JP2002171570A - Mobile communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile communication terminal that allows a user to recognize whether or not the mobile communication terminal is resident in a communication environment suitable for data communication. SOLUTION: This invention provides the mobile communication terminal that informs a user of the terminal about whether or not the communication environment of the mobile communication terminal is suitable for data communication in the case of starting the data communication as result of the comparison of e.g. an RSSI(Receive Signal Strength Indication), a fluctuation range of the RSSI, and an idle slot with predetermined threshold values in order to solve the purpose above.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display function of a mobile communication terminal for performing data communication with a base station.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional mobile radio terminal of this type is configured to display only a received electric field level: RSSI level using an antenna bar to notify a terminal user of a communication environment. According to this conventional device, RSS
Even if the I level is displayed, the user cannot judge at which level the environment is suitable for data communication, so the user has to rely on his senses, and as a result, the communication quality depends on the user. Data communication was performed even in a low environment.

If data communication is performed in an environment that is not suitable for data communication, an error may occur in received data during communication. When a reception error occurs, data retransmission is requested from the reception side to the transmission side, and in response to this, data transmission is performed from the transmission side. As a result, the time required for transmission is lengthened, and the total transmission speed is reduced. Causes malfunction. Further, when the received data error exceeds the range in which the error can be corrected, there is a problem that even the synchronization cannot be maintained and the data communication needs to be performed again.

When data communication is performed by a TDMA system, the number of available empty slots may be smaller than the number of normally used slots depending on the line traffic. For example, if the number of slots normally used is two, if only one slot can be prepared by the base station,
Data communication in the slot may be started without the user's awareness.

As described above, if only a smaller number of slots than the number of slots normally used are allocated without the user's awareness, the communication speed is reduced, communication takes time, and communication costs increase. A problem had arisen.

[0006]

As described above, in the conventional terminal device, the communication environment is simply notified to the user of the terminal device by displaying the received electric field level by the antenna bar. In performing data communication, there is no way for a user to know whether or not the communication environment is suitable for performing data communication, so data communication has been performed without being aware of the communication environment. As a result, there has been a problem that the communication time is longer than the data communication time when the communication environment is good after the data communication is started, or the communication is forced to be restarted during the communication.

Therefore, the present invention eliminates this problem and provides a mobile communication terminal device which enables a user to be conscious of whether or not the user is in a communication environment suitable for performing data communication when performing data communication. The purpose is to provide.

[0008]

According to the present invention, when starting data communication, it is determined whether the communication environment of the mobile communication terminal is suitable for data communication, for example, by using RSSI, R
The above object is achieved by notifying the user of the terminal device of the variation range of the SSI and the available slot by comparing them with a predetermined threshold value.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terminal comprises a radio section 1, a modulation section 2, a TDMA section 3, an encoding section 4, a control section 5, a storage section 6, and a power supply section 7.

The downlink reception signal from the base station is transmitted to the antenna 11
, And input to the receiving unit 13 through the switch 12, and the local signal from the synthesizer 14 is supplied and frequency-converted. The strength of the received signal is detected by the RSSI detector 16 and supplied to the controller 5. The frequency-converted received signal is demodulated by the digital demodulation circuit 21. The demodulated signal is converted by the TDMA decoder 31 from a burst signal to a continuous signal. The continuous signal is ADP
The signal is decoded by the CM-CODEC 41 and converted into a PCM signal. PCM signal is also PCM-CODEC42
Is converted into an analog signal, which is
Output from

On the other hand, an analog signal input from the microphone 43 is converted into a PCM signal by the PCM-CODEC 42 and then encoded by the ADPCM-CODEC 41. The ADPCM-encoded signal is converted into a burst signal by the TDMA encoder 32. The burst signal is modulated by the digital signal modulation circuit 22.
The modulated signal is converted into a high-frequency signal by a local signal from the synthesizer 14 in the transmitting unit 15, amplified, and transmitted through the switch 12 and the antenna 11.

The power supply section 7 comprises a battery 71 and a power supply circuit 72 for converting the output of the battery into a voltage, and supplies the voltage-converted power to each section.

The control unit 5 includes a communication quality monitoring unit 55 and a communication quality comparison unit 56. The control unit 5 includes an operation unit 51, L
A CD 52, an LCD control unit 53, a sounder 54, and a vibrator 59 are connected. The storage unit 6 includes a download data storage unit 61 and a display data storage unit 62.

A feature of the present embodiment is that, before starting data communication, it is estimated whether or not the mobile communication terminal is in an environment suitable for data communication, and the estimation result is notified.
An example of this control is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, after the power is turned on, a location registration process is performed and a standby reception state is set (step 301, step 301).
302, 303). In the location registration process, synchronization is established with one base station, a control signal is periodically transmitted from the base station, and the mobile communication terminal receives the control signal and changes the RSSI level of the received signal. The detected level is temporarily stored in the storage unit (step 30).
4).

When the data communication mode is input and set by the operator, the detected RSSI level is compared with a threshold value (steps 304, 305, 306). This RS
The SI level threshold is an empirical value for normal data communication. This value is larger than the RSSI level serving as a condition for handover determination.

When recognizing that the detected RSSI level is equal to or lower than the threshold value, it is determined that the RSSI level is inappropriate for data communication, and a message indicating that "the environment is inappropriate for data communication" is set to LC.
D is displayed (steps 308 and 309).

On the other hand, if it is recognized that the RSSI is larger than the threshold value, it is determined that the environment is suitable for data communication, and a message indicating that "the environment is suitable for data communication" is displayed on the LCD (steps 310 and 311). .

After displaying on the LCD whether information is suitable for data communication, the control unit waits for a call operation for data communication from the user (step 312). When a calling operation is detected, data communication is started (313).

As described above, before the data communication is performed, the function of notifying the user whether or not the mobile communication terminal is in a communication environment suitable for the data communication is provided, so that the data communication is started in a poor communication environment. As a result, it takes time to perform data communication, or data communication is interrupted in the middle of data communication, so that an operation such as performing communication again becomes unnecessary.

(Second Embodiment) Step 401,
Operations up to the start of standby reception at 402 and 403 are the same as in the first embodiment. Thereafter, vacant slot information included in the control signal transmitted from the synchronized base station is obtained (step 404).

When the data communication mode is set,
The acquired number of empty slots is compared with a threshold value (steps 405 and 406). If it is determined that the number of empty slots is one or less, it is determined that the environment is unsuitable for data communication, and a message "the environment is unsuitable for data communication" is displayed on the LCD (steps 408 and 409). Normally, in PHS data communication, two slots are used, so that performing data communication in one slot doubles the communication time, which is inappropriate for data communication.

When there is one empty slot,
It may be displayed that "communication time is long".

On the other hand, when it is recognized that the number of empty slots is one or more, a display indicating "suitable for data communication" is displayed on L.
Perform on CD (steps 410 and 411).

When a call operation from the user is detected after the display on the LCD, data communication is started (steps 412 and 413).

(Third Embodiment) The first and second steps are performed until the apparatus enters standby mode (steps 501, 502 and 503).
This is the same as the embodiment. A control signal is transmitted at regular intervals transmitted from the base station synchronized in the standby state (step 504). Then, when a request for setting the data communication mode is made by the terminal device user (step 505), the RSSI within a predetermined time up to that point is received.
By looking at the level, a fluctuation range is specified and compared with a predetermined threshold value (step 506).

When it is determined that the fluctuation range of the RSSI is larger than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the environment is inappropriate for data communication, and a message indicating that "the environment is inappropriate for data communication" is displayed on the LCD. (Steps 508, 509). If the RSSI fluctuation range is determined to be within the threshold value, it is determined that the data is appropriate for data communication, and a message indicating "appropriate for data communication" is displayed on the LCD (step 51).
1). The processing after the display on the LCD is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

In all of the above-described embodiments, an example is shown in which the indication of suitability for data communication is made after the user who has attempted to perform data communication inputs a request for communication. The present invention is not limited to this, and in the standby state, it may be displayed on the LCD periodically, or may be displayed based on another operation.

[0030]

According to the present invention, the data communication environment is provided to the user by providing means for informing the user whether or not the user is in a communication environment suitable for performing the data communication. It becomes possible to make people conscious. This allows the user to decide whether to start data communication based on the above information when starting data communication, and to start data communication in a poor communication environment, it may take time for data communication. This eliminates the need for operations such as redoing communication.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a mobile communication terminal device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a second embodiment according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a third embodiment according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 52: LCD 55: Communication quality monitoring unit 56: Communication quality comparison unit

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A mobile communication terminal device connected to a base station via a wireless line and provided with a display unit, comprising: a detecting unit for receiving a control signal transmitted from the base station and detecting an electric field strength of the received control signal. Storage means for storing a threshold value of a received electric field strength; and when the detected received electric field strength is smaller than the stored received electric field strength, the display indicating that the received electric field strength is inappropriate for data communication. A mobile communication terminal device comprising: a control unit that performs control of the mobile communication terminal device. 2. The mobile communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the stored threshold value is a value larger than a received electric field intensity for starting a handover process. 3. A mobile communication terminal device connected to a base station via a wireless line and provided with a display unit, wherein a control signal transmitted from the base station is received, and a vacancy of the base station included in the received control signal is provided. Detecting means for detecting slot information; storage means for storing a threshold value of an empty slot; and, when the detected empty slot is smaller than the threshold value of the stored empty slot, the data communication is not performed. A mobile communication terminal device comprising: a control unit that displays an indication of appropriateness on the display unit. 4. A mobile communication terminal device connected to a base station via a radio line and provided with a display unit, receives a control signal transmitted from the base station, and detects a received electric field strength of the received control signal. Detecting means; detecting means for detecting the electric field strengths of the plurality of control signals received within a predetermined time to specify a fluctuation range of the reception electric field strength; and storing the threshold value of the fluctuation range of the reception electric field strength. Means for, when the detected variation range of the received electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value of the stored variation range of the received electric field strength, performing display on the display unit that the received electric field strength is inappropriate for data communication. A mobile communication terminal device comprising: a control unit.