JP2007329570A - Short-range wireless communication system, portable terminal device, and wireless communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a short range wireless communication system capable of easily searching and finding out a mobile terminal or a wireless communication apparatus that is a lost article present at a place remoter than that of prior arts. <P>SOLUTION: In the short range wireless communication system wherein short range wireless communication is executed between the mobile terminal 10 and the wireless communication apparatus 20 and usage is restricted when they are apart from each other by a prescribed distance or over, when the wireless communication apparatus 20 is used to search the mobile terminal 10 and a search mode switch is turned on to set a search mode, the wireless communication apparatus 20 sets the transmission power to a maximum value within a specified range and sets the threshold value of a reception level to a minimum value within a setting range. Thus, the wireless communication apparatus 20 increases a short range wireless communication available area 502 in the search mode in comparison with a short range wireless communication available area 501 in the normal state of the wireless communication apparatus 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes a mobile terminal device and a wireless communication device used in combination therewith, and restricts use when the reception level of a radio signal transmitted from the wireless communication device in the mobile terminal device is equal to or less than a set threshold value. The present invention relates to a short-range wireless communication system, a mobile terminal device, and a wireless communication device.

  Conventionally, as a short-range wireless communication system applied to a mobile terminal device, one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this short-range wireless communication system, a wireless communication device to be used in combination with a mobile terminal device is provided, and when the distance between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device is a predetermined value or more, use of the mobile terminal device is restricted. In addition, when communication is recovered due to a short distance between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device, it is easy to find one of these lost items by issuing an alarm.

JP 2003-124864 A

  However, the conventional short-range wireless communication system has the following problems. In other words, if the distance between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device is less than a fixed value that is normally used, it is easy to find a lost item, but it is difficult to search for and find a lost item further away. Met.

  Moreover, there was a possibility that the use restriction was canceled during the search for the mobile terminal device and it was misused by a third party. Furthermore, the distance at which the use is restricted is determined in advance, and cannot be set to an arbitrary distance by oneself.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a short-range wireless communication system capable of easily searching for and finding a lost portable terminal device or wireless communication device that is located farther than before. An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal device and a wireless communication device.

  In addition, the present invention provides a short-range wireless communication system, a mobile communication device that can prevent abuse by a third party without automatically releasing the use restriction even when communication between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device is resumed. Another object is to provide a terminal device and a wireless communication device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a short-range wireless communication system, a portable terminal device, and a wireless communication device that can arbitrarily set a distance for which use is restricted.

The short-range wireless communication system of the present invention includes a portable terminal device and a wireless communication device that perform short-range wireless communication, and a threshold value in which a reception level of a wireless signal from the wireless communication device detected in the portable terminal device is set A short-range wireless communication system having a use restriction execution unit that performs use restriction in the following cases, and a search mode setting unit that sets a search mode, and when the search mode is set, the mobile terminal device or the radio And a transmission power control unit that increases transmission power of a radio signal transmitted from the communication device.
With this configuration, it is possible to easily search for and find a lost portable terminal device or wireless communication device that is located farther than before. In other words, it becomes easier to find a lost device that is farther than the normal distance.

Further, the present invention is the above short-range wireless communication system, wherein when the search mode is set, a threshold for lowering a threshold of a reception level of a wireless signal detected by the mobile terminal device or the wireless communication device A control unit is provided.
With this configuration, the radio signal reception sensitivity can be increased, and a radio signal transmitted from a farther device can be detected.

Further, the present invention is the above short-range wireless communication system, wherein the mobile terminal device has the search mode after the reception level of the detected wireless signal exceeds the threshold and the short-range wireless communication is resumed. When the is released, a use restriction release unit for releasing the use restriction is provided.
With this configuration, even when communication between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device is resumed, the use restriction is not automatically released, and abuse by a third party can be prevented.

  Moreover, this invention is said short-range radio | wireless communications system, Comprising: The said transmission power control part shall set the said transmission power to the maximum value within a prescription | regulation range. Thereby, transmission power can be maximized, and it can contribute to quick discovery.

  The present invention is the short-range wireless communication system described above, wherein the threshold control unit sets the threshold to a minimum value within a setting range. As a result, the reception sensitivity can be maximized, which can contribute to quick discovery.

  The present invention is the short-range wireless communication system described above, wherein the search mode setting unit is provided in at least one of the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device. Thereby, the usability when setting the search mode can be improved.

  Further, the present invention is the short-range wireless communication system, wherein the wireless signal includes a signal related to the setting of the search mode, and the setting of the search mode is determined based on the wireless signal. To do. Thereby, it can be easily determined that the other device is set to the search mode.

  Further, the present invention is the short-range wireless communication system as described above, and when the reception level of the detected wireless signal exceeds the threshold and the short-range wireless communication is restarted in the search mode, the wireless communication restarts. It shall be provided with the alerting | reporting part which alert | reports. This makes it easy to find a lost device.

  Further, the present invention is the above short-range wireless communication system, wherein the transmission power control unit increases the transmission power of the radio signal in the search mode, and then receives the detected reception level of the radio signal. When the short-range wireless communication is resumed after exceeding the threshold, the transmission power is reduced as the two devices approach. Thereby, power consumption during search can be reduced.

  Further, the present invention is the above short-range wireless communication system, wherein the threshold control unit lowers the threshold of the reception level in the search mode, and then the reception level of the detected radio signal is When the short-range wireless communication is resumed beyond the threshold, the threshold is increased as the two devices approach. As a result, the power consumption during the search can be reduced by lowering the reception sensitivity as the distance between both devices approaches.

  Further, the present invention is the short-range wireless communication system described above, wherein the threshold control unit restarts the short-range wireless communication when the detection level of the detected wireless signal exceeds the threshold in the search mode. In this case, the reception level at the time of restart is set to the threshold value. Thereby, the power consumption during search can be reduced.

  Further, the present invention is the above short-range wireless communication system, wherein the memory unit stores correspondence information between the distance and the threshold value for enabling the use restriction based on the specified distance between the two devices. The usage restriction execution unit sets a threshold corresponding to the specified distance based on correspondence information of the memory unit. Thereby, the distance which performs use restrictions can be set arbitrarily.

  Further, the present invention is the short-range wireless communication system as described above, wherein during normal use, the use restriction execution unit learns a distance between the two devices that are normally used, and the learning value is set to the two specified values. It shall be the distance between devices. Thus, an appropriate reception level threshold value can be automatically set without setting the distance for use restriction by itself.

  The present invention is the short-range wireless communication system described above, wherein the wireless signal is transmitted continuously or intermittently during the search mode. As described above, the wireless signal is repeatedly transmitted, thereby facilitating discovery of the device.

  Moreover, this invention is said short distance radio | wireless communications system, Comprising: The said alerting | reporting part shall alert | report the said radio | wireless communication resumption by either of sound, light, vibration, or those combination. Thereby, the user can recognize the notification of resumption of wireless communication by various methods.

  Moreover, this invention is said short-range radio | wireless communications system, Comprising: The said radio | wireless communication apparatus shall be another portable terminal device. Thereby, it becomes possible to perform a use restriction, a search, etc. combining mobile terminal devices.

The wireless communication device of the present invention is a wireless communication device that performs short-range wireless communication with a mobile terminal device having a use restriction function using short-range wireless communication, a search mode setting unit that sets a search mode, When the search mode is set, short-range wireless communication between the mobile terminal device and a transmission power control unit that increases transmission power of a radio signal transmitted when short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device is performed. And a search mode canceling unit for canceling the search mode when restarted.
With this configuration, it is possible to easily search for and find a lost portable terminal device that exists farther than in the past. Further, when short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device is resumed, the search can be stopped and unnecessary continuation of the search mode can be prevented.

The wireless communication device of the present invention is a wireless communication device that performs short-range wireless communication with a mobile terminal device having a use restriction function using short-range wireless communication, and detects search mode setting detection. And when the short-range wireless communication with the portable terminal device is resumed, the short-range wireless communication with the notification unit and the portable terminal device is resumed. After that, a search mode release detection unit that detects the release of the search mode and a notification stop unit that stops the notification when the release of the search mode is detected.
With this configuration, when short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device is resumed, it is possible to detect the cancellation of the search mode and stop the notification, and to let the user recognize that fact.

The portable terminal device of the present invention is a portable terminal device having a use restriction execution unit that performs use restriction when a reception level of a short-range wireless communication radio signal transmitted from a wireless communication device is equal to or less than a set threshold. Short-range wireless communication between the search mode setting detection unit for detecting the search mode setting, the threshold control unit for lowering the threshold value when the search mode setting is detected, and the wireless communication device is resumed. A search mode release detection unit for detecting the release of the search mode, and a use restriction release unit for releasing the use restriction when the release of the search mode is detected.
With this configuration, it is possible to easily search for and find a lost portable terminal device or wireless communication device that is located farther than before. Moreover, even if communication with the wireless communication device is resumed, the use restriction is not automatically released, and the use restriction is released after the release of the search mode is detected, thereby preventing abuse by a third party. .

The portable terminal device of the present invention is a portable terminal device having a use restriction execution unit that performs use restriction when a reception level of a short-range wireless communication radio signal transmitted from a wireless communication device is equal to or less than a set threshold. A search mode setting unit for setting a search mode, and a transmission power control for increasing a transmission power of a radio signal transmitted when short-range radio communication is performed with the radio communication device when the search mode is set. A search mode canceling unit that cancels the search mode when short-range wireless communication is resumed with the wireless communication device, and a use restriction canceling unit that cancels the use restriction when the search mode is cancelled. Are provided.
With this configuration, it is possible to easily search for and find a lost portable terminal device or wireless communication device that is located farther than before. Further, even if communication with the wireless communication apparatus is resumed, the use restriction is not automatically released, and the use restriction is released after the search mode is released, so that abuse by a third party can be prevented.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily search for and find a lost portable terminal device or wireless communication device that exists farther than in the past. Further, even when communication between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device is resumed, the use restriction is not automatically released, and abuse by a third party can be prevented. Moreover, the distance which performs use restrictions can be set arbitrarily.

  In this embodiment, refer to the drawings for a configuration example of a short-range wireless communication system including a mobile terminal device and a wireless communication device used in combination with this, and an example of the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device in the short-range wireless communication system While explaining. The short-range wireless communication system of this embodiment is configured to include a mobile terminal device and a wireless communication device that are connected to each other by a short-range wireless communication function and used as a pair. In this case, the wireless communication device is provided as a key device that realizes a security key function for performing use restriction and restriction release on the mobile terminal device.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of a portable terminal device and a wireless communication device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows the appearance of the mobile terminal device 10, and FIG. 1B shows the appearance of the wireless communication device 20.

  The mobile terminal device 10 includes a foldable upper casing 12 and a lower casing 16. A display panel 13 and a speaker 106 are disposed in the upper housing 12. The lower housing 16 is provided with an operation unit 16 a and a microphone 19. The operation unit 16a includes a menu key 17, various keys 18 such as a power key, a call key, a communication key, a search mode switch (SW) 107, and the like. On the other hand, the wireless communication device 20 has a substantially rectangular casing, and a display panel 22, a speaker 206, and a search mode switch (SW) 207 are disposed on the front surface thereof. Search mode switches 107 and 207 are used to instruct setting operation for starting / ending a search mode for searching for the wireless communication device 20 or the mobile terminal device 10.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the mobile terminal device 10 according to the first embodiment. The mobile terminal device 10 includes an antenna 101, a short-range wireless unit 102, a reception level determination unit 103, a function control unit 104, an output control unit 105, a speaker 106, a search mode switch 107, a reception level threshold value instruction unit 108, a memory unit 109, and A transmission power instruction unit 110 is included.

  The function control unit 104 controls basic functions such as a call, communication, and input / output operation as a mobile terminal, and restricts the use of the basic functions described above according to a signal from the reception level determination unit 103. In addition, the function control unit 104 outputs the output control unit 105 in order to release the use restriction and generate an alarm to notify the user when communication is resumed after the communication between the mobile terminal device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 is interrupted. To control.

  The short-range wireless unit 102 performs short-range communication with the wireless communication device 20 via the antenna 101 and transmits / receives a wireless signal to / from the wireless communication device 20.

  The reception level determination unit 103 determines the level of the radio signal received by the short-range wireless unit 102 and stores the determined reception level in the memory unit 109. In addition, the reception level determination unit 103 outputs a signal for restricting use to the function control unit 104 when the reception level of the reception signal falls below the threshold specified by the reception level threshold instruction unit 108. The reception level determination unit 103 also performs search mode detection when searching for the wireless communication device 20. Note that this search mode detection may be performed separately from the reception level determination unit 103.

  The reception level threshold value instruction unit 108 outputs the reception level threshold value to the reception level determination unit 103 according to the reception level stored in the memory unit 109 and the ON / OFF setting of the search mode switch 107.

  The transmission power instruction unit 110 instructs transmission power to the short-range wireless unit 102 according to the ON / OFF setting of the search mode switch 107. The search mode switch (SW) 107 is operated when searching for the lost wireless communication device 20 using the mobile terminal device 10. Note that the function control unit 104, the reception level determination unit 103, the output control unit 105, the reception level threshold value instruction unit 108, the transmission power instruction unit 110, and the like are stored in a ROM (not shown) by a CPU (not shown) in the mobile terminal device 10. This is realized by executing a control program stored in (not shown).

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 20 according to the first embodiment. The wireless communication device 20 includes an antenna 201, a short-range wireless unit 202, a reception level determination unit 203, an output control unit 205, a speaker 206, a search mode switch 207, a reception level threshold instruction unit 208, a memory unit 209, and a transmission power instruction unit 210. It is comprised.

  The short-range wireless unit 202 performs short-range communication with the mobile terminal device 10 via the antenna 201 and transmits / receives a radio signal to / from the mobile terminal device 10.

  The reception level determination unit 203 determines the level of the radio signal received by the short-range wireless unit 202 and stores the determined reception level in the memory unit 209. The reception level determination unit 203 compares the threshold specified by the reception level threshold instruction unit 208 with the reception level, and outputs a signal corresponding to the threshold to the output control unit 205. The reception level determination unit 103 also performs search mode detection when searching for the mobile terminal device 10. Note that this search mode detection may be performed separately from the reception level determination unit 203.

  Transmission power instruction unit 210 instructs transmission power to short-range wireless unit 202 according to the ON / OFF setting of search mode switch 207. The search mode switch (SW) 207 is operated when searching for the lost mobile terminal device 10 using the wireless communication device 20.

  The reception level determination unit 203, the output control unit 205, the reception level threshold value instruction unit 208, the transmission power instruction unit 210, and the like are stored in a memory (a CPU (not shown) or the like) by a processor (a CPU or the like not shown) in the wireless communication apparatus 20. This is realized by executing the control program stored in ().

  Here, the function control unit 104 is an example of a component that realizes the functions of the use restriction execution unit and the use restriction release unit. Search mode switches 107 and 207 are examples of components that realize the function of the search mode setting unit. The transmission power instruction units 110 and 210 are examples of components that realize the function of the transmission power control unit. The reception level threshold value instruction units 108 and 208 are examples of components that realize the function of the threshold value control unit. The speakers 106 and 206 are examples of components that realize the function of the notification unit. Reception level determination units 103 and 203 are examples of components that realize the functions of a search mode canceling unit, a search mode setting detecting unit, and a search mode canceling detecting unit. The output control units 105 and 205 are examples of components that realize the function of the notification stop unit.

  In the short-range wireless communication system of this embodiment, short-range wireless communication is performed between the mobile terminal device 10 and the wireless communication device 20, and the reception level of the radio signal is below a predetermined value, that is, both devices are separated by a predetermined distance or more. Enforce usage restrictions in case.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wireless signal 30 transmitted and received between the mobile terminal device 10 and the wireless communication device 20. The wireless signal 30 includes an ID authentication bit 301, a search mode determination bit 302, and a parity bit 303. In the ID authentication bit 301, an ID used for connection authentication is described. The search mode determination bit 302 describes ON / OFF of the search mode switch (SW). The parity bit 303 is used for parity check.

  The search operation | movement of the short-range radio | wireless communications system which has the said structure is shown. Here, a case where the mobile terminal device 10 is lost and the user searches for the lost mobile terminal device 10 using the wireless communication device 20 is shown. Further, it is assumed that the use restriction is activated in the mobile terminal device 10 because the mobile terminal device 10 is separated from the wireless communication device 20. The activation of this use restriction will be described later.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a search processing procedure of the wireless communication device 20 on the searching side. This processing program is stored in a storage medium (ROM) in the wireless communication device 20, and is repeatedly executed by the CPU when short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 10 is interrupted.

  First, it is determined whether or not the search mode SW207 is ON (step S1). When the search mode SW 207 is OFF, this process is terminated as it is. On the other hand, if the search mode SW207 is ON in step S1, the transmission power is set to the maximum value within the specified range (step S2), and the reception level threshold is set to the minimum value within the setting range (step S3).

  Then, the wireless signal 30 carrying the connection authentication information is transmitted continuously or intermittently (step S4). In this state, the user carries the wireless communication device 20 and moves around to search for the portable wireless terminal 10.

  And it is discriminate | determined whether near field communication with the portable terminal device 10 was attained (step S5). If short-range wireless communication is not possible, the process returns to step S4. On the other hand, when short-range wireless communication becomes possible, the mobile terminal device 10 generates an alarm (step S6), and sets the reception level at this time as a threshold (step S7). Further, as the distance between the mobile terminal device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 becomes shorter, the transmission power is gradually decreased and the reception level threshold value is gradually increased (step S8).

  Thereafter, the process waits until the search mode SW207 is turned off (step S9). When the search mode SW207 is turned off, the present process is terminated. That is, as a result of searching while holding the wireless communication device 20 by the user, the mobile terminal device 10 is found, and the search mode SW 207 of the wireless communication device 20 is switched to OFF, and this search operation ends.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a search processing procedure of the mobile terminal device 10 on the side to be searched. This processing program is stored in a storage medium (ROM) in the mobile terminal device 10 and is repeatedly executed by the CPU when short-range wireless communication with the wireless communication device 20 is interrupted.

  First, it is determined whether or not a wireless signal 30 carrying connection authentication information is received from the wireless communication device 20 (step S11). If the wireless signal 30 has not been received, this process is terminated. On the other hand, when the wireless signal 30 is received, connection authentication is performed using the ID authentication bit 301 included in the wireless signal 30, and it is determined whether or not the authentication is confirmed (step S12). If the authentication is denied, the process is terminated as it is.

  On the other hand, if the authentication is confirmed, it is determined whether or not the search mode SW 207 is turned on using the search mode determination bit 302 included in the wireless signal 30 (step S13). If it is detected that the search mode SW 207 is turned off, the present process is terminated. On the other hand, when ON of the search mode SW207 is detected, an alarm is generated (step S14).

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the portable wireless device 10 generates an alarm when the distance to the wireless communication device 20 becomes short and short-range wireless communication is possible. In the figure, reference numeral 501 denotes a short-distance wireless communicable area of the wireless communication device 20 at normal time. Reference numeral 502 denotes a short-distance wireless communicable area of the wireless communication device 20 in the search mode. Reference numeral 503 denotes a short-distance wireless communicable area of the mobile terminal device 10 at normal times. That is, the short-range wireless communicable area 502 of the wireless communication device 20 is larger in the short-range wireless communicable area 502 in the search mode than in the normal near-field wireless communicable area 501. In the search mode, the mobile terminal device 10 generates an alarm when the short-range wireless communicable area 502 of the wireless communication device 20 overlaps the short-range wireless communicable area 503 of the mobile terminal device 10.

  Note that, here, the case where only the mobile terminal device 10 generates an alarm when the short-range wireless communication is enabled is shown, but both the wireless communication device 20 and the mobile terminal device 10 generate an alarm. Also good. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state where both the mobile terminal device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 generate an alarm when short-range wireless communication is enabled. Thereby, it is possible to reliably notify the user. At this time, it is preferable that both alarms to be issued are different in pattern, frequency and the like.

  After the occurrence of the alarm, a radio signal is received, and using the search mode determination bit 302 included in the radio signal 30, it is determined whether or not the search mode SW 207 is detected to be off (step S15). If OFF of the search mode SW207 is not detected, the process of step S14 is repeated. On the other hand, when OFF of the search mode SW 207 is detected, the generation of the alarm is stopped and the activated use restriction is released (step S16). Then, this process is complete | finished.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a use restriction activation process procedure of the mobile terminal device 10. This processing program is stored in a storage medium (ROM) in the mobile terminal device 10 and is repeatedly executed by the CPU during short-range wireless communication with the wireless communication device 20.

  First, short-range wireless communication is performed with the wireless communication device 20, and the reception level of the wireless signal 30 transmitted from the wireless communication device 20 is detected (step S21). It is determined whether or not the detected reception level is below a preset threshold value (step S22). When the threshold value of the reception level is below the usage limit of the mobile terminal device 10 is set (step S23). Then, this process is complete | finished. This activates usage restrictions. On the other hand, if it is equal to or greater than the reception level threshold value in step S22, the present process is terminated.

  Examples of the case where the use restriction is activated include a case where the distance between the mobile terminal device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 is increased, and a case where the reception level threshold is changed.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which short-range wireless communication between the mobile terminal device 10 and the wireless communication device 20 is disabled by changing the threshold of the reception level. In the figure, reference numeral 501 denotes a short-distance wireless communicable area of the wireless communication device 20 at normal time. Reference numeral 503 denotes a short-distance wireless communicable area of the mobile terminal device 10 at normal times. Reference numeral 601 denotes a short-distance wireless communicable area of the wireless communication device 20 after the reception level threshold is changed. Reference numeral 603 denotes a short-distance wireless communicable area of the mobile terminal device 10 after the reception level threshold is changed.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the user searches for the lost mobile terminal device 10 using the wireless communication device 20 has been shown. Conversely, the user uses the mobile terminal device 10 to lose the lost wireless terminal device 10. The communication device 20 may be searched. In this case, the search operation is performed by substantially the same process by replacing the processes of FIGS.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a modification of the search processing procedure of the mobile terminal device 10 on the searching side. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a modification of the search processing procedure of the wireless communication device 20 on the searching side. The same step numbers as those in FIGS. 5 and 6 are designated by the same step numbers, and the description thereof is omitted. On the mobile terminal device 10 side, when the search mode SW 107 is turned off in step S9, the use restriction is released (step S10). Then, this process is complete | finished. That is, in this case, the use restriction of the mobile terminal device 10 is not canceled by detecting that the search mode SW207 is turned off from the wireless communication device 20, but the user operates the search mode SW107 to be turned off by himself / herself. Is done by. On the wireless communication device 20 side, when OFF of the search mode SW 207 is detected in step S15, alarm generation is stopped (step S16A).

  As described above, according to the short-range wireless communication system of the first embodiment, the transmission power of the device on the searching side is maximized and the threshold of the reception level is minimized, so that the portable object that is a lost object in the distance is provided. A terminal device or a wireless communication device can be easily searched and found. In addition, even if short-range wireless communication between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device is resumed, the use restriction is not automatically released until the search mode switch is turned off by the user, thus preventing abuse by a third party. it can.

  In the above embodiment, the threshold of the reception level when performing short-range wireless communication is fixed, but may be changeable. For example, when setting a threshold for the reception level, a correspondence table between the distance to the communication partner and the threshold for the reception level is stored in advance in the memory unit, and the user selects an arbitrary distance from the menu on the operation panel. The reception level threshold value corresponding to this may be set. Thereby, the distance which performs use restrictions can be set arbitrarily.

  Furthermore, instead of selecting an arbitrary distance from the menu, the user may actually hold the mobile terminal device and input the distance at which the user wants to activate the use restriction away from the wireless communication device. As described above, when the distance corresponding to the threshold of the reception level is selected in several stages and the transmission power is changed, the transmission power is set to be small, so that the power consumption can be suppressed and the battery usage time can be extended. Also, the threshold of the reception level stored in the memory unit in the apparatus may be properly used according to the place (home, company, public facility, etc.) to be used. The same applies to the following embodiments.

  In the above embodiment, the search operation is performed when the search mode SW is ON. However, the search operation is performed even when the search mode SW is OFF or when the search mode SW is not provided. May be. In this case, for example, the search operation is performed without switching the transmission power to the maximum value and without switching the threshold of the reception level to the minimum value. That is, if the search mode SW is OFF in step S1, the process proceeds to step S4 without performing the processes in steps S2 and 3. Further, in this case, the alarm pattern notified when the short-range wireless communication is resumed is changed depending on whether the search mode SW is ON or OFF so that the user can easily recognize it. It may be.

  In addition, at least one of the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device may include a calculation unit that calculates a threshold of the reception level. For example, the calculation unit performs a process of calculating an average value from the intermittent reception levels for the past several minutes every several hours, and uses the obtained average value as a threshold value. By performing this calculation automatically, the user does not have to indicate the threshold value. Further, when changing the threshold of the reception level, it is preferable to input information for identifying the user such as a password.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the mobile terminal device 70 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the mobile terminal device 70 of the second embodiment, the transmission power instruction unit 110 is omitted as compared with the first embodiment.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 80 according to the second embodiment. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the wireless communication device 80 according to the second embodiment, the reception level determination unit 203, the output control unit 205, the speaker 206, the reception level threshold value instruction unit 208, and the memory unit 209 are omitted, compared with the first embodiment. A portion 809 is provided.

  The search operation | movement of the short-range radio | wireless communications system which has the said structure is shown. First, a case where the mobile terminal device 70 is lost and the user searches for the lost mobile terminal device 70 using the wireless communication device 80 will be described. In addition, it is assumed that the use restriction is activated in the mobile terminal device 70 due to being away from the wireless communication device 80.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a search processing procedure of the wireless communication device 80 on the searching side. This processing program is stored in a storage medium (ROM) in the wireless communication device 80, and is repeatedly executed by the CPU when short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 70 is interrupted. The same step numbers as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In step S1, it is determined whether or not the search mode SW207 is ON. If the search mode SW207 is ON, the transmission power is set to the maximum within the specified range in step S2, and the connection authentication information is loaded in step S4. The radio signal 30 is transmitted continuously or intermittently. At this time, in the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the reception level threshold is not changed.

  When short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device 70 becomes possible in step S5, control is performed to gradually reduce the transmission power as the distance between the mobile terminal device 70 and the wireless communication device 80 approaches (step S8A). At this time, unlike the first embodiment, the second embodiment does not perform control for setting / changing the reception level threshold. When the search mode SW 207 is turned off in step S9, this process ends. Note that the processing of the mobile terminal device 70 on the searching side is the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, a case where the wireless terminal device 80 is lost and the user searches for the wireless terminal device 80 using the mobile terminal device 70 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the use restriction is activated in the mobile terminal device 70 due to having left the wireless communication device 80. Further, it is assumed that the wireless terminal device 80 continuously or intermittently transmits the wireless signal 30 carrying the connection authentication information.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the search processing procedure of the mobile terminal device 70 on the searching side. This processing program is stored in a storage medium (ROM) in the mobile terminal device 70, and is repeatedly executed by the CPU when short-range wireless communication with the wireless communication device 80 is interrupted.

  First, it is determined whether or not the search mode SW 107 is ON (step S31). If the search mode SW 107 is ON, the reception level threshold is set to the minimum value (step S32). On the other hand, if the search mode SW 107 is OFF in step S31, this process is terminated as it is.

  And it waits until the radio signal 30 from the radio | wireless communication apparatus 80 is received (step S33). In this state, the user carries the mobile terminal device 70 and moves around to search for the wireless communication device 80. When the wireless signal 30 is received, it is determined whether or not the connection authentication is confirmed (step S34). If the authentication is denied, the process returns to step S33. On the other hand, when the authentication is confirmed and short-range wireless communication with the wireless communication device 80 becomes possible, an alarm is generated (step S35). Then, as the distance between the mobile terminal device 70 and the wireless communication device 80 approaches, control is performed to gradually increase the reception level threshold (step S36).

  Then, it waits until the search mode SW 107 is turned off (step S37). When the search mode SW 107 is turned off, the generation of an alarm is stopped and the use restriction is released (step S38). Then, this process is complete | finished. That is, when the user who has the mobile terminal device 70 finds the wireless communication device 80 and switches the search mode SW 107 of the mobile terminal device 70 to OFF, the search operation ends.

  According to the short-range wireless communication system of the second embodiment, the mobile terminal that is a lost object can be obtained by maximizing the transmission power of the wireless communication apparatus or by minimizing the reception level threshold of the mobile terminal apparatus. A device or a wireless communication device can be easily searched and found. Further, even when communication between the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device is resumed, the use restriction is not automatically released, and abuse by a third party can be prevented. In addition, the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device can be configured simply.

  In the short-range wireless communication system according to the above-described embodiment, even if either the mobile terminal device or the wireless communication device is lost, it can be easily detected by the mutual search function, which is useful when the mobile terminal device is used safely. is there.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to those shown in the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art can also make changes and applications based on the description in the specification and well-known techniques. Yes, included in the scope of protection.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the combination is a wireless communication device and a mobile terminal device, but may be a combination of mobile terminal devices. In this case, one mobile terminal device searches for the other mobile terminal device. The usage restrictions can be lifted.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when short-range wireless communication is resumed, an alarm is generated from the speaker to notify, but instead of generating the alarm, the device is vibrated, the LED is emitted, the LCD This may be displayed on the screen, or a combination thereof may be performed. Further, the alarm is stopped by an instruction operation by the user such as a communication interruption or a search mode switch OFF operation. The alarm may be automatically stopped after being generated for a predetermined time. Further, the user may be able to select whether or not the alarm function is provided by initial setting.

  In the above-described embodiment, the search mode SW is a button that can be pressed. However, a switch with a low profile, a slide-type switch, a switch that is shared with other buttons and requires a long press, etc. It is preferable that they are not turned on.

  The present invention has an effect of easily searching for and finding a lost portable terminal device or wireless communication device that is located farther than before, and communication between the portable terminal device and the wireless communication device is resumed. Has the effect of preventing the abuse by a third party without automatically canceling the use restriction, the effect of being able to arbitrarily set the distance for use restriction, from the wireless communication device in the mobile terminal device This is useful for a short-range wireless communication system, a portable terminal device, a wireless communication device, and the like that restrict use when a reception level of a transmitted wireless signal is equal to or less than a set threshold value.

The figure which shows the external appearance of the portable terminal device and radio | wireless communication apparatus in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the functional structure of the portable terminal device of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the functional structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the radio signal transmitted / received between a portable terminal device and a radio | wireless communication apparatus in this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the search processing procedure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus which is the search side in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the search processing procedure of the portable terminal device which is the side searched in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows a mode that a portable radio | wireless apparatus generate | occur | produces an alarm when distance with a radio | wireless communication apparatus becomes short in 1st Embodiment and near field communication is attained. The figure which shows a mode that both a portable terminal device and a radio | wireless communication apparatus generate | occur | produce an alarm, when near field communication is attained in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the use restriction | limiting start processing procedure of the portable terminal device in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the state which the short-distance wireless communication between a portable terminal device and a radio | wireless communication apparatus became impossible by changing the threshold value of a reception level in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the modification of the search processing procedure of the portable terminal device which is the search side in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the modification of the search processing procedure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus which is the side searched in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the functional structure of the portable terminal device in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the functional structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the search processing procedure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus which is the search side in 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the search processing procedure of the portable terminal device which is the search side in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Mobile terminal device 20 Wireless communication device 102, 202 Short-range wireless unit 103, 203 Reception level determination unit 104 Function control unit 105, 205 Output control unit 106, 206 Speaker 107, 207 Search mode switch (SW)
108, 210 Reception level threshold instruction unit 109, 209 Memory unit 110, 210 Transmission power instruction unit

Claims (20)

Use restriction that includes use of a portable terminal device that performs short-range wireless communication and a wireless communication device, and restricts use when a reception level of a radio signal from the wireless communication device detected by the portable terminal device is equal to or less than a set threshold value A short-range wireless communication system having an execution unit,
A search mode setting section for setting a search mode;
A short-range wireless communication system comprising: a transmission power control unit configured to increase transmission power of a radio signal transmitted from the mobile terminal device or the wireless communication device when the search mode is set. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
A short-range wireless communication system including a threshold control unit that reduces a threshold of a reception level of a wireless signal detected by the mobile terminal device or the wireless communication device when the search mode is set. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
The portable terminal device includes a use restriction release unit that removes the use restriction when the search mode is released after the short-range wireless communication is resumed after the detected reception level of the wireless signal exceeds the threshold value. A short-range wireless communication system provided. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
The transmission power control unit is a short-range wireless communication system that sets the transmission power to a maximum value within a specified range. A short-range wireless communication system according to claim 2,
The threshold control unit is a short-range wireless communication system that sets the threshold to a minimum value within a setting range. A short-range wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The search mode setting unit is a short-range wireless communication system provided in at least one of the mobile terminal device and the wireless communication device. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
The radio signal includes a signal related to the setting of the search mode,
A short-range wireless communication system in which the setting of the search mode is determined based on the wireless signal. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
A short-range wireless communication system comprising a notifying unit for notifying the restart of wireless communication when the reception level of the detected wireless signal exceeds the threshold and the short-range wireless communication is restarted in the search mode. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
In the search mode, the transmission power control unit increases the transmission power of the radio signal, and then, when the reception level of the detected radio signal exceeds the threshold and short-range radio communication is resumed, A short-range wireless communication system that reduces the transmission power as a device approaches. A short-range wireless communication system according to claim 2,
In the search mode, the threshold control unit lowers the threshold of the reception level, and then, when the reception level of the detected radio signal exceeds the threshold and short-range wireless communication is resumed, both the devices are A short-range wireless communication system that raises the threshold value as it approaches. A short-range wireless communication system according to claim 10,
In the search mode, the threshold control unit sets the reception level at the restart to the threshold when the detected radio signal reception level exceeds the threshold and short-range wireless communication is resumed. Wireless communication system. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
A memory unit that stores correspondence information between the distance and the threshold for enabling the use restriction based on the specified distance between the two devices; and the use restriction execution unit includes the correspondence information of the memory unit. A short-range wireless communication system that sets a threshold corresponding to the specified distance based on the specified distance. A short-range wireless communication system according to claim 12,
In normal use, the use restriction execution unit learns the distance between the two devices that are normally used, and uses the learned value as the distance between the designated devices. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
A short-range wireless communication system in which the wireless signal is transmitted continuously or intermittently during a search mode. A short-range wireless communication system according to claim 8,
The notification unit is a short-range wireless communication system that notifies the resumption of wireless communication by sound, light, vibration, or a combination thereof. The short-range wireless communication system according to claim 1,
The wireless communication device is a short-range wireless communication system which is another mobile terminal device. A wireless communication device that performs short-range wireless communication with a portable terminal device having a use restriction function using short-range wireless communication,
A search mode setting section for setting a search mode;
When the search mode is set, a transmission power control unit that increases transmission power of a radio signal transmitted when performing short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device;
A wireless communication device comprising: a search mode canceling unit that cancels the search mode when short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device is resumed. A wireless communication device that performs short-range wireless communication with a portable terminal device having a use restriction function using short-range wireless communication,
A search mode setting detection unit for detecting a search mode setting;
When the setting of the search mode is detected and short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device is resumed, a notification unit that notifies that fact;
After the short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal device is resumed, a search mode release detection unit that detects the release of the search mode,
A wireless communication device comprising: a notification stop unit that stops the notification when the search mode is canceled. A portable terminal device having a use restriction execution unit that performs use restriction when a reception level of a short-range wireless communication radio signal transmitted from a wireless communication device is equal to or lower than a set threshold value,
A search mode setting detection unit for detecting a search mode setting;
A threshold control unit for lowering the threshold when the search mode setting is detected;
After the short-range wireless communication with the wireless communication device is resumed, a search mode release detection unit that detects the release of the search mode,
A mobile terminal device comprising: a use restriction releasing unit that releases the use restriction when release of the search mode is detected. A portable terminal device having a use restriction execution unit that performs use restriction when a reception level of a short-range wireless communication radio signal transmitted from a wireless communication device is equal to or lower than a set threshold value,
A search mode setting section for setting a search mode;
When the search mode is set, a transmission power control unit that increases transmission power of a radio signal transmitted when performing short-range wireless communication with the wireless communication device;
When short-range wireless communication with the wireless communication device is resumed, a search mode release unit for releasing the search mode,
A portable terminal device comprising: a use restriction release unit that removes the use restriction when the search mode is released.

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