Communication suppression device compatible with time-division multiplexing

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication suppression device that can more appropriately suppress only the communication terminals that should be suppressed among the communication terminals that perform time-division communication. [Solution] The receiving unit 12 extracts signals from the signals output from the receiving antenna 11 that match the communication method and frequency (frequency band) specified by the communication method specification unit 13, and outputs an analog signal with a voltage corresponding to the level of the extracted signal. The comparison unit 15 compares the analog signal with a preset voltage level and outputs the comparison result. The transmission control unit 16, based on the comparison result, causes the signal generation unit 19 to start generating a signal for interference waves at the timing when it starts receiving the transmitted wave from the base station equipment, and continues generating the signal for the transmission time specified by the transmission time specification unit 17. The generated signal is output to the antenna 20, and an interference wave is transmitted from the antenna 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication suppression device compatible with time-division communication.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, portable communication terminals such as mobile phones and smartphones are widely spread. Most communication terminals can access various websites and execute various application programs. For this reason, there are actually many people who cause trouble to the surroundings or violate manners using communication terminals. In places where people gather, the emission of ringing tones, calls, and screen displays in a dark environment are all acts of nuisance and often violate manners. Therefore, as a countermeasure against fraud in concert halls, theaters, driving test centers, bank ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines), or public stadiums, etc., the installation of communication suppression devices that forcibly prevent communication of communication terminals has been increasing. In performance facilities that gather customers and hold performances, the communication suppression device is also automatically operated and stopped according to whether the performance is in progress (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There is also a method of automatically identifying communication waves to be blocked and transmitting interference waves in the same frequency band as the identified communication waves (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional communication suppression devices either continuously transmit interfering waves while in operation, or they completely disrupt all communication waves in the same frequency band as the communication wave to be disrupted. Typically, communication suppression devices are installed to suppress communication from communication terminals within a predetermined area, as described above. However, even if the output of the interfering waves is appropriately adjusted, there is still a possibility that they will negatively affect communication from communication terminals located outside that area.

[0005] There are various communication methods used in wireless communication. Some communication methods employ time-division multiplexing, which allocates time (time slots) as a resource to communication terminals. TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) is a representative example of a communication method that employs time-division multiplexing and is used in mobile phone systems and satellite communications, etc. There are also pseudo (dynamic) TDMAs that dynamically allocate time slots according to the communication conditions and are used in 5G, Wi-Fi (CSMA / CA: Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance), etc.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a communication suppression device that can more appropriately suppress only the communication terminals that should be suppressed among the communication terminals performing time-division communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A communication suppression device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a timing determination unit that determines the transmission start timing of a transmission wave transmitted by a base station device for time division division communication, and an interference wave transmission unit that causes the transmission of an interference wave to interfere with the transmission wave based on the transmission start timing determined by the timing determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In this invention, it is possible to more appropriately suppress only the communication terminals that should be suppressed among the communication terminals performing time-division communication. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates an example of the use of a communications suppression device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a communications suppression device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This timing chart shows examples of the transmitted waveform from the base station equipment, the output waveform from the comparison unit, and the interference waveform. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 illustrates an example of the use of a communication suppression device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The communication suppression device 1 is intended to be used to suppress, or prevent, communication from, a communication terminal 2 carried by a person. The communication terminal 2 is not particularly limited, but could be a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet device, for example.

[0011] The communication jamming device 1 is intended to interfere with communication between a base station device installed for communication purposes at a base station 3, for example, established by a mobile phone company, and a communication terminal 2. It is intended to be used in a facility 4 where it is necessary to interfere with communication between the communication terminal 2 and the base station device. This facility 4 is not particularly limited, but could be a theater, data center, concert hall, or public sports stadium, for example. One or more communication jamming devices 1 are placed in the installation section 4A of the facility 4 where it is actually necessary to interfere with communication. The communication method only needs to employ time-division multiplexing, even if it is only partially. As a result, the base station device may be mounted on a communication satellite or the like.

[0012] The location of installation area 4A varies depending on the type of facility 4. For example, if facility 4 is a bank building, installation area 4A might be an ATM corner. If facility 4 is a driver's license testing center, installation area 4A might be a room for taking the test. Installation area 4A is not particularly limited.

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a communication suppression device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the communication suppression device 1 includes a receiving antenna 11, a receiving unit 12, a communication method specification unit 13, a group of operators 14, a comparison unit 15, a transmission control unit 16, a transmission time specification unit 17, a group of operators 18, a signal generation unit 19, and a transmitting antenna 20.

[0014] The transmission wave sent by the base station equipment is received by the antenna 11, and the received signal is input to the receiving unit 12. The communication method designation unit 13 designates the communication method and frequency (frequency band) to be used for transmitting the target transmission wave to the receiving unit 12. The control group 14 is used to set the communication method and frequency (frequency band) to be designated by the communication method designation unit 13. As a result, the receiving unit 12 extracts the received signal corresponding to the communication method and frequency (frequency band) specified by the communication method designation unit 13 from the received signals output from the antenna 11, and generates and outputs an analog signal with a voltage corresponding to the level of the extracted received signal, for example.

[0015] In this embodiment, as described above, not only the communication method but also the frequency (frequency band) of the transmitted wave to be received can be selected. This is because, for example, even with the same communication method, such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access: registered trademark), the frequency band used may differ depending on the region. By making it possible to select the frequency (frequency band) of the transmitted wave to be received, the communication suppression device 1 can be more easily adapted to a wider range of applications. This results in greater convenience for the communication suppression device 1.

[0016] The comparison unit 15 compares, for example, the analog signal output from the reception unit 12 with a preset voltage level and outputs the comparison result. The comparison result is output as a signal of H (High) or L (Low). Here, it is assumed that the signal becomes H when the voltage level of the analog signal is larger. This signal is hereinafter referred to as the "comparison result signal". The transmission time specifying unit 17 specifies the transmission time, which is the duration from the start to the end of the interference wave transmission, to the transmission control unit 16. The operator group 18 is for setting the transmission time to be specified to the transmission time specifying unit 17.

[0017] The signal generation unit 19 generates a signal for transmitting (radiating) a transmission wave from the antenna 20. After the comparison result signal becomes H, the transmission control unit 16 causes the signal generation unit 19 to generate a signal until the transmission time specified by the transmission time specifying unit 17 elapses. As a result, from the antenna 20, the interference wave is transmitted for the specified transmission time after the comparison result signal becomes H.

[0018] In addition to the reception unit 12, the communication method specifying unit 13 specifies the communication method and the frequency (frequency band) for the signal generation unit 19. Thereby, the signal generation unit 19 generates a signal for transmitting an interference wave assuming a transmission wave of the specified frequency (frequency band) of the specified communication method.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing examples of the transmission wave waveform transmitted from the base station device, the output waveform of the comparison unit, and the interference wave waveform. Both the transmission wave waveform and the interference wave waveform are not actual waveforms, but are shown as binary waveforms representing the period during which transmission is occurring as H and the period during which transmission is not occurring as L. Next, the interference wave generation operation in the communication suppression device 1 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 3. One frame of time-division communication can be roughly classified into a first transmission period to which the transmission wave of the base station device is assigned and a second transmission period in which time slots that can be respectively assigned to one or more communication terminals 2 exist.

[0020] The transmission wave of the base station apparatus transmitted during the first transmission period is used for transmitting various types of information for synchronization, management (beacon), and communication control of each communication terminal 2 in addition to transmitting data to be transmitted from the base station apparatus to the communication terminal 2. Therefore, by interfering with the transmission wave of the base station apparatus, communication by each communication terminal 2 can be suppressed.

[0021] Although not particularly shown, the communication suppression device 1 can adjust the output of the interference wave. Thus, when suppressing the communication of the communication terminal 2 existing within the installation section 4A, it is normal for the output of the interference wave to be adjusted so as not to further suppress the communication of the communication terminal 2 located outside the installation section 4A. However, even if the adjustment is appropriately performed, it is normal for the interference wave to leak out of the installation section 4A. The leaked interference wave may suppress the communication of the communication terminal 2 located outside the installation section 4A.

[0022] However, when only interfering with the transmission wave of the base station apparatus, the transmission wave of the communication terminal 2 itself is not interfered with. Therefore, even a mobile communication terminal 2 located within an area where the interference wave from outside the installation section 4A may have an impact and that can receive the transmission wave from the base station apparatus can communicate. From this, only the communication terminal 2 for which communication is to be suppressed can be more appropriately suppressed. Thus, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, during the period when the transmission wave of the base station apparatus is transmitted, that is, the period when the transmission wave can be received, an interference wave is transmitted to interfere with the reception of the transmission wave of the base station apparatus.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the output waveform of the comparison unit 15, that is, the waveform of the comparison result signal, becomes H by receiving (transmitting) the transmission wave from the base station apparatus. Therefore, the timing at which the transmission of the transmission wave from the base station apparatus starts is specified by the comparison result signal. Thereby, the transmission control unit 16 causes the signal generation unit 19 to start generating a signal due to the change of the comparison result signal from L to H. As a result, with the start of reception (transmission) of the transmission wave from the base station apparatus, the communication suppression device 1 starts transmitting the interference wave.

[0024] The receiving unit 12 maintains a high level of the analog signal not only while receiving the transmitted wave from the base station device, but also while receiving the interference wave. As a result, the comparison result signal of the comparison unit 15 is high while either the transmitted wave from the base station device or the interference wave is being received. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to terminate the transmission of the interference wave at the timing when it should be terminated, the transmission time for which the transmission of the interference wave continues is set (specified), and the transmission of the interference wave continues for only the set transmission time.

[0025] As a result, by setting an appropriate transmission time, the transmission of interference waves can be terminated at or near the time when the transmitted waves from the base station equipment are no longer received. This prevents information from the base station equipment from being properly transmitted to each communication terminal 2, making communication impossible. When both the transmitted waves from the base station equipment and the interference waves are no longer received, the comparison result signal of the comparison unit 15 changes from H to L. Therefore, the change in the comparison result signal of the comparison unit 15 from H to L makes it possible to confirm that neither the transmitted wave output nor the interference wave output from the base station equipment exists.

[0026] As described above, the comparison unit 15 compares the analog signal output by the receiving unit 12 with a preset voltage level. This is because, even during the second transmission period when no transmission waves from the base station device are received, the level of the analog signal output by the receiving unit 12 is not normally zero. Therefore, in this embodiment, by comparing it with a preset voltage level, the possibility of false detection that a transmission wave from the base station device was received during the second transmission period is reduced. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the comparison result signal of the comparison unit 15 maintains the L state during the second transmission period after changing from H to L.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, interference waves are transmitted only during the first transmission period in which the base station equipment transmits a signal within a single frame. Therefore, the power consumption per unit time required to suppress communication at the communication terminal 2 is lower compared to the case where interference waves are transmitted continuously. Even when compared to the case where interference waves are transmitted against a signal using the same communication method and frequency (frequency band) as the signal transmitted by the base station equipment, the power consumption per unit time required to suppress communication at the communication terminal 2 is lower.

[0028] In this embodiment, the antenna 11, receiving unit 12, communication method designation unit 13, operator group 14, and comparison unit 15 correspond to the timing designation unit. The communication method designation unit 13, operator group 14, transmission control unit 16, signal generation unit 19, and antenna 20 correspond to the interference wave transmission unit. The transmission time designation unit 17 and operator group 18 correspond to the transmission time designation unit.

[0029] In this embodiment, the timing for ending the transmission of interfering waves is specified by the transmission time, but the transmission of interfering waves may be terminated automatically. This can be achieved, for example, by configuring antenna 11 to receive only the transmission waves from the base station equipment. If only the transmitted waves from the base station equipment are allowed to be received by the antenna 11, in other words, if the antenna 11 is shielded to prevent the reception of interfering waves, the comparison result signal output by the comparison unit 15 will be high only during the period when the transmitted waves are being received. Therefore, the transmission control unit 16 should cause the signal generation unit 19 to generate a signal during the period when the comparison result signal is high.

[0030] Automatic termination of interference signal transmission can also be achieved by automatically adjusting the transmission time. In this case, for example, the initial transmission time (e.g., default) can be set to a short duration, and after the interference signal transmission is terminated, the time until the comparison result signal output by the comparison unit 15 changes from H to L can be measured. The transmission time can then be automatically adjusted to a longer duration so that the measured time is below an acceptable range. With this method, it is desirable to automatically adjust the transmission time when the communication terminal 2 is not within communication range of the base station equipment. Regardless of the method adopted, the need for a person to manually set (adjust) the transmission time for which the interference signal should continue to be transmitted is avoided. Therefore, greater convenience is achieved for the communication suppression device 1. Beyond this, various modifications are possible in this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Communication suppression device, 2 Communication terminal, 3 Base station, 4 Facility, 4A Installation area, 11, 20 Antenna, 12 Receiving unit, 13 Communication method specification unit, 14 Operator group, 15 Comparison unit, 16 Transmission control unit, 17 Transmission time specification unit, 18 Operator group, 19 Signal generation unit.

Claims

[Claim 1] A timing determination unit that determines the start timing of transmission of a transmission wave transmitted by a base station device for time division communication, An interference wave transmitting unit initiates the transmission of an interference wave to interfere with the transmitted wave at the transmission start timing determined by the timing determination unit, It includes a transmission time specification unit that specifies the transmission time for which the transmission of the aforementioned interference wave will continue, The interference wave transmitting unit starts transmitting the interference wave at the specified transmission start timing, and then continues transmitting the interference wave for the transmission time specified by the transmission time specification unit, thereby interfering with the reception of the transmitted wave for the duration that the transmitted wave is being transmitted. Communication suppression device.

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