JP2011077950A - Communication terminal, device selection program for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile communication terminal capable of contributing improvement in convenience for a user of a cellular phone, by selecting an external device on the basis of service class information of the external device. <P>SOLUTION: A communication terminal has: a receiving means for receiving input of service information indicating a class of services provided by an external device; a communication means for performing communication by setting up a wireless communication line with the external device; a service information acquisition means for acquiring service information of external devices via the wireless communication line set up by the communication means; and a selection means for selecting, as an external device that provides the services, an external device of which at least part of service information received by the receiving means is included in the service information of the external devices acquired by the service information acquisition means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal that performs device selection and a device selection program for the communication terminal.

  In recent years, with the spread of wireless communication lines, portable communication terminals having a wireless communication function have been spread. A mobile phone, which is an example of a communication terminal having a wireless communication function, has a voice communication function and a data communication function through a wireless communication line, and is used for various purposes such as voice calls and mail transmission / reception. In addition, with the diversification of storage devices and information processing devices mounted on mobile phones, mobile phones that can provide various services such as music playback functions and photo shooting functions are not limited to communication functions.

  Along with the multi-functionality of services provided by such mobile phones, a technology for providing enhanced services by connecting to external devices using wireless communication functions and performing cooperative operations with external devices has been put into practical use. Yes. For example, a mobile phone and headphones are connected by a wireless communication function, and music data is output through the connected headphones. Accordingly, the user of the mobile phone can use the music festival function through headphones having excellent acoustic performance. Further, by connecting the mobile phone and the headphones via a wireless communication line, the user of the mobile phone can use the external device without being aware of the wiring as compared with the case of connecting by wired wiring.

  Among wireless communication functions, a mobile phone is connected to an external device using a short-range wireless communication method defined by Bluetooth (registered trademark, the same applies hereinafter), the connection state between the external device and the mobile phone, and the external device in the mobile phone. A technology for displaying information on external devices on a display unit of a mobile phone based on the registered information is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-199186 A

  As an example, in a mobile phone that is connected to an external device using the above-described Bluetooth, an operation for establishing a wireless communication line by selecting one desired external device from among a large number of external devices existing around the terminal itself Think. In general, in such an operation of establishing a wireless communication line, first, the mobile phone detects an external device that can establish a wireless communication line using Bluetooth. Then, by selecting a desired external device from the external devices detected by the user of the mobile phone, an operation for establishing a wireless communication line with the external device is performed.

However, when there are a large number of external devices around the terminal, the number of detected external devices also increases. For this reason, the user of the mobile phone must select a desired one from among many external devices displayed. Furthermore, since the services that can be provided for each external device are different from each other, the user must select and understand which of the detected external devices can provide the desired service. Cannot receive the service of. As described above, in the conventional connection processing with the external device, the user of the mobile phone must select one of the many detected external devices, which impairs the user's convenience in using the service. There was a fear.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the communication device of the present invention establishes a wireless communication line with the external device and communicates with a reception unit that receives an input of service information indicating the type of service provided by the external device. The accepting means accepts the communication means, the service information obtaining means for obtaining service information of the external device through the wireless communication line established by the communication means, and the service information of the external device obtained by the service information obtaining means. And selecting means for selecting an external device including at least a part of the service information as an external device that provides the service.

In addition, the device selection program for a communication device according to the present invention includes a reception unit that receives an input of service information indicating a type of service provided by the external device, and a communication unit that establishes a wireless communication line with the external device and performs communication. Service information acquisition means for acquiring service information of an external device through a wireless communication line established by the communication means, and service information received by the reception means in service information of the external device acquired by the service information acquisition means And a selection unit that selects an external device including at least a part thereof as an external device that provides a service.

  According to the present invention, since the external device for establishing the wireless communication line can be selected based on the type of service that the user of the communication device desires to provide, the communication terminal and the communication that can contribute to the improvement of the convenience for the user A terminal device selection program can be provided.

The block diagram which shows the internal structure of the communication terminal in connection with embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the network comprised from a communication terminal and an external device in this embodiment. The flowchart of the apparatus selection process in this embodiment. The figure which shows the example of the screen display accompanying the apparatus selection process in this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Configuration of mobile phone)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an internal structure of a mobile phone, which is an example of a communication terminal according to the present embodiment. The operation of each component of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 unless otherwise specified.

The control unit 31 mounted on the mobile phone is configured by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU executes processing according to a program stored in a ROM or RAM described later. Further, the CPU processes signals supplied from each circuit unit described above, generates various control signals, and supplies them to each circuit unit. Through these processes, the CPU comprehensively controls the mobile phone. The storage unit 32 includes, for example, a flash memory element that is an electrically rewritable and erasable nonvolatile memory, an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. . In addition to various application programs and data groups executed by the CPU of the control unit 31, the storage unit 32 stores a device database used for device selection processing described later.

The device database stored in the storage unit 32 stores information on external devices with which the mobile phone has established a wireless communication line so far.

In addition, the mobile phone includes an antenna 21 and transmits and receives radio signals to and from external devices via the antenna 21. In the present embodiment, the antenna 21 is described as performing radio signal transmission / reception based on the radio communication system defined by Bluetooth, but the radio communication system applicable to the present invention is not limited to this. For example, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WirelessUSB (Universal Serial Bus), Zigbee, Transfer-JET, W-CDM
Various wireless communication schemes defined by A (Wideband Code Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), etc. may be used.

  A radio signal received from the antenna 21 is input to the Bluetooth signal processing unit 26. The Bluetooth signal processing unit 26 converts the frequency of the input radio signal into a reception baseband signal. Next, the Bluetooth signal processing unit 26 generates reception data of a predetermined transmission format from the converted reception baseband signal. The generated reception data is input to the control unit 31.

When the received data is audio data, the control unit 31 performs a PCM decoding process on the received data and converts it into an audio signal. The converted audio signal is amplified to an appropriate level by the reception amplifier 29 and then output as audio from the speaker 8. When the received data is a control signal, the control signal is input to the control unit 31, and the control unit 31 controls the mobile phone based on the control signal.

  On the other hand, when a radio signal is transmitted from the antenna 21 to the external device, transmission data of a predetermined transmission format generated by the control unit 31 is input to the Bluetooth signal processing unit 26. The Bluetooth signal processing unit 26 converts transmission data into a transmission baseband signal, and converts the transmission data into a predetermined frequency. The frequency-converted radio signal is input from the Bluetooth signal processing unit 26 to the antenna 21, and the antenna 21 transmits the radio signal to an external device. For example, when an audio signal is transmitted through the antenna 21, an audio is first input to the microphone 7 by a user of the mobile phone. The audio signal input to the microphone 7 is amplified to an appropriate level by the transmission amplifier 30 and then input to the control unit 31. The control unit 31 generates audio data obtained by PCM encoding the audio signal. Using the audio data as transmission data, the above-described wireless signal transmission processing is performed.

  The mobile phone is provided with operation keys 4, and various operation instructions are input to the control unit 31 when the user presses the operation keys 4. In addition, the mobile phone is provided with a display 10, and various characters and figures are displayed according to the image signal output from the control unit 31.

(Create device database)
Next, a device database recorded in the storage unit 32 will be described. In the device database, for example, device identification ID information that uniquely identifies the external device, device name information of the external device, type information of the external device, address information on the wireless communication line of the external device, and the like are recorded. These device name information may be recorded by reading information recorded in the external device in advance when the external device and the mobile phone establish a wireless communication line. However, the information may be input one by one. Alternatively, the control unit 31 may generate such information.

  In addition, information on the most recent date and time when the mobile phone and the external device established a wireless communication line and information on the date and time registered in the device database are recorded in the device database. Alternatively, the information on the cumulative use count of the external device, the information on the cumulative use time of the external device, etc. used through the wireless communication line is recorded for each external device.

Also, service type information of external devices is recorded in the device database. The service type information is information indicating services that can be performed by an external device, such as a music playback service or a telephone directory exchange service. For example, when the external device is a headset that provides a music playback service, “music playback service” is recorded as the service type of the headset.

For example, in Bluetooth, service type information can be generated using profile information held by an external device. The profile information includes A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), AVRCP (Audio / Video Remote Control Profile), ICP (Intercom Profile Profile), HID (Human Interface Profile, HID). Profile) or HFP (Hands-Free Profile).

In addition, in Bluetooth, service type information may be generated by using Service Class, Major Device Class, or Minor Device Class information included in CoD (Class of Service) information held by an external device. . In the Service Class, services related to speakers, services related to telephone communications, and the like are classified and assigned to bits constituting the Service Class. The control unit 31 can read the bits configuring the Service Class and generate service type information. Similarly, the control unit 31 can read the bit information constituting the Major Device Class and Minor Device Class, and generate service type information. Alternatively, the control unit 31 may generate service type information by combining the above-described profile information with the Major Device Class and Minor Device Class information.

Note that the method of generating the service type information is not limited to the methods listed here. For example, the control unit 31 receives information indicating the type of model recorded in the external device and information indicating the name of the model via the antenna 21, and generates service type information based on the information. It doesn't matter. Alternatively, the control unit 31 may read information indicating a service that can be performed by the external device from a radio signal transmitted and received between the external device and the mobile phone, and generate service type information based on this information. In the present embodiment, as an example, Bluetooth is used as a communication method. However, the control unit 31 reads information corresponding to information indicating a service that can be performed by an external device in another communication method, and the service type This information may be generated.

  The information recorded in the device database is not limited to the information listed here. In the device database, for example, a comment given by the user of the mobile phone for each model may be recorded. The device database may be configured by omitting some of the information listed here.

(Device selection process)
The flow of the device selection process performed by the control unit 31 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of a device selection process in which the mobile phone selects an external device and establishes a connection according to the type of service desired by the user of the mobile phone.

First, when the control unit 31 starts a device selection process (step 100), the control unit 31 displays a service selection screen on the display 10 and prompts the user of the mobile phone to select a desired service (step 101). ). When a desired service is input by the user of the mobile phone, the control unit 31 detects an external device existing around the mobile phone via the antenna 21 and updates the device database recorded in the storage unit 32. Perform (step 102).
That is, the control unit 31 detects what external devices are currently in the vicinity of the mobile phone, and acquires information such as information on service types that can be provided by the external devices, and cumulative usage time of the external devices. Then, the control unit 31 records these information in the device database recorded in the storage unit 32. Note that the device database update process described in step 102 may be omitted, and the device selection process described below may be performed using the information of the device database recorded in advance in the storage unit 32.

  When the device database is updated by the control unit 31, the control unit 31 determines whether there is an external device capable of providing a desired service by referring to the device database recorded in the storage unit 32 ( Step 103). If the control unit 31 determines that there is no external device that provides the desired service in the device database (No in step 103), the control unit 31 displays that there is no external device that provides the desired service. (Step 104), and the process is terminated (step 111). If the control unit 31 determines that there is no external device that provides a desired service, the device database may be updated in step 102 and the external device may be detected again. On the other hand, if there is an external device that provides the desired service in the device database (Yes in step 103), the control unit 31 determines whether there is an unused one of the external devices that can provide the desired service. It is determined whether or not (step 105). Whether or not the external device is unused is determined, for example, based on whether or not there is an external device with a cumulative use count of zero. Alternatively, the determination is made based on whether or not there is an external device having a cumulative usage time of zero. When the control unit 31 determines that there is an unused external device (Yes in Step 105), the control unit 31 selects this external device (Step 106), and displays the selected external device on the display 10 ( Step 110), the process is terminated (Step 111). When the control unit 31 determines that there is no unused external device in the device database (No in Step 105), the control unit 31 has the largest cumulative use number among the external devices that can provide a desired service. It is determined whether there are a plurality of external devices (step 107). If the control unit 31 determines that there is not a plurality of external devices having the maximum cumulative usage count, that is, only one external device exists (No in step 107), the external device having the maximum cumulative usage count among the external devices capable of providing a desired service. A device is selected (step 108), the selected external device is displayed on the display 10 (step 110), and the process is terminated (step 111). On the other hand, when the control unit 31 determines that there are a plurality of devices having the maximum cumulative number of times of use (YES in step 107), the control unit 31 uses the most recently used external device among the external devices that can provide a desired service. Is selected (step 109), the selected external device is displayed on the display 10 (step 110), and the process is terminated (step 111). For selecting which external device has been used most recently, for example, the control unit 31 reads the time when the external device is unused from the device database stored in the storage unit 32, and the unused time is minimized. This is done by selecting an external device.

(Example of device selection processing)
Next, an example of the device selection process described above in the network composed of the mobile phone and the external device shown in FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 4 is an example of a screen display displayed on the display 10 in accordance with the device selection process.

First, a desired service is selected by the user of the mobile phone (step 101, FIG. 4A). If the desired service is “2. Listen to music” at this time, the control unit 31 has an external device capable of providing the “2. Listen to music” service in the device database recorded in the storage unit 32. Whether or not (step 103). In FIG. 2, there are three external devices having the A2DP that is a profile corresponding to the “2. listen to music” service (mobile phone 71, headset 72, and computer 74 (Yes in step 103)). Next, the control unit 31 determines whether there is no unused one of these three external devices (step 105). In FIG. 2, since there is no unused one among the three external devices (No in Step 105), the control unit 31 selects the one having the maximum cumulative number of times of use from among the three external devices (Step 107). ). In FIG. 2, among the three external devices, the maximum number of times of cumulative use is the headset 72 having a cumulative number of times of use of 100. The control unit 31 selects the headset 72 (step 108), displays it on the display 10 (step 110, FIG. 4B), and ends the processing (step 111). As shown in FIG. 4B, when the selected external device is displayed on the display 10, a button for establishing a wireless communication line with the selected external device or an external device capable of providing a service is selected. You may display the button which displays the external apparatus which was not selected. Alternatively, a button for changing a part of the information recorded in the device database such as the device name of the selected external device may be displayed. When the user of the mobile phone selects and operates these buttons, the control unit 31 performs processing corresponding to the buttons. FIG. 4C shows an example of a screen displayed when an unselected external device is displayed on the display 10 among the external devices that can provide a service.
The external device is displayed by displaying a list of external devices that can provide the service. When the user of the mobile phone selects an external device displayed in the list, the control unit 31 displays a device selection screen similar to that shown in FIG. Note that the list of external devices illustrated in FIG. 4C may be displayed, for example, in the order of the accumulated usage time of the external devices. Thereby, the user of the mobile phone can preferentially select an external device that is familiar and frequently used.

When selecting the device used most recently in step 109, a button or a service for establishing a wireless communication line with the selected external device can be provided as in the case described in FIG. 4B. A button for displaying an external device that is not selected among the external devices may be displayed. Alternatively, a button for changing a part of the information recorded in the device database such as the device name of the selected external device may be displayed. Similarly to the case described in FIG. 4C, when selecting the device used most recently in step 109, the external devices not selected from among the external devices that can provide the service are displayed on the display 10. May be. In the list of external devices, for example, external devices with a short unused time may be displayed at the top. Thereby, the user of the mobile phone can preferentially select the external device that has been used most recently and is familiar to him.

  Next, processing when the service desired by the user of the mobile phone is “4. Connect controller” will be described. When the control unit 31 receives an input of a desired service, the control unit 31 determines whether there is an external device capable of providing the service “4. Connect Controller” in the device database recorded in the storage unit 32 (step 103). ). In FIG. 2, there are two external devices having an HID, which are profiles corresponding to the “4. Connect Controller” service, a computer 74 and a keyboard 75 (Yes in Step 103). Next, the control unit 31 determines whether there is an unused external device detected (step 105). In FIG. 2, the keyboard 75 of the two external devices has a cumulative use count of 0, so the control unit 31 determines that the keyboard 75 is not used (Yes in Step 105). The control unit 31 selects the keyboard 75 (step 106), displays it on the display 10 (step 108, FIG. 4 (d)), and ends the processing (step 109). FIG. 4E shows a screen display example when an external device that has not been selected among external devices that can provide a service is displayed on the display 10. The external device is displayed by displaying a list of external devices that can provide the service. When the user of the mobile phone selects an external device displayed in the list, the control unit 31 displays a device selection screen similar to that shown in FIG. Note that the list of external devices illustrated in FIG. 4C may be displayed in a higher order with priority given to, for example, unused external devices. Thereby, the user of the mobile phone can preferentially select the newly added external device.

  Next, processing when the service desired by the user of the mobile phone is “5. Print image” will be described. When the control unit 31 receives an input of a desired service, the control unit 31 determines whether or not there is an external device capable of providing the service “5. Print image” in the device database stored in the storage unit 32 (Step S31). 103). In FIG. 2, there is no external device having BPP, which is a profile corresponding to the service “5. Print image” (No in step 103). The control unit 31 displays on the display 10 that there is no external device that can provide the desired service (step 104, FIG. 4 (f)).

  Through the above processing, as shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 4D, the control unit 31 selects and displays only one external device that can provide a desired service. As a result, the user of the mobile phone grasps the information of the service types that can be provided by the external device one by one, saves the effort of selecting, automatically selects the external device that can provide the desired service, and performs wireless communication. An operation of whether or not to establish a line can be performed. Further, at this time, by selecting an external device having a large cumulative use frequency, it is possible to automatically select a frequently used external device that is familiar to the user of the mobile phone. Further, through the above processing, the control unit 31 selects and displays an unused one of the external devices that can provide a desired service. At this time, by selecting an unused external device, a newly registered external device can be preferentially selected. In addition, by the above processing, the control unit 31 selects and displays the most recently used device when there are a plurality of external devices with a large cumulative number of usages among the external devices that can provide a desired service. At this time, by selecting the most recently used device, only one external device familiar to the user of the mobile phone can be selected even when there are a plurality of frequently used external devices.

  Further, through the above processing, as shown in FIG. 4C and FIG. 4C, the control unit 31 selects external devices that can provide a desired service and displays them in a list form. Thereby, the user of the mobile phone can save the trouble of grasping information on the service types that can be provided by the external device, and can display the external devices that can provide a desired service in a list. Further, at this time, by displaying the external devices having a high cumulative number of use at the top of the list, it is possible to preferentially select frequently used external devices that are familiar to the user of the mobile phone. Further, through the above processing, the control unit 31 displays unused ones of the external devices that can provide a desired service at the top of the list. The user of the mobile phone can preferentially select the newly registered external device. In addition, by the above processing, the control unit 31 gives priority to the external device familiar to the user of the mobile phone by displaying the most recently used external device among the external devices capable of providing a desired service. Can be selected.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 4D, the case where one external device capable of providing a desired service is selected and displayed on the display 10 has been described. However, the operation of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an icon of an external device that has not been selected may be displayed side by side at the bottom of the display 10, and the user of the mobile phone may select this icon so that the control unit 31 selects the external device again. Thereby, even when the external device selected by the control unit 31 is different from the external device desired by the user of the mobile phone, it is possible to easily reselect the external device.

In this embodiment, it is described that the selection of the external device and the rearrangement of the list display are performed based on the cumulative number of times the external device is used and the unused time, but the operation of the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, during a certain period, for example, the external device may be selected and displayed in a list based on the accumulated usage time or accumulated usage count of the most recent week. Also, the cumulative number of external devices used, the length of time used continuously during the establishment of a single wireless communication line, the device registration date and time, the external device information change date and time in the device database, the previous external device The length of time that has been unused since use, the name of the external device, the number of service types that the external device can provide, the address on the wireless communication line of the external device, and the wireless signal on the wireless communication line of the external device The external device may be selected and the list display may be rearranged on the basis of various information such as quality. Furthermore, the information on the external device for selecting the external device and rearranging the list display may be freely selected by the user of the mobile phone.

In the embodiment described here, a mobile phone has been described as an example of the mobile communication terminal. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a small information processing device. The present invention can also be applied to stationary information processing devices such as personal computers, televisions, and fixed telephones. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the constituent elements may be modified and embodied as long as they do not depart from the gist of the invention. Various inventions may be formed by proper combinations of a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be excluded from all the components shown in each embodiment.

4 Operation Key 7 Microphone 8 Speaker 10 Display 21 Antenna 26 Bluetooth Signal Processing Unit 29 Receiving Amplifier 30 Transmitting Amplifier 31 Control Unit 32 Storage Unit 70 Mobile Phone 71 Mobile Phone 72 Headset 73 Camera 74 Computer 75 Keyboard

Claims (6)

A communication means for establishing and communicating with a wireless communication line with an external device;
Receiving means for receiving an input of a service instruction including service information indicating a type of service provided by the external device;
Service information acquisition means for acquiring service information of an external device through a wireless communication line established by the communication means;
Selection means for selecting, as at least a part of the service information of the external device acquired by the service information acquisition unit, an external device that includes the service information received by the reception unit as an external device that provides the service; A communication terminal characterized by that. A communication means for establishing and communicating with a wireless communication line with an external device;
Receiving means for receiving an input of a service instruction including service information indicating a type of service provided by the external device;
A storage unit for storing external device specific information for identifying the external device, and service provision history information associated with the external device specific information;
Selection means for selecting, as at least a part of the service information of the external device acquired by the service information acquisition unit, an external device that includes the service information received by the reception unit as an external device that provides the service; A communication terminal characterized by that. The selection means includes
Service provision history information related to an external device that includes at least part of the service information received by the receiving unit in the service information of the external device is read from the storage unit,
3. The external device having the longest service provision time provided by the external device or the external device having the largest number of times the external device has provided the service is selected as the external device that provides the service. Communication terminal. The selection means includes
Service provision history information related to an external device that includes at least part of the service information received by the receiving unit in the service information of the external device is read from the storage unit,
3. The communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein an external device whose service is provided by the external device is selected as an external device that provides the service. The selection means includes
Service provision history information related to an external device that includes at least part of the service information received by the receiving unit in the service information of the external device is read from the storage unit,
When there are multiple external devices with the longest service time provided by the external device or the external device with the largest number of times the external device has provided the service,
5. The communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein an external device that has provided a service most recently is selected as an external device that provides a service from the plurality of external devices. Receiving means for receiving input of service information indicating a type of service provided by the external device;
A communication means for establishing and communicating with a wireless communication line with an external device;
Service information acquisition means for acquiring service information of an external device through a wireless communication line established by the communication means;
Device selection of a communication terminal, comprising: a selection unit that selects an external device that includes at least a part of the service information received by the reception unit as service information of the external device as an external device that provides the service. program.

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