Terminal device, communication control method, and communication control program

Abstract

To provide a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program that can control communication according to a position.SOLUTION: A terminal device communicates with a base station or a repeater that is permitted to connect to the base station. The terminal device includes a communication unit that performs communication of a first communication method in which an area in which communication with the base station or the repeater is possible is limited to inside a first area based on the base station, and a control unit that turns off a communication function of the first communication method by the communication unit when the terminal device is outside the first area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes supplementing the coverage of a base station by using a relay node having the functions of a base station. Non-Patent Document 1 also describes a fifth-generation mobile communication system (hereinafter referred to as local 5G) that can be used by various entities according to regional needs and individual needs.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the case of a communication method such as the above local 5G as in Non-Patent Document 1, communication is permitted only within a certain area. On the other hand, there is a risk that a communication terminal connected to a base station via a repeater as in Patent Document 1 may go outside the above area and communicate with the base station via the repeater even though it is outside the area. In this regard, Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document do not solve such problems. <0~000033>

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention provides a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program that can appropriately control communication when the communication range is limited. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a terminal device that communicates with a base station or a repeater that is permitted to connect to said base station, and comprises a communication unit that performs communication of a first communication system in which the area in which communication with the base station or repeater is possible is limited to inside a first area based on the base station, and a control unit that turns off the communication function of the first communication system by the communication unit when the terminal device is outside the first area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram of the communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Block diagram of a base station according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Block diagram of a repeater terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] Block diagram of the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4B] A functional block diagram of the control unit of the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6A] A conceptual diagram of a conference room as a local 5G application area in the communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6B] Block diagram of the terminal device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7A] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7B] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the terminal device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8A] Conceptual diagram of the communication system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8B] Block diagram of the terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9A] Flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9B] Flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] Block diagram of the terminal device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11A] Flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11B] Flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12A] Block diagram of the repeater terminal according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 12B] Functional block diagram of the control unit of the terminal device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] Flowchart showing the operation of the repeater terminal according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] Functional block diagram of the control unit of the repeater device according to the sixth embodiment [Figure 15] Flowchart showing the operation of the repeater terminal according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 16A] Conceptual diagram of the communication system according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 16B] Conceptual diagram of the communication system according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 17A] Block diagram of the terminal device according to the seventh embodiment. " [Figure 17B] Functional block diagram of the control unit of the terminal device according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 18] Flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 19] Flowchart showing the operation of the repeater terminal according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 20A] Conceptual diagram of the communication system according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 20B] Conceptual diagram of the communication system according to the seventh embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <First Embodiment> This invention describes a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program according to the first embodiment of this invention. This embodiment restricts communication of a wireless terminal device outside the range of a local network, and will be described using the case of local 5G as the local network as an example. The local network is not limited to local 5G, but is not limited to any network that enables communication within a predetermined range, such as regional BWA (Broadband Wireless Access).

[0011] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a network communication system according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the communication system 1 comprises a base station 100 and wireless terminal devices 200A, 200B, 200C, 300A, and 300B. The base station 100 forms a cell 3 capable of 5G communication. The wireless terminal devices 200A, 200B, 200C, 300A, and 300B communicate with the base station 100 via 5G.

[0012] As mentioned above, for local 5G in Japan, it is necessary to apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications for approval of the area where communication is desired. In the example in Figure 1, Area 2 corresponds to this area. Hereafter, Area 2 will be referred to as Application Area 2 (First Area). Wireless terminal devices 200A, 200B, 200C, 300A, and 300B are capable of communication using local 5G (First Communication Method) within Application Area 2, and communication using local 5G is restricted outside Application Area 2. Therefore, base station 100 is located within Application Area 2, and cell 3 is formed within Application Area 2. Cell 3 is formed by base station 100, and is an area where communication terminals located inside it can communicate directly with base station 100. Application Area 2 may be, for example, land or buildings owned by the user. Also, in this embodiment, the range of cell 3 is narrower than Application Area 2. Therefore, wireless terminal devices 300A and 300B, located within cell 3 and capable of communicating with base station 100, communicate with base station 100 while also functioning as repeaters for wireless terminal devices 200A and 200B located outside cell 3, forming cells 4A and 4B. Cells 4A and 4B are formed by wireless terminal devices 300A and 300B, respectively, and are areas where communication terminals located within them can communicate via wireless terminal devices 300A and 300B. That is, wireless terminal device 200A located within cell 4A communicates with base station 100 via wireless terminal device 300A, and wireless terminal device 200B located within cell 4B communicates with base station 100 via wireless terminal device 300B. Wireless terminal device 200C, being located within cell 3, can communicate directly with base station 100. In the following explanation, 300A and 300B, which function as repeaters, will be referred to as repeater terminals 300A and 300B, and when not distinguishing between them, they will simply be called repeater terminal 300. Similarly, wireless terminal devices 200A, 200B, and 200C, which do not function as repeaters, will be referred to as terminal terminals 200A, 200B, and 200C, and when not distinguishing between them, they will simply be called terminal terminal 200. Furthermore, when not distinguishing between cells 4A and 4B, they will simply be called cell 4.The terminal 200 and the repeater terminal 300 may be mobile communication devices such as smartphones, personal computers, sensors, tablet terminals, and machine tools, and may be communication devices for ultra-high capacity (eMBB: Enhanced Mobile Broadband), ultra-low latency (URLLC: Ultra-Reliable & Low Latency Communications), and massive IoT (mMTC: Massive Machine Type Communications), which are usage scenarios for NR (New Radio) and 5GC (5th Generation Core network) as defined in 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Release 15, etc. The repeater terminal 300 may also be a mobile communication terminal, and may be a sidelink-compatible terminal, for example, but is not limited to this. The repeater terminal 300 may also be a fixed relay device. In the following, we will explain the case where the terminal 200 and the repeater terminal 300 are smartphones, focusing on the terminal 200.

[0013] Next, the configuration of the base station 100, the repeater terminal 300, and the terminal 200 will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the base station 100. The base station 100 is also called g node B in the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the base station 100 includes a communication unit 110 and a control unit 120. The communication unit 110 is connected to a 5G core network device (not shown) and forms a cell 3, communicating with the repeater terminal 300 and end terminal 200 located within the cell 3. The control unit 120 controls the operation of the entire base station 100, including the communication unit 110.

[0015] Next, the configuration of the repeater terminal 300 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the repeater terminal 300. The repeater terminal 300 includes a communication unit 310, a control unit 320, a display unit 330, an operation unit 340, a memory 350, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver unit 360. The communication unit 310 communicates with the base station 100, forms a cell 4, and communicates with the terminal 200 located within the cell 4. The control unit 320 is a processor, such as a CPU, and controls the operation of the entire repeater terminal 300. The display unit 330 is a smartphone display, for example, and displays various information to the user of the repeater terminal 300. The operation unit 340 receives information input and commands from the user of the repeater terminal 300. The memory 350 functions as a workspace for the control unit 320 and also holds information received from the base station 100 and the terminal 200, as well as programs for the operation of the control unit 320. The GPS receiver 360 receives location information from the relay terminal 300.

[0016] Next, the configuration of the terminal 200 will be explained using Figure 4A. Figure 4A is a block diagram of the terminal 200. The terminal 200 has the same configuration as the repeater terminal 300 and includes a communication unit 210, a control unit 220, a display unit 230, an operation unit 240, a memory 250, and a GPS receiver unit 260. The communication unit 210 communicates with the base station 100 when the terminal 200 is located in cell 3, and communicates with the base station 100 via the repeater terminal 300 when it is located in cell 4. The control unit 220 is a processor such as a CPU and controls the operation of the entire terminal 200. In this embodiment, the control unit 220 controls the communication unit 210 based on location information obtained by the GPS receiver unit 260. This will be explained in detail later. The display unit 230 is a smartphone display, for example, and displays various information to the user of the terminal 200. The operation unit 240 receives information input and commands from the user of the terminal 200. Memory 250 functions as a workspace for the control unit 220 and is a storage unit that holds information received from the base station 100 and the repeater terminal 300, as well as programs for the operation of the control unit 220. GPS receiver 260 receives location information from the terminal 200.

[0017] As described above, the control unit 220 of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment controls the communication unit 210 based on the location information of the terminal received from the GPS receiver unit 260. Figure 4B is a functional block diagram of the control unit 220 when a program in the memory 250 is executed, focusing on this operation.

[0018] As shown in Figure 4B, the control unit 220 functions as a location determination unit 221, a communication control unit 222, and a connection determination unit 223. The location determination unit 221 receives location information from the GPS receiver unit 260. The location information is, for example, the longitude and latitude information of the terminal 200. The location determination unit 221 also reads the area information of cell 4 held in the memory 250. The location determination unit 221 then determines whether or not the terminal 200 is located within the application area 2. The communication control unit 222 controls the communication unit 210 based on the determination result from the location determination unit 221. Specifically, when the terminal 200 is located outside the application area 2, the communication unit 210 is turned off, and when it is located within the application area 2, it is turned on. The connection determination unit 223 determines whether or not it is possible to connect to, for example, a mobile phone carrier network provided by a telecommunications carrier, and if possible, controls the communication unit 210 to connect to the mobile phone carrier network.

[0019] Next, the operation of the terminal 200 will be explained using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal, with particular attention paid to the operation of the control unit 220. Figure 5 also shows the processing flow starting from the state in which the terminal 200 is located within cell 4.

[0020] As shown in the figure, in step S10, the terminal 200 receives cell information of the base station 100 (e.g., longitude and latitude information for the range of cell 3) and information of application area 2 (e.g., longitude and latitude information for the range of application area 2) via the repeater terminal 300 in the communication unit 210. At this time, it may also receive cell information of the currently connected repeater terminal 300 (e.g., longitude and latitude information for the range of cell 4). The control unit 220 stores this information in the memory 260. Then, in step S11, the terminal 200 communicates with the repeater terminal 300.

[0021] While the control unit 220 of the terminal terminal 200 is communicating with the repeater terminal 300, in step S12, the position determination unit 221 determines whether the terminal terminal 200 is located within the application area 2. This determination may be made at regular intervals or when the terminal terminal 200 has moved a certain distance or more. More specifically, the position determination unit 221 reads information about the range of the application area 2 received in step S10 from the memory 250, and further receives position information from the GPS receiver 260, and by comparing the two, determines whether the terminal terminal 200 is located within the application area 2.

[0022] If the determination in step S12 indicates that the terminal 200 is located within the application area 2 (step S13, YES), the control unit 220 returns to step S12, continues communication with the repeater terminal 300, and repeats the process in step S12. If the determination in step S12 indicates that the terminal 200 is located outside the application area 2 (step S13, NO), in step S14, the communication control unit 222 turns off the local 5G communication function in the communication unit 210. As a result, the communication unit 210 is unable to communicate with the base station 100 and the repeater 300 via local 5G, except in special cases.

[0023] Next, in step S15, the connection determination unit 223 determines whether it is receiving radio waves from a mobile phone carrier network. Radio waves from a mobile phone carrier network refer to 4G, LTE, and 5G communication methods (third communication methods) provided by public telephone carriers, which are different from local network providers such as local 5G. If the determination in step S15 is that it is receiving radio waves from a mobile phone carrier network (step S16, YES), in step S17, the communication control unit 222 commands the communication unit 210 to enable the communication function with an available mobile phone carrier network and to connect to that mobile phone carrier network. As a result, the terminal 200 becomes able to communicate using the mobile phone carrier network instead of local 5G.

[0024] After step S17, or as a result of the determination in step S15, if the mobile phone carrier network signal is not being received (step S16, NO), in step S18, the location determination unit 221 determines whether the location of the terminal 200 is within the application area 2. The processing in step S18 is the same as in step S12. If the determination in step S18 is that the terminal 200 is outside the application area (step S19, NO), the control unit 220 returns to the processing in step S15. On the other hand, if the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 (step S19, YES), that is, for example, if the terminal 200 moves from outside the application area 2 to inside the application area 2, in step S20, the communication control unit 222 turns on the local 5G communication function in the communication unit 210. This enables the communication unit 210 to communicate with the base station 100 and the repeater 300 using local 5G.

[0025] As mentioned earlier, local networks such as local 5G have been attracting attention in recent years, and development towards practical application is thriving. Unlike carrier networks operated nationwide by each telecommunications carrier, local 5G can only be used for communication in specific areas. Furthermore, in order to realize local 5G, one possible configuration is to install relay devices between the base station and the end terminal connected to it to cover the local 5G communication area. However, when using relay devices, there is a possibility that the relay device may transmit relay radio waves outside the application area, allowing end terminals outside the application area to communicate with the base station.

[0026] In this regard, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the terminal determines its own location and whether or not its location is within the application area. If it determines that it is outside the application area, the terminal limits the communication capabilities of its communication unit. More specifically, it turns off the local 5G communication function. As a result, if the terminal is in an area where communication with a base station or relay terminal via local 5G is not permitted (an area outside application area 2), the terminal will not communicate via local 5G through the relay. Therefore, even if the relay emits relay radio waves outside the application area, it is possible to suppress the communication of terminals outside application area 2 with base stations via local 5G through the relay.

[0027] <Second Embodiment> Next, a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program according to a second embodiment of this invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, the case in which the terminal 200 obtains location information by the GPS receiver 260 was described, but this embodiment uses a smart lock (registered trademark) function that a smartphone or the like has. Below, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0028] A smart lock function is a system that manages door locking using, for example, a smartphone app. The smart lock function consists of a smartphone app and a device (hereinafter referred to as the opening / closing device) that opens and closes the lock on the door. More specifically, when a smartphone is brought close to the opening / closing device, the smartphone app function sends an instruction to the opening / closing device to unlock or lock the door using short-range wireless communication technology such as BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy). Figure 6A is a conceptual diagram of a conference room to which the smart lock function according to this embodiment is applied. As shown in the figure, the conference room 400 is equipped with an entrance / exit door and an opening / closing device 410 located near the door. The inside of the conference room 400 corresponds to the application area 2 described in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the case of a conference room is used as an example, but it is not limited to any situation in which the smart lock function can be applied.

[0029] Figure 6B is a block diagram of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the terminal 200 includes a short-range wireless communication unit 270, as described in Figure 4A in the first embodiment. The memory 250 contains information for connecting with the switching device and authentication information acting as a key, and the short-range wireless communication unit 270 uses this information to unlock and lock the lock of the switching device 410. The functional block diagram of the control unit 220 during program execution is the same as in Figure 4B described in the first embodiment. However, the position determination unit 221 determines whether the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 based on the unlocking and locking operations of the short-range wireless communication unit 270.

[0030] Next, the operation of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 7A shows the processing flow when the user, i.e., the terminal 200, is located inside the conference room 400.

[0031] As shown in Figure 7A, in step S30, the terminal 200 inside the conference room 400 communicates with the repeater 300 or the base station 100. Then, in step S31, the location determination unit 221 determines whether or not the smart lock function has locked the door. Step S31 may be performed periodically by the location determination unit 221, or it may be triggered by receiving information that communication has taken place in the short-range wireless communication unit 270. Information on whether the door is locked or unlocked is transmitted, for example, from the short-range wireless communication unit 270 to the location determination unit 221. If it is determined that the opening / closing device 410 was not locked (step S32, NO), the location determination unit 221 determines that the terminal 200 is located inside the conference room 400, keeps the communication unit 210 in the ON state, and returns to the process of step S31.

[0032] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S31 that the opening / closing device 410 is locked (step S32, YES), the location determination unit 221 determines in step S33 that the user has left the conference room 400 and the terminal 200 is located outside the conference room 400, and the communication control unit 222 turns off the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210. After that, the processes of steps S15 to S17 described in the first embodiment are performed, and if radio waves from the mobile phone carrier network are being received (step S16, YES), the terminal 200 becomes able to communicate using the mobile phone carrier network instead of local 5G.

[0033] Figure 7B shows the processing flow when the user, i.e., the terminal 200, is located outside the conference room 400. As shown in the figure, when the terminal 200 is located outside the conference room 400, the local 5G communication function in the communication unit 210 is turned off in step S40.

[0034] Then, in step S41, the position determination unit 221 determines whether or not the opening / closing device 410 has been unlocked by the smart lock function. Step S41 may be performed periodically by the position determination unit 221, or it may be triggered by receiving information that communication has taken place in the short-range wireless communication unit 270. Information on whether the opening / closing device 410 is locked or unlocked is transmitted, for example, from the short-range wireless communication unit 270 to the position determination unit 221. If it is determined that it has not been unlocked (step S42, NO), the communication unit 210 remains in the off state and the process returns to step S41. Alternatively, as explained in Figure 7A, the processes of steps S15 to S17 may be performed.

[0035] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S41 that the door is locked (step S42, YES), the location determination unit 221 determines that the user has entered the conference room 400 and the terminal 200 is located inside the conference room 400, and the communication control unit 222 turns on the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210.

[0036] As described above, if application area 2 is a space that is locked and unlocked by a smart lock function, it may be determined whether or not the terminal 200 is within application area 2 based on whether or not this locking and unlocking has occurred.

[0037] In addition to the locking and unlocking functions described above, the smart lock function also includes a function to lock the screen in a trusted location. Such a lock function may also be used. That is, information about a trusted location, i.e., application area 2, may be stored in memory 250, and the location determination unit 221 may compare the location information from the GPS receiver 260 with the information about a trusted location in memory 250 to determine whether or not the terminal 200 is located within application area 2.

[0038] <Third Embodiment> Next, a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program according to a third embodiment of this invention will be described. In the second embodiment described above, a case was described in which the terminal 200 uses a smart lock function instead of a GPS receiver 260, but this embodiment utilizes the reception status of radio waves other than radio waves based on local 5G, such as WiFi radio waves. Below, only the differences from the first and second embodiments will be described.

[0039] Figure 8A is a conceptual diagram of the communication system according to this embodiment and corresponds to Figure 1 described in the first embodiment. For the sake of simplicity, cells 3 and 4 are omitted from the illustration. The communication system 1 according to this embodiment includes a WiFi access point 500 in the configuration described in the first embodiment. The WiFi access point 500 transmits WiFi radio waves within the application area 2 and enables WiFi communication (second communication method) in the coverage area 5. The coverage area 5 is within the same range as the application area 2, or within the application area 2 but smaller than the application area 2.

[0040] Figure 8B is a block diagram of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the terminal 200 includes a WiFi detection unit 280, as described in Figure 6B in the second embodiment. The WiFi detection unit 280 detects radio waves from the WiFi access point 500. The communication unit 210 enables communication using WiFi by receiving commands from the user at the operation unit 240. The functional block diagram of the control unit 220 during program execution is the same as that of Figure 4B described in the first embodiment. However, the location determination unit 221 determines whether the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 based on the detection result of the WiFi radio waves by the WiFi detection unit 280.

[0041] Next, the operation of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 9A shows the processing flow when the terminal 200 is located within the coverage area 5.

[0042] As shown in Figure 9A, in step S30, the terminal 200 communicates with the repeater 300 or the base station 100. Then, in step S51, the location determination unit 221 determines whether or not it is receiving WiFi radio waves from the WiFi access point 500. Step S51 may be performed periodically by the location determination unit 221, or it may be triggered by receiving information from the WiFi detection unit 280 indicating that WiFi radio waves have been received. Information on whether or not WiFi radio waves have been received is transmitted, for example, from the WiFi detection unit 280 to the location determination unit 221. If it is determined that reception has occurred (step S52, YES), the location determination unit 221 determines that the terminal 200 is located within the application area 2, keeps the communication unit 210 in the ON state, and returns to the process of step S51.

[0043] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S51 that no signal is being received (step S52, NO), the location determination unit 221 determines in step S53 that the terminal 200 is located outside the application area 2, and the communication control unit 222 turns off the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210. After that, the processes of steps S15 to S17 described in the first embodiment are performed, and if radio waves from the mobile phone carrier network are being received (step S16, YES), the terminal 200 becomes able to communicate using the mobile phone carrier network instead of local 5G.

[0044] Figure 9B shows the processing flow when the terminal 200 is located outside the coverage area 5. As shown in the figure, when the terminal 200 is located outside the coverage area 5, the local 5G communication function in the communication unit 210 is turned off in step S40.

[0045] Then, in step S61, the location determination unit 221 determines whether or not it is receiving a WiFi signal from the WiFi access point 500. Step S61 may be performed periodically by the location determination unit 221, or it may be triggered by receiving information from the WiFi detection unit 280 indicating that a WiFi signal has been received. Information on whether or not a WiFi signal has been received is transmitted, for example, from the WiFi detection unit 280 to the location determination unit 221. If it is determined that no signal has been received (step S62, NO), the communication unit 210 remains in the off state and the process returns to step S61. Alternatively, as explained in Figure 7A, the processes in steps S15 to S17 may be performed.

[0046] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S61 that reception is occurring (step S62, YES), the location determination unit 221 determines that the terminal 200 is located within the coverage area 5, i.e., within the application area 2, and the communication control unit 222 turns on the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210.

[0047] As described above, for example, whether the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 may be determined based on whether it is receiving a WiFi signal. When using WiFi signals, it is assumed that the application area 2 is, for example, inside a specific house or company. In this embodiment, the case based on whether or not a WiFi signal is being received was explained as an example, but it is not limited to WiFi; any communication method other than 3GPP may be used, and the determination may be based on radio waves from other communication methods. Furthermore, these radio waves are not limited to the WiFi access point 500 exemplified in Figure 8A, but may also be transmitted from base stations 100 or repeaters 300, or from access points associated with them.

[0048] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, a terminal device, communication control method, and communication control program according to the fourth embodiment of this invention will be described. In this embodiment, instead of relying on the GPS receiver 260, smart lock function, and radio waves other than 3GPP as in the first to third embodiments described above, the location of the terminal 200 is determined based on a beacon signal from a repeater 300. In the following, only the differences from the first to third embodiments will be described.

[0049] The communication system 1 according to this embodiment is as shown in Figure 1 described in the first embodiment, but the repeater 300 periodically transmits beacons within its cell 4. The base station 100 does the same. Note that the entity that generates beacons does not need to be located in the base station 100 or the repeater terminal 300, and may be independently located at a different location from the base station 100 or the repeater terminal 300. In the following explanation, for the sake of simplicity, we will describe the case in which the beacon generator is located in the base station 100 and the repeater terminal 300 as an example. This is also the case in the fifth embodiment and subsequent embodiments which will be described later.

[0050] Figure 10 is a block diagram of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the terminal 200 further includes a beacon receiving unit 290, as described in Figure 8B in the third embodiment. The beacon receiving unit 290 is a beacon signal receiving unit that receives beacons transmitted from the repeater terminal 300 or base station 100. It then notifies the control unit 220 of information indicating that a beacon has been received. The functional block diagram of the control unit 220 during program execution is the same as in Figure 4B described in the first embodiment. However, the location determination unit 221 determines whether the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 based on whether or not the beacon receiving unit 290 has received a beacon.

[0051] Next, the operation of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 11A shows the processing flow when the terminal 200 receives a beacon from the repeater terminal 300.

[0052] As shown in Figure 11A, in step S30, the terminal 200 communicates with the repeater 300 or the base station 100. Then, in step S71, the location determination unit 221 determines whether or not it has received a beacon from the repeater terminal 300. Step S71 may be performed periodically by the location determination unit 221, or it may be triggered by receiving information from the beacon receiver 290 indicating that a beacon has been received. Information indicating that a beacon has been received is transmitted, for example, from the beacon receiver 290 to the location determination unit 221. If it is determined that a beacon has been received (step S72, YES), the location determination unit 221 determines that the terminal 200 is located within the application area 2, keeps the communication unit 210 in the ON state, and returns to the process of step S71.

[0053] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S71 that no beacon has been received (step S72, NO), the location determination unit 221 determines in step S73 that the terminal 200 is located outside the application area 2, and the communication control unit 222 turns off the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210. After that, the processes of steps S15 to S17 described in the first embodiment are performed, and if radio waves from the mobile phone carrier network are received (step S16, YES), the terminal 200 becomes able to communicate using the mobile phone carrier network instead of local 5G.

[0054] Figure 11B shows the processing flow when the terminal 200 does not receive a beacon. As shown in the figure, in step S40, the local 5G communication function in the communication unit 210 is turned off for the terminal 200 that does not receive a beacon.

[0055] Then, in step S81, the position determination unit 221 determines whether or not it has received a beacon from the repeater terminal 300. Step S81 may be performed periodically by the position determination unit 221, or it may be triggered by receiving information from the beacon receiver 290 indicating that a beacon has been received. Information on whether or not a beacon has been received is transmitted, for example, from the beacon receiver 290 to the position determination unit 221. If it is determined that no beacon has been received (step S82, NO), the communication unit 210 remains in the off state and the process returns to step S81. Alternatively, as explained in Figure 7A, the processes of steps S15 to S17 may be performed.

[0056] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S81 that reception is occurring (step S82, YES), the location determination unit 221 determines that the terminal 200 is located within the application area 2, and the communication control unit 222 turns on the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210.

[0057] As described above, it is also possible to determine whether or not the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 based on whether it is receiving beacons from the relay terminal 300 or base station 100 that constitute the local 5G. This is because the terminal 200 should be able to receive beacons transmitted from the relay terminal 300 or base station 100 only if it is located within cell 3 or 4, and should not be able to receive beacons if it is located outside of cell 3 and 4.

[0058] <Fifth Embodiment> Next, a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program according to the fifth embodiment of this invention will be described. This embodiment relates to the configuration of the repeater terminal 300 in the first to fourth embodiments described above. The repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment functions as a repeater based on the reception status of beacons from the base station 100 or another repeater terminal 300. Below, only the differences from the first to fourth embodiments described above will be explained.

[0059] The communication system 1 according to this embodiment is as shown in Figure 1, which was described in the first embodiment. The base station 100 periodically transmits beacons into the cell 3. When distinguishing between the beacons transmitted by the base station 100 and the repeater terminal 300, the former is called beacon A and the latter is called beacon B. Beacon A and beacon B may be signals that use different bands or frequencies, for example.

[0060] Figure 12A is a block diagram of the repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the repeater terminal 300 further includes a beacon receiving unit 370 and a beacon transmitting unit 380 in Figure 3 described in the first embodiment. The beacon receiving unit 370 receives beacon A transmitted from the base station 100. It then notifies the control unit 320 of information indicating that beacon A has been received. The beacon transmitting unit 380 transmits beacon B to the terminal 200 according to the command of the control unit 320. In this embodiment, the control unit 320 controls the beacon transmitting unit 380 and the communication unit 310 based on the information from the beacon receiving unit 370. This will be explained in detail later. The memory 350 functions as a work area for the control unit 320 and also holds information received from the base station 100 and other repeater terminals 300, as well as programs for the operation of the control unit 320.

[0061] As described above, the control unit 320 of the repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment controls the beacon transmission unit 380 and the communication unit 310 based on the information received from the beacon reception unit 370. Figure 12B is a functional block diagram of the control unit 320 when a program in the memory 350 is executed, focusing on this operation.

[0062] As shown in Figure 12B, the control unit 220 functions as a relay determination unit 321 and a communication control unit 322. The relay determination unit 321 receives information from the beacon receiver unit 370 indicating whether or not it has received beacon A. Based on the received information, the relay determination unit 321 determines whether or not the relay terminal 300 is allowed to function as a relay. Based on the determination result from the relay determination unit 321, the communication control unit 322 controls the beacon transmission unit 380 and the communication unit 310. Specifically, when the beacon receiver unit 370 has received beacon A, it commands the beacon transmission unit 380 to transmit beacon B and commands the communication unit 310 to transmit relay radio waves. On the other hand, when beacon A has not been received, it stops the transmission of beacon B and relay radio waves.

[0063] Next, the operation of the repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 13 shows the operation of the repeater terminal 300, mainly illustrating the processing flow by the control unit 320.

[0064] As shown in Figure 13, in step S80, the relay determination unit 321 of the control unit 320 determines whether or not it has received beacon A from the base station 100. Step S80 may be performed periodically by the relay determination unit 321, or it may be triggered by receiving information from the beacon receiver unit 370 indicating that beacon A has been received and information indicating that reception of beacon A has stopped. If it is determined in step S80 that beacon A has been received (step S81, YES), the relay determination unit 321 determines that the repeater terminal 300 may function as a repeater. Based on this determination, the communication control unit 322 commands the beacon transmission unit 380 to transmit beacon B. As a result, in step S82, the beacon transmission unit 380 begins transmitting beacon B. Furthermore, in step S83, the communication control unit 322 commands the communication unit 310 to transmit relay radio waves. As a result, the communication unit 310 transmits relay radio waves to form cell 4, and the repeater terminal 300 begins functioning as a repeater.

[0065] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S80 that beacon A has not been received (step S81, NO), the relay determination unit 321 determines that the relay terminal 300 will not function as a relay. Based on this determination, the communication control unit 322 commands the beacon transmission unit 380 to stop transmitting beacon B and commands the communication unit 310 to stop transmitting the relay radio waves. As a result, in step S84, the beacon transmission unit 380 and the communication unit 310 stop transmitting beacon B and relay radio waves, respectively, and the relay terminal 300 ceases to function as a relay.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the repeater terminal 300 functions as a repeater based on whether or not it has received beacon A. This allows the repeater terminal 300 to function as a repeater only within an appropriate range, and for example, it can suppress the formation of cell 4 outside the application area 2. As a result, it can suppress end terminals 200 located outside the application area 2 from communicating using local 5G.

[0067] <Sixth Embodiment> Next, a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program according to the sixth embodiment of this invention will be described. In this embodiment, the repeater terminal 300 in the fifth embodiment determines whether or not to function as a repeater based on its own location information in addition to the beacon A. Below, only the differences from the fifth embodiment will be described.

[0068] The configuration of the repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment is the same as that shown in Figure 12A in the fifth embodiment. Figure 14 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 320 of the repeater terminal 300. As shown, the control unit 320 further functions as a position determination unit 323 in Figure 12B, which was described in the fifth embodiment.

[0069] The position determination unit 323 receives position information from the GPS receiver unit 360. This position information includes, for example, the longitude and latitude information of the repeater terminal 300. The position determination unit 323 also reads area information stored in the memory 350, which indicates the range in which the repeater terminal 300 is permitted to function as a repeater. Let's explain the area information. When the repeater terminal 300 functions as a repeater, it transmits relay radio waves to terminal terminals 200 located within a predetermined range centered on the repeater terminal 300. Depending on how the relay radio waves are transmitted, terminal terminals 200 outside the application area 2 may also receive these relay radio waves. Therefore, in this embodiment, an area (second area) in which terminal terminals 200 located outside the application area 2 do not receive relay radio waves is pre-set as the area information. In other words, the area information indicates the area in which the repeater terminal 300 is permitted to output relay radio waves. Consequently, the second area indicated by the area information is narrower than the application area 2. For example, the range indicated by the area information may be the same as the range of cell 3 of base station 100, or it may be a narrower range than cell 3, and the area information is received from base station 100, for example. The location determination unit 323 then determines whether or not the repeater terminal 300 is located within the range corresponding to the area information. The relay determination unit 321 determines whether or not the repeater terminal 300 may function as a repeater based on the information of whether or not it has received beacon A as described in the fifth embodiment and the determination result from the location determination unit 323. The communication control unit 322 controls the beacon transmission unit 380 and the communication unit 310 based on the determination result from the relay determination unit 321. Specifically, when the beacon reception unit 370 receives beacon A and the location determination unit 323 determines that the repeater terminal 300 is located within the range indicated by the area information, it commands the beacon transmission unit 380 to transmit beacon B and commands the communication unit 310 to transmit relay radio waves. On the other hand, if beacon A is not received, or if the location determination unit 323 determines that the repeater terminal 300 is located outside the range indicated by the area information, the transmission of beacon B and the relay radio waves is stopped.

[0070] Next, the operation of the repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figure 15. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the repeater terminal 300.

[0071] As shown in the figure, in step S90, the repeater terminal 300 receives, for example, cell information of base station 100 and information of application area 2 from base station 100 in the communication unit 310. This is the same as in step S10 described in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the repeater terminal 300 also receives, for example, area information from base station 100 indicating the range in which the repeater terminal 300 may function as a repeater. The control unit 320 stores this information in the memory 350.

[0072] In step S91, the control unit 320 of the repeater terminal 300 determines in the position determination unit 323 whether the position of the repeater terminal 300 is within the area where it is permitted to emit radio waves as a repeater. Step S91 may be performed at regular intervals, or when the repeater terminal 300 has moved more than a certain distance. More specifically, the position determination unit 323 reads the area information received in step S90 from the memory 350, and further receives position information from the GPS receiver 360, and by comparing the two, determines whether the repeater terminal 300 is located in a suitable location as a repeater.

[0073] In step S91, if it is determined that the location of the repeater terminal 300 is not within the area where it is permitted to emit radio waves as a repeater (step S92, NO), the repeater determination unit 321 determines that the repeater terminal 300 will not function as a repeater. Based on this determination, the communication control unit 322 commands the beacon transmission unit 380 to stop transmitting beacon B and commands the communication unit 310 to stop transmitting radio waves for relaying. As a result, in step S97, the beacon transmission unit 380 and the communication unit 310 stop transmitting beacon B and radio waves for relaying, respectively, and the repeater terminal 300 ceases to function as a repeater. The processing in step S97 is the same as in step S84 described in the fifth embodiment.

[0074] In step S91, if it is determined that the location of the repeater terminal 300 is within the area where it is permitted to emit radio waves as a repeater (step S92, YES), then the processes in steps S94 to S97 are performed. Steps S94 to S97 are the same as steps S80 to S84 described in the fifth embodiment. That is, in step S93, the repeater determination unit 321 determines whether or not it has received beacon A from the base station 100. If it is determined in step S93 that beacon A has been received (step S94, YES), the repeater determination unit 321 determines that the repeater terminal 300 may function as a repeater. Based on this determination, in step S82, the beacon transmission unit 380 transmits beacon B, and in step S96, the communication unit 310 transmits radio waves for relaying to form cell 4, and the repeater terminal 300 begins to function as a repeater. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S93 that beacon A has not been received (step S94, NO), then in step S97, beacon B and the radio waves for the repeater are not transmitted, and the repeater terminal 300 does not function as a repeater.

[0075] According to this embodiment, the repeater terminal 300 functions as a repeater based on its own location information, in addition to whether or not it has received beacon A. That is, the repeater terminal 300 can function as a repeater when it has received beacon A and its GPS location information indicates an appropriate location. This allows the repeater terminal 300 to function as a repeater only within an appropriate range. In other words, even if the repeater is a mobile communication device, it is possible to suppress the formation of cell 4 by the repeater outside the application area 2. For example, as shown in Figure 16A, if the repeater terminal 300A is located within an appropriate area 6 for a repeater and has received beacon A, the repeater terminal 300A transmits beacon B to terminal 200A and also transmits relay radio waves to form cell 4A. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 16B, if the repeater terminal 300A moves outside area 6, even if it can receive beacon A, the repeater terminal 300A will not transmit beacon B or relay radio waves, and terminal 200D outside the application area 2 will not be able to communicate using local 5G. Furthermore, the same effect can be obtained even if the repeater terminal is located in a place where GPS accuracy is reduced, such as inside a building. For example, even if the GPS information indicates that the repeater terminal is within range to emit radio waves as a repeater, if the repeater terminal is actually outside that range, it will not function as a repeater if it cannot receive beacon A. As a result, it is possible to suppress the formation of cell 4 outside the application area 2 and to suppress the use of local 5G by end terminals 200 located outside the application area 2.

[0076] <Seventh Embodiment> Next, a terminal device, a communication control method, and a communication control program according to the seventh embodiment of this invention will be described. In this embodiment, as in the first to sixth embodiments described above, the repeater terminal 300 functions as a repeater when it receives a beacon transmitted from the terminal 200. Below, only the differences from the first to sixth embodiments described above will be explained.

[0077] Figure 17A is a block diagram of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the terminal 200 according to this embodiment further includes a beacon transmitting unit 600 in the configuration of Figure 3 described in the first embodiment. The beacon transmitting unit 600 transmits a beacon to the repeater terminal 300 in accordance with the command of the control unit 220. The beacon transmitted by the terminal 200 may use a different band or frequency than the beacon A and beacon B described above.

[0078] Figure 17B is a functional block diagram of the control unit 220 of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the control unit 220 further includes a repeater control unit 224 in the configuration shown in Figure 4B described in the first embodiment. When the location determination unit 221 determines that the terminal 200 is located within the application area 2, the repeater control unit 224 instructs the beacon transmission unit 600 to transmit a beacon to the repeater terminal 300.

[0079] The configuration of the repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment is the same as that described in Figures 12A and 12B in the fifth embodiment. The beacon receiving unit 370 receives beacons transmitted not only from the base station 100 but also from the beacon transmitting unit 600 of the terminal terminal 200. The relay determination unit 321 of the control unit 320 determines that the repeater terminal 300 can function as a repeater when it receives a beacon from the terminal terminal 200.

[0080] Figure 18 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, if, as a result of the determination in step S12 described in Figure 5 of the first embodiment, the location of the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 (step S13, YES), the communication control unit 222 turns on the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210 in step S100, and in step S101, the beacon transmission unit 600 transmits a beacon to the repeater terminal 300 at the command of the repeater control unit 224. As a result, cell 4 is formed by the repeater terminal 300, and in step S102, the terminal 200 starts communication with the repeater terminal 300.

[0081] On the other hand, if the determination in step S12 indicates that the terminal 200 is located outside the application area 2 (step S13, NO), the communication control unit 222 turns off the local 5G communication function of the communication unit 210 in step S103, and in step S104, the beacon transmission unit 600 does not transmit a beacon to the repeater terminal 300 at the command of the repeater control unit 224. As a result, cell 4 is not formed by the repeater terminal 300, and in step S104, the terminal 200 does not communicate with the repeater terminal 300.

[0082] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the repeater terminal 300 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, after step S90 described in the sixth embodiment, in step S110, the relay determination unit 321 of the control unit 320 determines whether or not it has received a beacon from the terminal 200. Step S110 may be performed periodically by the relay determination unit 321, or it may be triggered when the beacon receiving unit 370 receives information from the terminal 200 indicating that it has received a beacon and information indicating that beacon reception has stopped.

[0083] If it is determined in step S110 that no beacon has been received from the terminal 200 (step S111, NO), the relay determination unit 321 determines that the relay terminal 300 will not function as a relay. Then, in step S114, the relay terminal 300 does not transmit beacon B and does not function as a relay. Step S114 is the same as step S97 described in the sixth embodiment.

[0084] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that a beacon has been received from the terminal 200 (step S111, YES), the relay determination unit 321 determines that the relay terminal 300 may function as a relay. Based on this determination, in step S112 the beacon transmission unit 380 transmits beacon B, and further in step S113 the communication unit 310 transmits radio waves for relaying. Steps S112 and S113 are the same as steps S95 and S96 described in the sixth embodiment.

[0085] Subsequently, the repeater terminal 300 continues the determination in step S110. If it continues to receive beacons from the terminal 300 (step S115, YES), in step S116 it continues to transmit beacon B and radio waves for the repeater, and continues to function as a repeater. On the other hand, if the beacon from the terminal 300 is lost, in step S117 it stops transmitting beacon B, similar to step S114, and stops functioning as a repeater.

[0086] According to this embodiment, the terminal 200 transmits a beacon to the repeater terminal 300 while it is located within the application area 2. This allows the repeater terminal 300 to recognize that the terminal 200 is within the application area 2 and to form a cell 4 directed toward the terminal 200. This further suppresses the use of local 5G by terminals 200 located outside the application area 2. For example, as shown in Figure 20A, terminal 200A located within the application area 2 transmits a beacon toward, for example, the repeater terminal 300A. The repeater terminal 400A then forms a cell 4A, enabling terminal 200A to communicate with base station 100 via repeater terminal 300A. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 20B, let's assume that terminal 200A moves outside the application area 2. Then, terminal 200A stops transmitting beacons. As a result, the repeater terminal 300A recognizes that terminal 200A is no longer within the application area 2 and stops transmitting relay radio waves. As a result, it is possible to suppress the formation of cell 4A outside the application area 2 and to suppress the communication of end terminals 200 located outside the application area 2 using local 5G.

[0087] <Variations, etc.> As described above, according to the configurations of the first to seventh embodiments, in a communication system using a local network where communication is restricted within a certain range, such as local 5G, it is possible to restrict communication of end terminals located outside the application area. Note that the above embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications are possible.

[0088] For example, in the first to fourth embodiments, the terminal 200 was described as connecting to a mobile phone carrier network when it cannot connect to local 5G, but it may also be kept in a state where communication is prohibited without connecting to a mobile phone carrier network. Furthermore, each embodiment may be implemented independently or in combination. For example, if the second embodiment is implemented independently, the GPS receiver 260 of the terminal 200 is not required. On the other hand, if it is implemented in combination with the first embodiment, for example, if the GPS receiver 260 determines that it is within the application area 2 and the smart lock function unlocks it, the local 5G communication function of the terminal 200 may be enabled. The same applies to the third embodiment. If the third embodiment is implemented independently, the GPS receiver 260 and the short-range wireless communication unit 270 are not required. On the other hand, when the first to third embodiments are implemented in combination, the local 5G communication function of the terminal 200 may be enabled if at least two of the following conditions are met: the GPS receiver 260 determines that it is within the application area 2, the lock is opened by the smart lock function, and a WiFi signal is being received. The same applies to the fourth embodiment.

[0089] Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, the GPS receiver 360 of the repeater terminal 300 is not essential. In the sixth embodiment, the case in which the repeater terminal 300 functions as a repeater based on both the information from the GPS receiver 360 and the fact that it has received beacon A was described as an example. However, it may also be based on the location information of the GPS receiver 360 regardless of beacon A. In this case, steps S93 and S94 in Figure 15 are unnecessary.

[0090] Furthermore, in the first to seventh embodiments described above, the functions of the beacon transmitter, beacon receiver, WiFi detection unit, and short-range wireless communication unit may be performed by the communication units 210 and 310. Also, the order of processing in the flowcharts described in the embodiments can be changed as much as possible. For example, the order of steps S91 and S93 described in Figure 15 of the sixth embodiment may be reversed or performed simultaneously.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case in which the repeater 300 is connected to one terminal 200 was described as an example. However, this is for the sake of simplicity, and one repeater 300 may be connected to multiple terminals 200. For example, if two terminals can be connected to one repeater 300, in other words, if two terminals exist within the cell 4 of the repeater 300, then, for example, one terminal 200 located within the application area 2 can communicate with the base station 100 via the repeater 300, and another terminal 200 located outside the application area 2 can recognize that it is located outside the application area 2 in the manner described in each embodiment above, and can turn off the local 5G communication function in the communication unit 210. Of course, the same applies when three or more terminals 200 are connected to one repeater 300. The case in which the local 5G communication function of a terminal located outside the application area 2 is restricted has been described. However, emergency information such as earthquake early warnings and area mail notifying of emergencies may be receivable even outside the application area 2. In other words, if such emergency information is transmitted using a communication method different from local 5G, the terminal 200 can receive it. Alternatively, since the emergency information is transmitted by broadcast, the communication unit 210 may be allowed to receive information transmitted by broadcast unconditionally. Alternatively, even if the terminal 200 is outside the application area 2, the transmission function by local 5G may be prohibited, but the reception function may be enabled. Alternatively, when emergency information is received, even if the terminal 200 is outside the application area 2, both the transmission and reception functions by local 5G may be enabled. The extent to which the local 5G communication function of the terminal 200 is restricted can be selected as appropriate. The same applies to the repeater terminal 300. This is because the repeater terminal 300 can also function as the terminal 200 if it is not a dedicated repeater, but for example, a smartphone. The reverse is also true; the terminal 200 described in the above embodiment may function as the repeater terminal 300 in some cases, and in that case, it may perform the operations described in the above embodiment.In other words, in the above embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of understanding, the terminal 200 and the repeater terminal 300 were distinguished and explained separately, but these terminals can be terminal 200 in some cases and repeater terminal 300 in other cases. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case in which the terminal 200 is connected to the base station 100 via one repeater terminal 300 was explained as an example, but it may also be via two or more repeater terminals 300. Furthermore, the repeater terminal 300 may receive area information from the base station 100, for example, indicating the range in which it may transmit radio waves for the repeater. This makes it possible to suppress the repeater terminal 300 from forming a cell 4 outside the application area 2. In addition, in the above embodiment, the case in which the terminal devices 200 and 300 can communicate using various communication methods such as local 5G, mobile phone carrier networks, and WiFi was explained. In this case, the display units 230 and 330 may display the currently used communication method on a display or the like according to the instructions of the control units 220 and 320.

[0092] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above-described forms and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the above configurations can be replaced with substantially similar configurations, configurations that produce similar effects, or configurations that can achieve similar objectives. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1...Communication system, 2...Application area, 3, 4A, 4B...Cell, 5...WiFi coverage area, 6...Area capable of functioning as a repeater, 100...Base station, 110, 210, 310...Communication unit, 120, 220, 320...Control unit, 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D...Terminal, 221, 323...Location determination unit, 222, 322...Communication control unit, 223...Connection determination unit, 224...Repeater Control unit, 230, 330… Display unit, 240, 340… Operation unit, 250, 350… Memory, 260, 360… GPS receiver, 270… Short-range wireless communication unit, 280… WiFi detection unit, 290, 370… Beacon receiver, 300A, 300B… Repeater terminal, 321… Repeater determination unit, 380, 600… Beacon transmitter, 400… Conference room, 410… Switching device, 500… WiFi access point

Claims

1. A terminal device that communicates with a base station or a repeater that is permitted to connect to said base station, A communication unit that performs communication using a first communication method in which the area in which it can communicate with the base station or the repeater is limited to the area inside a first area based on the base station, When the terminal device is outside the first area, the control unit turns off the communication function of the first communication method by the communication unit, The system further comprises a detection unit that detects radio waves conforming to a second communication system that can communicate in a narrower area than the first area where the first communication system can communicate, The control unit determines whether the terminal device is outside the first area based on whether the radio waves received by the detection unit are radio waves associated with the base station.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the repeater is a communication device that is permitted to connect to the base station and is mobile within the first area.

3. The device further comprises a GPS receiver that receives GPS (Global Positioning System) signals to identify the location information of the terminal device. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit determines whether the terminal device is outside the first area based on the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the radio waves conforming to the second communication method are transmitted from an access point associated with the base station or the repeater.

5. The system further includes an electronic key that locks the door when exiting the first area and unlocks it when entering the first area, and a short-range wireless communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication, The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit determines whether the terminal device is outside the first area based on whether the electronic key is locked or unlocked.

6. A terminal device that communicates with a base station or a repeater that is permitted to connect to said base station, A communication unit that performs communication using a first communication method in which the area in which it can communicate with the base station or the repeater is limited to the area inside a first area based on the base station, The terminal device is located outside the first area, and the control unit is configured to turn off the communication function of the first communication method provided by the communication unit. The control unit permits the terminal device to perform communication using the first communication method when the terminal device is located in a reliable location where a function for operating the terminal device is enabled is registered as the first area.

7. The system further comprises a beacon signal receiving unit that receives a beacon signal associated with the base station or the repeater, The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit determines whether the terminal device is outside the first area based on whether it has received the beacon signal.

8. The aforementioned communication unit is capable of communicating with other base stations operated by telecommunications carriers using a third communication method. The terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit switches the connection destination of the communication unit to the other base station when the terminal device is outside the first area and can communicate using the third communication method.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the communication unit disables the function of the first communication method and enables the function of the third communication method when the connection destination of the communication unit is switched to the other base station.

10. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the control unit switches the communication method of the communication unit from the third communication method to the first communication method when the terminal device returns from outside the first area to inside the first area.

11. A terminal device that communicates with a base station or a repeater that is permitted to connect to said base station, A communication unit that performs communication using a first communication method in which the area in which it can communicate with the base station or the repeater is limited to the area inside a first area based on the base station, The terminal device is located outside the first area, and the control unit is configured to turn off the communication function of the first communication method provided by the communication unit. The control unit switches the communication function of the communication unit with the repeater using the first communication method from the off state to the on state when the communication unit receives emergency information, even when the terminal device is outside the first area.

12. A terminal device that communicates with a base station or a repeater that is permitted to connect to said base station, A communication unit that performs communication using a first communication method in which the area in which it can communicate with the base station or the repeater is limited to the area inside a first area based on the base station, The terminal device is located outside the first area, and the control unit is configured to turn off the communication function of the first communication method provided by the communication unit. The control unit determines that the movable terminal device is located within a second area which is narrower than the first area but is inside the first area, and within the second area which the terminal device is permitted to emit relay radio waves, and causes the terminal device to function as the relay device.

13. The system further comprises a beacon signal receiving unit that receives beacon signals from beacon transmitters associated with the base station, The terminal device according to claim 12, wherein the control unit determines that it is permissible to output the relay radio waves when the beacon signal receiving unit is receiving the beacon signal.

14. A communication control method performed by a terminal device having: a communication unit that performs communication of a first communication method in which, when communicating with a base station or a repeater that is permitted to connect to the base station, the area in which communication with the base station or the repeater is limited to inside a first area based on the base station; and a control unit that turns off the communication function of the first communication method by the communication unit when the terminal device is outside the first area, To detect radio waves conforming to a second communication method that can communicate in a narrower area than the first area where the first communication method can communicate, Based on whether the detected radio waves are associated with the base station, it is determined whether the terminal device is outside the first area, A communication control method comprising [a specific feature / feature].

15. A communication control program to be executed by a terminal device having: a communication unit that performs communication using a first communication method in which the area in which communication with a base station or a repeater permitted to connect to said base station is limited to inside a first area based on said base station; and a control unit that turns off the communication function of the first communication method by the communication unit when the terminal device is outside the first area, The system detects radio waves conforming to a second communication method that can communicate in a narrower area than the first area where the first communication method can be used. Based on whether the detected radio waves are associated with the base station, the system determines whether the terminal device is outside the first area. Communication control program.

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