JPH10336739A - Radio communication method and system therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically transmit not only information necessary for a user but also information valid even to a provider side to a user in a specific area by automatically transmitting information specific to the area transferred from an information providing station from a position information registration center through a radio base station in the area to a portable information terminal position-registered in a specific communication service area. SOLUTION: When a portable information terminal moves to a specific area, the portable information terminal transmits a position registration signal to a center 5, and the center 5 which receives the position registration signal registers a terminal ID and an area identification number applied to each communication service area. When the portable information terminal moves between the communication service areas, the position registration is operated again. The center 5 stores the preliminarily registered area identification number or the area identification of the specific area communicated from the outside part. When information specific to the area is newly updated or changed due to the addition of information or the like, an information providing station 6 automatically transfers those information through the center to the portable information terminal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a radio communication method and a radio communication system for automatically transmitting information specific to a specific area to a portable information terminal whose location has been registered in a specific communication service area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a captain service as one of services for introducing various event information. The captain service is widely used in station premises, department stores, etc., but since this service uses a dedicated portable information terminal and the number of dedicated terminals installed is limited, many users It was not possible to get any information.

[0003] As described above, the captain service cannot meet the demands of a large number of users at once, and if it is necessary to provide necessary information to a large number of users at once, at least. A dedicated portable information terminal corresponding to the number of users was required. On the other hand, when considering that each user has a personal digital assistant, a small and lightweight personal digital assistant is desirable.

Recently, a portable information terminal having a communication function of a PHS or a portable telephone and a communication function such as an electronic organizer, an electronic mail, a facsimile, a pager function has appeared, and necessary information can be obtained by using the portable information terminal. Anytime, anywhere
It is available. Especially in PHS, 32K
High-speed, high-quality data communication services of bps have been realized.

[0005]

As described above, if a portable information terminal having a built-in communication function such as a PHS is used, many users can obtain necessary information at one time. Some operation is indispensable on the user side to obtain information. If this operation is complicated, it takes a considerable amount of time to obtain information, and at the same time, causes the user to feel annoyed by the complicated operation.

It is also beneficial for the user to be able to automatically obtain various types of information (for example, guide information at a travel destination, special sale information at a shopping district, and information on shop introduction at a restaurant district) at every destination. . This is considered to be useful information for information providers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication method and system capable of automatically transmitting not only information required by a user but also useful information to a provider side to a user in a specific area. .

[0007]

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned object is attained by the means described in the claims.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there are provided a plurality of portable information terminals having a built-in communication function, a plurality of wireless base stations for performing bidirectional communication with the portable information terminals, and control and control of each wireless base station. A system including a center for registering location information of each portable information terminal and an information providing station for providing specific information to the center;

[0009] The center responds to the portable information terminal that has performed location registration in a specific communication service area (hereinafter, also referred to as a specific area) for each of the specific areas transferred from the information providing station. A wireless communication method for automatically transmitting area-specific information via a wireless base station in the specific area.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a plurality of portable information terminals having a built-in communication function, a plurality of radio base stations for performing bidirectional communication with the portable information terminals, and a center for controlling and controlling each of the radio base stations. And an information providing station that provides specific information to the center,

The center receives a position registration signal transmitted when each portable information terminal moves across a communication service area via each wireless base station, and identifies a terminal of each portable information terminal. Means for registering information and an area identification number for identifying the communication service area in the location registration database as location information of each portable information terminal;

Means for storing an area identification number (hereinafter also referred to as a specific area number) for identifying a specific communication service area (hereinafter also referred to as a specific area), and whether or not the portable information terminal is a newly registered mobile information terminal Means for determining whether
A first database for storing and managing information specific to a specific area (hereinafter, also referred to as area specific information) transferred from the information providing station;

Means for automatically calling the portable information terminal located in the specific area via the plurality of radio base stations in the specific area; and automatically transmitting the area specific information to the called portable information terminal. Means for transmitting to

The information providing station stores and manages the area specific information corresponding to the plurality of specific area numbers.
Wireless communication comprising: a database for transferring the area-specific information to the center; and means for automatically transferring the new information to the center when the area-specific information is updated or added. System.

In the above-described wireless communication system of the present invention,
The user can obtain information (area-specific information) specific to a specific area within a specific communication service area (specific area) by a quick and simple operation. Area specific information is prepared for each specific area.

The center stores an area identification number for identifying a specific area, and recognizes a portable information terminal whose position has been registered in the specific area from the position registration information of each portable information terminal. Then, area specific information corresponding to the area identification number is automatically transmitted to the portable information terminal.

[0017]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a radio communication system according to the present invention. In the figure, numeral 1 is a communication service area (information non-providing area), 2 is a specific area A (information providing area), 3 is a specific area B (information providing area), 4 is a radio base station, 5 is a center, Reference numeral 6 denotes an information providing station.

Further, reference numeral 7 denotes a location registration database (database is also referred to as DB), 8 denotes a first database, 9 denotes a second database, and 10 denotes a portable information terminal. Further, indicates a position registration request signal, indicates specific area information A, and indicates specific area information B.

When the portable information terminal has moved to the specific area A or the specific area B, a position registration signal is transmitted to the center 7. The center 7 having received the location registration signal,
D and an area identification number given for each communication service area are registered. When the portable information terminal moves across the communication service area, it performs position registration again. The center 7 has an area identification number of a specific area registered in advance or notified from the outside (hereinafter, a specific area number).
Is stored.

When the specific area number is registered in advance, the area-specific information may be obtained in advance from the information providing station 6 and stored and managed in the first DB 8 of the center 7.
However, when the specific area number is appropriately notified from the outside, the first DB 8 may store the information of the specific area A but not the information of the specific area B.

In such a case, the center 7 becomes the information providing station 6
To obtain the area specific information of the specific area B. When the area specific information is newly updated, or there is a change such as addition of information, the information providing station 6 automatically transfers the information (hereinafter, new information) to the center.

When automatically transmitting the area-specific information to the portable information terminal, the center 7 transmits all the area-specific information if the mobile information terminal has been newly registered in the location, and transmits the area-specific information to the portable information terminal whose location has already been registered. Only new information is transmitted to the information terminal.

When automatically transmitting the area-specific information, the portable information terminal is called in advance. When the mobile information terminal that receives the call obtains the area-specific information, the following obtaining method is conceivable.

<Acquisition Method—Part 1> Area-specific information such as event information is transmitted to the portable information terminal in response to the incoming call regardless of the user's intention. The portable information terminal having only the communication function is notified by voice, and the portable information terminal having a built-in character display function is displayed in characters.

<Acquisition Method-Part 2> The center 7 first confirms whether or not it is necessary for the user who carries the calling portable information terminal to receive the area-specific information. Confirmation by voice (for example, "This is the XX service. We will provide the information of (1) for free now. If you want to transfer the information, please dial $ 0." If you do not want to transfer the information, please dial $ 1. "), Etc., on a portable information terminal with a built-in character display function. If information transfer is not required, a method of performing a communication disconnection operation may be used.

If the portable information terminal has a function of storing several pieces of voice information or character information in the past, information can be taken out later even if information transfer is temporarily refused. is there.

Further, even if a memory function is not added to the portable information terminal, area specific information can be obtained by a user dialing a specific number and calling a center. In this case, after the portable information terminal instructs the center to transfer the area-specific information (script), the communication is temporarily disconnected, and when the center transmits the result of the script, the connection between the portable information terminal and the center is performed again. By connecting the communication line only twice, that is, the script and the execution result of the script, the battery of the portable information terminal can be saved. At the same time, it leads to savings in communication costs.

[0028]

As described above, the portable information terminal in the wireless communication method and system according to the present invention can automatically obtain specific information and can omit a special operation on the user side as in the prior art. A service that does not feel annoying by terminal operation can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an embodiment of a wireless communication system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication service area 2 Specific area A 3 Specific area B 4 Radio base station 5 Center 6 Information providing station 7 Location registration database 8 First database 9 Second database 10 Mobile information terminal

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of portable information terminals having a built-in communication function, a plurality of wireless base stations for performing bidirectional communication with the portable information terminals, and each of the portable information terminals controlling and controlling each of the wireless base stations A center including a center for registering location information and an information providing station for providing specific information to the center, wherein the center performs location registration within a specific communication service area (hereinafter, also referred to as a specific area). Automatically transmitting, via the radio base station in the specific area, area-specific information corresponding to each specific area transferred from the information providing station to the portable information terminal that has performed Characteristic wireless communication method. 2. A plurality of portable information terminals having a built-in communication function, a plurality of wireless base stations for performing two-way communication with the portable information terminals, a center for controlling and controlling each wireless base station, An information providing station that provides specific information, wherein the center transmits a position registration signal transmitted when each of the portable information terminals moves across a communication service area via each of the wireless base stations. Means for receiving terminal identification information of each portable information terminal and an area identification number for identifying the communication service area in the location registration database as location information of each portable information terminal; Means for storing an area identification number (hereinafter, also referred to as a specific area number) for identifying a specific area, and determining whether or not the portable information terminal has been newly registered in a location. A first database for storing and managing information specific to a specific area (hereinafter, also referred to as area specific information) transferred from the information providing station; and a plurality of radio base stations in the specific area. A means for automatically calling the portable information terminal located in a specific area; and a means for automatically transmitting the area specific information to the called portable information terminal. A second database that stores and manages the area unique information corresponding to the specific area number; a unit that transfers the area unique information to the center; if the area unique information is updated or added,
Means for automatically transferring the new information to the center.