JP7290476B2 - Communication terminals, chargers, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to communication terminals, chargers, and programs.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, communication terminals that include a WWAN communication unit that performs WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) communication with a communication network and a WLAN communication unit that performs WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) communication have become widespread.

A tethering function is known in which such a communication terminal acts as a WLAN access point and relays communication between an external device connected to the communication terminal and a communication network using a WWAN communication unit and a WLAN communication unit. This tethering function is sometimes referred to as Wi-Fi (registered trademark, hereinafter the same) tethering. An external device that does not have a WWAN communication unit can communicate with a communication network via a communication terminal that has a tethering function.

When an external device connects for the first time to a communication terminal that has a tethering function, that is, a communication terminal that has both a WWAN communication unit and a WLAN communication unit, the user enters a network name (for example, SSID (Service Set Identifier)) and It is required to set WLAN connection information, such as a password, to the external device.

In Patent Document 1, by providing WLAN connection information from a communication terminal having a tethering function to an external device using NFC (Near Field Communication) communication, the external device connects to the communication terminal using this WLAN connection information. An enabling technique is described.

JP 2017-63509 A

For example, when a user wants to set WLAN connection information that is easy for him/herself to remember or that follows predetermined rules, the user is required to set WLAN connection information for a communication terminal having a tethering function.

However, although the technology described in Patent Document 1 can facilitate setting of WLAN connection information for external devices, there is a problem that it cannot facilitate setting of WLAN connection information for communication terminals having a tethering function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication terminal, charger, and program that facilitate setting of WLAN connection information for a communication terminal having a tethering function.

A communication terminal according to a first aspect is a communication terminal driven by a battery that can be charged using a charger, the communication terminal comprising: a first communication unit that performs WWAN communication; a second communication unit that performs WLAN communication; a third communication unit that communicates with a charger; and when the third communication unit receives WLAN connection information used for connection with a WLAN from the charger, the received WLAN connection information is sent to the second communication unit. and a control unit for setting.

A charger according to a second aspect is a charger for charging a battery of a communication terminal, comprising: an input unit for receiving input of WLAN connection information used for connecting another communication terminal to the communication terminal; A power supply unit that supplies power to the communication terminal, and a communication unit that transmits the WLAN connection information input to the input unit to the communication terminal that receives power supply from the power supply unit.

A program according to a third aspect includes a first communication unit that performs WWAN communication, a second communication unit that performs WLAN communication, and a third communication unit that communicates with a charger, and uses the charger. When the third communication unit receives WLAN connection information used for connection with a WLAN from the charger to a communication terminal driven by a rechargeable battery, the received WLAN connection information is sent to the second communication unit. Execute the set processing.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a communication terminal, a charger, and a program that facilitate setting of WLAN connection information for a communication terminal having a tethering function.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional WLAN connection information setting screen; It is a figure which shows the structure of the charger which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the charger which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state by which the communication terminal was installed in the charger which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication terminal which concerns on one Embodiment.

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

(Communications system)
First, the configuration of a communication system according to one embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system 1 according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1 , communication system 1 includes communication terminal 100 , charger 200 , external device 300 , and communication network 400 .

Communication terminal 100 is a terminal that supports both WWAN communication and WLAN communication. The communication terminal 100 itself acts as a WLAN access point and has a tethering function of relaying communication between the external device 300 and the communication network 400 . Communication terminal 100 is driven by a battery that can be charged using charger 200 .

The communication terminal 100 may be any terminal as long as it is compatible with both WWAN communication and WLAN communication. An example in which communication terminal 100 is a smartphone will be mainly described below.

The WWAN communication method is not particularly limited, but for example, a cellular communication method based on the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) standard can be used. Although the WLAN communication method is not particularly limited, for example, a method conforming to IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standards can be used.

Charger 200 is a device that charges the battery of communication terminal 100 . The charger 200 converts power from a power supply 500 such as a commercial AC power supply or a distributed power supply and supplies the converted power to the communication terminal 100 . The charger 200 may be of a cable type or a stand type that supplies power to the communication terminal 100 by wire, or it supplies power wirelessly to the communication terminal 100 (that is, wireless power supply). may be An example in which charger 200 wirelessly supplies power to communication terminal 100 will be mainly described below.

Charger 200 has a function of communicating with communication terminal 100 . An example in which communication between charger 200 and communication terminal 100 is performed by NFC will be mainly described below. However, communication between charger 200 and communication terminal 100 is not limited to NFC, and may be, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, or infrared communication. .

The external device 300 is a device that does not support WWAN communication but supports WLAN communication. The external device 300 connects to the communication terminal 100 having a tethering function by WLAN communication, and communicates with the communication network 400 via the communication terminal 100 . The external device 300 may be any device as long as it is compatible with WLAN communication.

Communication network 400 constitutes a WAN. Communication network 400 has base station 410 that performs WWAN communication with communication terminal 100 . Communication network 400 may include the Internet.

(Configuration of communication terminal)
Next, the configuration of the communication terminal 100 according to one embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the communication terminal 100 according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, communication terminal 100 includes WWAN communication unit 110, WLAN communication unit 120, NFC unit 130, wireless power receiving unit 140, battery 150, user interface 160, storage unit 170, control and a portion 180 .

WWAN communication unit 110 constitutes a first communication unit that performs WWAN communication. The WWAN communication unit 110 performs amplification processing, filtering processing, etc. on the WWAN radio signal received by the antenna 111, converts the WWAN radio signal into a baseband signal, and controls the received signal after signal processing such as demodulation and decoding. Output to unit 180 . The WWAN communication unit 110 also performs signal processing such as encoding and modulation on the transmission signal output from the control unit 180, converts the baseband signal after the signal processing into a WWAN radio signal, and performs amplification processing and the like. and transmit from the antenna 111.

WLAN communication unit 120 constitutes a second communication unit that performs WLAN communication. The WLAN communication unit 120 performs amplification processing, filtering processing, etc. on the WLAN radio signal received by the antenna 121, converts the WLAN radio signal into a baseband signal, and controls the received signal after signal processing such as demodulation and decoding. Output to unit 180 . Also, the WLAN communication unit 120 performs signal processing such as encoding and modulation on the transmission signal output from the control unit 180, converts the baseband signal after the signal processing into a WLAN radio signal, and performs amplification processing and the like. and transmit from the antenna 121.

NFC unit 130 constitutes a third communication unit that communicates with charger 200 . NFC unit 130 may be an NFC reader. NFC unit 130 performs NFC communication with charger 200 via antenna 131 , thereby receiving WLAN connection information used for connecting external device 300 to WLAN communication unit 120 from charger 200 . It outputs the connection information to the control unit 180 . The WLAN connection information includes at least one of network name (eg, SSID), password, and security scheme.

Conventionally, when setting WLAN connection information that is easy to remember or that follows a predetermined rule, the user is required to manually set the WLAN connection information in the communication terminal 100 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional WLAN connection information setting screen. As shown in FIG. 3, the user inputs WLAN connection information using the input unit 161 of the user interface 160 of the communication terminal 100, and the display unit 162 displays this WLAN connection information. Such setting work is complicated for those who are not accustomed to operating the communication terminal 100, and causes input errors.

On the other hand, since the NFC unit 130 receives the WLAN connection information from the charger 200, it becomes unnecessary for the user to manually set the WLAN connection information for the communication terminal 100, thereby facilitating the setting of the WLAN connection information. can.

Wireless power receiving unit 140 receives power wirelessly supplied from charger 200 and charges battery 150 with this power. Wireless power receiving unit 140 includes a power receiving coil and a power conversion circuit. As a system of such wireless power supply, for example, an electromagnetic induction system, a magnetic resonance system, or an electric field coupling system can be used.

Battery 150 stores power for driving communication terminal 100 . Battery 150 is charged with power output from wireless power receiving unit 140 .

User interface 160 includes an input unit 161 that receives user input and outputs a signal corresponding to the content of the input to control unit 180 . User interface 160 also includes a display unit 162 that displays information based on signals output from control unit 180 . The input unit 161 and the display unit 162 may be integrated as a touch panel display.

Storage unit 170 stores information and programs used for processing and control in communication terminal 100 . The storage unit 170 includes a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory.

The control unit 180 performs various processes and controls by executing programs stored in the storage unit 170 . The control unit 180 includes at least one processor.

When NFC unit 130 receives WLAN connection information used for external device 300 to connect to WLAN communication unit 120 from charger 200 , control unit 180 transmits the WLAN connection information received by NFC unit 130 to WLAN communication unit 120 . set for Thereby, setting of WLAN connection information (that is, setting of tethering function) is automatically performed.

When NFC unit 130 receives WLAN connection information from charger 200 while the tethering function is off, control unit 180 sets the WLAN connection information received by NFC unit 130 to WLAN communication unit 120 and sets the WLAN connection information to WLAN communication unit 120 . , turn on the tethering function. As a result, not only the setting of the tethering function but also the activation of the tethering function are automatically performed, so that the user's operation to turn on the tethering function can be eliminated.

Control unit 180 detects whether or not battery 150 is in a charging state, which is a charging state. For example, the control unit 180 detects that the wireless power receiving unit 140 is in the charging state when the wireless power receiving unit 140 is receiving power from the charger 200, and detects that the wireless power receiving unit 140 is in the charging state when the wireless power receiving unit 140 is not receiving power from the charger 200. Detects that there is no

When the NFC unit 130 receives the WLAN connection information from the charger 200 and detects that it is in the charging state, the control unit 180 sets the WLAN communication unit 120 with the WLAN connection information received by the NFC unit 130 . At the same time, the tethering function may be turned on. When the tethering function is on, driving the WWAN communication unit 110 and the WLAN communication unit 120 at the same time increases power consumption. Therefore, it is possible to prevent shortening of the battery driving time of the communication terminal 100 by turning on the tethering function after confirming that the communication terminal 100 is in a charged state.

After turning on the tethering function, the control unit 180 turns off the tethering function when it detects that the charging state has ended. This eliminates the need for a user operation to turn off the tethering function.

After turning on the tethering function, the control unit 180 may turn off the tethering function and cancel the setting of the WLAN connection information for the WLAN communication unit 120 when detecting that the charging state has ended. This allows the communication terminal 100 to be treated as a predetermined WLAN access point only when the communication terminal 100 is in the charging state.

(Charger configuration)
Next, the configuration of charger 200 according to one embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of charger 200 according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4 , charger 200 has wireless power supply section 210 , NFC section 220 , user interface 230 , storage section 240 and control section 250 .

Wireless power supply unit 210 converts power from power supply 500 and wirelessly supplies power to communication terminal 100 . The wireless power supply unit 210 includes a power transmission coil and a power conversion circuit.

The NFC unit 220 constitutes a communication unit that communicates with the communication terminal 100 . The NFC portion 220 may be an NFC tag. The NFC unit 220 performs NFC communication with the communication terminal 100 via the antenna 221 , thereby transmitting WLAN connection information used by the external device 300 to connect to the WLAN communication unit 120 to the communication terminal 100 .

User interface 230 includes an input unit 231 that receives user input and outputs a signal corresponding to the content of the input to control unit 250 . The input unit 231 accepts user input of WLAN connection information.

User interface 230 also includes a display unit 232 that displays information based on signals output from control unit 250 . Display unit 232 displays the WLAN connection information input to input unit 231 .

Note that the input unit 231 and the display unit 232 may be integrated as a touch panel display.

Storage unit 240 stores information and programs used for processing and control in charger 200 . The storage unit 240 includes a volatile memory and a nonvolatile memory.

The control unit 250 performs various processes and controls by executing programs stored in the storage unit 240 . The control unit 250 includes at least one processor.

Control unit 250 controls NFC unit 220 to transmit the WLAN connection information input to input unit 231 . If the NFC unit 220 is an NFC tag, the control unit 250 writes the WLAN connection information input to the input unit 231 to the NFC unit 220 (NFC tag).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the appearance of charger 200 according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5 , NFC unit 220 (NFC tag) and user interface 230 are provided on installation surface (installation unit) 201 that is the upper surface of charger 200 . The user inputs WLAN connection information (Wi-Fi tethering setting information) using user interface 230 (touch panel screen in the example of FIG. 5) of charger 200 .

After inputting the WLAN connection information, charger 200 writes the WLAN connection information to NFC unit 220 (NFC tag). User interface 230 of charger 200 may have an execution start button for executing a write process to NFC unit 220 (NFC tag).

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the communication terminal 100 is installed on the charger 200 according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6 , when the user installs the communication terminal 100 that the user wants to use as a WLAN access point on the installation surface 201 of the charger 200 , the communication terminal 100 uses the NFC read function to read the NFC section 220 (NFC tag) of the charger 200 . receive WLAN connection information from. Here, the communication terminal 100 is held over the NFC unit 220 (NFC tag) of the charger 200 .

An application installed in the communication terminal 100 automatically sets the WLAN connection information to the WLAN function of the communication terminal 100, and the communication terminal 100 detects the charging state and turns on the tethering function.

In this way, simply by installing the communication terminal 100 having the tethering function in the charger 200, the tethering setting of the communication terminal 100 is automatically completed, and the communication terminal 100 can be easily used as a temporary access point.

Also, the setting of WLAN connection information to the charger 200 can be performed by a person who is familiar with the operation, and a person who is not familiar with the operation can communicate without the need for complicated operations simply by installing the communication terminal 100 on the charger 200 . A tethering function can be used on the terminal 100 .

Furthermore, once the user inputs the WLAN connection information to the charger 200, even if various communication terminals 100 are installed in the charger 200 afterward, the user needs to input the WLAN connection information to the communication terminal 100 each time. There is no

(Operation of communication terminal)
Next, operation of the communication terminal 100 according to one embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the communication terminal 100 according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7 , in step S<b>1 , NFC section 130 performs NFC communication with charger 200 via antenna 131 , thereby transmitting WLAN connection information used for connecting external device 300 to WLAN communication section 120 . from the charger 200 and outputs the received WLAN connection information to the control unit 180 .

In step S2, control unit 180 detects whether or not battery 150 is in a charging state, which is a charging state.

If it is in the charging state (step S2: YES), control unit 180 sets the WLAN connection information received by NFC unit 130 to WLAN communication unit 120 in step S3. Further, the control unit 180 sets the WLAN connection information to the WLAN communication unit 120 and turns on the tethering function (step S4). In this state, as shown in FIG. 1, communication terminal 100 itself acts as a WLAN access point and relays communication between external device 300 and communication network 400 .

After that, in step S5, the control unit 180 confirms whether or not the charging state has ended. When the control unit 180 detects that the charging state has ended (step S5: YES), the control unit 180 turns off the tethering function (step S6). Further, the control unit 180 turns off the tethering function and cancels (clears) the setting of the WLAN connection information for the WLAN communication unit 120 (step S7).

(Other embodiments)
A program that causes a computer to execute each process performed by the communication terminal 100 may be provided. The program may be recorded on a computer readable medium. A computer readable medium allows the installation of the program on the computer. Here, the computer-readable medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a recording medium such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. Also, functional units (circuits) that execute each process performed by the communication terminal 100 may be integrated to form a semiconductor integrated circuit (chipset, SoC).

Although the embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1: communication system 100: communication terminal 110: WWAN communication unit 111: antenna 120: WLAN communication unit 121: antenna 130: NFC unit 131: antenna 140: wireless power receiving unit 150: battery 160: user interface 161: input unit 162: display Unit 170 : Storage unit 180 : Control unit 200 : Charger 201 : Installation surface 210 : Wireless power supply unit 220 : NFC unit 221 : Antenna 230 : User interface 231 : Input unit 232 : Display unit 240 : Storage unit 250 : Control unit 300 : External device 400 : Communication network 410 : Base station 500 : Power supply

Claims (3)

A communication terminal driven by a battery that can be charged using a charger,
a first communication unit that performs WWAN communication;
a second communication unit that performs WLAN communication;
a third communication unit that communicates with the charger;
a control unit configured to set the received WLAN connection information to the second communication unit when the third communication unit receives WLAN connection information used for connection with a WLAN from the charger;
The control unit detects whether or not the battery is in a charging state in which power is received from the charger,
The third communication unit receives the WLAN connection information from the charger when a tethering function that relays communication between WWAN and WLAN by the first and second communication units is off. and, when it is detected that it is in the charging state, it sets the received WLAN connection information to the second communication unit and turns on the tethering function,
After turning on the tethering function, the control unit turns off the tethering function when detecting that the charging state has ended,
After turning on the tethering function, the control unit turns off the tethering function and cancels the setting of the WLAN connection information for the second communication unit when detecting that the charging state has ended.
communication terminal. further comprising a wireless power receiving unit that receives power wirelessly supplied from the charger;
The communication terminal according to Claim 1 , wherein the third communication unit is an NFC unit that performs NFC communication with the charger. A first communication unit that performs WWAN communication, a second communication unit that performs WLAN communication, and a third communication unit that communicates with a charger, and is driven by a battery that can be charged using the charger. communication terminal,
a process of setting the received WLAN connection information to the second communication unit when the third communication unit receives the WLAN connection information used for connection with the WLAN from the charger;
a process of detecting whether or not the battery is in a charging state, which is a state in which the battery is receiving power from the charger;
When a tethering function that relays communication between WWAN and WLAN by the first and second communication units is off, the third communication unit receives the WLAN connection information from the charger, and a process of setting the received WLAN connection information to the second communication unit and turning on the tethering function when the charging state is detected;
a process of turning off the tethering function when it is detected that the charging state has ended after turning on the tethering function;
and executing a process of turning off the tethering function and canceling the setting of the WLAN connection information for the second communication unit when it is detected that the charging state has ended after turning on the tethering function. A program that makes

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