than the threshold. Therefore, the first tunnel and the control unit 50 merge the two tunnels into one out-of-service area. The distance from the exit of the second tunnel to the entrance of the third tunnel is 5000 m, which is greater than the threshold. Therefore, the first tunnel and the control unit 50 do not merge the two tunnels, but treat them as separate out-of-service areas.

Specifically, since area B and area D are close to each other, the control unit 50 regards points P1 to P8 as one out-of-service area. In other words, area C, which is outside the tunnel,
The area between point P2 and point P7, and the area between point P10 and point P
Between the time points 11 and 12, the wireless communication unit 60 is in the reduction mode. Therefore, the wireless communication unit 60 stops the scanning process.

Between point P1 and point P2, between starting point P7 and point P8, between point P9 and point P
Between points P10 and P11, and between points P11 and P12, the wireless communication unit 60 is in the power saving mode. Therefore, the wireless communication unit 60 performs the scanning process by reducing the frequency of channel switching.
Between point P8 and point P9, the wireless communication unit 60 goes into normal mode and performs scanning processing at a high switching frequency. For example, the scanning processing may be performed by switching channels at short time intervals.

When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P1, the control unit 50 switches the wireless communication unit 60 from the normal mode to the power saving mode. At this time, the wireless communication unit 60 waits for a signal on the channel (frequency) that it had waited for up until that point.

When the wireless communication device 100 moves to point P7, the control unit 50 switches the wireless communication unit 60 from reduction mode to power saving mode. When the wireless communication device 100 reaches point P7, the wireless communication unit 60 resumes the scanning process. Therefore, after the wireless communication device 100 is within the communication range, the wireless communication unit 60 can quickly execute communication. At the timing of switching from reduction mode to power saving mode, the wireless communication unit 60
It is preferable to set a communication channel in advance. For example, the wireless communication unit 60 may start a scan process by first using a standby channel at the point P1.
If the wireless communication unit 60 can receive radio waves on that channel, it will use that channel for communication. If the wireless communication unit 60 cannot receive radio waves on that channel, it will switch to another channel based on a predetermined rule and perform the receiving operation. Since there is a possibility that the standby channel used immediately before can be used as is, by performing this type of processing, channel selection can be performed efficiently. Also, the control unit 50 may determine the channel to be used first in the scanning process according to the distance between the entrance and exit of the tunnel, in this case the distance between points P1 and P4. For example, if the distance between points P1 and P4 is less than a predetermined value, there is a high possibility that the same channel can be used, so the wireless communication unit 60
However, the channel used up to point P1 is used first. Also, if the distance between point P1 and point P4 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the possibility that the channel has changed increases, so the standby channel that the control unit 50 uses first in the scan process is set to a channel different from the standby channel at point P1. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, the route and tunnel are shown in straight lines in FIG. 6, but of course, they may be bent or curved. For example, even if the first tunnel is curved, it may be determined whether or not to use the standby channel at point P1 first in the scan process at point P3 depending on the distance (straight-line distance) between point P1 and point P4.

The power saving modes may be the same or different between the entrance boundary area and the exit boundary area. When different power saving modes are used between the entrance boundary area and the exit boundary area, it is preferable that the power saving mode in the exit boundary area operates similarly to the processing in the normal mode. That is, the power consumption in the exit boundary area is made larger than the power consumption in the entrance boundary area. For example, when the pause period of the scanning processing in the normal mode is 1 second, the pause period of the scanning processing in the entrance boundary area can be set to 10 seconds, and the pause period of the scanning processing in the exit boundary area can be set to 5 seconds. That is, the frequency of the scanning processing in the entrance boundary area is made higher than the frequency of the scanning processing in the exit boundary area. That is, the wireless communication unit 60 may perform the scanning processing by switching the channel at a time interval shorter than that in the entrance boundary area.
In this way, power consumption can be reduced and communication can be started promptly.

A control method for the wireless communication device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control method for controlling the scanning state of the wireless communication device 100.

First, the control unit 50 determines which area the current position is in (S31). Specifically, the position information acquisition unit 70 acquires position information indicating the current position based on a GPS signal or the like. The control unit 50 refers to map information held in the position information acquisition unit 70 to identify which area on the map the current position is in. Of course, the position information acquisition unit 70 may measure the area by referring to movement information.

The control unit 50 determines whether the current location is in (1) an area outside the tunnel (in-service area), (2) an area inside the tunnel close to the entrance (first boundary area), (3) an area inside the tunnel far from the entrance/exit (true out-of-service area), or (4) an area inside the tunnel close to the exit (second boundary area). Note that (1) the area outside the tunnel is an in-service area where wireless communication is possible. (3) The area inside the tunnel far from the entrance/exit is an out-of-service area where wireless communication is not possible. As explained in the first embodiment, (2) the area inside the tunnel close to the entrance is the entrance boundary area, and (4) the area inside the tunnel close to the exit is the exit boundary area.

If it is determined in S31 that the current location is in an area outside the tunnel (1), the control unit 50 checks the flag indicating that the tunnel has been merged (S32). Note that in the initial state, the flag is set to OFF. If the flag is ON in S32, the control unit 50 sets the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 to reduced mode (S33). This causes the wireless communication unit 60 to stop the scanning process. Note that, as described above, the wireless communication unit 60 may also completely stop the reception process. If the flag is OFF in S32, the control unit 50 sets the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 to normal mode (S34). This causes the wireless communication unit 60 to
Execute the normal scan process.

If it is determined in S31 that the current location is in the area (2) close to the entrance inside the tunnel, the control unit 50 checks the flag (S35). If the flag is ON in S35, the control unit 50 sets the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 to a reduced mode (S36). This causes the wireless communication unit 60 to stop the scanning process. If the flag is OFF in S35, the control unit 50 sets the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 to a power saving mode (S37). This causes
The wireless communication unit 60 executes the scan process in power saving mode.

In S31, when it is determined that the current position is in an area far from the entrance/exit inside the tunnel (3), the control unit 50 sets the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 to the reduced mode (S
38) As a result, the wireless communication unit 60 stops the scanning process.

If it is determined in S31 that the current position is in an area close to the exit of the (4) tunnel, the control unit 50 determines the distance to the next tunnel (S39). That is, the control unit 50 compares the distance to the next tunnel with a threshold value. In this case, the threshold value is 500 m, for example. If it is determined in S39 that the distance to the next tunnel is less than the threshold value, the control unit 50 turns on a flag (S40). In this case, the control unit 50 determines that the currently passing tunnel is,
The control unit 50 sets the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 to the reduction mode (S41), which causes the wireless communication unit 60 to stop the scanning process.

If it is determined in S39 that the distance to the next tunnel is equal to or greater than the threshold, the control unit 50 turns off the flag (S42). Then, the control unit 50 sets the scanning process of the wireless communication unit 60 to the power saving mode (S43). As a result, the wireless communication unit 60 executes the scanning process in the power saving mode.

Note that power consumption may be reduced by controlling both the wireless communication unit 60 and the display unit 20. The process of the third embodiment may be used in combination with the processes of the first and second embodiments.
A modification of the first to third embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows a wireless communication device 10
1 is a functional block diagram showing a control system of the control system of the embodiment 0. Note that since the basic configuration and processing of each block are similar to those of the first to third embodiments, the description will be omitted where appropriate.

In the modified example, some of the functions of the wireless communication device 100 shown in Fig. 1 are installed in an external device 200. The external device 200 is, for example, an on-board device installed in an automobile. Note that a car navigation system or the like can be used as the external device 200.

The external device 200 includes a location information acquisition unit 270, a movement information acquisition unit 230, a map information storage unit 240, and a communication I/F 290. The movement information acquisition unit 230, the map information storage unit 240, and the location information acquisition unit 270 correspond to the movement information acquisition unit 30, the map information storage unit 40, and the location information acquisition unit 70 in FIG. 1, respectively.
A communication I/F for communicating with .0 has been added.

The external device 200 includes a communication I/F 290 for communicating with the wireless communication device 100. The external device 200 includes a communication I/F 90 for communicating with the wireless communication device 100. The communication I/F 290 and the communication I/F 90 transmit and receive data by serial communication, short-range communication, or the like.

The map information storage unit 240 stores map information. The movement information acquisition unit 230 acquires movement information based on the detection results of an acceleration sensor or the like. The movement information acquisition unit 30 may acquire movement information such as a movement distance and a movement speed using a vehicle speed pulse or the like from an automobile. The position information acquisition unit 270 receives a GPS signal from a satellite. The position information acquisition unit 270 acquires the position information of the GPS.
The current location of the terminal is calculated based on the signals and movement information.

The external device 200 identifies the current location of the vehicle by the same process as in the first embodiment. Then, the external device 200 transmits area information indicating which area on the map the current location is in to the wireless communication device 100. Then, the wireless communication device 100 performs the above process based on the area information. By using such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the functions of the wireless communication device 100, and the wireless communication device 100 can be configured simply.

In addition, in FIG. 8, the external device 200 includes the position information acquisition unit 270, the movement information acquisition unit 230, and the map information storage unit 240, but some of these may be mounted on the wireless communication device 100. For example, the wireless communication device 100 may acquire only the map information from the external device 200. Alternatively, the wireless communication device 100 may acquire only the position information from the external device 200. In other words, some of the processing in the wireless communication device 100 in the first to third embodiments may be implemented in the external device 200. In addition, any two or more of the first to third embodiments and the modified examples may be implemented in appropriate combination.

The above-described control method for the wireless communication device 100 can be realized by a computer program. In other words, the above-described control method is implemented by the computer of the wireless communication device 100 executing the program. Such a program can be stored using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and provided to the computer. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read On Media), and the like.
ly Memory), CD-R, CD-R/W, semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROM
, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM)
ROM), Flash ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory)
The program may also be provided to the computer by various types of temporary computer-readable media. Examples of the temporary computer-readable medium include an electric signal, an optical signal, and an electromagnetic wave. The temporary computer-readable medium can provide the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire and an optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on an embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Wireless communication device 10 Operation unit 20 Display unit 30 Movement information acquisition unit 40 Map information storage unit 50 Control unit 60 Wireless communication unit 70 Position information acquisition unit 80 Battery 90 Communication I/F
200 External device 230 Movement information acquisition unit 240 Map information storage unit 270 Position information acquisition unit 290 Communication I/F

Claims (5)

A location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the device itself;
a map information storage unit that stores map information including information on a switching position between outside communication range and within communication range;
a movement information acquisition unit that calculates movement information that is information regarding a movement speed, a movement distance, and a movement direction of the own device;
a control unit that sets the device to a first operation mode when the device is located at a position where a travel time from outside the communication range to a position where the communication range switches to within the communication range is equal to or longer than a predetermined time based on the map information, the location information, and the travel information, and sets the device to a second operation mode when the device is located at a position where a travel time from outside the communication range to a position where the communication range switches to within the communication range is less than the predetermined time;
Equipped with
The control unit sets the predetermined time in accordance with a preparation time required for a user to start communication. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first operation mode limits functions related to the operation of the terminal itself as compared with the second operation mode. A location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the device itself;
A map information storage unit that stores map information;
a movement information acquisition unit that calculates movement information that is information regarding a movement speed, a movement distance, and a movement direction of the own device;
When the distance between the tunnel exit and the tunnel entrance close to the tunnel exit acquired from the map information storage unit is less than a threshold value or when the travel time of the section is less than a threshold value, the two tunnels are regarded as one tunnel;
a control unit that sets the device to a first operation mode when the device is located at a position that is a predetermined distance or a predetermined time or more from an exit of one of the tunnels based on the map information, the position information, and the movement information, and sets the device to a second operation mode when the device is located at a position that is less than the predetermined distance or less than the predetermined time from the exit of one of the tunnels;
A wireless communication device comprising: a position information acquisition step of acquiring position information of the own device;
a map information holding step for storing map information including information on a switching position between outside communication range and within communication range;
a movement information acquisition step of calculating movement information which is information regarding a movement speed, a movement distance, and a movement direction of the own device;
a control step of setting the device to a first operation mode when the device is located at a position where a travel time from outside the communication range to a position where the communication range switches to within the communication range is equal to or longer than a predetermined time based on the map information, the position information, and the travel information, and setting the device to a second operation mode when the device is located at a position where a travel time from outside the communication range to a position where the communication range switches to within the communication range is less than the predetermined time;
Equipped with
The control step sets the predetermined time in accordance with a preparation time required for a user to start communication. a position information acquisition step of acquiring position information of the own device;
a map information storage step for storing map information;
a movement information acquisition step of calculating movement information which is information regarding a movement speed, a movement distance, and a movement direction of the own device;
When the distance between the exit of a tunnel and the entrance of a tunnel close to the exit of the tunnel obtained from the map information stored in the map information storage step is less than a threshold value or when the travel time of the section is less than a threshold value, the two tunnels are regarded as one tunnel;
a control step of setting the device to a first operation mode when the device is located at a position that is a predetermined distance or more or a predetermined time or more from an exit of one of the tunnels based on the map information, the position information, and the movement information, and setting the device to a second operation mode when the device is located at a position that is less than the predetermined distance or less than the predetermined time from the exit of one of the tunnels;
A wireless communication method comprising:

Images