JP7662911B1 - Information terminal, information processing device, information processing system, and information transmission method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for transmitting user information even when the user is outside the range of a mobile communication network and cannot access the network.
[Solution] The system includes a connection determination unit (73) that determines whether a communication connection with a ground station is possible, and a transmission control unit (75) that, when the connection determination unit (73) determines that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, transmits first specified information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to a specified first application, and, when the connection determination unit (73) determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible, transmits second specified information corresponding to the first specified information and information designating the first destination as a transfer destination of the second specified information to a second destination different from the first destination via the satellite station in a second communication protocol corresponding to a second application (752) different from the first application (751).
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an information terminal, an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information transmission method that communicate via a terrestrial station or a satellite station.

In recent years, various services have been proposed for checking the safety of users. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes sending user information to a server in order to quickly detect whether a user who is mountain climbing is lost or not.

JP 2014-49065 A

The technology described in Patent Document 1 had the problem that if the user was outside the range of a mobile communication network and could not access it, the user's information could not be sent to the server.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that can transmit user information even when the user is outside the range where the mobile communication network is not accessible.

The information terminal of the first aspect of the present invention includes a connection determination unit that determines whether or not a communication connection with a ground station is possible, and a transmission control unit that transmits first predetermined information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to a predetermined first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, and transmits second predetermined information corresponding to the first predetermined information and information specifying the first destination as a transfer destination of the second predetermined information to a second destination different from the first destination via a satellite station in a second communication protocol corresponding to a second application different from the first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible.

The transmission control unit may transmit the first specified information to a server address for sending the information to a first server corresponding to the first app as the first destination when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is possible. The transmission control unit may transmit the second specified information and information specifying the first destination to a server address for sending the information to a second server managed by a business operator different from the business operator managing the first app as the second destination when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible.

When the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible, the transmission control unit may transmit the second specified information and information specifying the first destination to the second destination using a short message service or a rich communication service as the second communication protocol. The transmission control unit may periodically transmit the first specified information using the first communication protocol.

The transmission control unit may transmit terminal location information indicating the location of the information terminal as the first specified information. The information terminal may further include a display control unit that displays a message indicating that the second specified information can be transmitted via a satellite station when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible.

The information processing device of the second aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires, from a user's information terminal via a satellite station, predetermined information and first destination information for specifying a destination of the predetermined information, a determination unit that determines whether the destination specified in the first destination information has been registered in advance, and a transmission control unit that transmits the predetermined information to the destination when the determination unit determines that the destination has been registered in advance.

The transmission control unit may transmit the specific information to the destination via a ground station. The acquisition unit may acquire, from the information terminal, the specific information specified in a specific application and the first destination information that specifies an application server of the application as the destination of the specific information.

The acquisition unit may acquire location information indicating the location of the information terminal as the specified information, the determination unit may further determine whether or not the location indicated by the specified information is within a range where a communication connection with a ground station is possible, and the transmission control unit may not transmit the specified information to the destination when the determination unit determines that the location indicated by the specified information is within a range where a communication connection with a ground station is possible, and may transmit the specified information to the destination when the determination unit determines that the location indicated by the specified information is outside a range where a communication connection with a ground station is not possible and the destination has been registered in advance.

The information processing system of the third aspect of the present invention is an information processing system including an information terminal and an information processing device capable of communicating with the information terminal, the information terminal having a connection determination unit that determines whether or not a communication connection with a ground station is possible, and a transmission control unit that transmits first predetermined information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to a predetermined first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, and transmits second predetermined information corresponding to the first predetermined information and information specifying the first destination as a transfer destination of the second predetermined information to the information processing device, which is a second destination, via a satellite station in a second communication protocol corresponding to a second application different from the first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible, and the information processing device has an acquisition unit that acquires the second predetermined information and information specifying the first destination from the information terminal, and a transmission control unit that transmits the second predetermined information acquired by the acquisition unit to the first destination.

The information transmission method of the fourth aspect of the present invention includes a step executed by a computer of determining whether or not a communication connection with a ground station is possible, and, if it is determined that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, transmitting first predetermined information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to a predetermined first application, and, if it is determined that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible, transmitting second predetermined information corresponding to the first predetermined information and information specifying the first destination as a transfer destination of the second predetermined information to a second destination different from the first destination via a satellite station in a second communication protocol corresponding to a second application different from the first application.

The present invention has the effect of transmitting user information even when the user is outside the range of a mobile communication network and cannot access the network.

1 illustrates a configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. The configuration of an information terminal is shown. 4 shows an example of a message displayed by the display control unit. 11 shows an example of transmission of out-of-service area information by a transmission control unit. 1 shows the configuration of an information processing device. 4 shows a processing procedure for transmitting in-range specific information by the information processing system. 13 shows an example of user-related information generated by an external device. 11 shows a processing procedure for transmitting out-of-service area information by the information processing system. 1 shows a configuration of an information terminal according to a second embodiment. 13 shows an example in which the guidance processing unit guides the user to use the second application. 13 shows an example of setting a destination by a second application. 11 shows a processing procedure for transmitting in-service area specific information or out-of-service area specific information by a second application.

First Embodiment
[Overview of Information Processing System S]
1 shows a configuration of an information processing system S of a first embodiment. In the information processing system S, when an information terminal 100 cannot communicate with a ground station B1 included in a mobile communication network, the information terminal 100 communicates with an information processing device 200 via a satellite station B2, and the information processing device 200 relays communication between the information terminal 100 and an external device 300. The information processing system S includes an information terminal 100, an information processing device 200, an external device 300, and an information terminal 400. The information terminal 100 is, for example, a smartphone. In the example of FIG. 1, a user of the information terminal 100 visits an out-of-service area where communication with the ground station B1 is not possible. The out-of-service area is, for example, a mountainous region.

The information terminal 100 communicates with the external device 300 via the ground station B1. If the information terminal 100 cannot establish a communication connection with the ground station B1, it connects to the satellite station B2 by direct communication (Direct to Cell, D2C). The information terminal 100 communicates with the information processing device 200 via the satellite station B2.

The information processing device 200 communicates with the information terminal 100 via the satellite station B2. The information processing device 200 communicates with the external device 300 via a network. The information processing device 200 is an intermediate server that relays communication between the information terminal 100 and the external device 300.

The external device 300 communicates with the information terminal 100, the information processing device 200, and the information terminal 400 via a network. The information terminal 400 is, for example, a smartphone. The information terminal 400 is owned by a related person such as a family member of the user of the information terminal 100. The information terminal 400 notifies the information terminal 400 of user-related information related to the user of the information terminal 100. The user-related information is, for example, information indicating the user's current location and travel route. The user-related information is used, for example, to identify the user's location when the user is lost.

Below, an overview of the processing of the information processing system S will be described. The information terminal 100 determines whether or not a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible ((1) in FIG. 1). If the information terminal 100 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible, it transmits out-of-service specified information (corresponding to the second specified information) to the information processing device 200 via the satellite station B2 ((2) in FIG. 1). The out-of-service specified information is, for example, terminal position information indicating the position of the device itself. The information terminal 100 transmits, together with the out-of-service specified information, first destination information that specifies a first destination as a destination to which the out-of-service specified information is to be transferred to the information processing device 200.

When the information terminal 100 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible, it transmits in-range specific information (corresponding to the first specific information) to the external device 300 via the ground station B1, as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 1 ((2') in FIG. 1). The in-range specific information is, for example, terminal position information indicating the position of the device itself.

The information processing device 200 has multiple destinations registered in the storage unit. The information processing device 200 determines whether the first destination indicated by the first destination information received from the information terminal 100 matches any of the multiple destinations registered in the destination data ((3) in FIG. 1). When the information processing device 200 determines that the first destination indicated by the first destination information matches a destination registered in the destination data, it transmits the received out-of-area information to this first destination. In the example of FIG. 1, the first destination is the server address of the external device 300 ((4) in FIG. 1).

The external device 300 generates user-related information based on the received out-of-service area specific information. The external device 300 transmits the generated user-related information to the information terminal 400 of a related person of the user ((5) in FIG. 1). In this way, the information processing system S can transmit the out-of-service area specific information to the information processing device 200 even when the user of the information terminal 100 is located outside the service area where communication with the ground station B1 is not possible. Therefore, the information processing system S can prevent user-related information generated based on the in-service area specific information or the out-of-service area specific information from being not provided to the information terminal 400 of a related person of the user.

The information processing system S is not limited to an example in which multiple destinations are registered in one information processing device 200. For example, in the information processing system S, multiple destinations may be registered in different information processing devices 200. In addition, the information processing device 200 may include different information processing devices 200 depending on the type of out-of-service area specified information transmitted from the information terminal 100. For example, one or more destinations for transmitting terminal location information as out-of-service area specified information are registered in the first information processing device 200. One or more destinations for transmitting images as out-of-service area specified information are registered in the second information processing device 200. In this way, the information processing device 200 includes different information processing devices 200 for transmitting out-of-service area specified information to the destinations of the respective external devices 300, which makes it easier to optimize information processing or information management within the server.

[Configuration of information terminal 100]
2 shows the configuration of the information terminal 100. The information terminal 100 includes a display unit 1, a communication unit 2, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sensor 3, an operation unit 4, a satellite communication unit 5, a storage unit 6, and a control unit 7. The control unit 7 includes an acquisition unit 71, an operation reception unit 72, a connection determination unit 73, a display control unit 74, and a transmission control unit 75.

The display unit 1 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display unit 1 displays an image generated by the display control unit 74. The communication unit 2 is a wireless communication module for communicating with the external device 300 via the ground station B1. The communication unit 2 communicates with the external device 300 by, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G.

The GNSS sensor 3 measures the position of the information terminal 100 by receiving GNSS signals from multiple GNSS satellites. The position of the information terminal 100 is expressed, for example, by the latitude and longitude of the information terminal 100. The GNSS sensor 3 inputs position information indicating the measured position of the information terminal 100 to the acquisition unit 71.

The operation unit 4 detects user operations on a touch panel or operation keys formed on the display surface of the display unit 1. The operation unit 4 inputs operation information indicating the detected user operations to the operation reception unit 72.

The satellite communication unit 5 is connected to the satellite station B2 via D2C. The satellite station B2 is, for example, a Starlink satellite operated as a mobile phone base station. The satellite communication unit 5 communicates with the information processing device 200 via the satellite station B2.

The storage unit 6 is a storage medium including a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 6 stores a program executed by the control unit 7. The control unit 7 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 7 executes the programs stored in the storage unit 6, thereby functioning as an acquisition unit 71, an operation reception unit 72, a connection determination unit 73, a display control unit 74, and a transmission control unit 75.

The acquisition unit 71 acquires location information indicating the location of the device from the GNSS sensor 3. The acquisition unit 71 periodically acquires the location information. For example, the period during which the acquisition unit 71 acquires the location information is determined according to the period during which the first application 751 of the transmission control unit 75, which will be described later, transmits the specified in-range information. The acquisition unit 71 outputs the acquired location information to the first application 751 and the second application 752.

The operation reception unit 72 receives a user operation via the operation unit 4. For example, the operation reception unit 72 receives a user operation to instruct the information processing device 200 to transmit out-of-service area specified information. The out-of-service area specified information includes, for example, information indicating the user's position such as latitude and longitude. The out-of-service area specified information may include a message input by the user, or may include an image. This out-of-service area specified information further includes information specifying the external device 300 as the destination, and a user ID. The operation reception unit 72 outputs operation information indicating the received user operation to the transmission control unit 75.

The connection determination unit 73 determines whether or not a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible. For example, the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible when the communication unit 2 receives radio waves emitted by the ground station B1 within a predetermined period. The connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible when the communication unit 2 cannot receive radio waves emitted by the ground station B1 within the predetermined period. The predetermined period is determined, for example, by the telecommunications carrier that manages the ground station B1 or the manufacturer of the information terminal 100. The connection determination unit 73 outputs information indicating the determination result to the display control unit 74 or the transmission control unit 75.

When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible, the display control unit 74 displays a message on the display unit 1 informing the user that it is possible to transmit out-of-service information via the satellite station B2. FIG. 3 shows an example of a message displayed by the display control unit 74. In the example of FIG. 3, the display control unit 74 displays the message "Unable to connect to the ground station. Would you like to transmit out-of-service information via D2C communication?" on the display unit 1.

[Transmission of various information]
The transmission control unit 75 communicates with the external device 300 via the communication unit 2. The transmission control unit 75 communicates with the information processing device 200 via the satellite communication unit 5. The transmission control unit 75 includes a predetermined first application 751 and a second application 752. The first application 751 is, for example, a map application for mountain climbing. The second application 752 is an application different from the first application 751. The second application is, for example, a short message service application or a rich communication service application.

When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible, the first application 751 of the transmission control unit 75 transmits the in-range specified information to the first destination in the first communication protocol corresponding to this first application 751. The in-range specified information is, for example, terminal position information indicating the position of the device itself. The position of the device itself is expressed, for example, by latitude, longitude, and altitude. The in-range specified information may include a message entered by the user, or may include an image. The in-range specified information further includes a user ID.

The first communication protocol is, for example, a communication protocol for communication between the first app 751 and the external device 300 which is the first app server. The first communication protocol is, for example, determined by an administrator of the external device 300. The first destination is, for example, a server address for transmission to the first server. The first server is a server corresponding to the first app 751. For example, the first server is the external device 300 owned by an administrator who manages the first app 751. The first app 751 of the transmission control unit 75 periodically transmits the in-range specified information using the first communication protocol. The period for transmitting the in-range specified information by the transmission control unit 75 is, for example, specified by a user or an administrator of the external device 300.

When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible, the second application 752 of the transmission control unit 75 transmits the out-of-service area specific information and the first destination information that specifies the first destination as the transfer destination of the out-of-service area specific information to the second destination via the satellite station B2 using the second communication protocol. The second communication protocol corresponds to the second application 752. For example, the second communication protocol is, for example, a short message service or a rich communication service.

The out-of-service area specified information is, for example, information corresponding to the in-service area specified information transmitted by the first app 751. This out-of-service area specified information may be information with the same content as the in-service area specified information, but is not limited to this. For example, this in-service area specified information may be information with the same content as the in-service area specified information, but with a reduced amount of data compared to the in-service area specified information. As an example, when the in-service area specified information indicates the latitude and longitude of the information terminal 100, the out-of-service area specified information indicates the latitude and longitude of the information terminal 100 with fewer digits than the in-service area specified information.

The second destination is different from the first destination. The second destination is a server address for sending to a specific second server. The second server is managed by a business operator different from the business operator that manages the first app 751. For example, the second server is the information processing device 200.

Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show examples of out-of-service area specified information transmitted by the transmission control unit 75. Figure 4(a) shows the state immediately before terminal location information indicating the location of the information terminal 100 is transmitted by the transmission control unit 75 as out-of-service area specified information. Figure 4(a) shows the lower display area of the display unit 1. In Figure 4(a), the second application 752, which is a short message service application, is started, and a character string indicating the location of the information terminal 100 is automatically input into the message input field of this second application 752.

When the operation reception unit 72 receives a user's operation of operating the transmission button T1 in the state shown in FIG. 4(a), the transmission control unit 75 transmits terminal location information indicating the location of the information terminal 100 as the out-of-service area specified information to the information processing device 200, which is the second destination, via D2C. FIG. 4(b) shows the state after the transmission control unit 75 transmits the terminal location information to the information processing device 200. In the example of FIG. 4(b), an image T2 indicating that transmission of the terminal location information has been completed is displayed by the display control unit 74.

[Configuration of information processing device 200]
5 shows a configuration of the information processing device 200. The information processing device 200 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23. The control unit 23 includes an acquisition unit 231, a determination unit 232, and a transmission control unit 233.

The communication unit 21 is an interface for communicating with the external device 300 via a network. The communication unit 21 communicates with the information terminal 100 by D2C communication via the satellite station B2.

The memory unit 22 is a storage medium including a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The memory unit 22 stores a program executed by the control unit 23. The memory unit 22 stores a plurality of destinations of the out-of-service area information. The memory unit 22 may store an in-service area map indicating a position where communication can be established with any of a plurality of ground stations B1 constituting the mobile network. The in-service area map is referenced by the determination unit 232 to determine whether the position of the information terminal 100 is a position where communication can be established with the ground station B1.

The control unit 23 is, for example, a CPU. The control unit 23 functions as an acquisition unit 231, a determination unit 232, and a transmission control unit 233 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 22.

The acquisition unit 231 communicates with the information terminal 100 via the communication unit 21. The acquisition unit 231 acquires the out-of-service area specified information and first destination information for specifying the first destination of the out-of-service area specified information from the user's information terminal 100 via the satellite station B2. At this time, the acquisition unit 231 acquires the out-of-service area specified information and the first destination information by D2C. This out-of-service area specified information is data specified in a specified first application 751. The out-of-service area specified information is, for example, terminal position information indicating the position of the information terminal 100. The first destination information specifies the application server of the first application 751 as the destination of the out-of-service area specified information. In the example of FIG. 5, the application server of the first application 751 is the external device 300.

Destination and Terminal Location Determination
The determination unit 232 determines whether or not the first destination specified in the first destination information acquired by the acquisition unit 231 has been registered in advance. The determination unit 232 determines whether or not any of the multiple destinations stored in the storage unit 22 matches the destination specified in the first destination information acquired by the acquisition unit 231. The determination unit 232 outputs information indicating the determination result as to whether or not the destination has been registered to the transmission control unit 233.

When the acquisition unit 231 acquires terminal position information indicating the position of the information terminal 100 as the out-of-service area specified information, the determination unit 232 may further determine whether or not the position indicated by the out-of-service area specified information is within a range where a communication connection with a ground station is possible. The determination unit 232 reads out from the storage unit 22 an in-service area map indicating a position where a communication connection with any of the multiple ground stations B1 is possible. The determination unit 232 refers to the read in-service area map and determines whether or not the position indicated by the out-of-service area specified information acquired by the acquisition unit 231 is within a range. The determination unit 232 outputs information indicating the determination result as to whether or not the position indicated by the out-of-service area specified information is within a range to the transmission control unit 233.

[Communication with external device 300]
The transmission control unit 233 communicates with the external device 300 via the communication unit 21. The transmission control unit 233 transmits the out-of-service area specified information acquired by the acquisition unit 231 to the first destination specified in the first destination information. For example, when the determination unit 232 determines that the first destination specified in the out-of-service area specified information is registered in advance, the transmission control unit 233 transmits the out-of-service area specified information to this destination. The transmission control unit 233 transmits the out-of-service area specified information to the destination via the ground station. On the other hand, when the determination unit 232 determines that the destination is not registered in advance, the transmission control unit 233 does not transmit the out-of-service area specified information. In this way, the transmission control unit 233 transmits the out-of-service area specified information only to the destination registered in advance, so that the load on the information processing device 200 when transferring the out-of-service area specified information received from the information terminal 100 can be reduced.

When the information terminal 100 is in a state in which it is possible for it to establish a communication connection with the ground station B1, it is possible for it to communicate with the external device 300 via the ground station B1. In this case, the information processing device 200 does not need to function as an intermediate server that relays communication between the information terminal 100 and the external device 300. For this reason, when the determination unit 232 determines that the location indicated by the out-of-area information is within an area in which it is possible for it to establish a communication connection with the ground station B1, the transmission control unit 233 does not need to transmit the out-of-area information to the first destination specified in the out-of-area information.

On the other hand, the transmission control unit 233 may transmit the out-of-service specified information to the destination when the determination unit 232 determines that the location indicated by the out-of-service specified information is out of service where communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible and that the destination specified in the first destination information has been registered in advance. In this way, the transmission control unit 233 transmits the out-of-service specified information to the external device 300 on the condition that the location indicated by the out-of-service specified information is out of service where communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible, thereby reducing the processing load when functioning as an intermediate server.

[Processing procedure for transmitting in-area specific information]
6 shows a processing procedure for transmitting in-range predetermined information by the information processing system S. This processing procedure is started when the connection determination unit 73 of the information terminal 100 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible.

First, the first application 751 of the transmission control unit 75 transmits the in-range specific information to the external device 300 via the ground station B1. The external device 300 generates user-related information about the user of the information terminal 100 based on the received in-range specific information (S101). When the external device 300 receives request information requesting user-related information from the information terminal 400 of a related party of the user, it transmits the user-related information to the information terminal 400. The information terminal 400 displays the received user-related information (S102) and ends the process.

Figure 7 shows an example of user-related information generated by the external device 300. Figure 7 shows an example in which the specified in-range information is terminal location information indicating the location of the information terminal 100. Based on the received terminal location information, the external device 300 generates an image showing on a map the route traveled by the user of the information terminal 100 in a mountainous area as user-related information. This user-related information is displayed by the information terminal 400. The circles in Figure 7 indicate waypoints passed by the user. Figure 7 shows that the user reached a location at latitude "XX.XXXXX" and longitude "YY.YYYYYY" at 11:20 on December 13th.

[Processing procedure for transmitting out-of-service area information]
8 shows a processing procedure for transmitting the out-of-service area predetermined information by the information processing system S. This processing procedure is started when the connection determination unit 73 of the information terminal 100 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible.

First, the second application 752 of the transmission control unit 75 transmits the out-of-service area information and the first destination information that specifies the first destination as the transfer destination of the out-of-service area information to the information processing device 200 by D2C via the satellite station B2. The determination unit 232 of the information processing device 200 determines whether the first destination specified in the first destination information acquired by the acquisition unit 231 has been registered in advance (S201).

When the determination unit 232 of the information processing device 200 determines that the destination specified in the first destination information acquired by the acquisition unit 231 has been registered in advance (YES in S201), the determination unit 232 transmits out-of-service area information to the external device 300, which is the first destination specified in the first destination information. The process from step S101 onwards is the same as that in FIG. 6, and therefore will not be described.

When the determination unit 232 of the information processing device 200 determines that the destination specified in the first destination information acquired by the acquisition unit 231 has not been registered in advance (NO in S201), the determination unit 232 does not transmit out-of-service area information to the destination specified in the first destination information. In this case, the determination unit 232 repeats the determination in S201 until the acquisition unit 231 acquires first destination information in which a registered destination is specified.

[Effects of the information terminal 100 of the first embodiment]
When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible, the second application 752 of the transmission control unit 75 transmits the out-of-service area specified information and the first destination information to the second destination information processing device 200 via the satellite station. The transmission control unit 233 of the information processing device 200 transmits the out-of-service area specified information to the destination indicated by the first destination information. In this way, the transmission control unit 75 can transmit user information to this destination even when the user is outside the service area where the mobile communication network cannot be accessed. Therefore, in the information processing system S, it is possible to prevent user-related information generated based on the in-service area specified information or the out-of-service area specified information from being not provided to the information terminal 400 of a related person of the user.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the second application is started on the condition that the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible. Fig. 9 shows the configuration of an information terminal 500 according to the second embodiment. The control unit 7 of the information terminal 500 differs from the information terminal 100 in Fig. 2 in that it includes a guidance processing unit 501, a start processing unit 502, and a second application 503.

The storage unit 6 may store an in-service area map indicating a location where communication connection to one of the multiple ground stations B1 constituting the mobile network is possible. The in-service area map is referenced by the connection determination unit 73 to determine whether the location of the information terminal 100 is a location where communication connection to the ground station B1 is possible.

The connection determination unit 73, like the connection determination unit in FIG. 2, determines whether or not a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible. For example, the connection determination unit 73 determines whether or not a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible when the first application 751 is activated.

The connection determination unit 73 may determine whether or not a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible based on the location information acquired by the acquisition unit 71. For example, the connection determination unit 73 refers to a coverage area map in the storage unit 6 that indicates a location where a communication connection with any of the multiple ground stations B1 constituting the mobile network is possible, and determines whether or not a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible at the location indicated by the location information acquired by the acquisition unit 71.

When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible, it further determines whether or not a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is possible. For example, the connection determination unit 73 determines whether or not a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is possible when the first application 751 is activated. The connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is possible when the communication unit 2 receives radio waves emitted by the satellite station B2 within a predetermined period. The connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is not possible when the communication unit 2 cannot receive radio waves emitted by the satellite station B2 within a predetermined period. The predetermined period is determined, for example, by the communication carrier that manages the satellite station B2 or the manufacturer of the information terminal 500.

The guidance processing unit 501 guides the user to use the second app 503 capable of transmitting out-of-service specific information corresponding to the in-service specific information by communication according to the second communication protocol via the satellite station B2. The second communication protocol is, for example, a short message service or a rich communication service. The out-of-service specific information corresponding to the in-service specific information may be information with the same content as the in-service specific information, or information with substantially the same content as the in-service specific information but with a reduced amount of data compared to the in-service specific information. For example, when the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible and a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is possible, the guidance processing unit 501 guides the user to use the second app 503.

Figure 10 shows an example in which the guidance processing unit 501 guides the user to use the second app 503. When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible and that a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is possible, the image shown in Figure 10 is displayed. In Figure 10, a start button T3 for starting the second app 503 is displayed. When the operation reception unit 72 receives a user's operation on the start button T3, the start processing unit 502 described below starts the second app 503. When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible and that a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is not possible, the guidance processing unit 501 displays a message on the display unit 1 notifying an error indicating that a communication connection with neither the ground station B1 nor the satellite station B2 is possible.

[Start-up process of second application 503]
The start-up processing unit 502 starts up the second application 503 capable of transmitting out-of-service area specified information corresponding to the in-service area specified information by communication according to the second communication protocol via the satellite station B2. The start-up processing unit 502 starts up the second application 503 when the operation acceptance unit 72 accepts a user operation to start up the second application 503. For example, the start-up processing unit 502 starts up the second application 503 when the operation acceptance unit 72 accepts a user operation on the start button T3 shown in FIG.

When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible and that a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is possible, the start-up processing unit 502 may start the second app 503 in a state in which the operation reception unit 72 has not received a user operation to start the second app 503. In this way, the start-up processing unit 502 automatically starts the second app 503, so that the user can omit the operation of starting the second app 503.

[Information Transmission by First Application 751 and Second Application 503]
The first application 751 of the transmission control unit 75 operates in the same manner as the first application 751 of Fig. 2. When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible, the first application 751 of the transmission control unit 75 transmits first predetermined information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to the predetermined first application.

The second application 503 is, for example, a text message sending application. Specifically, the second application 503 is a short message service application or a rich communication service application. The second application 503 transmits the out-of-service area information via the satellite station B2. The second application 503 transmits the out-of-service area information by D2C, which connects to the satellite station B2 without passing through the ground station B1. The second application 503 operates in the same manner as the second application 752 in FIG. 2.

The second application 503 started by the start-up processing unit 502 transmits the out-of-service area specified information and information designating the first destination as the destination of the out-of-service area specified information to the second destination via the satellite station B2. The second destination is different from the first destination. For example, the second application 503 started by the start-up processing unit 502 sets the destination of the out-of-service area specified information to a predetermined second destination in a state in which the operation reception unit 72 has not received a user operation to designate the destination of the out-of-service area specified information. The second destination is, for example, the information processing device 200.

Figure 11 shows an example of setting a destination by the second application 503. When the start-up processing unit 502 starts up the second application 503, the image in Figure 11 is displayed. In the example of Figure 11, the second destination is set as the destination of the out-of-service area specified information in a state in which the operation reception unit 72 has not received a user operation to specify a destination of the out-of-service area specified information. In the example of Figure 11, the out-of-service area specified information is terminal location information indicating the location of the information terminal 100.

In FIG. 11, a send button T4 for sending the terminal location information is displayed. When the operation receiving unit 72 receives a user operation on this send button T4, the second application 503 sends the terminal location information to the second destination. In this way, the second application 503 automatically sets the destination of the out-of-service area specified information, so that the user can omit the operation for setting the destination of the out-of-service area specified information.

The second application 503 started by the start-up processing unit 502 may transmit the out-of-service area specified information when the operation reception unit 72 has not received a user operation for transmitting the out-of-service area specified information. The second application 503 transmits the out-of-service area specified information to the second destination. In this way, the second application 503 automatically transmits the out-of-service area specified information, so that the user can omit the operation for transmitting the out-of-service area specified information.

The second application 503 started by the start-up processing unit 502 may automatically transmit the out-of-service area information while running in the background. In this case, if the user is working with another application, the user does not need to interrupt the work in order to transmit the out-of-service area information.

[Processing procedure for transmitting in-service area specific information or out-of-service area specific information by the second application 503]
12 shows a processing procedure for transmitting in-service area specific information or out-of-service area specific information by the second application 503. This processing procedure starts in a state where the first application 751 is activated.

The connection determination unit 73 determines whether or not a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible (S301). If the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible (NO in S301), it determines whether or not a communication connection with the satellite station B2 is possible (S302).

When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with satellite station B2 is possible (YES in S302), the start-up processing unit 502 starts the second application 503 (S303). The second application 503 started by the start-up processing unit 502 sets the destination of the out-of-service area specified information to a specified second destination (S304). The second application 503 determines whether the operation reception unit 72 has received a user operation to transmit the out-of-service area specified information (S305).

When the operation reception unit 72 determines that a user operation for transmitting out-of-service information has been received (YES in S305), the second application 503 transmits the out-of-service information to the set second destination (S306) and ends the process. When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is possible (YES in S301), the first application 751 transmits the in-service information to the first destination (S307).

If the connection determination unit 73 determines in the determination of S302 that a communication connection with satellite station B2 is not possible (NO in S302), the guidance processing unit 501 notifies the user of an error indicating that a communication connection with neither ground station B1 nor satellite station B2 is possible (S308). If the second application 503 determines in the determination of S305 that the operation reception unit 72 has not received a user operation to transmit the out-of-service area specified information (NO in S305), it repeats the determination of S305.

[Effects of the information terminal 500 of the second embodiment]
When the connection determination unit 73 determines that a communication connection with the ground station B1 is not possible, the guidance processing unit 501 guides the user to use the second application 503 capable of transmitting out-of-service area specified information corresponding to the in-service area specified information by communication according to the second communication protocol via the satellite station B2. In this way, the guidance processing unit 501 can prevent the user from leaving the information terminal 500 in a state in which neither the in-service area specified information nor the out-of-service area specified information is transmitted to the external device 300.

Furthermore, this invention will make it possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and promote innovation and infrastructure."

Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by distributing or integrating functionally or physically in any unit. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment resulting from the combination also has the effect of the original embodiment.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Display unit 2 Communication unit 3 GNSS sensor 4 Operation unit 5 Satellite communication unit 6 Memory unit 7 Control unit 21 Communication unit 22 Memory unit 23 Control unit 71 Acquisition unit 72 Operation reception unit 73 Connection determination unit 74 Display control unit 75 Transmission control unit 100 Information terminal 200 Information processing device 231 Acquisition unit 232 Determination unit 233 Transmission control unit 300 External device 400 Information terminal 500 Information terminal 501 Guidance processing unit 502 Startup processing unit 503, 752 Second application 751 First application

Claims (13)

a connection determination unit that determines whether a communication connection with a ground station is possible;
a transmission control unit that transmits first predetermined information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to a predetermined first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, and transmits second predetermined information corresponding to the first predetermined information and information designating the first destination as a transfer destination of the second predetermined information to a second destination different from the first destination via a satellite station in a second communication protocol corresponding to a second application different from the first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible;
An information terminal comprising: When the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, the transmission control unit transmits the first predetermined information to a server address for transmitting the first predetermined information to a first server corresponding to the first application as the first destination.
2. An information terminal according to claim 1. When the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible, the transmission control unit transmits the second predetermined information and information designating the first destination to a server address for transmitting the second predetermined information and information designating the first destination to a second server managed by a business operator different from a business operator managing the first application as the second destination.
3. An information terminal according to claim 1 or 2. When the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible, the transmission control unit transmits the second predetermined information and information designating the first destination to the second destination using a short message service or a rich communication service as the second communication protocol.
3. An information terminal according to claim 1 or 2. The transmission control unit periodically transmits the first predetermined information in the first communication protocol.
3. An information terminal according to claim 1 or 2. The transmission control unit transmits terminal location information indicating a location of the device as the first predetermined information.
3. An information terminal according to claim 1 or 2. a display control unit that displays a message indicating that the second predetermined information can be transmitted via a satellite station when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible,
3. An information terminal according to claim 1 or 2. an acquisition unit that acquires, from a user's information terminal via a satellite station, the predetermined information and first destination information for designating a destination of the predetermined information;
a determination unit that determines whether the destination specified in the first destination information is registered in advance;
a transmission control unit that transmits the predetermined information to the destination when the determination unit determines that the destination has been registered in advance;
An information processing device comprising: The transmission control unit transmits the predetermined information to the destination via a ground station.
The information processing device according to claim 8. The acquisition unit acquires, from the information terminal, the predetermined information designated in a predetermined application and the first destination information designating an application server of the application as a destination of the predetermined information.
10. The information processing device according to claim 8 or 9. the acquiring unit acquires location information indicating a location of the information terminal as the predetermined information,
The determination unit further determines whether or not the location indicated by the predetermined information is within a range in which a communication connection with a ground station is possible;
the transmission control unit, when the determination unit determines that the location indicated by the predetermined information is within a range where a communication connection with a ground station is possible, does not transmit the predetermined information to the destination, and when the determination unit determines that the location indicated by the predetermined information is outside a range where a communication connection with a ground station is not possible and the destination has been registered in advance, transmits the predetermined information to the destination.
10. The information processing device according to claim 8 or 9. An information processing system including an information terminal and an information processing device capable of communicating with the information terminal,
The information terminal includes:
a connection determination unit that determines whether a communication connection with a ground station is possible;
a transmission control unit that transmits first predetermined information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to a predetermined first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, and transmits second predetermined information corresponding to the first predetermined information and information designating the first destination as a transfer destination of the second predetermined information to the information processing device which is a second destination, via a satellite station in a second communication protocol corresponding to a second application different from the first application when the connection determination unit determines that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible;
having
The information processing device includes:
an acquisition unit that acquires the second predetermined information and information designating the first destination from the information terminal;
a transmission control unit that transmits the second predetermined information acquired by the acquisition unit to the first destination,
Information processing system. The computer executes
determining whether a communication connection with a ground station is possible;
transmitting first predetermined information to a first destination in a first communication protocol corresponding to a predetermined first application when it is determined that a communication connection with the ground station is possible, and transmitting second predetermined information corresponding to the first predetermined information and information designating the first destination as a transfer destination of the second predetermined information to a second destination different from the first destination via a satellite station in a second communication protocol corresponding to a second application different from the first application when it is determined that a communication connection with the ground station is not possible;
An information transmission method comprising:

Images