Terminal devices, communication methods, communication systems, and programs

Abstract

The objective is to enable the setting of the appropriate communication method when communicating with multiple electronic devices. [Solution] The control unit 11 of the mobile terminal device 1 acquires communication-related information related to the communication between the mobile terminal device 1 and each communication device while the mobile terminal device 1 is communicating with communication devices 2A and 2B. Based on the communication-related information, it determines one of the first and second communication methods to be used for communication connection with communication device 2A, and the other communication method to be used for communication connection with communication device 2B, and then causes the mobile terminal device 1 to establish communication connections with communication devices 2A and 2B using the determined communication methods.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wearable device capable of communication connection with an external electronic device by a plurality of wireless communication methods, and a wearable device capable of switching from one wireless communication method to another according to the communication volume.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 is considered assuming a case where one wearable device and one electronic device are wirelessly communication-connected, and does not consider a case where one wearable device and a plurality of electronic devices are wirelessly communication-connected. However, when one wearable device and a plurality of electronic devices are wirelessly communication-connected, a method for selecting an appropriate wireless communication method for each of the plurality of electronic devices has not been established.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal device, a communication method, a communication system, and a program capable of setting a communication method in a case of communication connection with a plurality of electronic devices to an appropriate communication method.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the terminal device according to the present invention is a terminal device comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit acquires first communication-related information relating to communication between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device while the terminal device and the first wireless communication device are communicating, acquires second communication-related information relating to communication between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device while the terminal device and the second wireless communication device are communicating, determines a communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device to be one of the first communication method and the second communication method, and determines a communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device to be the other of the first communication method and the second communication method, and connects the terminal device and the first wireless communication device using the one communication method and connects the terminal device and the second wireless communication device using the other communication method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when wirelessly communicating with multiple electronic devices, the wireless communication method can be set to an appropriate communication method. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the wireless communication system in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the mobile terminal device of this embodiment. [Figure 3] This block diagram shows the functional configuration of the wireless communication device of this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of an identification information table. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a flowchart for communication connection control in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process for switching communication methods. [Figure 7]This figure shows an example of a flowchart for communication connection control in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 shows the wireless communication system S of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless communication system S of this embodiment comprises a mobile terminal device 1 (terminal device) and communication devices 2A and 2B (wireless communication devices). The mobile terminal device 1 is, for example, a smartwatch, but is not limited to this, and may be an electronic device worn on the user's body, such as a watch. The communication devices 2A and 2B are, for example, smartphones, but are not limited to these, and may be other communication devices such as tablet terminals or notebook PCs.

[0011] The mobile terminal device 1 is capable of communicating and performing data communication with communication devices 2A and 2B via wireless communication. In this embodiment, Bluetooth® is used for wireless communication between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B. The Bluetooth communication methods used are BT (Bluetooth Classic) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 1 operates as a peripheral, and communication devices 2A and 2B operate as centrals. Alternatively, the mobile terminal device 1 may operate as a central, and communication devices 2A and 2B may operate as centrals.

[0012] Due to the specifications of Bluetooth, normally, when a wireless connection is made using a single Bluetooth communication method, a terminal device acting as a peripheral can only connect to one central communication device. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 1 acting as a peripheral is equipped with a first communication unit that performs communication using BT (first communication method) and a second communication unit that performs communication using BLE (second communication method). Therefore, the mobile terminal device 1 can connect to multiple communication devices even as a peripheral by, for example, communicating with communication device 2A using either BT or BLE, and communicating with communication device 2B using the other communication method not used for communication with communication device 2A.

[0013] <Example hardware configuration of mobile terminal device 1> Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a mobile terminal device 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile terminal device 1 comprises a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an operation reception unit 13, a display unit 14, a sensor unit 15, a location information acquisition unit 16, and a communication unit 17. Each part of the mobile terminal device 1 is connected via a data transmission path such as a bus.

[0014] The control unit 11 is a processor that controls the operation of each part of the mobile terminal device 1 and processes various data. The control unit 11 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU of the control unit 11 reads a specified program from the system programs and various applications (application programs) stored in the ROM, expands it in the RAM, and executes various processes in cooperation with the expanded program.

[0015] The storage unit 12 is composed of a memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores the programs executed by the control unit 11 and the information necessary for the control unit 25 to execute predetermined processes by executing the programs.

[0016] The operation reception unit 13 includes operation means such as buttons and touch panels, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to an input operation for an external operation such as a user operation to the control unit 11. The operation reception unit may include other operation means such as a microphone.

[0017] The display unit 14 is composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an EL (Electro Luminescent) display, etc., and performs various displays according to a control signal transmitted from the control unit 11.

[0018] The sensor unit 15 is composed of various sensors that detect the state of the mobile terminal device 1, the state and movement of the user holding the mobile terminal device 1. The various sensors constituting the sensor unit 15 are, for example, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a pressure sensor, a heart rate sensor, etc. Note that the sensor unit 15 only needs to include the above-mentioned various sensors as necessary, and may further include other sensors. The operation control and data acquisition operations of the various sensors constituting the sensor unit 15 can be performed by the control unit 11.

[0019] The position information acquisition unit 16 includes an antenna for GPS (Global Positioning System), etc., receives radio waves from GPS satellites via the antenna, and detects the current position of the mobile terminal device 1 based on the received radio waves.

[0020] The communication unit 17 controls the transmission and reception of radio waves and the processing of data related to the communication performed between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication devices 2A and 2B based on the communication method. The communication unit 17 includes a first communication unit 171 that performs wireless communication by BT and a second communication unit 172 that performs wireless communication by BLE, and is, for example, a dual-mode Bluetooth module. In addition to the first communication unit 171 and the second communication unit 172, the communication unit 17 may include a communication unit that performs other communications such as network communication via a carrier line such as LTE (Long Term Evolution, registered trademark) and mobile Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication.

[0021] The first communication unit 171 controls the communication connection by BT performed between the first communication unit 271 of the communication devices 2A and 2B. BT is a communication method that allows for high-speed communication although it consumes more power than BLE. Also, generally, the maximum communication distance by BT communication connection is said to be smaller than the maximum communication distance by BLE communication connection.

[0022] The second communication unit 172 controls the communication connection by BLE performed between the second communication unit 272 of the communication devices 2A and 2B. BLE is a communication method that allows for low-speed communication although it consumes less power than BT. Also, generally, the maximum communication distance by BLE communication connection is said to be wider than the maximum communication distance by BT communication connection.

[0023] <Hardware configuration example of communication devices 2A and 2B> Next, the configuration of the communication devices 2A and 2B in this embodiment will be described. Since the configurations of the communication device 2A and the communication device 2B are the same, FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the communication device 2A representatively. The numbers of the respective parts constituting the communication device 2B correspond to the numbers of the respective parts constituting the communication device 2A. As shown in Figure 3, the communication devices 2A and 2B in this embodiment include a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation reception unit 23, a display unit 24, a sensor unit 25, a location information acquisition unit 26, and a communication unit 27. Each part of the communication devices 2A and 2B is connected via a data transmission path such as a bus. The hardware configuration of the communication devices 2A and 2B is equivalent to that of the mobile terminal device 1 as a computer equipped with communication functions, so redundant explanations of individual components are omitted.

[0024] The storage unit 22 stores the identification information table 221. The identification information table 221 is a table containing items such as the identification information of the mobile terminal device 1, which is used when the first communication unit 271 and the second communication unit 272 establish a communication connection with the mobile terminal device 1. Figure 4 shows an example of the contents of the identification information table 221. The identification information table 221 contains, for example, items of identification information for the mobile terminal device 1 in BT and BLE. By referring to this identification information table 222, the destination of the communication connection request can be identified when switching from one communication method, either BT or BLE, to the other communication method between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A.

[0025] <Example of communication connection control in the first embodiment> The communication method of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for communication connection control performed by the mobile terminal device 1 of this embodiment. This communication connection control is a process performed by the control unit 11 when, for example, a communication connection request operation is performed in the operation reception unit 23 of the communication devices 2A and 2B, and a communication connection is requested from the communication devices 2A and 2B to the mobile terminal device 1.

[0026] In step S1, the control unit 11 establishes a communication connection with each communication device based on the connection requests received from communication devices 2A and 2B. Step S1 is a communication connection establishment step. For example, when a communication connection request operation is first performed at the operation reception unit 23 of communication device 2A, communication device 2A sends a BT connection request to the mobile terminal device 1. When the mobile terminal device 1 receives a BT connection request from communication device 2A, the control unit 11 uses the first communication unit 171 to establish a BT communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A. While the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A are connected via BT, when a communication connection request operation is performed at the operation reception unit 23 of communication device 2B, communication device 2A sends a BT connection request to the mobile terminal device 1. However, since the mobile terminal device 1 is already connected to communication device 2A via BT, it cannot establish a BT communication connection with communication device 2B. Therefore, communication device 2B then sends a BLE connection request to the mobile terminal device 1. When the mobile terminal device 1 receives a BLE connection request from the communication device 2B, the control unit 11 establishes a BLE communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A using the first communication unit 171. As a result, the mobile terminal device 1 has established communication connections with both the communication device 2A and the communication device 2B. Note that after the communication request operation is performed, a BLE connection request may be sent first instead of a BT connection request.

[0027] In step S2, the control unit 11 acquires communication-related information (first communication-related information) between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A, and communication-related information (second communication-related information) between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B at predetermined time intervals. Step S2 is a communication-related information acquisition step. That is, the control unit 11 functions as a means for acquiring communication-related information. In the first embodiment, the control unit 11 acquires information on the amount of communication in the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A (first communication amount) and information on the amount of communication in the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B (second communication amount) as communication-related information. Here, the amount of communication refers, for example, to the amount of data transmitted and received between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication devices 2A and 2B via the communication connection established in step 1. The first communication volume can be obtained, for example, by transmitting the information on the first communication volume held by the communication device 2A to the mobile terminal device 1 via the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A established in step S1, and the mobile terminal device 1 receiving the information on the first communication volume. The information on the second communication volume can be obtained in the same manner. In addition, the information on the first communication volume may be obtained by the mobile terminal device 1 measuring the communication volume. In this case, the information on the first communication volume is not transmitted from the communication device 2A to the mobile terminal device 1.

[0028] In step S3, the control unit 11 compares the magnitude of the first communication volume and the second communication volume based on the information regarding the first communication volume and the information regarding the second communication volume acquired in step S2. Step S3 is a communication volume comparison step. Here, the comparison of communication volumes may be performed at the time when the information regarding the first communication volume and the information regarding the second communication volume are acquired. Alternatively, the communication volumes may be compared at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 hour). In this case, the control unit 11 may calculate the cumulative value or time average of the communication volume per predetermined period from the communication volume information acquired during the predetermined period, and use the cumulative value or time average of the communication volume to compare the communication volumes. By using the cumulative value or time average of the communication volume per predetermined period as the comparison target, it is possible to compare the magnitude of the communication volume per predetermined period that continues for a certain period of time, rather than the magnitude of the communication volume at a certain instantaneous timing, so that the communication method does not switch frequently, and convenience is improved.

[0029] In step S4, the control unit 11 determines whether the larger of the first and second data volumes is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold. If it is determined to be greater than or equal to the first threshold (step S4 "YES"), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S5. If it is determined to be less than or equal to the first threshold (step S4 "NO"), the control unit 11 returns to step S2. In this case, the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B is established using the communication method currently in use for the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B. This prevents the communication method switching process from being performed even when the larger of the first and second data volumes is less than the first threshold, that is, when both the first and second data volumes are small and there is little need to switch communication methods.

[0030] In step S5, the control unit 11 determines the communication method for the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B based on the comparison result of the communication volume in step S3. Step S5 is a communication method determination step. That is, the control unit 11 functions as a communication method determination means. For the communication connection between the communication device with the larger communication volume and the mobile terminal device 1, BT is determined as the communication method in order to perform high-speed communication. For the communication connection between the communication device with the smaller communication volume and the mobile terminal device 1, BLE is determined as the communication method, which performs communication at a lower speed than BT. Specifically, for example, if the first communication volume is larger than the second communication volume, and the first communication volume is above the first threshold, BT is determined as the communication method for the communication connection between communication device 2A and the mobile terminal device 1, and BLE is determined as the communication method for the communication connection between communication device 2B and the mobile terminal device 1. As a result, the communication device with the higher volume of communication between it and the mobile terminal device 1 (of the two communication devices 2A and 2B) can establish a communication connection with the mobile terminal device 1 using high-speed BT communication, thus enabling faster transmission and reception of data between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device.

[0031] In step S6, the control unit 11 determines whether the determined communication method matches the communication method used for the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication devices 2A and 2B. If they match (step S6 "YES"), there is no need to switch the communication method, so the control unit 11 returns to step S2 without proceeding to step S7. If they do not match (step S6 "NO"), the control unit 11 proceeds to step 7.

[0032] In step S7, the control unit 11 performs communication connection processing between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B based on the determined communication method. Step S7 is a communication connection step. The communication connection processing is performed when the control unit 11 transmits information regarding the determined communication method to communication devices 2A and 2B. In other words, the control unit 11 functions as a communication connection means. Details of the communication connection processing will be described later. After performing the communication connection processing, the process returns to step S2.

[0033] Next, the communication connection process will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the communication connection process between mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A, and between mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2B.

[0034] In Figure 6, the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A are connected via BLE, and the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2B are connected via BT. In this state, the mobile terminal device 1 transmits information regarding the communication method (BT) determined by communication device 2A to communication device 2A, and transmits information regarding the communication method (BLE) determined by communication device 2B to communication device 2B. Upon receiving the information regarding the determined communication method, the control units 21 of communication devices 2A and 2B refer to the identification information table 221 and obtain the identification information of the determined communication method. Subsequently, they send a communication disconnection request to the mobile terminal device 1, thereby disconnecting the communication connection with the mobile terminal device 1. Using the acquired identification information, communication devices 2A and 2B send a connection request to the mobile terminal device 1, and then establish a communication connection with the mobile terminal device 1 using the determined communication method. In this way, the communication connection process between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A, and between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2B is executed.

[0035] In this example, the BLE communication connection between mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A is disconnected, and the BT communication connection between mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2B is disconnected in stages, but they may be performed in parallel. Also, even when the disconnections are performed in stages, the order in which the communication connections are disconnected does not matter. Furthermore, communication devices 2A and 2B may send a communication connection request to mobile terminal device 1 using the determined communication method after receiving information from mobile terminal device 1 that the communication connection with the other communication device using the determined communication method has been disconnected.

[0036] For example, if the communication method determined by communication device 2A is BT and the communication method determined by communication device 2B is BLE, then communication device 2A can establish communication connections using both BT and BLE, but communication device 2B can only establish communication connections using BT. In this case, when communication device 2B receives information about the determined communication method (BLE), it may send information to the mobile terminal device 1 indicating that it can only establish communication connections using BT. When mobile terminal device 1 receives this information, it will not switch the communication method used for connecting with communication devices 2A and 2B, but will instead establish communication connections between mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B using the communication method currently in use for communication connections between mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B.

[0037] In the first embodiment described above, the communication method is switched based on the communication method determined in step S5 during communication connection control, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the user can set a communication method for a predetermined time period in advance, and the communication method switching process can be performed based on the communication method set by the user. Specifically, for example, if the user is aware that the volume of communication between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A tends to be high during the daytime, the user may pre-set the communication method to be assigned to BT for communication connections between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A during the daytime (for example, the time period from 09:00 to 19:00).

[0038] <Example of communication connection control in the second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure for communication connection control performed by the mobile terminal device 1 of this embodiment. In the following, the explanation of parts that overlap with the communication connection control in the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the differences will be explained. In the second embodiment, in step 22, the control unit 11 acquires information on the distance between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A (first distance) and information on the distance between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B (second distance) as communication-related information. The first distance information can be obtained, for example, by having the communication device 2A transmit its current position, acquired by the position information acquisition unit 26, to the mobile terminal device 1 via the communication connection, and by the control unit 11 of the mobile terminal device 1 calculating it based on the received current position of the communication device 2A and the current position of the mobile terminal device 1 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 16. Alternatively, the first distance information may be obtained by having the communication device 2A calculate it based on the received strength of the advertisement signal from the mobile terminal device 1 received by the communication unit 27. The second distance information can be obtained in a similar manner.

[0039] In step S23, the control unit 11 compares the magnitude of the first distance and the second distance based on the first distance information and the second distance information acquired in step S2. Here, the distance comparison may be performed at the time the first distance information and the second distance information are acquired.

[0040] In step S24, the control unit 11 determines whether the larger of the first distance and the second distance is greater than or equal to a predetermined second threshold. Generally, the maximum communication distance of BT is smaller than the maximum communication distance of BLE. Therefore, if the distance between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device to which the mobile terminal device 1 is connected via BT is greater than the maximum communication distance of BT, it is preferable to change the communication method from BT to BLE so that the communication connection is not disconnected. If it is determined that the larger of the first distance and the second distance is greater than or equal to the second threshold (step S24 "YES"), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S25. If it is determined that the larger distance is less than the second threshold (step S24 "NO"), the control unit 11 returns to step S22. In other words, in this case, the determination of the communication method described later is not performed. This prevents the communication method from being switched even when the larger of the two distances (the first and second distances) is less than the second threshold, i.e., when communication devices 2A and 2B and the mobile terminal device 1 are in close proximity and stable communication is possible using either BT or BLE.

[0041] In step S25, the control unit 11 determines the communication method for the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B based on the distance comparison result in step S23. For the communication connection between the communication device that is further away from the mobile terminal device 1, BLE, which has a maximum communication distance greater than BT, is determined as the communication method, and for the communication connection between the communication device that is further away from the mobile terminal device 1, BT, which has a relatively small maximum communication distance, is determined as the communication method. Specifically, for example, if the first distance is greater than the second distance, and the first distance is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the communication method for the communication connection between communication device 2A and the mobile terminal device 1 is determined to be BLE, and the communication method for the communication connection between communication device 2B and the mobile terminal device 1 is determined to be BT. As a result, the communication device that is further away from the mobile terminal device 1 can communicate with the mobile terminal device 1 using BLE, which is a communication method with a wide maximum communication distance, thus preventing the communication connection from being interrupted.

[0042] As described above, the control unit 11 of the mobile terminal device 1 acquires first communication-related information related to the communication between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A when the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A are communicating, and acquires second communication-related information related to the communication between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B when the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B are communicating. Based on the acquired first and second communication-related information, the control unit 11 determines one of the first and second communication methods to be used for the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A, and the other of the first and second communication methods to be used for the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B. The control unit 11 connects the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A using one communication method, and connects the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B using the other communication method. This makes it possible to set the communication method when communicating with multiple electronic devices to an appropriate communication method according to the status of the communication connection with the mobile terminal device 1.

[0043] Furthermore, the first communication method enables faster communication than the second communication method. The second communication method has a longer maximum communication distance than the first communication method. This allows the communication method between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B to be set according to the characteristics of each communication method.

[0044] Furthermore, in one example of the embodiment, the first communication-related information is information regarding the first communication volume in the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A, and the second communication-related information is information regarding the second communication volume in the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B. Based on the information regarding the first and second communication volumes, the control unit 11 determines the communication method used for the communication connection between the communication device with the larger communication volume and the mobile terminal device 1 as the first communication method, and determines the communication method used for the communication connection between the communication device with the smaller communication volume and the mobile terminal device 1 as the second communication method. As a result, the communication device with the larger data transmission and reception volume in the communication connection with the mobile terminal device 1 can use BT, which enables high-speed communication, to establish a communication connection. Therefore, data transmission and reception between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device can be performed in a shorter time, and power consumption in the communication connection can be reduced.

[0045] Furthermore, in one example of the embodiment, if the larger of the first and second data volumes is less than the first threshold, the communication connection between mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A, and the communication connection between mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2B are established using the communication method currently used for communication connection with mobile terminal device 1. This prevents the communication method switching process from being performed even when both the first and second data volumes are small and there is little need to switch communication methods.

[0046] Furthermore, as a variation of the above-described embodiment, the information regarding the first communication volume may be the first cumulative value or first average value of the first communication volume over a predetermined period, and the information regarding the second communication volume may be the second cumulative value or second average value of the second communication volume over the predetermined period. In this case, the control unit 11 determines the communication method based on the comparison result of the magnitude of the first cumulative value and the second cumulative value, or the comparison result of the magnitude of the first average value and the second average value. In this way, by using the cumulative value or time average value of the communication volume per predetermined period, it is possible to compare the magnitude of the communication volume over a predetermined period that continues for a certain amount of time, rather than the magnitude of the communication volume at a certain instantaneous timing, so that the communication method does not switch frequently, and convenience is improved.

[0047] In another embodiment, the first communication-related information is information regarding a first distance between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2A, and the second communication-related information is information regarding a second distance between the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B. Based on the information regarding the first distance and the information regarding the second distance, the control unit 11 determines the second communication method to be used for the communication connection between the communication device with the greater distance from the mobile terminal device 1 and the communication device 2B, and determines the first communication method to be used for the communication connection between the communication device with the smaller distance from the mobile terminal device 1. As a result, the communication device with the greater distance from the mobile terminal device 1 can establish a communication connection using BLE, which has a larger maximum communication distance, thus preventing the disconnection of the communication connection.

[0048] In another embodiment, if the larger of the first and second distances is less than the second threshold, the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A, and the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2B are established using the communication method currently in use for communication with the mobile terminal device 1. This prevents the switching of the communication method even when communication devices 2A and 2B and the mobile terminal device 1 are close together and stable communication is considered possible with either BT or BLE communication methods.

[0049] Furthermore, as a variation of the above embodiment, if the control unit 11 receives information from communication device 2A or communication device 2B that a communication connection cannot be established using the determined communication method, it may establish communication connections between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2A, and between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication device 2B, using the communication method currently in use for communication with the mobile terminal device 1. This prevents the communication connection between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B from being disconnected due to a switch in the communication method.

[0050] The descriptions in the above embodiments are merely preferred examples of embodiments of the present invention and are not limited thereto.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, the processes from step S2 to step S7 were explained using an example where the control unit 11 of the mobile terminal device 1 performs the processes, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Instead of the control unit 11, a server to which communication devices 2A and 2B are connected via a network may perform the processes from step S2 to step 7. In this case, in step S2, the server acquires usage information regarding the relationship between the mobile terminal device 1 and communication devices 2A and 2B instead of the control unit 11. Similarly, in steps S3 to S7, the server performs each process instead of the control unit 11.

[0052] In the above embodiment, during the communication method switching process, communication devices 2A and 2B refer to the identification information table 221 and obtain the identification information of the communication method assigned to their respective devices, but this is not limited to this. For example, instead of the identification information table 221 being stored in the storage unit 2 of the communication device, the identification information table may be stored on a server to which communication devices 2A and 2B are connected via a network, and communication devices 2A and 2B may obtain the identification information from the identification information table stored on the server via the network.

[0053] In this specification, the steps involving data processing performed by each part of the communication system S include not only processes performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are performed in parallel or individually.

[0054] While embodiments of the terminal device, communication method, communication system, and program of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. The present invention can take various other embodiments, and it is also possible to combine the above embodiments with their modified configurations. Furthermore, various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention as described herein, and are also included in the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1 Mobile terminal device, 2A Communication device, 2B Communication device, 11 Control unit, 12 Storage unit, 13 Operation reception unit, 14 Display unit, 15 Sensor unit, 16 Location information acquisition unit, 17 Communication unit, 171 First communication unit, 172 Second communication unit, 21 Control unit, 22 Storage unit, 221 Identification information table, 23 Operation reception unit, 24 Display unit, 25 Sensor unit, 26 Location information acquisition unit, 27 Communication unit, 271 First communication unit, 272 Second communication unit

Claims

1. A terminal device equipped with a control unit, The control unit, While the terminal device and the first wireless communication device are communicating, first communication-related information related to the communication between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device is acquired. While the terminal device and the second wireless communication device are communicating, second communication-related information related to the communication between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device is acquired. Based on the acquired first and second communication-related information, the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device is determined to be one of the first and second communication methods, and the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device is determined to be the other of the first and second communication methods. The terminal device and the first wireless communication device are connected using one of the communication methods, and the terminal device and the second wireless communication device are connected using the other communication method. A terminal device characterized by the following features.

2. The first communication method is a communication method that enables faster communication than the second communication method. The terminal device according to feature 1.

3. The second communication method is a communication method that has a greater maximum communication distance than the first communication method. The terminal device according to feature 1.

4. The first communication-related information refers to information relating to the first communication volume in the communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device, The second communication-related information refers to information regarding the second communication volume in the communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device. Based on the information regarding the first communication volume and the information regarding the second communication volume, the control unit determines the communication method used for the communication connection between the wireless communication device with the larger communication volume (among the first and second wireless communication devices) and the terminal device to be the first communication method, and determines the communication method used for the communication connection between the wireless communication device with the smaller communication volume and the terminal device to be the second communication method. The terminal device according to feature 1.

5. If the larger of the first and second communication volumes is less than the first threshold, the control unit will cause the terminal device to establish a communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device, and between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device, using the communication method currently used for communication connection with the terminal device. The terminal device according to feature 4.

6. The information relating to the first communication volume is the first cumulative value or first average value of the first communication volume over a predetermined period, and the information relating to the second communication volume is the second cumulative value or second average value of the second communication volume over the predetermined period. The control unit determines the communication method based on the comparison result of the magnitude of the first cumulative value and the second cumulative value, or the comparison result of the magnitude of the first average value and the second average value. The terminal device according to feature 4.

7. The first communication-related information is information relating to a first distance between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device, The second communication-related information is information relating to the second distance between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device, Based on the information regarding the first distance and the information regarding the second distance, the control unit determines the second communication method to be used for communication between the wireless communication device with the greater distance and the terminal device, and determines the first communication method to be used for communication between the wireless communication device with the smaller distance and the terminal device. The terminal device according to feature 1.

8. If the larger of the first distance and the second distance is less than the second threshold, the communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device, and the communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device, shall be established using the communication method currently used for communication connection with the terminal device. The terminal device according to feature 7.

9. The first communication method is Bluetooth Classic, and the second communication method is Bluetooth Low Energy. The terminal device according to feature 1.

10. If the control unit obtains information from the first wireless communication device that it is not possible to establish a communication connection using the determined communication method, it will establish a communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device, and a communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device, using the communication method currently used for communication with the terminal device. The terminal device according to feature 1.

11. A method of communication performed by a computer, A first communication-related information acquisition step, in which a terminal device and a first wireless communication device are communicating, acquire first communication-related information related to the communication between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device, A second related information acquisition step, in which, while the terminal device and the second wireless communication device are communicating, second communication related information related to the communication between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device is acquired, A communication method determination step in which, based on the acquired first communication-related information and the second communication-related information, the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device is determined to be one of the first communication method and the second communication method, and the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device is determined to be the other of the first communication method and the second communication method, The method includes a communication connection step of connecting the terminal device and the first wireless communication device using one of the communication methods, and connecting the terminal device and the second wireless communication device using the other communication method. A communication method characterized by the following features.

12. A communication system comprising a terminal device equipped with a control unit, a first wireless communication device, and a second wireless communication device, The control unit of the terminal device is While the terminal device and the first wireless communication device are communicating, first communication-related information related to the communication between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device is acquired. While the terminal device and the second wireless communication device are communicating, second communication-related information related to the communication between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device is acquired. Based on the acquired first and second communication-related information, the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device is determined to be one of the first and second communication methods, and the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device is determined to be the other of the first and second communication methods. The terminal device and the first wireless communication device are connected using one of the communication methods, and the terminal device and the second wireless communication device are connected using the other communication method. A communication system characterized by the following features.

13. Computers, A first communication-related information acquisition means for acquiring first communication-related information related to the communication between a terminal device and a first wireless communication device while the terminal device and the first wireless communication device are communicating. A second related information acquisition means for acquiring second communication-related information related to the communication between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device while the terminal device and the second wireless communication device are communicating. Communication method determination means that determines, based on the acquired first communication-related information and the second communication-related information, the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the first wireless communication device to be one of the first communication method and the second communication method, and the communication method to be used for communication connection between the terminal device and the second wireless communication device to be the other of the first communication method and the second communication method. A communication connection means for connecting the terminal device and the first wireless communication device using one communication method, and for connecting the terminal device and the second wireless communication device using the other communication method, A program that makes it function as such.

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