Information management device, terminal device, and program

Abstract

To perform efficient scanning processing.SOLUTION: An information management device includes: a storage unit that stores scan skip information that associates skip frequencies to be excluded in scan processing executed by a terminal device with registered location information indicating the location where the skip frequencies are registered; a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires the location information of a terminal device; a control unit that selects scan skip information from the storage unit on the basis of the location information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit and the registered location information; and a transmission unit that transmits the scan skip information selected by the control unit to the terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information management device, a terminal device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known techniques for temporarily excluding frequencies or channels from the scan target when using the scan function. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which, after registering a frequency to be excluded from the scan target, the registered frequency is skipped during scanning until a predetermined time has elapsed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-116796 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology in Patent Document 1 sets a scan skip frequency for each receiver (terminal device), but since each terminal device performs the same processing, it cannot be said to be highly efficient. There is a demand for efficient scanning processing.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information management device, a terminal device, and a program that can efficiently perform scanning processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information management device of the present disclosure includes a memory unit that stores scan skip information that associates skip frequencies to be excluded in a scan process performed by a terminal device with registered location information that indicates the location where the skip frequencies are registered, a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires the location information of the terminal device, a control unit that selects scan skip information from the memory unit based on the location information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit and the registered location information, and a transmission unit that transmits the scan skip information selected by the control unit to the terminal device.

[0007] The terminal device of the present disclosure includes a terminal location information acquisition unit that acquires terminal location information, which is location information of the terminal device itself, a receiving unit that receives scan skip information that associates skip frequencies that other terminal devices have excluded from scanning processing with registered location information in which the skip frequencies are registered, and a scan control unit that, when the distance between the terminal location information and the registered location information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, executes scanning processing while excluding the skip frequencies corresponding to the registered location information.

[0008] The program of the present disclosure causes a computer provided in an information management device to perform the following steps: storing scan skip information that associates skip frequencies to be excluded in a scan process performed by a terminal device with registered location information that indicates the location where the skip frequencies are registered; acquiring location information of the terminal device; selecting scan skip information from the stored scan skip information based on the acquired location information and the registered location information; and transmitting the selected scan skip information to the terminal device.

[0009] The program disclosed herein causes a computer provided in a terminal device to perform the following steps: acquiring terminal location information, which is location information of the device itself; receiving scan skip information that associates skip frequencies that other terminal devices have excluded from scanning processing with registered location information in which the skip frequencies are registered; and, if the distance between the terminal location information and the registered location information is less than a predetermined value, performing scanning processing while excluding the skip frequencies corresponding to the registered location information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, scanning processing can be performed efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the relay station device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the scan process executed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan process executed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the terminal device according to the first embodiment receives scan skip information from the relay station device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a scan skip information registration table according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for the user to set a scan skip range according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan skip registration process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of scan skip relay processing in the relay station device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a scan skip information list displayed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a flow of a scan skip request process of a terminal device to a relay station device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a scan skip request acceptance process of the relay station device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a method in which a relay station device according to the second embodiment acquires scan skip information from another relay station device and transmits the information to a terminal device. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information management device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of scan skip request acceptance processing in the information management device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and in the following embodiments, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] First Embodiment (Communication Systems) An example of the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment.

[0014] The communication system 1 includes terminal devices 10-1 to 10-5 and relay station devices 12-1 to 12-3. When there is no need to distinguish between terminal devices 10-1 to 10-5, they are collectively referred to as terminal devices 10. When there is no need to distinguish between relay station devices 12-1 to 12-3, they are collectively referred to as relay station devices 12. Relay station devices 12 are sometimes called information management devices or repeaters.

[0015] Wireless communication using a predetermined communication method is performed between a terminal device 10 and a relay station device 12. Wireless communication is performed between multiple terminal devices 10 via the relay station device 12 or directly. The wireless communication includes voice communication, video communication, data communication, and the like. In the example shown in FIG. 1, terminal device 10-1 and terminal device 10-2 perform wireless communication with relay station device 12-1. Terminal device 10-3 performs wireless communication with relay station device 12-2. Terminal device 10-4 and terminal device 10-5 perform wireless communication with relay station device 12-3. In the example shown in FIG. 1, there are five terminal devices 10, but this is merely an example. The number of terminal devices 10 included in the communication system 1 may be any number equal to or greater than two. The terminal devices 10 may be portable devices carried by a person (user), vehicle-mounted devices mounted in a vehicle, or fixed devices installed in an office, a home, or the like, but the size and shape of the terminal devices are not limited.

[0016] The relay station devices 12 are connected to a network N, and data can be transmitted and received between the relay station devices 12. The network N is the Internet, a LAN / WAN, or the like, and may be a wired network or a wireless network. In the example shown in FIG. 1, there are three relay station devices 12, but this is merely an example. The number of relay station devices 12 may be any number equal to or greater than one. If there is only one relay station device 12 and it is not connected to other devices such as a system management device, the network N can be omitted.

[0017] (Terminal Device) An example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 20, an audio input unit 30, an audio output unit 40, an operation unit 50, a display unit 60, an alarm unit 70, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) module 80, a memory unit 90, and a control unit 100.

[0019] The communication unit 20 performs wireless communication with other terminal devices 10 or relay station device 12. The communication unit 20 includes a receiving unit 21 and a transmitting unit 22.

[0020] The receiver 21 receives radio waves of a predetermined wireless communication standard transmitted from another terminal device 10 or relay station device 12 via the antenna 23 and generates an RF signal (high frequency signal). The receiver 21 demodulates the received RF signal to generate a baseband signal and outputs the baseband signal to the control unit 100.

[0021] The transmitter 22 generates an RF signal by modulating the baseband signal generated by the controller 100. The transmitter 22 transmits radio waves conforming to a predetermined wireless communication standard to another terminal device 10 or relay station device 12 via an antenna 23.

[0022] The audio input unit 30 collects audio around the terminal device 10. For example, the audio input unit 30 collects the audio of a user who uses the terminal device 10. The audio input unit 30 converts the collected audio into an audio signal and outputs it to the control unit 100. The audio input unit 30 is configured with, for example, a microphone.

[0023] The audio output unit 40 converts the audio signal received from the control unit 100 into audio and outputs the audio. The audio output unit 40 is configured by, for example, a speaker.

[0024] The operation unit 50 is an input device that accepts operations from a user. The operation unit 50 outputs an input signal corresponding to the accepted input to the control unit 100. The operation unit 50 is configured with various buttons, keys, a touch panel, or the like.

[0025] The display unit 60 has a screen that displays various information. The display unit 60 is configured, for example, as a liquid crystal display. The display unit 60 and the operation unit 50 may be configured integrally using a touch panel or the like.

[0026] The notification unit 70 is a means for audibly and visually notifying the user when a predetermined event occurs. The notification unit 70 has the function of outputting a beep (alert sound) or lighting an LED (Light Emitting Diode), for example. An example of a predetermined event is when the change of the reception frequency is temporarily stopped during the scanning process, as will be described later. Note that the audio output unit 40 or the display unit 60 may function as the notification unit 70. In this case, the notification unit 70 may be omitted.

[0027] The GNSS module 80 acquires location information (latitude, longitude) of the terminal device 10 based on radio waves emitted by GNSS satellites. The GNSS module 80 is also called a terminal location information acquisition unit. Note that the means for acquiring the location information of the terminal device 10 is not limited to the GNSS module 80. For example, the communication unit 20 may receive radio waves from a mobile phone base station or a wireless LAN access point, and the control unit 100 may identify the location of the terminal device 10 based on information about the base station or access point contained in these radio waves. In other words, the terminal location information acquisition unit is not limited to the GNSS module 80, and may acquire the location information of the terminal device 10 based on information about the mobile phone base station, etc.

[0028] The storage unit 90 stores various data, calculation contents of the control unit 100, programs, etc. The storage unit 90 includes a scan skip storage unit 91 that stores scan skip information. The scan skip information is information indicating channels (frequencies) that will not be received (used) in the scan process executed by the terminal device 10. In other words, in the scan process, the terminal device 10 excludes (skips) the channels registered in the scan skip information and receives other channels. At least a portion of the storage unit 90 is configured as non-volatile memory so that data and programs are retained even when the terminal device 10 is turned off.

[0029] The control unit 100 controls the entire terminal device 10 (each unit). The control unit 100 processes the baseband signal output by the receiving unit 21 and outputs an audio signal for communication. The control unit 100 generates a baseband signal based on the audio signal input from the audio input unit 30 and outputs it to the transmitting unit 22. The control unit 100 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), for example.

[0030] The control unit 100 includes a reception processing unit 101 , a transmission processing unit 102 , a scan control unit 103 , a display control unit 104 , and a storage control unit 105 .

[0031] The reception processing unit 101 detects the signal strength of the RF signal received by the reception unit 21. The reception processing unit 101 performs signal processing on the baseband signal demodulated by the reception unit 21 to extract an audio signal of communication (call). The reception processing unit 101 also receives scan skip information, which will be described later, from the relay station device 12 or other terminal devices 10 via the reception unit 21.

[0032] The transmission processing unit 102 outputs scan skip information (to be described later) to the transmission unit 22 in addition to the voice signal, and transmits it to the relay station device 12 or other terminal devices 10 .

[0033] The scan control unit 103 controls the scan process. The scan control unit 103 checks the RF signal while sequentially changing the reception frequency within a predetermined frequency range via the reception processing unit 101, and suspends the change of the reception frequency if the RF signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (above a certain level). That is, if the RF signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the scan control unit 103 suspends the change of the reception frequency and causes the reception processing unit 101 to start extracting an audio signal. The scan control unit 103 also determines the frequency to be received (used) in the scan process based on the scan skip information. When the change of the reception frequency is suspended, the scan control unit 103 instructs the notification unit 70. The notification unit 70 notifies the user audibly or visually in accordance with the instruction received from the scan control unit 103. As will be described later, the notification unit 70 may also notify the user audibly or visually when scan skip information is registered.

[0034] The display control unit 104 causes various types of information to be displayed on the display unit 60. The display control unit 104 causes the display unit 60 to display, for example, scan skip information.

[0035] The storage control unit 105 manages the information stored in the storage unit 90. The storage control unit 105 adds or deletes the scan skip information stored in the scan skip storage unit 91.

[0036] (Relay station equipment) An example of the configuration of the relay station device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the relay station device according to the first embodiment.

[0037] 3, relay station device 12 includes a communication unit 110, an audio output unit 120, an operation unit 130, a display unit 140, a notification unit 150, a storage unit 160, and a control unit 170. Relay station device 12 performs a relay process of transmitting a signal received from one terminal device 10 (for example, terminal device 10-1) to another terminal device 10 (for example, terminal device 10-2).

[0038] The communication unit 110 performs wireless communication with the terminal device 10 via the antenna 113. The communication unit 110 also performs communication with other relay station devices 12 via the network N. The communication unit 110 includes a receiving unit 111 and a transmitting unit 112.

[0039] The receiving unit 111 receives radio waves of a predetermined wireless communication standard transmitted from the terminal device 10 via the antenna 113 and generates an RF signal. The receiving unit 111 demodulates the received RF signal to generate a baseband signal and outputs the baseband signal to the control unit 170. The receiving unit 111 also receives various types of data transmitted from other relay station devices 12 via the network N. For example, the receiving unit 111 receives voice data of a call from other relay station devices 12.

[0040] The transmitter 112 generates an RF signal by modulating the baseband signal generated by the controller 170. The transmitter 112 transmits radio waves conforming to a predetermined wireless communication standard to the terminal device 10 via the antenna 113. The transmitter 112 also transmits various types of data to other relay station devices 12 via the network N. For example, the transmitter 112 transmits voice data of a call to other relay station devices 12.

[0041] The audio output unit 120 converts the audio signal received from the control unit 170 into audio and outputs it. The audio output unit 120 is configured with, for example, a speaker. Note that the audio output unit 120 may be omitted.

[0042] The operation unit 130 is a means for accepting operations from a user. The operation unit 130 outputs an input signal corresponding to the accepted input to the control unit 170. The operation unit 130 is configured with various buttons, keys, a touch panel, or the like.

[0043] The display unit 140 has a screen that displays various types of information. The display unit 140 is configured, for example, as a liquid crystal display. The display unit 140 and the operation unit 130 may be configured integrally using a touch panel or the like. The display unit 140 may be omitted.

[0044] The notification unit 150 is a means for audibly and visually notifying a user (such as an administrator of the relay station device 12) when a predetermined event occurs. The notification unit 150 has, for example, a function of outputting a beep sound or lighting an LED. Note that the audio output unit 120 or the display unit 140 may function as the notification unit 150. The notification unit 150 may be omitted.

[0045] The storage unit 160 stores various data, calculation contents of the control unit 170, programs, etc. The storage unit 160 includes a scan skip storage unit 161 that stores scan skip information. At least a part of the storage unit 160 is configured with non-volatile memory so that data and programs are retained even when the power to the relay station device 12 is turned off.

[0046] The control unit 170 controls the entire relay station device 12 (each unit). The control unit 170 performs relay processing of communications between the terminal devices 10. The control unit 170 processes the baseband signal output by the receiving unit 111 and outputs an audio signal for communication. The control unit 170 is configured with a processor such as a CPU, for example.

[0047] The control unit 170 includes a reception processing unit 171 , a transmission processing unit 172 , a scan skip management unit 173 , and a terminal information acquisition unit 174 .

[0048] The reception processing unit 171 detects the signal strength of the RF signal received by the receiving unit 111. The reception processing unit 171 performs signal processing on the baseband signal demodulated by the receiving unit 111 to extract an audio signal of communication. The reception processing unit 171 also determines whether or not scan skip information is included in the baseband signal output by the receiving unit 111. If scan skip information is included in the baseband signal, the reception processing unit 171 extracts it and outputs it to the scan skip management unit 173.

[0049] The transmission processing unit 172 performs necessary processing on the baseband signal output by the reception processing unit 171, and then outputs the signal to the transmission unit 112. The transmission processing unit 172 outputs scan skip information to the transmission unit 112 in accordance with an instruction from the scan skip management unit 173. The transmission processing unit 172 transmits the scan skip information to the terminal device 10 via the transmission unit 112.

[0050] As will be described later, the scan skip management unit 173 manages the scan skip information (such as frequency, latitude, longitude, and information source information) in the scan skip storage unit 161. The scan skip management unit 173 stores the scan skip information output by the reception processing unit 171 in the scan skip storage unit 161 of the storage unit 160. The scan skip management unit 173 reads out the scan skip information from the scan skip storage unit 161 and instructs the transmission processing unit 172 to transmit.

[0051] The terminal information acquisition unit 174 acquires various information of the terminal device 10 communicating with the relay station device 12. The terminal information acquisition unit 174 can be omitted in the first embodiment. Details of the terminal information acquisition unit 174 will be described in the second embodiment.

[0052] [Scanning] (overview) Here, an overview of the scan process executed by the terminal device 10 will be described. In any of the following cases, the user of the terminal device 10 performs a predetermined operation to instruct the terminal device 10 to execute the scan process. When the predetermined operation is performed, the scan control unit 103 starts the scan process. That is, the scan control unit 103 controls the reception processing unit 101 to set a predetermined channel as the first channel for the scan process and start the reception operation.

[0053] (If the user wants to select the receiving channel) When the scan control unit 103 executes the scan process, if there is an audio signal on the set channel, information indicating the signal strength is displayed on the display unit 60, and the audio is output from the audio output unit 40 for a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds). The user determines whether or not to select the currently set channel while listening to the audio. If the currently set channel is selected, the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit 50, and the scan process ends, and the selected channel becomes the receiving channel. If the user does not perform any operation on the operation unit 50, the set channel is changed sequentially at a predetermined timing. The user can also change the set channel by operating the operation unit 50.

[0054] (When the user wants to select a transmission channel (an available channel)) When the scan control unit 103 executes the scan process, if there is an audio signal on the set channel, information indicating the signal strength is displayed on the display unit 60, and the audio is output from the audio output unit 40 for a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds). If there is no audio signal on the set channel, no audio is output, and information indicating a signal strength of 0 is displayed on the display unit 60 for a shorter period of time. When the user looks at the display unit 60 and sees that the signal strength is 0, the user determines that the set channel is an available channel and sets it as a candidate for the transmission channel. To select a channel that is being set, the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit 50, and the scan process ends, and the selected channel becomes the transmission channel. If the user does not perform any operation on the operation unit 50, the set channel is changed sequentially at a predetermined timing. The user can also change the set channel by operating the operation unit 50.

[0055] (scan processing) The scanning process executed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the scanning process executed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing how the display screen 200 displayed on the display unit 60 of the terminal device 10 changes as the scanning process progresses. The display screen 200 is controlled by the control unit 100.

[0056] FIG. 4(a) illustrates a state in which a user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit and scanning processing is initiated. In the first embodiment, the scanning processing is initiated, for example, when the user presses and holds the VFO key on the operation unit 50. However, the scanning processing is not limited to this operation. As illustrated in FIG. 4(a), a display screen 200 displayed on the display unit 60 by the display control unit 104 includes a character string 201 and an icon 202. The character string 201 indicates the frequency of the set channel, i.e., the frequency of the radio wave to be received. In the example of FIG. 4, the frequency is displayed in units of MHz (megahertz), but the frequency may be displayed in any unit. The icon 202 indicates the radio wave strength (signal strength) of the received radio wave. The icon 202 is, for example, a meter (level meter) indicating signal strength, which fluctuates in real time according to the signal strength. In the example of FIG. 4, the greater the signal strength, the more blacked-out cells there are in the icon 202. For example, in FIG. 4(a), of the nine cells that display the signal strength (signal level), five cells are displayed in black, which indicates that the signal strength is "Level 5."

[0057] FIG. 4(a) shows the state in which the scan control unit 103 sets 433.200 MHz as the first frequency to be scanned (received), and a scan of this frequency is being performed. If an audio signal is present at this frequency, the audio is output from the audio output unit 40. The user can determine whether this frequency is an available channel by looking at the icon 202 displayed on the display screen 200. If the user does not perform any operation, after a predetermined time (e.g., 2 seconds), the scan control unit 103 sets the frequency obtained by adding a predetermined value (step frequency) to the currently set frequency as the next frequency to be scanned. In other words, the frequency to be scanned is set in units of the step frequency. The step frequency here is 20 kHz.

[0058] The scan control unit 103 refers to the scan skip storage unit 91 and determines whether the frequency to be set next corresponds to a scan skip frequency, which is a frequency to be excluded from the scan process. Specifically, the scan control unit 103 determines not to use (exclude) a newly set frequency if the frequency is the same as a skip frequency stored in the scan skip storage unit 91 and the position of the host station acquired by the GNSS module 80 is within a predetermined range (within a predetermined distance) from the position information stored in the scan skip storage unit 91. Note that the predetermined range based on the position information stored in the scan skip storage unit 91 is sometimes referred to as a scan skip range. The scan skip frequency may also be abbreviated to skip frequency.

[0059] For example, if the next frequency is 433.200 + 0.020 = 433.220 MHz, 433.220 MHz is registered in the scan skip memory unit 91, and the position of the host station acquired by the GNSS module 80 is within the scan skip range, 433.220 MHz is skipped and not used. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the next frequency, 433.240 MHz, is used. In FIG. 4(b), skip information 203 indicating that 433.220 MHz has been skipped is also displayed on the display screen 200. The skip information 203 may display, for example, "433.220 MHz skipped." This allows the user to easily understand the scan status and scan skip status by looking at the display screen 200 displayed on the display unit 60.

[0060] FIG. 4(c) shows an example in which 433.260 MHz is used, which is the frequency of FIG. 4(b) plus a step frequency of 20 kHz. FIG. 4(d) shows an example in which 433.280 MHz is used, which is the frequency of FIG. 4(c) plus a step frequency of 20 kHz. In the example of FIG. 4(d), all cells of icon 202 are displayed in white, indicating that the signal strength is "Level 0." In other words, the user can determine that 433.280 MHz is an open channel. Note that if the next set frequency matches the scan skip frequency but the location of the own station is not within the scan skip range, the scan control unit 103 performs a scan using that frequency. In this case, the display control unit 104 may display information on the display screen 200 indicating that the next set frequency is outside the scan skip range.

[0061] 4(c) does not match the scan skip frequency stored in the scan skip storage unit 91, the control unit 100 may display the character string 201 in white. For example, if 433.260 MHz matches the scan skip frequency stored in the scan skip storage unit 91 but the position of the own station is outside the scan skip range, the display control unit 104 may display the character string 201 in yellow.

[0062] For example, in Fig. 4(b), the skipped 433.220 MHz may be displayed in red. Of course, changing the display color of the character string 201 is just one example, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the display control unit 104 may display different icons depending on the conditions.

[0063] That is, the display control unit 104 may change the display format of the information displayed on the display screen 200 depending on whether the set frequency matches the scan skip frequency or whether the position of the own station is within the scan skip range.

[0064] The flow of the scan process executed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan process executed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment.

[0065] The scanning process shown in FIG. 5 is started when a predetermined operation is performed by the user (for example, pressing and holding the VFO key).

[0066] The control unit 100 executes scan skip information addition request processing (step S100). Specifically, the control unit 100 transmits a scan skip information request to the relay station device 12 via the transmission unit 22. Upon receiving the scan skip information request, the reception processing unit 171 of the relay station device 12 reads out the scan skip information stored in the scan skip storage unit 161, and the transmission processing unit 172 transmits it to the terminal device 10.

[0067] The flow of processing when a terminal device according to the first embodiment receives scan skip information from a relay station device will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when a terminal device according to the first embodiment receives scan skip information from a relay station device.

[0068] The receiver 21 receives scan skip information from the relay station device 12 under the control of the controller 100 (reception processor 101) (step S300).

[0069] Next, the storage control unit 105 registers (appends) the received scan skip information in the scan skip information registration table of the scan skip storage unit 91 (step S310). Note that the scan skip information is added (appended) here without overwriting data already stored in the scan skip storage unit 91. Therefore, the scan skip information registered up to that point is accumulated in the scan skip storage unit 91. Note that when the scan skip information reception process or registration process is performed, the notification unit 70 may notify the user audibly or visually. For example, the notification unit 70 may output a notification sound in a tone indicating the reception of scan skip information, or light up an LED in a color indicating the reception of scan skip information.

[0070] A scan skip information registration table for storing scan skip information according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the scan skip information registration table according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the scan skip information registration table TB1 includes items such as "scan skip frequency," "location information (latitude, longitude)," "information source (terminal ID)," and "registration date and time." The scan skip information registration table TB1 is a table that stores the scan skip frequency, location information, information source, and registration date and time in association with each other. Note that the information source and registration date and time may be omitted from the scan skip information registration table TB1. In other words, the scan skip information is information that includes at least the scan skip frequency and location information.

[0071] A scan skip frequency (skip frequency) is a frequency that should be skipped (not used) in the scan process. In other words, a scan skip frequency is a frequency that should be excluded from the scan process. For example, a frequency at which normal scan processing cannot be performed due to strong electromagnetic waves (jamming radio waves, etc.) generated by devices other than the communication system 1 is registered as a scan skip frequency. As shown in Figure 7, the same scan skip frequency may be registered in multiple records (rows).

[0072] The location information indicates the location where the terminal device 10 has registered the scan skip frequency, and is composed of latitude and longitude. There is a high possibility that strong jamming signals exist in the vicinity of this location information. The location information here is also called registered location information.

[0073] The information source is the terminal ID (terminal identifier) ​​of the terminal device 10 that registered the scan skip frequency.

[0074] The registration date and time is the date and time when the scan skip frequency was identified. As described above, the scan skip information registration table TB1 is basically additionally recorded, but data with older registration dates and times may be deleted as appropriate. For example, the storage control unit 105 may delete data with registration dates and times that are more than one year old. This is because data with older registration dates and times is likely to differ from the current radio wave conditions. However, as described above, the registration date and time may be omitted and not stored in the scan skip information registration table TB1. The scan skip storage unit 161 of the relay station device 12 also stores scan skip information in a format similar to that of FIG. 7. That is, in the communication system 1, the same scan skip information may be stored in each terminal device 10 and each relay station device 12.

[0075] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 5, the scan control unit 103 sets the frequency at which scanning will be performed (step S110). For example, the scan control unit 103 reads out the frequency at which scanning will be performed first from the storage unit 90 and sets it as the frequency at which scanning will be performed. In the example shown in Fig. 4, 433.200 MHz shown in Fig. 4(a) is set as the frequency to be used first.

[0076] Next, the GNSS module 80 (terminal position information acquisition unit) acquires position information of the own station (also referred to as the own terminal device or the own device) (step S120). Specifically, the GNSS module 80 acquires the current latitude and longitude of the own station.

[0077] Next, the scan control unit 103 determines whether the currently set frequency (the frequency set in step S110 or step S240 described later) corresponds to a scan skip frequency (step S130). Specifically, the scan control unit 103 refers to the scan skip information registration table TB1 in the scan skip storage unit 91 and determines whether the currently set frequency is included in the scan skip frequencies. If the currently set frequency is included in the scan skip information registration table TB1, the scan control unit 103 identifies the record of that frequency (if there are multiple records, multiple records are identified). Note that if the registration date and time of the identified record is old (for example, if the registration date and time is more than one year ago), the scan control unit 103 may ignore the record and consider that no scan skip frequency exists. If it is determined that the frequency corresponds to a scan skip frequency (step S130; Yes), the process proceeds to step S140. If it is determined that the frequency does not correspond to a scan skip frequency (step S130; No), the process proceeds to step S160.

[0078] If the determination in step S130 is Yes, the scan control unit 103 calculates the distance between the position of the own station and the position of the scan skip information (step S140). Specifically, the scan control unit 103 refers to the scan skip information registration table TB1 and calculates the distance between the position information acquired in step S120 and the position information of the record identified in step S130. If multiple records are identified, the scan control unit 103 calculates the distance corresponding to each record and adopts the shortest distance.

[0079] Next, the scan control unit 103 determines whether the position of the local station is within the scan skip range (step S150). Specifically, the scan control unit 103 determines that the position is within the range if the distance calculated in step S140 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and determines that the position is outside the range if the distance calculated in step S140 is greater than the predetermined value. The predetermined value is also called a threshold, and may be a fixed value set in advance or a value arbitrarily set (selected) by the user. If the position of the local station is determined to be within the scan skip range (step S150; Yes), the process proceeds to step S230. If the position of the local station is not determined to be within the scan skip range (step S150; No), the process proceeds to step S160.

[0080] A method for a user to set a scan skip range according to the first embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for a user to set a scan skip range according to the first embodiment.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 8, the display control unit 104 causes the display unit 60 to display a display screen 300. The display screen 300 displays options for the scan skip range, such as "off," "1 km," "2 km," "3 km," "4 km," "5 km," "10 km," "15 km," "20 km," "50 km," and "100 km." For example, if "5 km" is selected, the current location of the station is considered to be within the scan skip range if the distance calculated in step S140 is less than or equal to "5 km." Furthermore, "off" is an option for performing scan skip regardless of distance. The user can select one of these options by operating the operation unit 50 to move the cursor 301 to the desired distance. Of course, the example shown in FIG. 8 is merely an example, and other options may be available. The information selected by the user (e.g., "5 km") is stored in the storage unit 90 and used as a predetermined value.

[0082] Returning to the description of Fig. 5, the scan control unit 103 controls the receiving unit 21 to start reception processing at the currently set frequency (step S160). Also, in step S160, the display control unit 104 displays a display screen 200 such as that shown in Fig. 4 on the display unit 60. That is, the display control unit 104 displays information indicating the frequency and signal level of the currently set channel on the display unit 60. Note that when the result of step S150 is Yes, information on the frequency to be skipped may be stored in the storage unit 90, and in step S160 the display control unit 104 may refer to that information and display skip information 203 shown in Fig. 4(b) on the display unit 60.

[0083] Next, the reception processing unit 101 determines whether or not an RF signal (radio frequency signal) is present at the currently set frequency (step S170). Specifically, the reception processing unit 101 determines that an RF signal is present when an RF signal of a certain level or higher is detected by the receiving unit 21. If it is determined that an RF signal is present (step S170; Yes), the process proceeds to step S180. If it is determined that an RF signal is not present (step S170; No), the process proceeds to step S175.

[0084] If the determination in step S170 is Yes, the scan control unit 103 controls the alarm unit 70 to perform an alarm process (step S180). Specifically, the alarm unit 70, under the control of the scan control unit 103, outputs an alarm sound or lights up an LED to notify the user that an RF signal is present at the currently set frequency and that the change of the reception frequency has been temporarily suspended. The alarm sound indicating the presence of an RF signal may be different from the alarm sound issued when scan skip information is received or registered. Furthermore, the color of the LED indicating the presence of an RF signal may be different from the color of the LED issued when scan skip information is received or registered. By performing such processing, the user can easily understand the content of the alarm (the current situation). Furthermore, in step S180, the reception processing unit 101 outputs an audio signal extracted from the baseband signal to the audio output unit 40. That is, in conjunction with the alarm process, audio output from the audio output unit 40 begins.

[0085] Next, the scan control unit 103 determines whether or not a scan skip operation has been performed (step S190). If the user wishes to skip the currently set frequency, the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit 50 (such as pressing a predetermined key). In other words, if the user wishes to exclude the currently set frequency from future scan processing, the user performs a predetermined operation. The scan control unit 103 detects the user's scan skip operation via the operation unit 50. If it is determined that a scan skip operation has been performed (step S190; Yes), the process proceeds to step S200. If it is determined that a scan skip operation has not been performed (step S190; No), the process proceeds to step S220.

[0086] If the result of the determination in step S190 is Yes, the scan control unit 103 performs a scan skip registration process (step S200). The scan skip registration process will be described in detail later.

[0087] Subsequently, the transmitter 22 transmits scan skip information to another terminal device 10 (another station) or the relay station device 12 under the control of the control unit 100 (transmission processing unit 102) (step S210). For example, if the terminal device 10 (own station) is set to communicate directly with another station, the transmitter 22 may transmit the scan skip information to the other station. For example, if the terminal device 10 (own station) is set to communicate with another station via the relay station device 12, the transmitter 22 may transmit the scan skip information to the relay station device 12. Alternatively, the user may be allowed to select a destination of the scan skip information. For example, an operation screen for allowing the user to select a destination may be displayed on the display unit 60, and the user may operate the operation unit 50 to select another station or the relay station device 12 as the destination, and the selection result may be stored in the storage unit 90. When transmitting scan skip information to another station, it is preferable that the transmitter 22 perform broadcast communication so that all other stations within a range of the radio waves of the own station can receive the scan skip information. The other station that has received the scan skip information executes the same processing as in Fig. 6. However, in this case, in step S300, the receiving unit 21 of the other station receives the scan skip information from the own station, not from relay station device 12. Similarly, the terminal device 10 (own station) may receive scan skip information transmitted from the other station. In this case, too, in step S300, the receiving unit 21 of the own station receives the scan skip information from the other station, not from relay station device 12. The process proceeds from step S210 to step S230.

[0088] If step S190 returns No, the scan control unit 103 determines whether a first predetermined time has elapsed since the notification process and audio output process of step S180 were performed (step S220). In other words, the scan control unit 103 determines whether a first predetermined time has elapsed since step S170 returned Yes. This first predetermined time is, for example, two seconds. That is, the first predetermined time is the time (length) for which audio is output from the audio output unit 40 during the scan process. Note that the first predetermined time may be a fixed value, or may be set (selected) by the user through the operation unit 50. The first predetermined time set by the user at any timing may be stored in the storage unit 90, and the scan control unit 103 may refer to it. If it is determined that the first predetermined time has elapsed (step S220; Yes), the scan control unit 103 proceeds to step S230. If it is determined that the first predetermined time has not elapsed (step S220; No), the scan control unit 103 returns to step S190 and repeats the process.

[0089] If the determination in step S170 is No, the display control unit 104 continues displaying the display screen 200 including the channel information for only a second predetermined time (step S175). In other words, the display control unit 104 continues displaying the display screen 200 for the second predetermined time after the determination in step S160 is No. Alternatively, the display control unit 104 may continue displaying the display screen 200 for the second predetermined time after the determination in step S170 is No. This second predetermined time is generally shorter than the first predetermined time, e.g., one second. However, it is not limited to this value. If it is determined that there is no RF signal, the display screen 200 as shown in FIG. 4(d) is displayed for the second predetermined time, allowing the user to easily identify available channels. The second predetermined time may be a fixed value, or may be set (selected) by the user via the operation unit 50. The second predetermined time set by the user at a desired timing may be stored in the storage unit 90, and the display control unit 104 may refer to it. Depending on the user's preference, the second predetermined time may be set to be longer than the first predetermined time. Such a setting may be preferable when the user is performing a scan process to find an available channel. Alternatively, the user may be allowed to set the second predetermined time to 0 seconds. If the second predetermined time is set to 0 seconds, step S175 is completed instantaneously. In other words, information about channels determined to have no RF signal is not displayed on the display screen 200. If the user is performing a scan process to find a receiving channel (for a purpose other than finding an available channel), such a setting may be preferable because it shortens the processing time. From step S175, the process proceeds to step S230.

[0090] Next, the scan control unit 103 determines whether or not to end the scan process (step S230). Specifically, the scan control unit 103 determines to end the scan process when the user performs an operation to end the scan. The scan control unit 103 determines that an operation to end the scan has been performed when the user performs a predetermined operation on the predetermined operation unit 50 at any timing (for example, when the VFO key is pressed again). If it is determined to end the scan process (step S230; Yes), the process of FIG. 5 ends. After ending the scan process, the terminal device 10 continues to receive radio waves at the currently set frequency. If it is not determined to end the scan process (step S230; No), the process proceeds to step S240.

[0091] If the determination in step S230 is No, the scan control unit 103 switches (changes) to the next frequency (step S240). Specifically, the scan control unit 103 adds a step frequency (e.g., 20 kHz) to the currently set frequency and sets the resulting value as the frequency at which the next scan will be performed. If the added value exceeds the upper limit of the frequency at which the scan will be performed, the scan control unit 103 sets the lower limit of the frequency at which the scan will be performed as the frequency at which the next scan will be performed. Note that the lower and upper limits of the frequency at which the scan will be performed are stored in the storage unit 90, so the scan control unit 103 can simply refer to them. After step S240, the control unit 100 returns to step S120 and repeats the process.

[0092] Because the terminal device 10 can receive scan skip information from the relay station device 12 or another station at timings other than step S100, it is also possible to omit step S100. However, by executing step S100, the terminal device 10 can perform scanning processing using the latest scan skip information, so it is preferable to execute step S100. Also, in the flowchart of Fig. 5, scan skip information is transmitted in step S210, but this is not limited to this. For example, if step S210 is omitted and a Yes determination is made in step S230, the transmission unit 22 may collectively transmit one or more pieces of scan skip information registered in step S200.

[0093] Note that if "off" is selected on the display screen shown in Fig. 8, scan skip will be performed regardless of distance, so steps S140 and S150 in Fig. 5 may be omitted. In that case, the process proceeds from step S130; Yes to step S230, and from step S130; No to step S160. That is, the scan control unit 103 may perform the scan process by excluding the scan skip frequencies stored in the scan skip storage unit 91, without using the position information stored in the scan skip storage unit 91. This concludes the description of the scan process executed by the terminal device.

[0094] [Scan skip registration process for your own station] Next, the scan skip registration process in the terminal device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan skip registration process in the terminal device according to the first embodiment.

[0095] The process shown in FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the details of the process of step S200 shown in FIG.

[0096] The scan control unit 103 acquires frequency information indicating the currently set frequency (the frequency set in step S110 or step S240 shown in FIG. 5) (step S400).

[0097] Next, the scan control unit 103 acquires the latitude and longitude information of the own station from the GNSS module 80 (step S410).

[0098] Next, the memory control unit 105 registers the scan skip frequency information in the scan skip information registration table TB1 in the scan skip memory unit 91 of the memory unit 90 (step S420). Specifically, the memory control unit 105 registers the frequency information and the latitude and longitude information of the local station in the scan skip information registration table TB1. At this time, the memory control unit 105 sets the terminal ID of the local station as the information source, and sets the date and time of the processing as the registration date and time. Note that when the scan skip registration processing is performed, the control unit 100 may control the notification unit 70 to notify the user audibly or visually. For example, the control unit 100 may control the notification unit 70 to output an alarm in a tone indicating that the local station has registered a scan skip, or to light up an LED in a color indicating that the local station has registered a scan skip.

[0099] [Scan skip relay processing of relay station equipment] Next, the scan skip relay process in the relay station device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan skip relay process in the relay station device according to the first embodiment.

[0100] The reception processing unit 171 determines whether or not scan skip information has been received via the receiving unit 111 (step S500). For example, in step S210 shown in FIG. 5, if the terminal device 10 transmits scan skip information to the relay station device 12, the reception processing unit 171 determines that scan skip information has been received. If it is determined that scan skip information has been received (step S500; Yes), the process proceeds to step S510. If it is not determined that scan skip information has been received (step S500; No), the process in FIG. 10 ends. Note that, if it is determined that scan skip information has been received, the reception processing unit 171 may control the alarm unit 150 to perform alarm processing. That is, if scan skip information has been received, the alarm unit 150 may output an alarm sound or turn on an LED.

[0101] Next, the scan skip management unit 173 registers the scan skip information (step S510). Specifically, the scan skip management unit 173 stores the received scan skip information in the scan skip storage unit 161 of the storage unit 160. Since the scan skip storage unit 161 stores a scan skip information registration table TB2 in a format similar to the scan skip information registration table TB1 in the terminal device 10 shown in FIG. 7, new data is added (appended) to this table. Note that the scan skip management unit 173 may check the scan skip information registration table TB2 at any timing and delete records with old registration dates and times (for example, records with registration dates and times older than one year).

[0102] Next, the transmission processing unit 172 reads the scan skip information registration table TB2 from the scan skip memory unit 161 and transmits the scan skip information to all terminal devices 10 that are using the relay station device 12 via the transmission unit 112 (step S520).

[0103] The transmission processing unit 172 may transmit all of the data in the scan skip information registration table TB2, or may transmit only the data (difference data) that has been registered since the previous transmission. The terminal device 10 that has received the scan skip information from the relay station device 12 executes the processing shown in FIG. 6. In step S520, the control unit 170 may transmit the scan skip information to another relay station device 12 via the transmission unit 112 and the network N. In this case, the control unit 170 of the other relay station device 12 that has received the scan skip information via the reception unit 111 stores it in the scan skip storage unit 161. The control unit 170 of the other relay station device 12 may read out the scan skip information from the scan skip storage unit 161 at any timing and transmit the scan skip information to the terminal device 10 via the transmission unit 112.

[0104] (Scan skip information list) Next, a scan skip information list displayed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a scan skip information list displayed by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. The user can display scan skip information on the display unit 60 by performing a predetermined operation on the operation unit 50.

[0105] When the display control unit 104 receives an input signal corresponding to a predetermined user operation from the operation unit 50, it reads data from the scan skip information registration table TB1 in the scan skip memory unit 91 and displays the scan skip information list on the display unit 60.

[0106] As shown in Fig. 11, the display unit 60 displays a scan skip information list 400 including items such as "list number (No.)," "scan skip frequency," "location information (latitude, longitude)," "terminal ID," and "registration date and time." A cursor 401 is also displayed on the left edge of the screen. The user can move the cursor 401 and select any data (row) by performing a predetermined operation, such as pressing an arrow key included in the operation unit 50.

[0107] The user can delete the selected scan skip information by selecting the data with the cursor 401 and pressing the delete button 410 displayed at the bottom of the screen. Specifically, when the delete button is pressed, the storage control unit 105 deletes the selected scan skip information. Data deleted by the user is deleted from the scan skip storage unit 91. That is, the user can check the list of scan skip information and delete data of frequencies that the user does not want to scan skip in the own station, such as data with an old registration date and time or data registered with a specific terminal device 10 (terminal ID). That is, it is possible to prevent scan skip information that is not appropriate for the own station from being used, thereby improving user convenience. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 11 , the data selected by the user may be invalidated (stored but unused) rather than deleted.

[0108] Note that FIG. 11 is merely an example, and the scan skip information list is not limited to this screen display. For example, the scan skip information list may display check boxes or the like to allow the user to arbitrarily select multiple data (rows) and delete multiple data collectively. Alternatively, the user may arbitrarily select the scan skip frequency, location information (latitude, longitude), device ID, and registration date and time, and sort the selected items in ascending or descending order. Furthermore, the user may set arbitrary search conditions for these items, and display or collectively delete data that match the search conditions.

[0109] 11, the terminal ID is displayed, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the display control unit 104 may cause the display unit 60 to display the scan skip information of the own station and the scan skip information of other terminal devices 10 in a manner that allows the scan skip information of the own station to be distinguished from the scan skip information of other terminal devices 10. For example, the display control unit 104 may display information or an icon that distinguishes between "own station" and "other station" and cause the display unit 60 to display data registered in the own station and data registered in other stations in a manner that allows the data to be distinguished from the data registered in the other station. For example, if the terminal ID of the own station is "ID1," the display control unit 104 may display ID1 as "own station" and display other terminal IDs as "other station." That is, the display control unit 104 may compare the information source of the scan skip information with the terminal ID of the own station, and if the information source matches, display "own station," and if the information source matches, display "other station." This allows the user to easily distinguish between the data of the own station and the data of other stations, even if the user is not familiar with terminal IDs.

[0110] The location information of the scan skip information may also be displayed on a map. The current location of the own station may also be displayed superimposed on the map. Furthermore, the user may be allowed to operate the operation unit 50 to specify any area on the map, and all scan skip information whose location information is included in the specified area may be deleted.

[0111] According to the first embodiment, scan skip information can be shared among a plurality of terminal devices 10, thereby reducing unnecessary scan processing.

[0112] According to the first embodiment, when the position of the own station is close to the position information included in the scan skip information, that information is used, so that frequencies to be skipped near sources of jamming waves can be identified with high accuracy. In other words, the first embodiment enables highly accurate scan skip processing that reflects local radio wave conditions.

[0113] According to the first embodiment, the user of the terminal device 10 does not need to register all of the scan skip frequencies by himself / herself, which reduces the user's operations and the burden on the user.

[0114] According to the first embodiment, unnecessary frequencies are not scanned, so the time required for the scan process is shortened, the convenience for the user of the terminal device 10 is improved, and battery consumption of the terminal device 10 is reduced.

[0115] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, relay station device 12 transmits all scan skip information stored in storage unit 160 to terminal device 10. In the second embodiment, relay station device 12 selects appropriate scan skip information depending on the location of terminal device 10 and transmits it to terminal device 10. In this way, the second embodiment can efficiently provide scan skip information to terminal device 10 and reduce communication traffic in communication system 1.

[0116] The number of relay station devices 12 in the second embodiment is an arbitrary number equal to or greater than 2. Furthermore, the terminal information acquisition unit 174 of the relay station device 12 in the second embodiment acquires at least the location information of the terminal device 10. The terminal information acquisition unit 174 may further acquire speed information indicating the moving speed of the terminal device 10 and traveling direction information indicating the traveling direction.

[0117] [Scan skip information request processing] The scan skip request process of the terminal device to the relay station device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan skip request process of the terminal device to the relay station device according to the second embodiment. The user can perform a scan skip information request process to the relay station device 12 by performing a predetermined operation on the operation unit 50.

[0118] When the control unit 100 receives an input signal corresponding to a predetermined user operation from the operation unit 50, it acquires location information of the local station via the GNSS module 80 (step S600). The location information of the local station is, for example, latitude and longitude information. The control unit 100 acquires the location information of the local station, for example, periodically.

[0119] Next, the control unit 100 acquires information about the traveling direction of the local station (step S610). Specifically, the control unit 100 acquires (calculates) information about the traveling direction of the local station based on changes in the position information of the local station. If the GNSS module 80 has a function of calculating the traveling direction of the local station, the control unit 100 may acquire the information about the traveling direction of the local station from the GNSS module 80. The control unit 100, for example, periodically acquires information about the traveling direction of the local station.

[0120] Next, the control unit 100 acquires speed information of the terminal device 10 (step S620). Specifically, the control unit 100 acquires (calculates) the speed information of the terminal device 10 based on changes in the position information of the terminal device 10. If the GNSS module 80 has a function for calculating the speed of the terminal device 10, the control unit 100 may acquire the speed information of the terminal device 10 from the GNSS module 80. For example, the control unit 100 may periodically acquire the speed information of the terminal device 10. Furthermore, if the terminal device 10 is equipped with an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a speed sensor, or the like, the control unit 100 may acquire the speed information and traveling direction information based on information from these sensors.

[0121] Next, the control unit 100 requests the relay station device 12 for scan skip information, including the location information, traveling direction information, and speed information of the own station (step S630). Specifically, the control unit 100 transmits a scan skip information request message including the location information, traveling direction information, and speed information of the own station via the transmission unit 22. Note that it is sufficient that the scan skip information request message includes at least the location information of the own station. In other words, the traveling information and speed information of the own station may be omitted. In other words, steps S610 and S620 may be omitted.

[0122] [Scan skip information reception process] The scan skip request acceptance process of the relay station device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan skip request acceptance process of the relay station device according to the second embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 13 is a process performed when the relay station device 12 accepts a request for scan skip information from the terminal device 10 (when it receives a scan skip information request message).

[0123] When the terminal information acquisition unit 174 receives a request for scan skip information from the terminal device 10 via the receiving unit 111, it acquires the location information of the terminal device 10 included in the scan skip information request message (step S700).

[0124] Next, the terminal information acquisition unit 174 acquires the traveling direction information of the terminal device 10 included in the scan skip information request message (step S710). Note that if the scan skip information request message does not include the traveling direction information of the terminal device 10, step S710 is omitted.

[0125] Next, the terminal information acquisition unit 174 acquires the speed information of the terminal device 10 included in the scan skip information request message (step S720). Note that if the scan skip information request message does not include the speed information of the terminal device 10, step S720 is omitted.

[0126] Next, the control unit 170 specifies a target area for selecting scan skip information required for the terminal device 10 (step S730). Specifically, the control unit 170 specifies the target area by one of the following methods.

[0127] (First method for identifying target areas) The first method for specifying the target area is a method that uses only the location information of the terminal device 10. In this case, the control unit 170 specifies, as the target area, an area within a predetermined distance (for example, within 5 km) centered on the location information of the terminal device 10. The control unit 170 uses the first specification method when the scan skip information request message does not include traveling direction information and speed information of the terminal device 10.

[0128] (Second method of identifying target areas) A second method for specifying the target area is a method using the position information, traveling direction information, and speed information of the terminal device 10. In this case, the control unit 170 predicts the position of the terminal device 10 after a predetermined time (third predetermined time) based on the traveling direction information and speed information of the terminal device 10. This third predetermined time is, for example, 30 minutes, but is not limited to this value. The control unit 170 then specifies the target area based on the current position of the terminal device 10 and the predicted position. For example, the target area may be a range within a predetermined distance (for example, within 1 km) from each point on a line segment connecting the current position and the predicted position. In this case, the target area has a shape close to a rectangle. Alternatively, for example, the target area may be an elliptical region with the current position and the predicted position as its foci. In this case, the target area has an elliptical shape. The control unit 170 uses the second specification method when the scan skip information request message includes the traveling direction and speed information of the terminal.

[0129] Next, the control unit 170 (scan skip management unit 173) refers to the scan skip storage unit 161 and acquires scan skip information corresponding to the target area identified in step S730 (step S740). Specifically, the control unit 170 selects and reads out scan skip information whose location information (latitude, longitude) is included in the target area from the scan skip storage unit 161. The scan skip information included in the target area can be said to be scan skip information that is likely to be required by the terminal device 10 now and in the near future.

[0130] Next, the control unit 170 determines whether the target area (also referred to as the second area) identified in step S730 is entirely included in the management area (also referred to as the first area) of the relay station device 12 (step S750). The management area is typically a range (coverage area) in which the relay station device 12 and the terminal device 10 can communicate, but may be different. Information about the management area is stored in the storage unit 160. For example, the coverage area of ​​the relay station device 12 may be approximated by a circle, and information indicating the position (latitude, longitude) of the relay station device 12 and the radius of the coverage area may be stored in the storage unit 160. Alternatively, for example, the management area may be approximated by a polygon of any shape, not just the cover area, and information indicating the positions (latitude, longitude) of each vertex of the polygon may be stored in the storage unit 160. The scan skip storage unit 161 of the relay station device according to the second embodiment stores scan skip information corresponding to at least its own management area (first area). The scan skip storage unit 161 may further store scan skip information for areas other than the management area of ​​its own device. However, due to limitations on the capacity of the storage unit 160, limitations on the processing power of the relay station device 12, limitations on the communication volume of the network N, and the like, data other than that for the management area of ​​its own device may not be stored. Furthermore, in order to simplify the configuration and processing of the relay station device 12, the scan skip storage unit 161 may store only the scan skip information corresponding to the management area of ​​its own device. If it is determined that the target area is entirely included in the management area (step S750; Yes), the process proceeds to step S770. If it is determined that at least a part of the target area is not included in the management area (step S750; No), the process proceeds to step S760.

[0131] If the determination in step S750 is No, the control unit 170 acquires scan skip information corresponding to the target area from the other relay station devices 12 (step S760). This allows the relay station device 12 to reliably acquire the latest scan skip information corresponding to the target area. Specifically, first, the transmission unit 112 transmits a scan skip information request to the other relay station devices 12 via the network N under the control of the control unit 170. This scan skip information request includes information about the target area (such as the latitude and longitude ranges). The relay station device 12 may transmit the scan skip information request to a specific other relay station device 12 adjacent to itself, or may transmit the request to all other relay station devices 12 in the communication system 1. The other relay station devices 12 that have received the scan skip information request refer to the storage unit 160 to identify, if any, scan skip information corresponding to the target area and read it out. The other relay station devices 12 that have received the scan skip information request transmit the read scan skip information to the relay station device 12 that transmitted the scan skip information request via the network N. The control unit 170 of the relay station device 12 that has requested the scan skip information acquires, via the receiving unit 111, the scan skip information transmitted from the other relay station device 12.

[0132] If the determination in step S750 is Yes, or after step S760, the transmission unit 112, under the control of the control unit 170, transmits the scan skip information acquired in steps S740 and S760 to the terminal device 10 (step S770). That is, the transmission unit 112 transmits all scan skip information that applies to the target area.

[0133] A method in which a relay station device according to the second embodiment acquires scan skip information from another relay station device and transmits it to a terminal device will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining a method in which a relay station device according to the second embodiment acquires scan skip information from another relay station device and transmits it to a terminal device.

[0134] 14 shows relay station device 12-1 and relay station device 12-2. Coverage area AR1 is the coverage area of ​​relay station device 12-1. Coverage area AR2 is the coverage area of ​​relay station device 12-2. Relay station device 12-1 and relay station device 12-2 can communicate with each other via network N. It is assumed that a user carrying terminal device 10 is in vehicle C and traveling toward relay station device 12-2 as indicated by the arrow. It is assumed that the current location of vehicle C is within the range of cover area AR1 and outside the range of cover area AR2.

[0135] In such a case, when at least a part of the target area of ​​terminal device 10 is no longer included in cover area AR1, relay station device 12-1 acquires scan skip information of relay station device 12-2 from relay station device 12-2. Then, relay station device 12-1 transmits the scan skip information of relay station device 12-1 and the scan skip information of relay station device 12-2 to terminal device 10. This allows terminal device 10 to acquire the scan skip information of relay station device 12-2 before arriving at cover area AR2.

[0136] 5 may be omitted in the scan processing of the terminal device 10 according to the second embodiment. In that case, for example, if the determination in step S130 is Yes, the process may proceed to step S230, and if the determination in step S130 is No, the process may proceed to step S160. That is, the terminal device 10 may perform the scan processing by excluding all scan skip frequencies included in the scan skip information received from the relay station device 12, without calculating the distance between the terminal device's own position and the position included in the scan skip information. If the relay station device 12 selects and provides scan skip information in the vicinity of the terminal device 10 that is highly necessary for the terminal device 10, the terminal device 10 does not need to further select scan skip information.

[0137] According to the second embodiment, the relay station device 12 selects scan skip information that is highly necessary for the terminal device 10 in accordance with the location of the terminal device 10 and transmits the selected scan skip information to the terminal device 10. Therefore, the second embodiment can efficiently provide scan skip information to the terminal device 10, and can reduce communication traffic in the communication system 1.

[0138] <Third embodiment> In the first and second embodiments, relay station device 12 has the function of the information management device. In the communication system of the third embodiment, an information management device separate from relay station device 12 is installed.

[0139] (Communication Systems) An example of the configuration of a communication system according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication system according to the third embodiment.

[0140] 15, communication system 1A includes terminal device 10-1 to terminal device 10-5, relay station device 12A-1 to relay station device 12A-3, and information management device 14. When there is no need to distinguish between relay station device 12A-1 to relay station device 12A-3, they will be collectively referred to as relay station device 12A.

[0141] The information management device 14 and relay station device 12A-1 to relay station device 12A-3 are connected to a network N. The information management device 14 can transmit and receive data to and from all relay station devices 12A via the network N. In the third embodiment, the number of terminal devices 10 included in the communication system 1A is any number equal to or greater than two, and the number of relay station devices 12A is any number equal to or greater than one. In the example shown in FIG. 15, there is one information management device 14, but multiple information management devices 14 may also be used.

[0142] (Information management device) An example of the configuration of an information management device according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information management device according to the third embodiment.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 16, the information management device 14 includes a communication unit 500, a storage unit 510, and a control unit 520.

[0144] The communication unit 500 is connected to the network N. The communication unit 500 communicates with each relay station device 12A via the network N. The communication unit 500 includes a receiving unit 501 and a transmitting unit 502.

[0145] The receiving unit 501 receives various types of data via the network N. That is, the receiving unit 501 can receive various types of data from the terminal device 10 via the network N and the relay station device 12A. The transmitting unit 502 transmits various types of data via the network N. That is, the transmitting unit 502 can transmit various types of data to the terminal device 10 via the network N and the relay station device 12A.

[0146] The storage unit 510 stores various data, the calculation contents of the control unit 520, programs, etc. The storage unit 510 further includes a scan skip storage unit 511 that stores scan skip information. At least a part of the storage unit 510 is configured with non-volatile memory so that data and programs are retained even when the power to the information management device 14 is turned off.

[0147] The control unit 520 controls the entire information management device 14 (each unit). The control unit 520 includes a scan skip management unit 521 and a terminal information acquisition unit 522. The scan skip management unit 521 and the terminal information acquisition unit 522 perform the same operations as the scan skip management unit 173 and the terminal information acquisition unit 174 described above, respectively. The control unit 520 is configured with a processor such as a CPU, for example.

[0148] The information management device 14 is configured so that a display device 16 and an input device 18 can be connected. The display device 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display that displays various information. The input device 18 is a device that accepts user operations, such as a keyboard or a mouse. Note that the display device 16 may be configured as a display unit, and the input device 18 may be configured as an input unit (operation unit) that is integrated with the information management device 14.

[0149] (Relay station equipment) Relay station device 12A according to the third embodiment has a configuration in which the scan skip storage unit 161 is omitted from relay station device 12 shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the control unit of relay station device 12A has a configuration in which the scan skip management unit 173 and the terminal information acquisition unit 174 are omitted from the configuration of control unit 170 shown in Fig. 3. That is, in the third embodiment, relay station device 12A does not store scan skip information. In the third embodiment, information management device 14 stores scan skip information and transmits it to terminal device 10 via relay station device 12A.

[0150] When relay station device 12A receives scan skip information from terminal device 10, it transmits the received scan skip information to information management device 14 via network N. That is, relay station device 12A relays the scan skip information received from terminal device 10 and transmits it to information management device 14.

[0151] When scan skip management unit 521 of information management device 14 receives scan skip information from relay station device 12A via receiving unit 501, it stores the received scan skip information in scan skip storage unit 511. Scan skip storage unit 511 stores the scan skip information in scan skip information registration table TB3 in a format similar to that of scan skip information registration table TB1 shown in FIG.

[0152] [Scan skip information reception process] The scan skip request reception process of the information management device according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the scan skip request reception process of the information management device according to the third embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 17 is performed when the information management device 14 receives a scan skip information request message transmitted from the terminal device 10 via the relay station device 12A.

[0153] The processing of steps S800 to S840 is the same as the processing of steps S700 to S740 shown in FIG. 13, except that the main body is the control unit 520 of the information management device 14 and the target from which data is acquired is the scan skip memory unit 511, and therefore the explanation will be omitted.

[0154] The transmission unit 502 transmits the scan skip information acquired in step S840 to the terminal device 10 via the network N and the relay station device 12A under the control of the control unit 520 (step S850). Then, the processing in FIG. 17 ends.

[0155] That is, in the third embodiment, all scan skip information in the communication system 1A is stored in the scan skip storage unit 511 of the information management device 14, so in step S840, all scan skip information corresponding to the target area, that is, all necessary scan skip information, is acquired. Therefore, in the third embodiment, steps S750 and S760 shown in Fig. 13 are unnecessary. Therefore, the transmission unit 502 only needs to transmit the scan skip information acquired in step S840 to the device.

[0156] Relay station devices do not necessarily have sufficient processing power or storage capacity due to constraints on installation location (for example, high altitude locations where radio waves can easily reach, locations with limited installation space, etc.), cost, etc. Furthermore, if scan skip information within a communication system is distributed among many relay station devices, maintenance operations such as data updates and backups can become complicated.

[0157] On the other hand, the information management device according to the third embodiment is less restricted in terms of installation location than relay station devices, and fewer devices are required, making it easier to provide sufficient processing power and storage capacity. Since the scan skip information can be centrally managed by the information management device 14, it is easy to enhance the redundancy and fault tolerance of the system, and to facilitate system maintenance and operation. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the configuration and processing of the relay station device can be simplified. Therefore, the third embodiment is suitable for a large-scale communication system with a large number of terminal devices 10 and relay station devices 12 and a wide communication area.

[0158] The components of each device shown in the figure are conceptual functional components and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads and usage conditions. This distribution and integration configuration may also be performed dynamically.

[0159] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] 1,1A Communication System 10 Terminal Equipment 12, 12A Relay Station Equipment 14 Information management device 16 Display device 18 Input Devices 20,110,500 Communications Department 21,111,501 Receiver 22,112,502 Transmitter 23,113 antennas 30 Audio input section 40,120 Audio output section 50,130 Operation unit 60,140 Display section 70,150 Information Department 80 GNSS modules 90,160,510 Storage section 91,161,511 Scan skip memory 100,170,520 Control unit 101,171 Receiving processing unit 102,172 Transmission processing unit 103 Scan control section 104 Display control unit 105 Memory control unit 173,521 Scan Skip Management Department 174,522 Terminal information acquisition section

Claims

1. a storage unit that stores scan skip information that associates skip frequencies to be excluded in a scan process executed by a terminal device with registration location information that indicates a location where the skip frequencies are registered; a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the terminal device; a control unit that selects scan skip information from the storage unit based on the location information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit and the registered location information; a transmission unit that transmits the scan skip information selected by the control unit to the terminal device; An information management device comprising:

2. the storage unit stores information indicating a first area that is a management area of ​​the device itself; the control unit creates information indicating a second area based on the location information acquired by the terminal information acquisition unit, and when the second area is not included in the first area, acquires the scan skip information corresponding to the second area from another information management device; The transmission unit transmits the acquired scan skip information to a terminal device. The information management device according to claim 1 .

3. a terminal location information acquisition unit that acquires terminal location information that is location information of the device itself; a receiving unit that receives scan skip information in which skip frequencies excluded from the scan process are associated with registered position information in which the skip frequencies are registered; a scan control unit that, when a distance between the terminal location information and the registered location information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, executes a scan process while excluding a skip frequency corresponding to the registered location information; A terminal device comprising:

4. The information management device includes a computer. storing scan skip information in which skip frequencies to be excluded in a scan process executed by the terminal device are associated with registered position information indicating a position where the skip frequencies are registered; acquiring location information of the terminal device; selecting scan skip information from the stored scan skip information based on the acquired location information and the registered location information; transmitting the selected scan skip information to the terminal device; A program that executes the following.

5. The computer included in the terminal device acquiring terminal location information that is location information of the device itself; receiving scan skip information in which skip frequencies excluded from scanning by other terminal devices are associated with registered location information in which the skip frequencies are registered; When a distance between the terminal location information and the registered location information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a skip frequency corresponding to the registered location information is excluded from the scan process; A program that executes the following.

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