KR20130004668A - Mobile communication terminal and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile communications terminal capable of offering communications service optimized for a radio environment and other communications environments and an operating method thereof are provided to offer communications service optimized for a communications environment by determining a communications method according to a radio environment of a communications network. CONSTITUTION: A wireless communications unit(110) is connected to multiple antennas corresponding to different communications methods. A sensor unit(120) generates status information of a communications network connectable to the wireless communications unit. A control unit(130) determines a communications method between the communications network and the wireless communications unit based on the status information of the communications network. The control unit selects more than one among the multiple antennas based on the determined communications method. The control unit gives a weighted value to each of the determined communications methods according to the status information of the communications network. The control unit controls connection with the communications network. [Reference numerals] (110) Wireless communications unit; (120) Sensor unit; (130) Control unit; (140) Memory unit; (150) Output unit; (152) Display unit; (154) Audio output unit; (160) Input unit

Description

MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal capable of providing an optimal communication service according to an environment of a communication network and a method of operating the same.

In general, a mobile communication terminal is a portable electronic device that provides communication functions such as a telephone call and a text message while moving. In particular, in recent years, the mobile communication terminal has been provided with the Internet and financial services in addition to the existing voice communication functions. Mobile communication terminals that provide various functions such as games, location-based services, and navigation are widely used.

A mobile communication terminal providing various services based on data communication may transmit and receive data according to a communication method selected by a user among a plurality of communication methods, unlike a conventional mobile communication terminal operating by one communication method. For example, recently widely used smart phones are connected to a communication network through a 3G communication method such as WCDMA in a general mobile environment, and connected to a communication network through a communication method such as WIFI in a place where a wireless Internet environment is established. It is possible to provide a data communication service relatively faster than the communication method.

However, such a mobile communication terminal does not automatically select an optimal antenna for the radio wave environment of the communication network to which the antenna is connected, and the antenna is fixed. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is difficult to provide an optimal communication service in an area having a different communication environment, such as an urban area where a large amount of reflected waves is present and a rural area where a lot of direct waves are relatively present.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art, by providing a mobile communication terminal and an operation method that can provide an optimal communication service according to the communication environment by determining the communication method according to the radio wave environment of the communication network. do.

According to a first technical aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication unit including a plurality of antennas corresponding to different communication schemes, a sensor unit for generating state information of a communication network connectable to the wireless communication unit, and the state information of the communication network And a controller configured to determine a communication method between the wireless communication unit and the communication network, wherein the controller selects at least one or more of the plurality of antennas based on the determined communication method, and assigns a weight to each of the determined communication methods. The present invention proposes a mobile communication terminal for controlling a connection with the communication network.

The wireless communication unit may include at least one of a first antenna corresponding to a diversity scheme, a second antenna corresponding to a multiplexing scheme, and a third antenna corresponding to a beamforming scheme. A mobile communication terminal is proposed.

In addition, the controller proposes a mobile communication terminal for selecting at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna when the intensity of the reflected wave in the selected communication network is greater than a predetermined threshold.

In addition, the controller proposes a mobile communication terminal for selecting the third antenna when the intensity of the reflected wave in the selected communication network is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

In addition, the sensor unit proposes a mobile communication terminal for generating the state information by analyzing the analog signal received through the wireless communication unit.

On the other hand, according to the second technical aspect of the present invention, generating the state information of the connectable communication network, determining the communication method with the communication network based on the state information, a plurality of corresponding to different communication methods Selecting at least one antenna corresponding to the determined communication method among the antennas, and controlling a connection to the communication network by assigning a weight to each communication method in which the selected antenna operates; It proposes a method of operation of a mobile communication terminal comprising a.

The determining of the communication method may include operation of a mobile communication terminal for determining at least one of a diversity method and a multiplexing method as a communication method with the communication network when the reflected wave strength in the communication network is greater than a predetermined threshold. Suggest a method.

In addition, the determining of the communication method proposes an operation method of the mobile communication terminal that determines the beamforming method as the communication method with the communication network when the reflected wave strength in the communication network is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

According to the present invention, by determining the communication method with the communication network based on the state information including the propagation environment of the communication network connected to the antenna, by assigning a weight to the determined communication method and connecting to the communication network, optimized for the radio wave environment and other communication environment It is possible to provide a mobile communication terminal capable of providing a predetermined communication service.

1 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of a mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a block diagram illustrating in detail a wireless communication unit of the mobile communication terminal shown in FIG. 1; And
3 is a flowchart provided to explain a method of operating a mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain features, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in connection with an embodiment. It is also to be understood that the position or arrangement of the individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled, if properly explained. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions throughout the several views.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

1 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of a mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile communication terminal 100 according to the present embodiment includes a wireless communication unit 110, a sensor unit 120, a control unit 130, a memory unit 140, an output unit 150, and an input unit ( 160). However, the internal structure of the mobile communication terminal 100 is not necessarily limited to the components shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1, and additional components (ex> communication port, camera unit) in addition to the components not shown in FIG. 1. Etc.) may of course be included.

The wireless communication unit 110 is connected to a plurality of antennas 112a to c connectable to a communication network, and each of the plurality of antennas 112a to c connected to the wireless communication unit 110 may be connected to a communication network by different communication methods. have. For example, the first antenna 112a connected to the communication network by the diversity method, the second antenna 112b connected to the communication network by the multiplexing method, and the beamforming method The third antenna 112c connected to the communication network may be connected to the wireless communication unit 110. The third antenna 112c operating by the beamforming method may be a smart antenna such as an adaptive array antenna or a switching beam array antenna. Alternatively, in addition to the third antenna 112c operated by the beamforming method, a separate smart antenna may be provided as the fourth antenna (not shown) and connected to the wireless communication unit 110.

The sensor unit 120 generates state information including a radio wave environment of a connectable communication network from a signal received through an antenna of the wireless communication unit 110, and converts an analog signal received through the antenna into a separate digital signal. Create state information without process. Therefore, it is possible to understand the variation of the analog signal according to the radio wave environment more precisely than the method of converting the analog signal into the digital signal to analyze the state of the communication network, and the distortion of the signal due to fading It can be detected efficiently.

The control unit 130 receives the state information of the communication network from the sensor unit 120, and selects the most efficient communication method for the communication network that can be connected based on this. For example, when a communication network and a mobile communication terminal in an urban area having many buildings communicate with each other, diversity or multiplexing may be efficient due to reflected waves generated from surrounding buildings. Conversely, beamforming is effective in rural areas where there are relatively few objects that can generate reflected waves, such as buildings.

Accordingly, the controller 130 may compare the reflected wave strength in the communication network included in the communication network state information generated by the sensor unit 120 with a predetermined threshold value in order to find the most efficient communication method for the connectable communication network. If the reflected wave strength in the communication network is greater than the predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the mobile communication terminal 100 is connected to a communication network in an environment such as an urban area where the reflected waves are relatively large, and thus selects a diversity method or a multiplexing method. When the reflected wave strength is smaller than the predetermined threshold value, the beamforming method is selected by determining that the mobile communication terminal 100 is connected to a communication network in an environment such as a rural area where the direct wave is stronger than the reflected wave.

In addition to the communication control using the wireless communication unit 110 and the sensor unit 120 as described above, the controller 130 controls the memory unit 140, the output unit 150, and the input unit 160 to operate the overall mobile communication terminal. Determine. The output unit 150 may include a display unit 152 and an audio output unit 154 that perform visual output.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged block diagram of a wireless communication unit of the mobile communication terminal illustrated in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the wireless communication unit 110 according to the present embodiment may include a diversity unit 114a corresponding to each of the antenna units 112 and the plurality of antennas 112a to c connected to the plurality of antennas 112a to c. ), A communication method determination unit 114 including a communication method such as multiplexing 114b, beamforming 114c, and the like, and a switch unit 116.

The antenna unit 112 is connected to the plurality of antennas 112a to c and the communication method determination unit 114. The communication method determiner 114 provides a plurality of communication methods 114a to c corresponding to each of the plurality of antennas 112a to c, and according to a control signal transmitted from the switch unit 116, At least one of the plurality of communication methods 114a to c provided by 114 is selected.

The operation of the switch unit 116 is controlled by the controller 130, and the controller 130 determines the communication method determining unit 114 based on the communication network state information generated by the sensor unit 120 connected to the antenna unit 112. The most efficient communication method is selected from among the plurality of communication methods 114a to c provided by. As described above, when it is determined that there are relatively many reflected waves in the communication network to be connected, the diversity 114a or multiplexing 114b method and the antennas 112a and 112b corresponding thereto are selected and connected. If it is determined that there are more direct waves than reflected waves in the communication network, the beamforming 114c method and the antenna 112c corresponding thereto are selected.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 120 may independently set a voice or data communication mode independently of the communication methods 114a to c. For voice communication, you can select 2G transceiver such as CDMA, GSM, 3G transceiver such as WCDMA, 4G transceiver of LTE mobile VOIP, or mobile VOIP transceiver that operates in WIFI environment.For data communication, LTE (or LTE Advanced 4G transceiver, WIFI transceiver and HSPA + transceiver. According to another embodiment, when the mobile communication terminal 100 is provided with a transceiver for more various voice or data communication, other voice or data communication modes not described in the above example may be selected.

The controller 130 may establish a connection with the communication network by assigning a predetermined weight to each communication method 114a to c provided by the communication method determining unit 114. For example, assuming that one network cell includes both a first region having a relatively strong reflection wave and a second region having a relatively direct wave, the mobile communication terminal 100 is configured to include the first region and the first region. When moving between two zones, communication may be interrupted or communication status may be degraded due to diversity or multiplexing between the multiplexing scheme and the beamforming scheme. Such a problem may occur even when the mobile communication terminal 100 moves between a plurality of cells having different communication environments.

Therefore, in the present invention, priority scheduling in which the control unit 130 weights each communication scheme 114a to c in an intermediate region in which either the reflected wave and the direct wave do not have a relatively overwhelming ratio. Establish a connection with the network according to the technique. For example, in the first region of the home, weights of 30% for diversity 114a, 60% for multiplexing 114b, and 10% for beamforming 114c are set, and the mobile communication terminal 100 gradually increases. When moving closer to the second region, the connection method is changed to lower the weight of the diversity 114a and the multiplexing 114b and to increase the weight of the beamforming 114c, thereby minimizing degradation and disconnection of the communication state. Can provide reliable communication services.

Meanwhile, unlike FIG. 2, when the smart antenna, which is a type of beamforming method, is provided as the fourth antenna (not shown), the controller 130 may provide a fixed gain to the fourth antenna. Can be. In the case of the smart antenna, since the reception direction can be actively adjusted according to the direction of the radio wave included in the direct wave, by giving a fixed gain to the fourth antenna operating by the smart antenna method, to a certain extent regardless of the change in the communication environment. Constant communication sensitivity can be guaranteed.

3 is a flowchart provided to explain a method of operating a mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the operation method of the mobile communication terminal 100 according to the present embodiment starts with generating state information of a communication network (S300). The state information of the communication network is information on the communication environment of the communication network currently connected or connectable with the mobile communication terminal 100 and may include, for example, the strength of the reflected wave and the strength of the direct wave in the communication network. The state information of the communication network may be generated by the sensor unit 120 connected to the wireless communication unit 110, and the controller 130 may determine the reflected wave strength of the communication network included in the state information received from the sensor unit 120 at a predetermined threshold. Compare with the value (S310).

If it is determined in step S310 that the reflected wave intensity is greater than the threshold value, the controller 130 selects the diversity 114a or the multiplexing 114b as a communication method (S320). On the contrary, if it is determined in step S310 that the intensity of the reflected wave is smaller than the threshold value, the controller 130 selects the beamforming 114c method as the communication method (S330). The control unit 130 prepares to establish a connection with the communication network through the wireless communication unit 110 according to the communication method selected in step S320 or S330. In this case, the controller 130 may set a connection with the communication network by giving a high weight to the communication method selected in the step S320 or S330, and giving a relatively low weight to the unselected communication method (S340). By setting a connection with a communication network by assigning different weights to the plurality of communication methods 114a to c, a smooth and stable communication service can be provided between regions having different communication environments.

When the selection and weighting of the communication methods 114a to c are completed, the controller 130 selects the antennas 112a to c according to the selected communication method and the weights assigned to each communication method (S350), and the selected antenna 112a. The connection with the communication network is established through ˜c) (S360). As mentioned above, if it is determined that the intensity of the reflected wave is relatively stronger than the direct wave as a result of the comparison in step S310, the weighting is applied to the diversity or multiplexing scheme, and conversely, if the strength of the direct wave is determined to be relatively strong, the beamforming is performed. Give the method a relatively high weight. In addition, by generating the state information of the communication network at predetermined time intervals (S300), and based on the generated state information to compare the intensity of the reflected wave with the threshold value (S310) by changing the weight for the communication method according to the result reflected wave It can provide efficient and smooth communication service between strong urban areas and rural areas with strong direct waves.

Although the present invention has been described by specific embodiments such as specific components and the like, but the embodiments and the drawings are provided to assist in a more general understanding of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made from these descriptions.

Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, and all of the equivalents or equivalents of the claims, as well as the appended claims, fall within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. I will say.

100: mobile communication terminal 110: wireless communication unit
112a: first antenna 112b: second antenna
112c: third antenna 112: antenna unit
114: communication method determination unit 116: switch unit
120: sensor unit 130: control unit

Claims (8)

A wireless communication unit connected to a plurality of antennas corresponding to different communication schemes;
A sensor unit generating state information of a communication network connectable to the wireless communication unit; And
A controller configured to determine a communication method between the wireless communication unit and the communication network based on state information of the communication network; Including;
The control unit selects at least one or more of the plurality of antennas based on the determined communication scheme, and assigns a weight to each of the determined communication schemes according to state information of the communication network to control the connection with the communication network. . The wireless communication system according to claim 1,
A mobile communication terminal connected to at least one of a first antenna corresponding to a diversity scheme, a second antenna corresponding to a multiplexing scheme, and a third antenna corresponding to a beamforming scheme. 3. The apparatus of claim 2,
And selecting at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna when the intensity of the reflected wave included in the state information of the communication network is greater than a predetermined threshold. 3. The apparatus of claim 2,
And selecting the third antenna when the intensity of the reflected wave included in the state information of the communication network is smaller than a predetermined threshold. The apparatus according to claim 1,
A mobile communication terminal for generating the status information by analyzing the analog signal received through the wireless communication unit. Generating state information of a connectable communication network;
Determining a communication scheme with the communication network based on the state information;
Selecting at least one antenna corresponding to the determined communication scheme among a plurality of antennas corresponding to different communication schemes; And
Controlling a connection to the communication network by assigning a weight to each communication method in which the selected antenna operates according to the state information; Method of operation of a mobile communication terminal comprising a. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining of the communication method,
And determining at least one of a diversity scheme and a multiplexing scheme as a communication scheme with the communication network when the reflected wave strength in the communication network included in the state information is greater than a predetermined threshold. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining of the communication method,
And determining a beamforming method as a communication method with the communication network when the reflected wave strength in the communication network included in the state information is smaller than a predetermined threshold.

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