Communication device, communication method, and communication program

Abstract

To provide a technique for prohibiting a communication in a frequency band of which its use is restricted in a place where a communication device is positioned.SOLUTION: A communication device comprises: a first communication section which performs a communication according to a first radio communication mode when activated; a second communication section which communicates with a peripheral communication terminal according to a second radio communication mode which is different from the first communication mode; and a communication control section which, before performing the communication according to the first radio communication mode, performs a communication with the peripheral communication terminal according to the second radio communication mode, acquires place information indicating a place where the communication terminal is positioned, specifies a frequency band which cannot be used for the first radio communication mode at the place on the basis of the place information, and prohibits the communication of the first communication section in the frequency band.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication method, and a communication program. [Background technology]

[0002] Many communication devices that communicate via wireless communication lines such as Wi-Fi have a function that automatically establishes a connection with surrounding devices that can communicate when the power is turned on. In the wireless communication system of Patent Document 1, an information terminal determines whether it can connect to a navigation device via Wi-Fi using the information terminal as an access point, and if it determines that it cannot connect, it transmits an instruction signal to the navigation device via Bluetooth (registered trademark) to change the access point from the information terminal to the navigation device. Then, after the access point has been changed to the navigation device, the information terminal and the navigation device communicate via Wi-Fi. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-19177 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The frequency bands used for WiFi communications are determined by international standards. These standards specify numerous frequency bands, some of which can affect other communications and radars that use similar frequency bands. For this reason, each country or region designates certain bands that cannot be used within the WiFi standard. For example, the W58 frequency band cannot be used in Japan. However, when adjusting communication equipment in Japan before shipping to other countries, or when bringing foreign-made communication equipment to Japan for testing, the communication equipment may automatically establish communication and transmit radio waves in a frequency band that cannot be used in Japan.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for prohibiting communication in a frequency band that cannot be used in a location where a communication device is located. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a communication device according to the present disclosure includes: a first communication unit that performs communication using a first wireless communication method when activated; a second communication unit that communicates with surrounding communication terminals using a second wireless communication system different from the first wireless communication system; a communication control unit that communicates with the surrounding communication terminals using the second wireless communication method before communicating using the first wireless communication method, acquires location information indicating a location where the communication terminals are located, identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method at the location based on the location information, and prohibits communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The technology disclosed herein can provide a technology that prohibits communication in a frequency band that cannot be used in a location where a communication device is located. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data table in which countries and regions are associated with unavailable frequency bands. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of a communication method executed by the in-vehicle device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A communication device, a communication method, and a communication program according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations and combinations thereof in each embodiment are merely examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.

[0010] First Embodiment 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system 100 according to the first embodiment. The communication system 100 includes an in-vehicle device 10 mounted on a vehicle 1, a communication terminal 20 such as a mobile phone or a smartphone used by an occupant of the vehicle 1, and a battery 30 mounted on the vehicle 1 for supplying power to the in-vehicle device 10 and the like.

[0011] [In-vehicle device] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. FIG. 2 mainly shows components necessary for explaining the features of this embodiment, and omits the description of general components. In other words, the components shown in FIG. 2 are functional concepts and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the specific form of distribution and integration of each functional block 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, usage conditions, etc.

[0012] 2, the in-vehicle device 10 is an information processing device (computer) having a control unit 101, a memory 102, an input / output interface (IF) 103, and a communication IF 104, which are interconnected by a connection bus 110. The in-vehicle device 10 may be a device that displays navigation information, entertainment information, etc., such as a CID (Center Information Display). The in-vehicle device 10 of this embodiment is also a form of a communication device.

[0013] The control unit 101 controls the entire display control device and is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a main memory device, etc. The control unit 101 is also called a controller or a processor. The control unit 101 is not limited to a configuration including a single processor, but may have a multiprocessor configuration. Furthermore, a single control unit 101 connected via a single socket may have a multi-core configuration. The main memory device is used as a working area for the control unit 101, a storage area for programs and data, and a buffer area for communication data. The main memory device includes, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM) or a combination of RAM and Read Only Memory (ROM). The main memory device is a storage medium in which the control unit 101 caches programs and data and expands its working area.

[0014] The memory 102 is an auxiliary storage device that stores programs executed by the control unit 101, operation setting information, etc. The memory 102 is not limited to an internal storage device built into the in-vehicle device 10, but may also be an external storage device such as an external storage device or a NAS (Network Attached Storage). The memory 102 may be, for example, a hard-disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, a USB Memory, memory cards, etc.

[0015] The input / output IF 103 is an interface that inputs and outputs data to and from peripheral devices. The input / output IF 103 inputs and outputs data to and from devices such as a disk drive that reads data from a storage medium such as a CD or a DVD, an operation unit that receives user operations, and a display device that displays information to the user. The input / output IF 103 may also input and output data to and from devices such as a tuner that receives radio or television broadcast waves, a reader / writer that reads and writes data from and to a storage medium such as a memory card, a microphone, and a sensor. The operation unit is an input means that receives an operation by a user and inputs operation information indicating this operation to the control unit 101. The operation unit may be, for example, a button, a switch, a dial (rotary knob), a lever, or the like. The operation unit may also be a touch panel that is provided over the display surface of the display device.

[0016] The communication IF 104 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as the communication terminal 20 via a communication line. The communication IF 104 of this embodiment includes a first communication unit 41 for communicating using a first wireless communication method, and a second communication unit 42 for communicating with surrounding communication terminals using a second wireless communication method. In this embodiment, the first wireless communication method is a method defined in IEEE 802.11. , so-called WiFi. The second wireless communication method is a method different from the first wireless communication method, and in this embodiment is Bluetooth (registered trademark). The second wireless communication method is not limited to Bluetooth, and may be other methods such as ZigBee (registered trademark). Note that each of the above components may be provided in plural, or some of the components may not be provided.

[0017] In the in-vehicle device 10, the control unit 101 executes an application program to function as each processing unit such as a location information acquisition unit 111, a location identification unit 112, a communication band identification unit 113, a communication restriction unit 114, and a power monitoring unit 115 shown in FIG. 2. However, at least a part of the processing of each of the above processing units may be provided by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or the like. At least part of the logic is a dedicated LSI such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). (large scale integration) or other digital circuits. At least a part of the logic unit may include an analog circuit.

[0018] Before communicating via WiFi, location information acquisition unit 111 communicates with surrounding communication terminals 20 via Bluetooth and acquires location information indicating the location (e.g., country or region) where communication terminal 20 is located. The location information is information that can identify the country or region, and is, for example, location information that indicates the latitude and longitude of the location where communication terminal 20 is located, communication carrier information that indicates the company (communication carrier) that provides telecommunication services to the communication terminal, or location information of an access point. The location information that indicates the latitude and longitude is information that communication terminal 20 has acquired using a satellite positioning system such as GPS. The communication carrier information is, for example, the company name, identification information, address, etc. of the communication carrier. The location information of the access point is information that can identify the country or region where the access point is installed, and may be, for example, the SSID or MAC address of the access point.

[0019] The location identification unit 112 identifies the location where the communication terminal 20 is located (location of use) based on the location information. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 stores in the memory 102 a database in which location information indicating latitude and longitude is associated with locations such as countries and regions, and the location identification unit 112 refers to the memory 102 to identify the location corresponding to the latitude and longitude acquired by the location information acquisition unit 111. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 10 may store in the memory 102 a data table in which communication carrier information is associated with locations where each communication carrier provides telecommunication services, and the location identification unit 112 refers to the memory 102 to identify the location corresponding to the communication carrier information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 111. Furthermore ... the location information of the access points and A data table associating each access point with the location where it is installed may be stored in memory 102, and location identification unit 112 may refer to memory 102 to identify the location corresponding to the location information of the access point acquired by location information acquisition unit 111.

[0020] The communication band identification unit 113 identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method in the location identified by the location identification unit 112. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 stores in the memory 102 a database that associates locations such as countries and regions with frequency bands that cannot be used in each location, and the communication band identification unit 113 refers to the memory 102 to identify the frequency band that corresponds to the location identified by the location identification unit 112. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data table that associates countries and regions with frequency bands that cannot be used.

[0021] The communication restriction unit 114 prohibits the first communication unit from communicating in the frequency band identified by the location identification unit 112.

[0022] The power monitoring unit 115 monitors whether the connection with the battery 30 of the vehicle 1 has been cut off, i.e., whether the power supplied from the battery 30 has been cut off. When the accessory power supply of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the in-vehicle device 10 is supplied with power from the battery 30, and is also connected to a backup power supply so that backup power is constantly supplied. In this way, the in-vehicle device 10 is supplied with backup power when it is mounted on the vehicle 1, and is no longer supplied with backup power when it is removed from the vehicle 1, so that the mounted state of the in-vehicle device 10 on the vehicle can be determined based on the monitoring results by the power monitoring unit 115.

[0023] [Display control method] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of a communication method executed by the in-vehicle device 10. When the accessory power supply of the vehicle 1 is turned on or when a startup instruction is received, the control unit 101 of the in-vehicle device 10 realizes the processing of Fig. 4 based on an application program.

[0024] In step S10, the control unit 101 determines whether or not this is the first startup after being installed in the vehicle 1. The control unit 101 makes a positive determination if this is the first startup after backup power is supplied, and makes a negative determination if this is not the first startup, and ends the processing in FIG.

[0025] In step S20, the control unit 101 controls the second communication unit 42 to communicate with surrounding communication terminals 20 via Bluetooth and acquire location information indicating the location (for example, country or region) where the communication terminal 20 is located.

[0026] In step S30, the control unit 101 identifies the location of the communication terminal 20 based on the location information acquired in step S20. For example, if location information indicating latitude and longitude, communication carrier information, or access point location information is acquired in step S20, the control unit 101 identifies the location corresponding to these from the data table in the memory 102.

[0027] In step S40, the control unit 101 identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method in the location identified in step S30 from the data table in Fig. 3. For example, if the identified country is Japan, the control unit 101 identifies W58 as the frequency band that cannot be used.

[0028] In step S50, the control unit 101 prohibits the first communication unit 41 from communicating in the frequency band identified in step S40. That is, in this embodiment, the first communication unit 41 is prohibited from communicating in the W58 frequency band that cannot be used in Japan. Note that, when the first communication unit 41 is prohibited from communicating in the frequency band stored in the memory 102 in step S40, the first communication unit 41 refers to the memory 102 and does not use that frequency band in subsequent communications. That is, In this embodiment, steps S20 to S50 are executed only at the first startup, and from the next time onwards, steps S20 to S50 are not executed until the in-vehicle device 10 is removed from the vehicle 1, and communication in unavailable frequency bands is prohibited by referring to the memory 102.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, frequency bands that cannot be used in each country or region are stored, and communication by the first communication unit 41 is prohibited based on this. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, communication in unusable frequency bands may be prohibited by having the first communication unit 41 communicate only in usable frequency bands based on a data table that stores frequency bands that can be used in each country or region.

[0030] [Effects of the embodiment] (1) In the communication system 100 of this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a first communication unit 41 that communicates using a first wireless communication method when activated and a second communication unit 42 that communicates with a surrounding communication terminal 20 using a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a communication control unit that communicates with the surrounding communication terminal 20 using the second wireless communication method before communicating using the first wireless communication method, acquires location information indicating the location of the communication terminal 20, and, based on the location information, identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method at the location and prohibits communication by the first communication unit in the frequency band. This provides a technology for prohibiting communication using a frequency band that cannot be used at the location where the in-vehicle device 10 is located. Furthermore, even an in-vehicle device 10 that does not include a satellite positioning system can identify the location of use in cooperation with surrounding communication terminals 20 and perform communication in compliance with the laws and regulations of the location of use. Furthermore, since the in-vehicle device 10 automatically sets the frequency band to be used in the first wireless communication method, the work of the worker who installs the in-vehicle device 10 in the vehicle 1 and the user is reduced.

[0031] (2) The in-vehicle device 10 of this embodiment uses the first wireless communication method defined in IEEE 802.11. This method prevents communication using frequency bands that cannot be used for Wi-Fi in each country or region.

[0032] (3) In this embodiment, the location information is location information indicating the latitude and longitude of the location, communication carrier information indicating a company that provides telecommunications services to communication terminal 20, or location information of an access point. This information can be obtained by connecting to communication terminal 20 using the second wireless communication method without installing special software in communication terminal 20, and therefore, prohibition of communication in an unavailable frequency band can be easily realized.

[0033] (4) The in-vehicle device 10 of this embodiment is a device mounted on the vehicle 1, and upon initial startup after the start of power supply from the battery 30 of the vehicle 1, identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method based on location information, stores the frequency band in the memory 102, and prohibits communication by the first communication unit 41 in the frequency band. Furthermore, from the next startup onwards, until the supply of backup power from the battery 30 of the vehicle 1 is stopped, the in-vehicle device 10 does not execute the process of identifying a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method based on the location information, and prohibits communication by the first communication unit 41 in the frequency band stored in the memory 102. As a result, the in-vehicle device 10 performs the process of acquiring location information from the communication terminal 20 using the second wireless communication method and the process of identifying a frequency band that cannot be used based on the location information (setting process) only upon initial startup, and does not execute the setting process from the next startup onwards until the supply of backup power is stopped. This reduces the processing load at startup.

[0034] The above describes embodiments of the present invention, but these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Various modifications based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art are possible as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1: Vehicle 10: In-vehicle device 20: Communication terminal 30: Battery 41: First Communications Department 42: Second Communications Department 100:Communication Systems 101: Control unit 102: Memory 103: Input / output interface 104: Communication IF 110: Connection bus 111: Location information acquisition unit 112: Location Identification Department 113: Communication band specification unit 114: Communication restriction section 115: Power Monitoring Unit

Claims

1. a first communication unit that performs communication using a first wireless communication method when activated; a second communication unit that communicates with surrounding communication terminals using a second wireless communication system different from the first wireless communication system; a communication control unit that communicates with the surrounding communication terminals using the second wireless communication method before communicating using the first wireless communication method, acquires location information indicating a location where the communication terminals are located, identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method at the location based on the location information, and prohibits communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band; A communication device comprising:

2. 2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication method is a method defined in IEEE 802.

11. Device.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the location information is location information indicating the latitude and longitude of the location, communication carrier information indicating a company that provides telecommunications services to the communication terminal, or location information of an access point.

4. the communication device is a device mounted on a vehicle, at an initial startup after the supply of power from the battery of the vehicle has started, a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method is identified based on the location information, the frequency band is stored in a memory, and communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band is prohibited; The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when the device is started up next time or thereafter and before the supply of power from the vehicle battery is stopped, the device does not perform a process of identifying a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method based on the location information, and prohibits communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band stored in the memory.

5. A communication method executed by a communication device having a first communication unit that communicates using a first wireless communication method when activated, a second communication unit that communicates with a surrounding communication terminal using a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method, and a communication control unit that controls the first communication unit and the second communication unit, before communicating using the first wireless communication method, communicating with the surrounding communication terminal using the second wireless communication method and acquiring location information indicating a location where the communication terminal is located; identifying a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method in the location based on the location information, and prohibiting communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band; Communication method.

6. 6. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein the first wireless communication method is a method defined in IEEE 802.

11. method.

7. The communication method according to claim 5 , wherein the location information is location information indicating the latitude and longitude of the location, communication carrier information indicating a company that provides telecommunications services to the communication terminal, or location information of an access point.

8. the communication device is a device mounted on a vehicle, the communication device, upon initial startup after power supply from the battery of the vehicle has started, identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method based on the location information, stores the frequency band in a memory, and prohibits communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band; The next time the vehicle is started up until the supply of power from the battery is stopped, A communication method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a process of identifying a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method based on the location information is not performed, and communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band stored in the memory is prohibited.

9. A communication device having a first communication unit that communicates using a first wireless communication method when activated, a second communication unit that communicates with a surrounding communication terminal using a second wireless communication method different from the first wireless communication method, and a communication control unit that controls the first communication unit and the second communication unit, communicating with the surrounding communication terminals in the second wireless communication system before communicating in the first wireless communication system, and acquiring location information indicating a location where the communication terminals are located; identifying a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method in the location based on the location information, and prohibiting communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band; A communication program for executing the above.

10. 10. The communication method according to claim 9, wherein the first wireless communication method is a method defined in IEEE 802.

11. program.

11. 10. The communication program according to claim 9, wherein the location information is location information indicating the latitude and longitude of the location, communication carrier information indicating a company that provides telecommunications services to the communication terminal, or location information of an access point.

12. the communication device is a device mounted on a vehicle, the communication device, upon initial startup after power supply from the battery of the vehicle has started, identifies a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method based on the location information, stores the frequency band in a memory, and prohibits communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band; A communication program according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein, when the program is started next time or later and before the supply of power from the vehicle battery is stopped, the program does not execute a process of identifying a frequency band that cannot be used for the first wireless communication method based on the location information, and prohibits communication of the first communication unit in the frequency band stored in the memory.

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