JPH07274240A - Communication system for portable terminal equipment and its portable terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a simple communication system in which a host computer side recognizes where a portable terminal equipment exists. CONSTITUTION:This communication system is a system transmitting receiving data between a portable terminal equipment 2 and a host computer 1 in which a radio master station 3 connected to the host computer 1 and beacon oscillators 11, 12, 13,..., 1n distributed in the operating area of the portable terminal equipment 2 are arranged. The portable terminal equipment 2 has a radio transmitter- receiver 5 communicating with the radio master station 3 and the receiver 6 receiving signals from the beacon oscillators and a position signal of each beacon oscillator received by the receiver 6 together with its own identification signal from the portable terminal equipment 2 is given to the host computer 1 via the radio transmitter-receiver 5 and the radio master station 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication system for transmitting / receiving data from a host computer to / from a personal portable terminal device, and a portable terminal device suitable for use in such a communication system. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of future computer orientations, new data is stored in a computer by using a portable terminal device to freely use a large amount of data that the computer has at any time and anywhere. There is a theme. However, if data can be widely used and new data can be stored, there arises a problem that it becomes difficult to keep confidentiality and security. Therefore, in order to communicate between a host computer and an individual, that individual must be strictly identified. There are also cases where the host computer must know where the individual is, and that behavior must be strictly controlled.

As a technique for calling a specific moving individual, there is a pager system called a pager of a telephone. According to the pager method, a calling signal peculiar to an individual is oscillated from all over the communication territory from the master station, and it is notified that the receiver held by the individual receives the calling signal. . The individual will communicate with the calling party by a separate communication means (specifically, a telephone). That is, in the pager system, the master station only calls to a specific individual and has no function of exchanging data, and the master station cannot know where the specific individual is.

[0004]

In a communication system of a portable terminal device, it is possible to call a specific individual who moves by such a pager method, that is, a portable terminal device so that data can be communicated with a host computer. Also,
The host computer cannot specify where the portable terminal device is, that is, where the individual carrying the portable terminal device is. For example, in the case where the doors of each room are centrally managed by a host computer in a building, where the person carrying the portable terminal device is required to instruct the host computer to open and close the door using the portable terminal device. You have to enter whether you are there. Further, for example, it is very convenient if the management staff can immediately know where the staff is at a large exhibition hall and the like, and can exchange necessary commands and data through the portable terminal device.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is a communication system using a portable terminal device, and the host computer side can know where the portable terminal device exists. It is intended to provide a simple communication system.

[0006]

A communication system of a portable terminal device to which the present invention is applied for achieving the above object will be described with reference to FIG. 1 corresponding to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system of the present invention is a communication system for transmitting and receiving data between the portable terminal device 2 and the host computer 1, and a wireless master station 3 connected to the host computer 1, Beacon oscillators 11, 12, 13, scattered in the use area of the portable terminal device 2,
... and 1n are arranged. The mobile terminal device 2 has a wireless transceiver 5 that communicates with the wireless master station 3 and a receiver 6 that receives a signal from a beacon oscillator. The position signal of the beacon oscillator received by the receiver 6 together with the self-specific signal from the portable terminal device 2 is input to the host computer 1 through the wireless transceiver 5 and the wireless master station 3.

[0008]

Operation: Beacon oscillators 11, 12, 13, ..., 1
n oscillates each position signal continuously or intermittently. Beacon oscillator 11, 12, 13, ..., 1n
If the operator activates the portable terminal device 2 by a switch operation within the oscillation area of any one of the beacon oscillators (provisionally, the beacon oscillator 12), the receiver 6
Also enters the operating state, and the receiver 6 receives the position signal from the beacon oscillator 12. The position signal is oscillated from the wireless transmitter / receiver 5 together with the self-specific signal of the portable terminal device 2, received by the wireless master station 3, and transferred to the host computer 1. After that, the portable terminal device 2 is used as usual for inputting / outputting data to / from the host computer 1. In the host computer 1, the position signal of the beacon oscillator 12 transferred to the position of the portable terminal device 2,
That is, the position of the person carrying the portable terminal device 2 can be known before the start of data transmission / reception.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of an embodiment of a communication system of a portable terminal device to which the present invention is applied, in which a host computer 1 centrally manages locking and unlocking of doors in a building. Is. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the portable terminal device 2 of the communication system is used.

In the communication system as shown in FIG. 1, a host computer 1 is connected to a wireless master station 3, and door drive circuits 31, 32 ... Are connected by a local area network (LAN). A transmitting / receiving antenna 4 is attached to the wireless master station 3. Door drive circuit 31, 3
Reference numeral 2 drives the power source of the electronic locks attached to the door knobs of the doors 21 and 22 shown in FIG. 2, respectively. Further, beacon oscillators 11, 12, 13, ..., 1n are scattered and arranged in an area where the portable terminal device 2 is used. Beacon oscillator 11, 12, 13, ..., 1
Reference numeral n denotes an infrared oscillator, which oscillates its own position by its own pulse. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the room ceiling 2
Beacon oscillators 11 and 12 are attached in places, and the beacon oscillator 11 sets approximately half of the door 21 side of the room as an oscillation area, and the beacon oscillator 12 is the door 2 of the room.
Almost half of the 2 side is the oscillation area.

The portable terminal device 2 used in this communication system has a control circuit (CP) for controlling the operation of the terminal device.
U) 40, a radio transceiver (RF) 5 whose frequency is matched to the radio master station 3 on the host computer 1 side, its antenna 47, beacon oscillators (1 to n) 11, 12, 13, ...
..Infrared sensor 6 for receiving infrared rays oscillated by 1n, amplifier 42 for shaping the received signal waveform of infrared sensor 6, keyboard 43 for inputting data to this portable terminal device, call from wireless master station 3 A sound circuit 44 for generating sound, a liquid crystal display device (LCD) 45 for displaying input data of the keyboard 43 and data of the host computer 1 input through the wireless transceiver 5, the input / output devices and the control circuit 40. It has an interface (IF) circuit 46 for matching signals between them.

In this communication system, the beacon oscillator 11,
12, 13, ..., 1n alternately oscillate their respective position signals. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the beacon oscillators 11 and 12 at two locations alternately oscillate and the beacon oscillator 1
A person below 2 carries the portable terminal device 2.
When calling from the host computer 1, the calling signal is oscillated from the antenna 4 through the wireless master station 3. The signal is received by the antenna 47, demodulated by the wireless transmitter / receiver 5, and input to the control circuit 40. A calling signal is output from the control circuit 40 and a calling sound is generated from the audio circuit 44. When this is heard and the keyboard 43 is operated, the infrared sensor 6 operates and receives the latest oscillation of the beacon oscillator. The control circuit 40 causes the wireless transceiver 5 to oscillate through the antenna 47 a unique confirmation signal of the portable terminal device 2 together with the position signal of the beacon oscillator. This is received by the antenna 4 and received by the wireless master station 3, and the position signal is input to the host computer 1 together with the confirmation signal of the portable terminal device 2.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, since the person below the beacon oscillator 12 carries the portable terminal device 2,
The position signal of the beacon oscillator 12 is received by the portable terminal device 2 and input to the host computer 1.
Now, if the host computer 1 is requested to operate the keyboard 43 to unlock the room door, the host computer 1 sends an unlock signal to the door drive circuit 32 of the door 22 closest to the beacon oscillator 12. Will be issued.

In the embodiment described above, the beacon oscillator 1
Since 1, 12, 13, ..., 1n are infrared rays, there is directivity, the oscillation area of each beacon oscillator can be clearly divided, and the location of the portable terminal device 2 becomes clear.

Beacon oscillators 11, 12, 13, ...
.., 1n may be a beacon oscillator that oscillates ultrasonic waves, in which case the receiver 6 is an ultrasonic sensor.

Beacon oscillators 11, 12, 13, ...
It is preferable that the oscillation areas of 1n are substantially adjacent to each other without overlapping. With this configuration, the location of the portable terminal device 2 becomes clearer.

Beacon oscillators 11, 12, 13, ...
It is preferable that 1n has a sensor that detects an oscillation signal from an adjacent oscillator, and that it self-oscillates on condition that there is no oscillation signal. With this configuration, the portable terminal device 2 always receives an oscillation signal from one beacon oscillator, which reduces noise and eliminates malfunction.

[0018]

As described above in detail, the communication system of the present invention is provided with the beacon oscillator in the use area of the portable terminal device independently of the radio master station connected to the host computer. The computer can know the position of the portable terminal device, that is, the position of the person who possesses the portable terminal device, from the transmitted position signal of the beacon oscillator. It becomes possible for the host computer side to know the position of a specific moving individual, which was impossible with the conventional pager method, and when communicating necessary commands and data through the portable terminal device, It is extremely useful for keeping confidentiality and security.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of a communication system of a portable terminal device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment in a state where a portable terminal device of a communication system to which the present invention is applied is being used.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a host computer, 2 is a portable terminal device, 3 is a wireless master station, 4/47 is an antenna, 5 is a wireless transceiver, 6 is an infrared sensor, 11, 12, 13, ... 1n is a beacon oscillator, 21 and 22 are doors, 31 and 32 are door drive circuits, 40 is a control circuit, 42 is an amplifier, 43 is a keyboard, 44 is a voice circuit, 45 is a liquid crystal display device, and 46 is an interface circuit.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. In a communication system for transmitting and receiving data between a portable terminal device and a host computer, a wireless master station connected to the host computer and beacon oscillators scattered in a use area of the portable terminal device are arranged. Is
The portable terminal device has a wireless transceiver for communicating with the wireless master station and a receiver for receiving a signal from a beacon oscillator, and a position signal of the beacon oscillator received by the receiver together with a self-specific signal from the terminal device. A communication system of a portable terminal device capable of inputting to a host computer through the wireless transceiver and the wireless master station. 2. The communication system for a portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the beacon oscillator is an infrared oscillator, and the receiver is an infrared sensor. 3. The communication system of the portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the beacon oscillator is an ultrasonic oscillator, and the receiver is an ultrasonic sensor. 4. The communication system of the portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the oscillation areas of the beacon oscillators are substantially adjacent to each other without overlapping. 5. The beacon oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the beacon oscillator includes a sensor for detecting an oscillation signal from an adjacent oscillator, and self-oscillates on condition that there is no oscillation signal. The communication system of the portable terminal device according to claim 3 or 4. 6. In a portable terminal device having a communication function, from a beacon oscillator that oscillates a position-specific signal together with a wireless transceiver whose frequency is matched with a wireless master station that sends and receives data to and from a host computer. A portable terminal device, comprising a receiver for receiving a signal, and oscillating a position-specific signal received by the receiver together with a self-specific signal of the terminal device from the wireless transceiver.