A sharing system and method for a slave unit that connects wirelessly to a master unit.

Abstract

The present invention comprises a parent device, a child device that makes a wireless communication connection to the parent device, and a base station (BS) that registers the state of sharing of the child device. The BS measures a child device position and a parent device position, which are the relative positions of the child device and the parent device in a BS management area. When the BS has determined, on the basis of the child device position, that the child device is in the BS management area, the BS updates the status of the child device on a device list stored in the BS to a stored state. When the BS determines, on the basis of the child device position and the parent device position, that the child device and the parent device have been taken away, the BS transmits a child device connection request signal to the parent device, updates the status of the child device in the device list to a taken-away state, and updates the connection target of the child device to the parent device. When the parent device makes a communication connection with the child device and it is determined that the child device has returned to the BS management area, a child device disconnection request signal is sent to the parent device for requesting cancellation of communication with the child device, the status of the child device in the device list is set to a stored state, and the parent device is deleted as a connection target of the child device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sharing system and method for a slave device that wirelessly communicates with a master device.

Background Art

[0002] As a countermeasure against forgetting to place valuable items or theft, there is a loss prevention tag (hereinafter referred to as a tag) incorporating a communication function such as short-range wireless communication. By registering the tag with a mobile terminal such as a smartphone and making a wireless connection, the position of the tag can be specified by the mobile terminal, and a notification can be sent to the mobile terminal side when it is separated by a predetermined distance or more. If this tag is attached to a key or wallet, etc., the location can be found immediately.

[0003] Some of these tags can be shared by multiple people. For a tag that can be shared, if a user permits sharing of the tag and registers another mobile terminal for sharing, it becomes possible to make a wireless connection from any mobile terminal, and one tag can be used by multiple mobile terminals.

[0004] As a technology related to such a sharable tag, Patent Document 1 discloses “The authentication system includes a slave device and a master device that perform short-range wireless communication with each other, and a management server that communicates with the master device via a network. In the authentication system, a step of transmitting the public key of the slave device and the master device IDx to the management server, a step of determining whether there is a registered master device for the slave device using the public key of the slave device as an identification tag, and when there is a registered master device ID, a step of transmitting to the master device specified by the registered master device IDx that the slave device is requesting SSP processing for a new master device. (Summary excerpt)” The authentication method is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] Generally, sharing tags is not permitted from a privacy standpoint. To share a standard tag among multiple people, it would be extremely cumbersome to disconnect the tag from the previous user's device and reconnect it to the next user's device every time someone takes it out.

[0007] Furthermore, because shareable tags allow other mobile devices that have registered to share the tags to see the tag's location and which mobile device it is connected to, there is a problem with privacy protection. Also, when sharing a wirelessly connected sub-device with others, there is a risk of privacy violations as the location of the sub-device can be identified. Therefore, the above issues are not limited to tags.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to allow users to share a slave unit that wirelessly connects to a base unit with other people while protecting privacy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the present invention comprises the configuration described in the claims. For example, the present invention is a sharing system for a slave unit that wirelessly connects to a master unit, comprising: a slave unit; a master unit that wirelessly connects to the slave unit using a short-range wireless communication interface; and a base station, wherein the base station comprises: a mobile communication interface for communicating with the master unit; a short-range wireless communication interface for performing short-range wireless communication with the master unit and the slave unit, respectively; a positioning sensor for measuring the slave unit position, which is the relative position of the slave unit to the base station, and the master unit position, which is the relative position of the master unit to the base station, in a base station management area consisting of a physical space including the location of the base station; a memory for storing a device list; and a first processor for updating the device list, wherein the device list registers the master unit position, the slave unit position, and status information indicating the sharing status of the slave unit; the master unit comprises: a mobile communication interface; and a master unit short-range wireless communication interface for performing short-range wireless communication with the slave unit; and the slave unit communicates with the base station and the master unit, respectively, via short-range wireless communication. The slave unit is equipped with a short-range wireless communication interface, and when the first processor determines, based on the slave unit's location, that the slave unit is within the base station's management area, it updates the slave unit's status information in the device list to a stored state, establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the base station's short-range wireless communication interface, and when the first processor determines, based on the slave unit's location and the base station's location, that the base station has been taken out together with the slave unit, it disconnects the wireless connection between the slave unit and the base station, sends a slave unit connection request signal to the base station requesting a wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the slave unit's status in the device list to a taken-out state and the slave unit's wireless connection destination to the base station, the base station establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the base station's short-range wireless communication interface in response to the slave unit connection request signal, and when the first processor determines, based on the slave unit's location, that the slave unit has returned to the base station's management area, it sends a slave unit connection release request signal to the base station requesting the release of the wireless connection with the slave unit, establishes the slave unit's status information in the device list to a stored state.Furthermore, the wireless connection destination of the slave unit is updated from the master unit to the base station, the master unit disconnects the wireless connection with the slave unit using the master unit's short-range wireless communication interface in response to the slave unit connection disconnection request signal, and the base station establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the short-range wireless communication interface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to share a slave unit that wirelessly connects to the base unit with other people while protecting privacy. Other objectives, configurations, and effects will be revealed in the following embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of a shared system for loss prevention tags according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of BS. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the tag. [Figure 4] This diagram shows an example of a mobile device's hardware configuration. [Figure 5A] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state after taking the tag and mobile device out of the BS management area together, starting from the state in Figure 1. [Figure 5B] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state after the tag itself has been taken outside the BS management area, compared to the state shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the flow of the sharing process for the loss prevention tag according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the details of the device registration process. [Figure 8A] This is a diagram showing an example of an equipment list created by BS. [Figure 8B] This is a diagram showing an example of an equipment list created by BS. [Figure 8C] This is a diagram showing an example of an equipment list created by BS. [Figure 9]It is an explanatory diagram showing a state where different users have taken out tags from the state of FIG. 1 outside the BS management area. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of a device list when transitioning from the state of FIG. 1 to the state of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a sharing system for loss prevention tags according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing the flow of sharing processing for loss prevention tags according to the second embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a sharing system and method for child devices wirelessly communication-connected to a master device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same invention throughout the drawings, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

[0013] The present invention can provide a sharing system and method for child devices wirelessly communication-connected to a master device that takes into account the privacy of individuals, so that an improvement in technology for labor-intensive industries can be expected. Therefore, it can be expected to contribute to Goal 8.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations (raising the productivity of the economy through diversification, technological improvement, and innovation, focusing on industries that enhance the value of goods and services and labor-intensive industries).

[0014] In the following description, an example in which embodiments of a sharing system and method for child devices wirelessly communication-connected to a master device according to the present invention are applied to a sharing system for loss prevention tags will be described. Therefore, in the following description, the mobile terminal corresponds to the master device, and the tag corresponds to the child device.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a sharing system for loss prevention tags according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] The anti-loss tag sharing system 1 shown in Figure 1 consists of mobile terminals 100 and 200, and a base station (hereinafter referred to as "BS") 1000 that registers the sharing status of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. Tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are attached to keys 300, 400, and bag 500, respectively.

[0017] To start the tag sharing operation of BS1000, register mobile terminals 100 and 200, and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 with BS1000.

[0018] The base station management area (hereinafter referred to as the "BS management area") 5000 is a sub-region of real space that includes the location of BS1000 and manages the relative positions of mobile terminals 100 and 200 and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. The BS management area 5000 is a distance that allows for sufficient position measurement of mobile terminals 100 and tags 2000 using the wireless communication method used for relative position measurement. The range of the BS management area 5000 varies depending on the operating environment and the radio wave strength of the wireless communication method used for relative position measurement. Depending on the performance of the wireless communication method used for relative position measurement, the communication range may be wider than the set BS management area 5000. In that case, even if the relative position of BS1000 can be measured, it goes without saying that it may be located outside the BS management area 5000 depending on the measurement results. The range of the BS management area 5000 may be changed at the user's discretion. Furthermore, if the wireless communication methods used for relative position measurement of BS1000, mobile terminal 100, and tag 2000 all have the same performance, the communication range of the wireless communication method may be set to the BS management area 5000. In one embodiment of the present invention, the BS management area 5000 is defined as an area with a radius of 7m centered on BS1000.

[0019] In this embodiment, BS1000 uses UWB (ultra-wideband) wireless communication to detect the relative positions of mobile terminals 100, 200, and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. Therefore, the ultra-wideband wireless communication interface (UWBI / F) installed on BS1000 acts as a positioning sensor. According to UWBI / F, the distance and direction from BS1000 to mobile terminals 100, 200, and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 can be detected from the radio wave arrival time and the direction of reception of the received wave, so the relative position can be obtained as a detection result. The relative position referred to here differs from the absolute position, which is expressed in a so-called world coordinate system that uniquely identifies a point in real space, and means that only the position relative to BS is defined.

[0020] The BS1000 measures either the relative position or distance to mobile terminals 100 and 200, and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. The relative position of mobile terminals 100 and 200 corresponds to the master unit position, while the relative position of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 corresponds to the slave unit position.

[0021] When BS1000 determines that both the mobile terminal 100 and the tag 2000 are located beyond the BS management area 5000, it sends a tag connection request signal (equivalent to a slave device connection request signal) to the mobile terminal 100 to initiate a wireless connection between the mobile terminal 100 and the tag 2000 using a short-range wireless communication interface. Upon receiving the tag connection request signal, the mobile terminal 100 automatically establishes a wireless connection with the tag 2000, which is also located beyond the BS management area 5000. For this short-range wireless communication, for example, a Bluetooth® interface may be used, but other communication methods may also be used.

[0022] The BS1000 includes a device list that records device information for registered mobile terminals 100 and tags 2000, connection destination information for the short-range wireless communication interface, and relative location information. The device list is updated each time a measurement is taken to reflect the constantly changing connection destination information and relative location information.

[0023] The device list can be managed using a device other than the BS1000. For example, a management server can be set up on a PC or network to update the device list. Alternatively, a PC or mobile terminals such as the 100 and 200 can be connected to the BS1000 to perform tasks such as registering and changing the settings of the mobile terminals 100 and 200, as well as tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0024] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the BS1000.

[0025] The BS1000 consists of a control circuit 1001, a data bus 1012, a communication processing unit 1007, a speaker 1013, a display 1014, a power supply 1015, a geomagnetic sensor 1016, and the like.

[0026] The control circuit 1001 consists of a main processor 1002 (corresponding to the first processor), ROM (read-only memory) 1003, RAM (random access memory) 1004, flash memory 1005, RTC (real-time clock) 1006, and the like.

[0027] ROM1003 stores the operating program for the BS1000.

[0028] RAM1004 is memory that constitutes the working area where the operating program is loaded.

[0029] Flash memory 1005 stores the device list.

[0030] The RTC1006 provides the date and time when the location and distance of mobile terminals 100 and 200, and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 were measured.

[0031] The communication processing unit 1007 includes a wireless LAN interface (I / F) 1008, a mobile communication interface (I / F) 1009, a short-range wireless communication interface (I / F) 1010, and a UWB interface (I / F) 1011. The short-range wireless communication I / F 1010 is, for example, a Bluetooth® communication I / F (referred to as "BTI / F"). When tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are within the BS management area 5000, tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are wirelessly connected to BS1000 via BTI / F, but wireless communication may also be established using a communication method other than BTI / F.

[0032] The mobile communication interface 1009 is an interface that can access mobile phone communication networks such as 4G, 5G, and LTE.

[0033] The control circuit 1001 performs tasks such as registering the mobile terminals 100, 200 and tags 2000, 2100, 2200, measuring the relative positions and distances of the mobile terminals 100, 200 and tags 2000, 2100, 2200, calculating the mutual distance and direction of movement between the mobile terminals 100, 200 and tags 2000, 2100, 2200, determining whether the BS management area 5000 has been exceeded, issuing instructions to send tag connection request signals (corresponding to slave device connection request signals) and tag disconnection request signals (corresponding to slave device disconnection request signals), and sounding an alarm on the speaker 1013.

[0034] Figure 3 shows example hardware configurations for tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0035] Each of the tags, 2000, 2100, and 2200, consists of a control circuit 2001, a data bus 2012, a communication processing unit 2007, a speaker 2013, a battery 2015, an LED 2022, and the like.

[0036] The control circuit 2001 consists of a main processor 2002, ROM 2003, RAM 2004, and flash memory 2005.

[0037] ROM2003 stores the operating programs for tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0038] RAM2004 is memory that constitutes the working area where the program is loaded.

[0039] Flash memory 2005 stores device information such as tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0040] The communication processing unit 2007 consists of a wireless LAN interface 2008, a short-range wireless communication interface 2010 (corresponding to the slave short-range wireless interface), a UWBI interface 2011, and a GPSI interface 2021.

[0041] The control circuit 2001 uses the short-range wireless communication interface 2010 to process short-range wireless communication connections with the BS1000 and mobile terminals 100 and 200 in response to connection requests from the BS1000 and mobile terminals 100 and 200.

[0042] LED2022 displays the connection status and battery level of each tag (2000, 2100, and 2200).

[0043] Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of mobile terminals 100 and 200.

[0044] Each of the mobile terminals 100 and 200 is comprised of a control circuit 101, a data bus 127, a sensor group 106, a communication processing unit 113, a video processing unit 118, an audio processing unit 122, and a battery 126.

[0045] The control circuit 101 consists of a main processor 102 (corresponding to the second processor), ROM 103, RAM 104, flash memory 105, and RTC 128.

[0046] ROM103 stores the operating programs for mobile terminals 100 and 200.

[0047] RAM104 is memory that constitutes the working area where the operating program is loaded.

[0048] The flash memory 105 stores applications and application data for the mobile terminals 100 and 200, as well as various setting information for the mobile terminals 100 and 200.

[0049] The RTC128 provides the date and time of operation for various applications, as well as the date and time of storage for various configuration information.

[0050] The sensor group 106 includes a GPS receiver 107, a geomagnetic sensor 108, a distance sensor 109, an acceleration sensor 110, a gyroscope sensor 111, and a temperature sensor 112.

[0051] The video processing unit 118 includes a camera 119, an image signal converter 120, and a display 121.

[0052] Camera 119 takes still images, videos, and other types of photos.

[0053] The image signal converter 120 performs signal conversion processing on the captured image signal (for example, A / D conversion or D / A conversion) and saves it to the flash memory 105 or displays it on the display 121.

[0054] The audio processing unit 122 includes a microphone 123, a codec 124, and a speaker 125.

[0055] Microphone 123 handles voice communication and voice input, while codec 124 processes the voice signal.

[0056] The communication processing unit 113 includes a mobile communication interface 114, a UWBI interface 115, a wireless LAN interface 116, and a short-range wireless communication interface 117 (corresponding to the base station's short-range wireless interface).

[0057] The control circuit 101 controls the operation of the mobile terminals 100 and 200 using the operation programs for the mobile terminals 100 and 200 stored in the ROM 103, and also works in conjunction with the video processing unit 118, sensor group 106, communication processing unit 113, and audio processing unit 122 based on the applications stored in the flash memory 105.

[0058] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment is one in which BS1000 uses UWB to measure the relative positions of mobile terminals 100 and 200, and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0059] The states used in the following explanation will be described with reference to Figures 1, 5A, and 5B. Figure 5A is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the tag 2000 and the mobile terminal 100 are taken outside the BS management area 5000 together, as in the state in Figure 1. Figure 5B is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which only the tag 2000 is taken outside the BS management area 5000, as in the state in Figure 1.

[0060] In the initial state shown in Figure 1, the key 300 with tag 2000 attached and the mobile terminal 100 are located within the BS management area 5000. When leaving, the mobile terminal 100 and key 300 are carried with the user, as shown in Figure 5A. This state is described as a normal removal state. Here, a "normal removal state" means that the tag 2000 and the mobile terminal 100 are taken out together. In contrast, as shown in Figure 5B, if the tag 2000 is taken out alone, that is, if the mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 are not taken out together, the user holding the tag 2000 outside the BS management area 5000 becomes unknown, and this is considered an unauthorized removal state.

[0061] The first embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the sharing process for the loss prevention tag according to the first embodiment. Figures 1, 5A, and 5B illustrate the mobile terminals 100 and 200, and the tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. For the sake of explanation, we will describe the operation of taking the mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 out of the BS management area 5000 and bringing them back. Therefore, we will refer to the mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000, and not to the other devices, namely the mobile terminal 200, tags 2100, and 2200. However, the description of the mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 also applies to the mobile terminal 200, tags 2100, and 2200.

[0062] (Device registration process) First, the user registers the tag 2000 and mobile terminal 100 to be managed with BS1000 (s001). Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the details of the device registration process.

[0063] The BS1000 checks if the device to be registered is already registered in the device list (s121). If it is already registered (s121: Yes), the device registration process is terminated without further processing.

[0064] If the device is unregistered (s121: No), device information is registered for both the mobile terminal 100 and the tag 2000, which are the devices to be registered (s122). Then, BS1000 wirelessly connects to the tag 2000 using the short-range wireless communication I / F 1010, sets the status of the mobile terminal 100 and the tag 2000 to storage, sets the connection destination of the tag 2000 to BS1000, and ends the device registration process (s123). Since the device registration process by s001 is performed within the BS management area 5000, the initial status, i.e., the status of the tag 2000 immediately after the device registration process, will always be "storage".

[0065] Device information includes "type" and "name" for both mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000, and for mobile terminal 100, it is "telephone number". Once the device registration process is complete, the process moves on to location management of tag 2000.

[0066] (Tag location management process) The steps from s002 onwards in Figure 6 correspond to the location management process for tag 2000. BS1000 starts measuring the relative positions of tag 2000 and mobile terminal 100 (s002). BS1000 uses UWBI / F1011 to measure the relative positions of mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 with respect to BS1000. Relative position includes at least one, preferably both, of relative distance and relative direction. Relative position measurement by BS1000 is performed periodically for all registered mobile terminals 100, 200 and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0067] Based on the relative position measurement result of the mobile terminal 100 in s002, BS1000 changes the status of the mobile terminal 100 (s003). The status is changed each time the relative position measurement is performed. As mentioned above, the BS management area 5000 is defined as an area with a radius of 7m centered on BS1000. If the distance to the mobile terminal 100 is less than 7m, the main processor 1002 determines that the mobile terminal 100 is within the BS management area 5000 and changes the status of the mobile terminal 100 to "stored". If the mobile terminal 100 is taken out and the distance from BS1000 increases, making it impossible to measure the relative position of the mobile terminal 100, or if the distance is 7m or more, BS1000 determines that the mobile terminal 100 is outside the BS management area 5000 and changes the status of the mobile terminal 100 to "out of service". The relative position information of the mobile terminal 100 and the result of the determination of whether it is within the BS management area 5000 may be notified to the mobile terminal 100. Since mobile device 100 may be taken out on its own, its status will be managed separately from tag 2000.

[0068] In step s004, the location of tag 2000 is determined based on the relative position measurement result of tag 2000 in s002. If the distance to tag 2000 is less than 7m, the main processor 1002 determines that tag 2000 is located within the BS management area 5000 (s004: Yes).

[0069] Subsequently, BS1000 checks the status of tag 2000 (s005). If the status of tag 2000 is "stored" (s005: stored), it is determined that tag 2000 remains on standby within BS management area 5000, and the status is not changed, and the process proceeds to step s007.

[0070] If the status of tag 2000 is "Out" (s005: Out), it means that tag 2000 has returned to BS management area 5000, so BS1000 performs the tag return process (s006).

[0071] In step s006, BS1000 sends a tag disconnection request signal to the mobile terminal 100, which has returned to the BS management area 5000 with it. After the mobile terminal 100 disconnects the wireless connection with tag 2000 using the short-range wireless communication I / F 117, BS1000 receives a tag disconnection completion signal from the mobile terminal 100, establishes a wireless connection with tag 2000, switches the wireless connection destination of tag 2000 in the equipment list from mobile terminal 100 to BS1000, deletes the wireless connection destination of mobile terminal 100, and changes the status of both mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 to "stored". Then proceed to step s007.

[0072] If the conditions for terminating the tag sharing process are met (s007:Yes), the process will terminate. If the conditions are not met (s007:No), the process will return to s001. The conditions for terminating the tag sharing process are met when, for example, the main power of the BS1000 is turned off, the battery of the tag 2000 runs out, or the tag 2000 is removed from the device list, resulting in a situation where management of the tag 2000 cannot be continued. However, even if the main power of the BS1000 is turned off, the device list is not erased, so if the main power is turned on again, registered devices can immediately begin the sharing process.

[0073] On the other hand, in step s004, if BS1000 cannot measure the relative position to tag 2000, or if the distance is 7m or more, the main processor 1002 determines that tag 2000 is not within the BS management area 5000 (s004: No), and checks the status of the tag (s008).

[0074] In step s008, if the status of tag 2000 is "Out" (s008: Out), tag 2000 is determined to be a tag that was previously taken out properly, and the status is not changed, and the process proceeds to step s007.

[0075] In step s008, if the status of tag 2000 is "storage" (s008: storage), and in this state tag 2000 and mobile terminal 100 simultaneously leave the BS management area 5000 (s009: simultaneous), BS1000 determines that it is a normal removal. BS1000 disconnects the wireless connection with the tag using the short-range wireless communication I / F 1010, sends a tag connection request signal to mobile terminal 100, changes the status of mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 in the equipment list to "removed", changes the wireless connection destination of tag 2000 from BS1000 to mobile terminal 100, and changes the wireless connection destination of mobile terminal 100 to tag 2000 (s010). Upon receiving the tag connection request signal, mobile terminal 100 establishes a wireless connection with tag 2000 using the short-range wireless communication I / F 117 and manages tag 2000 while it is removed. The process then proceeds to step s007.

[0076] In step s008, if the status of tag 2000 is confirmed to be "stored" (s008: stored), and tag 2000 and mobile terminal 100 leave the BS management area 5000 at different times (s009: different), BS1000 determines that tag 2000 has been illegally removed. At this time, the status of tag 2000 in the equipment list is set to "illegally removed" (s011), an alarm is sent to mobile terminal 100, and BS1000 itself also sounds an alarm. Then, the process proceeds to step s007.

[0077] As another method to improve the accuracy of the BS1000's main processor 1002's determination of s009, namely whether the tag 2000 and mobile terminal 100 have simultaneously left the BS management area 5000, the BS1000's main processor 1002 periodically measures the relative positions of the mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000, and calculates the direction of movement and the distance between them from the changes in their relative positions. If the mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 are within a set distance range and moving in the same direction, it may be determined that they are moving together. The distance used to determine whether they are moving together varies depending on the user's usage, and can therefore be changed at the user's discretion.

[0078] The equipment list will be explained with reference to Figures 8A to 8C. The items required in the equipment list will differ depending on the embodiment. Figures 8A to 8C show an example of an equipment list created by BS1000.

[0079] Figure 8A shows an example in which the following information is written to the BS1000: the "type," "name," and "telephone number" of mobile terminals 100, 200, tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 registered in the BS1000; the relative position measured by UWB (indicated as "position from BS (X, Y)" in the figure); the "direction of movement" calculated using the displacement of the relative position and data from the BS1000's geomagnetic sensor 1016; the "wireless connection destination," which is the connection destination of the BS1000's short-range wireless communication I / F 1010; and the "measurement date and time" and "status" obtained from the RTC 1006.

[0080] Figure 8B shows an example of the device list when transitioning from Figure 1 to Figure 5A. Figure 8B is an example of updating the connection destination and status for Tag 2000 and Mobile Terminal 100, which successfully exceeded BS Management Area 5000 in the device list of Figure 8A.

[0081] In Figure 8B, the status of the mobile terminal 100 and tag 2000 has been updated to "Out of Service," the wireless connection destination of the mobile terminal 100 using the short-range wireless communication I / F 117 has been updated to tag 2000, and the wireless connection destination of tag 2000 has been updated from BS1000 to mobile terminal 100.

[0082] Figure 8C shows an example of the equipment list when transitioning from Figure 1 to Figure 5B. Figure 8C is an example of updating the connection destination and status when only tag 2000 in the equipment list of Figure 8A exceeds the BS management area 5000.

[0083] If BS1000 determines that tag 2000 has exceeded the BS management area 5000 on its own, it will determine that it has been illegally removed and update its status to "illegally removed".

[0084] Next, with reference to Figures 9 and 10, we will explain an example in which different users take the key 300 and tag 2000 outside the BS management area 5000. Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which a user different from the user of the mobile terminal 100 takes the tag 2000 outside the BS management area 5000 from the state in Figure 1. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the equipment list when transitioning from the state in Figure 1 to the state in Figure 9.

[0085] In the state shown in Figure 1, Tag 2000 is wirelessly connected to BS1000 using the Short-Range Wireless Communication I / F 2010. However, if the user of the mobile terminal 100 takes Tag 2000 outside the BS management area 5000 (see Figure 5A), Tag 2000 changes its wireless connection destination from BS1000 to the mobile terminal 100. Subsequently, when the user of the mobile terminal 100 brings Tag 2000 back into the BS management area 5000, Tag 2000's wireless connection destination changes again from the mobile terminal 100 to BS1000, returning to the state shown in Figure 1, and the equipment list returns to Figure 8A.

[0086] In this state, as shown in Figure 9, when the user of the mobile terminal 200 takes the mobile terminal 200, along with the key 300 and tag 2000, outside the BS management area 5000, the tag 2000 wirelessly connects to the mobile terminal 200 using the short-range wireless communication I / F 2010, and the status of the mobile terminal 200 and tag 2000 in the equipment list changes to "Out of Service," as shown in Figure 10. Furthermore, in the equipment list, the wireless connection destination of the tag 2000 is updated to the mobile terminal 200, and the wireless connection destination of the mobile terminal 200 is updated to the tag 2000.

[0087] According to this embodiment, if there are multiple users returning or taking out tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 inside or outside the BS management area 5000, each time tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are returned inside the BS management area 5000, the wireless connection destination of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 using the near-field wireless communication I / F 2010 is changed from each user's mobile terminal 100 or 200 to BS1000, and the device list is updated each time. Therefore, since tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are handed over to another user via BS1000, the next user will not know who the previous user of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 was.

[0088] Furthermore, if tags 2000, 2100, or 2200 are taken outside the BS management area 5000, BS1000 will not manage the absolute location of tags 2000, 2100, 2200, or mobile terminals 100 and 200. This prevents privacy violations caused by the location information of users who take tags 2000, 2100, or 2200 being revealed to other users.

[0089] <Second Embodiment> Figure 11 shows the configuration of the loss prevention tag sharing system according to the second embodiment. It is intended to specifically explain the second embodiment of the loss prevention tag sharing method. In the second embodiment, when tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 and mobile terminals 100 and 200 are taken outside the BS management area 5000, the mobile terminals 100 and 200 have a function to measure the relative positions of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 and determine that they were taken out at the same time. An example in which multiple tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are connected to a single mobile terminal 100 or 200 via short-range wireless communication and taken out will also be explained.

[0090] Figure 11 shows the state in which the mobile terminal 100 performs short-range wireless communication including UWB or Bluetooth®, detects tags 2000 and 2200 within the search area 6000, establishes a wireless connection with the mobile terminal 100 using short-range wireless communication I / F 1010 and 2010, and successfully takes the mobile terminal outside the BS management area 5000. Since the mobile terminal 100 itself can check for the presence or absence of tags 2000 and 2200 within the search area 6000, including itself, it is possible to track the mobile terminal 100's removal alone and to search for tags outside the BS management area 5000.

[0091] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the sharing process for the loss prevention tag according to the second embodiment.

[0092] Mobile terminal 100 starts tag sharing operation (s200). Mobile terminal 100 transmits its own device information to BS1000 (s201), and BS1000 registers the device information of mobile terminal 100 in the device list. Tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are assumed to be pre-registered with BS1000.

[0093] The mobile terminal 100 measures the distance between itself and each tag 2000, 2100, and 2200 (terminal tag distance) for all tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 (s202).

[0094] When the mobile terminal 100 uses the signal strength of Bluetooth® communication to measure the terminal tag distance to tags 2000, 2100, and 2200, BTI / F becomes the distance sensor 109. Also, when measuring the terminal tag distance using UWBI / F115, UWBI / F becomes the distance sensor 109.

[0095] The mobile terminal 100 determines whether it is within the BS management area 5000 based on relative position information between BS1000 and the mobile terminal 100, which is periodically transmitted from BS1000, and information regarding the range of the BS management area 5000 (s203).

[0096] In s203, the mobile terminal 100 may measure the distance between itself and BS1000 (terminal BS distance) using its own UWBI / F115. For example, if the terminal BS distance is less than the radius of the BS management area 5000, it can be estimated that the device is within the BS management area 5000. If the device returns to the BS management area 5000 from outside the BS management area 5000, it is assumed that the tags 2000 and 2200, which were wirelessly connected to the mobile terminal 100 using the short-range wireless communication I / F117, have also been brought back to the BS management area 5000.

[0097] If the mobile terminal 100 determines that it is within the BS management area 5000 (s203: Yes), it disconnects the wireless connection with the retrieved tags 2000 and 2200 using the short-range wireless communication I / F 117 and sends a tag disconnection completion signal to BS 1000 (s204).

[0098] When BS1000 receives the tag disconnection completion signal, it establishes a wireless connection with tags 2000 and 2200 using the short-range wireless communication I / F1010, measures the relative position of tags 2000 and 2200 using UWBI / F1011, updates the location information in the equipment list, and sets the status of tags 2000 and 2200 to "stored" (s205).

[0099] On the other hand, if the mobile terminal 100 determines that it is outside the BS management area 5000 (s203: No), it compares the terminal tag distance with the proximity detection distance threshold (Dnear_th) for all tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 (s206). If the terminal tag distance is less than or equal to the proximity detection distance threshold (s206: Yes), the mobile terminal 100 can estimate that it is close to the target tags 2000 and 2200. Therefore, the mobile terminal 100 sends a tag disconnection request signal to the BS1000 to disconnect the wireless connection between the BS1000 and the tags 2000 and 2200 using the short-range wireless communication I / F117. The tag disconnection request signal includes device information of the target tags 2000 and 2200. When BS1000 receives a tag disconnection request signal, it disconnects wirelessly from the target tags 2000 and 2200 and sends a tag disconnection completion signal to the mobile terminal 100. When the mobile terminal 100 receives the tag disconnection completion signal, it establishes a wireless connection with tags 2000 and 2200 using the short-range wireless communication I / F 117 (s207).

[0100] BS1000 determines that mobile terminal 100 and tags 2000 and 2200 have been successfully removed and sets their status to "removed". It then updates the wireless connection destination of mobile terminal 100 to tags 2000 and 2200, and the wireless connection destination of tags 2000 and 2200 to mobile terminal 100 (s208).

[0101] Furthermore, if the mobile terminal 100 determines that it is outside the BS management area 5000 (s203: No) and no tags are recognized within the proximity detection distance threshold (s206: No), it determines that the mobile terminal 100 has been taken out on its own and transmits only the device information of the mobile terminal 100 to BS1000. BS1000 sets only the status of the mobile terminal 100 to "taken out". At this time, if there is a tag whose terminal tag distance exceeds the proximity detection distance threshold (Dnear_th), it can be inferred that a tag not carried with the main unit has been discovered.

[0102] Therefore, the device information of the tag that exceeds the proximity detection distance threshold may be obtained and the device information and discovery notification may be sent to BS1000 (s209).

[0103] BS1000 may notify the mobile terminal 100 of how to handle the tag that has been found. For example, if the tag is communicating wirelessly with another mobile terminal, i.e., it is in the "out of service" state in the equipment list, BS1000 may not specifically instruct the mobile terminal 100 to retrieve the tag. However, if it is in the "unauthorized removal" state, BS1000 may instruct the mobile terminal 100 to retrieve the tag or prompt the user to make an emergency call.

[0104] If the mobile terminal 100 has not yet notified BS1000 that all tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are in one of the states s205, s208, or s209 (s210: No), it returns to s203 and repeats the determination for the next tag. When going out, the user may not take more than one tag with them. If multiple tags 2000 and 2200 are taken out, the mobile terminal 100 can establish wireless connections with multiple tags 2000 and 2200 within the search area 6000 using the near-field communication I / F 117 by repeating the above determination process.

[0105] If mobile terminal 100 has finished notifying BS1000 about all tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 (s210:Yes) and wishes to continue tag sharing processing (s211:No), it returns to s202. If the conditions for terminating tag sharing processing are met (s211:Yes), the process is terminated (s212).

[0106] According to the second embodiment, since the mobile terminals 100 and 200 have their own functions for searching for tags 2000, 2100, and 2200, they can notify BS1000 when they find a tag outside the BS management area 5000 that is not connected to their own unit. BS1000 can determine whether or not to retrieve the tag based on its status and contact the mobile terminals 100 and 200 as appropriate, making it easier to retrieve, for example, a missing tag if it is found by chance.

[0107] Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, if tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are within the BS management area 5000, BS1000 manages the relative positions of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. If tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are outside the BS management area 5000, mobile terminals 100 and 200 manage the location of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 by wirelessly connecting to them using the short-range wireless communication I / F117. However, BS1000 does not acquire external coordinate system location information for mobile terminals 100 and 200 located outside the BS management area 5000. It only manages whether tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 were taken out together with mobile terminals 100 and 200. Therefore, when sharing tags 2000, 2100, and 2200, other users cannot find out the location of the user currently carrying the tags based on the location of the tags themselves.

[0108] Furthermore, when a user currently carrying tags 2000, 2100, or 2200 takes them back into the BS management area 5000, and another user takes them out, the tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are first connected to BS1000 and stored before being taken out by the other user. Therefore, it is not possible to identify who the previous user was carrying the tags 2000, 2100, or 2200. In this way, multiple people can share tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 without each user's destination or location information being known to other users, thus achieving both privacy protection and sharing of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0109] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, the range of the BS management area 5000 may be changed depending on the usage environment, such as a residence or workplace.

[0110] Additionally, an alert may be issued if unauthorized data is taken out. The alert can be sent to all mobile devices (100, 200) or only to devices designated in advance.

[0111] The hardware used as BS1000 can be a PC or smartphone. Alternatively, a smart speaker or charging dock with built-in BS functionality can also be used.

[0112] Furthermore, mobile devices 100 and 200 are not limited to smartphones; they may also be head-mounted displays or tablet devices.

[0113] Furthermore, tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are not limited to "anti-loss tags." Devices that can connect to mobile terminals 100, 200, or BS1000 via wireless connection using the near-field communication interface (I / F) 2010, such as wireless earphones and smartwatches, can be used as devices covered by this invention in place of tags 2000, 2100, and 2200.

[0114] Furthermore, the method for measuring relative position is not limited to UWB. The same wireless communication method may be used for determining relative position and for wireless connection with tags 2000, 2100, and 2200, or different methods may be used.

[0115] Furthermore, while the block diagram includes multiple wireless communication methods, not all of them are essential.

[0116] As an additional feature, the username of the person who took the item may be displayed upon request from the base unit. In this case, the base unit could be the BS1000, or a mobile terminal 100 or 200 connected to the BS1000. This improves the usability of the tag sharing system, for example, when sharing tags in the workplace, as it is only necessary to know which user has the tag, and displaying the user's location is unnecessary. By displaying the username without specifying the user's location, the usability of the tag sharing system is improved.

[0117] Furthermore, the system may be configured so that only managed items with tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 can be taken outside the BS management area 5000, provided that the main unit grants prior permission. When granting permission to take items out, the system can manage the removal of tags by setting, for example, a permission time for taking items out or an expected return time. In addition, if the set time is exceeded, alarms may be sounded on the mobile terminals 100 and 200, BS1000, and tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. This improves usability, for example, by allowing a child without a smartphone to take key 300 outside the house, thus excluding tag 2000 attached to key 300 from being flagged as an unauthorized removal.

[0118] Furthermore, the mobile terminal 100 to which tags 2000, 2100, and 2200 are wirelessly connected using the short-range wireless communication I / F 2010 may be changed outside the BS management area 5000. In this case, the changed mobile terminal 200 sends a change permission request signal to BS1000 using the mobile communication I / F 114. BS1000 sends a tag disconnection request signal to the original mobile terminal 100 and a tag connection request signal to the new mobile terminal 200, and operates the respective mobile terminals 100 and 200 to change the wireless connection destinations for tags 2000, 2100, and 2200. Once the change is complete, a change completion signal is sent to BS1000 using the mobile communication I / F 114, and BS1000 changes the connection destinations in the equipment list.

[0119] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the configurations for realizing the technology of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are conceivable. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail for the purpose of explaining the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those comprising all the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. All of these fall within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the numbers and messages that appear in the text and figures are merely examples, and using different ones will not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0120] Furthermore, the programs described in each processing example may be independent programs, or multiple programs may constitute a single application program. The order in which each processing step is executed may also be changed.

[0121] The functions of the present invention described above may be implemented in hardware, in whole or in part, for example, by designing them using an integrated circuit. Alternatively, they may be implemented in software by a microprocessor unit, CPU, etc., interpreting and executing an operating program that realizes each function. Furthermore, the scope of software implementation is not limited, and hardware and software may be used in combination. In addition, some or all of each function may be implemented on a server. The server only needs to be able to execute functions in cooperation with other components via communication, and its form is not limited to, for example, a local server, cloud server, edge server, network service, etc. Information such as programs, tables, files that realize each function may be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD, or it may be stored on a device on a communication network.

[0122] Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown in the diagram are those deemed necessary for explanation and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines on the product. In reality, it is reasonable to assume that almost all components are interconnected.

[0123] The above-mentioned embodiment includes the following forms.

[0124] (Note 1) A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit, The handset, A base unit that wirelessly connects to the aforementioned slave unit using a short-range wireless communication interface, Includes base station, The aforementioned base station is A mobile communication interface that communicates with the aforementioned base station, A short-range wireless communication interface that performs short-range wireless communication with each of the aforementioned master unit and slave unit, A positioning sensor measures the position of the slave unit relative to the base station and the position of the master unit relative to the base station in a base station management area consisting of a real space including the location of the base station. A memory that stores the list of devices, The system includes a first processor that updates the aforementioned list of devices, The aforementioned device list includes the location of the master unit, the location of the slave unit, and status information indicating the sharing status of the slave unit. The aforementioned master unit is Mobile communication interface and The base unit comprises a short-range wireless communication interface for short-range wireless communication with the aforementioned slave unit, The aforementioned sub-unit is The slave unit is equipped with a short-range wireless communication interface that performs short-range wireless communication with the base station and the master unit, respectively. When the first processor determines, based on the slave unit's location, that the slave unit is within the base station's management area, it updates the slave unit's status information in the device list to a stored state, establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the base station's short-range wireless communication interface, and, based on the slave unit's location and the base station's location, determines that the base station has been removed along with the slave unit, it disconnects the wireless connection between the slave unit and the base station, sends a slave unit connection request signal to the base station requesting a wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the slave unit's status in the device list to a removed state, and updates the slave unit's wireless connection destination to the base station. The master unit establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the master unit short-range wireless communication interface in response to the slave unit connection request signal. When the first processor determines, based on the slave unit's position, that the slave unit has returned to the base station management area, it sends a slave unit disconnection request signal to the master unit requesting the disconnection of the wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the status information of the slave unit in the device list to the stored state, and updates the wireless connection destination of the slave unit from the master unit to the base station. The master unit disconnects the wireless connection with the slave unit using the master unit's short-range wireless communication interface in response to the slave unit connection disconnection request signal, and the base station establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the short-range wireless communication interface. A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit.

[0125] (Note 2) A method for sharing a slave unit that connects wirelessly to a master unit, The base station acquires, in a base station management area consisting of the physical space including the location of the base station, the position of the slave unit relative to the base station, and the position of the master unit relative to the base station of the master unit that wirelessly connects to the slave unit using a short-range wireless communication interface. When the base station determines whether the slave unit is within the base station's management area based on the slave unit's location, it updates the status information of the slave unit in the device list stored in the base station to the stored state, and the base station and the slave unit establish a wireless connection. When the base station determines, based on the location of the slave unit and the location of the master unit, that the master unit has been taken out together with the slave unit, it disconnects the wireless connection between the slave unit and the base station, sends a slave unit connection request signal to the master unit to request a wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the status of the slave unit in the device list to the taken-out state, and updates the wireless connection destination of the slave unit to the master unit, The steps include: the master unit establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit in response to the slave unit connection request signal; When the base station determines, based on the slave unit's location, that the slave unit has returned to the base station's management area, it sends a slave unit disconnection request signal to the master unit requesting the disconnection of the wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the status information of the slave unit in the device list to the stored state, and updates the wireless connection destination of the slave unit from the master unit to the base station. The steps include: the master unit disconnecting the wireless connection with the slave unit in response to the slave unit disconnection request signal; The base station establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit, A method for sharing a child device that connects wirelessly to a base unit, including the base unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1: Shared System 100: Mobile devices 101: Control Circuit 102: Main processor 103: ROM 104: RAM 105: Flash memory 106: Sensor group 107: GPS receiver 108: Geomagnetic sensor 109: Distance sensor 110: Accelerometer 111: Gyroscope sensor 112: Temperature sensor 113: Communication Processing Unit 114: Mobile communication interface 116:Wireless LAN I / F 117: Short-range wireless communication interface 118: Video Processing Department 119: Camera 120: Image signal converter 121: Display 122: Audio Processing Unit 123: Mike 124: Codec 125: Speakers 126: Battery 127: Data bus 128: RTC 200: Mobile devices 300:Key 400:Key 500: Bag 1001: Control Circuit 1002: Main processor 1003 :ROM 1004: RAM 1005: Flash memory 1006: RTC 1007: Communication Processing Unit 1009: Mobile communication interface 1010: Short-range wireless communication interface 1011: UWBI / F 1012: Data bus 1013: Speaker 1014: Display 1015: Power supply 1016: Geomagnetic sensor 2000: Tags 2001: Control Circuit 2002: Main Processor 2003: ROM 2004: RAM 2005: Flash memory 2007: Communication Processing Unit 2008: Wireless LAN I / F 2010: Short-range wireless communication interface 2012: Data bus 2013: Speakers 2015: Battery 2021: GPSI / F 2022: LED 2100: Tag 2200: Tags 5000: BS Management Area 6000: Exploration Area

Claims

1. A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit, The handset, A base unit that wirelessly connects to the aforementioned slave unit using a short-range wireless communication interface, Includes base station, The aforementioned base station is A mobile communication interface that communicates with the aforementioned base station, A short-range wireless communication interface that performs short-range wireless communication with each of the aforementioned master unit and slave unit, A positioning sensor measures the position of the slave unit relative to the base station and the position of the master unit relative to the base station in a base station management area consisting of a real space including the location of the base station. A memory that stores the list of devices, The system includes a first processor that updates the aforementioned list of devices, The aforementioned device list includes the location of the master unit, the location of the slave unit, and status information indicating the sharing status of the slave unit. The aforementioned master unit is Mobile communication interface and The base unit comprises a short-range wireless communication interface for short-range wireless communication with the aforementioned slave unit, The aforementioned sub-unit is The slave unit is equipped with a short-range wireless communication interface that performs short-range wireless communication with the base station and the master unit, respectively. When the first processor determines, based on the slave unit's location, that the slave unit is within the base station's management area, it updates the slave unit's status information in the device list to a stored state, establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the base station's short-range wireless communication interface, and, based on the slave unit's location and the base station's location, determines that the base station has been removed along with the slave unit, it disconnects the wireless connection between the slave unit and the base station, sends a slave unit connection request signal to the base station requesting a wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the slave unit's status in the device list to a removed state, and updates the slave unit's wireless connection destination to the base station. The master unit establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the master unit short-range wireless communication interface in response to the slave unit connection request signal. When the first processor determines, based on the slave unit's position, that the slave unit has returned to the base station management area, it sends a slave unit disconnection request signal to the master unit requesting the disconnection of the wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the status information of the slave unit in the device list to the stored state, and updates the wireless connection destination of the slave unit from the master unit to the base station. The master unit disconnects the wireless connection with the slave unit using the master unit's short-range wireless communication interface in response to the slave unit connection disconnection request signal, and the base station establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit using the short-range wireless communication interface. A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit.

2. In a sharing system for a slave unit that wirelessly connects to a master unit as described in claim 1, The aforementioned sub-unit is at least one of the following: an anti-loss tag, wireless earphones, or a smartwatch. A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit.

3. In a sharing system for a slave unit that wirelessly connects to a master unit as described in claim 1, The aforementioned master unit is at least one of a mobile terminal or a head-mounted display. A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit.

4. In a sharing system for a slave unit that wirelessly connects to a master unit as described in claim 1, The positioning sensor is an ultra-wideband wireless communication interface, A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit.

5. In a sharing system for a slave unit that wirelessly connects to a master unit as described in claim 1, The aforementioned device list does not store the absolute positions that indicate the unique locations of the master unit and the slave unit in the physical space. A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit.

6. A sharing system for a slave unit that wirelessly connects to a master unit as described in claim 1, The master unit includes a distance sensor for measuring the distance between the master unit and the slave unit, It also includes a second processor, The second processor, when the distance to the slave unit is below a predetermined distance threshold outside the base station management area, establishes a short-range wireless connection with the slave unit and notifies the base station of the slave unit's device information. The base station updates the status of the slave unit in the device list to the "out of service" state and updates the connection destination of the slave unit to the master unit. A sharing system for slave units that connect wirelessly to a master unit.

7. A method for sharing a slave unit that connects wirelessly to a master unit, The base station acquires, in a base station management area consisting of the physical space including the location of the base station, the position of the slave unit relative to the base station, and the position of the master unit relative to the base station of the master unit that wirelessly connects to the slave unit using a short-range wireless communication interface. When the base station determines whether the slave unit is within the base station's management area based on the slave unit's location, it updates the status information of the slave unit in the device list stored in the base station to the stored state, and the base station and the slave unit establish a wireless connection. When the base station determines, based on the location of the slave unit and the location of the master unit, that the master unit has been taken out together with the slave unit, it disconnects the wireless connection between the slave unit and the base station, sends a slave unit connection request signal to the master unit to request a wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the status of the slave unit in the device list to the taken-out state, and updates the wireless connection destination of the slave unit to the master unit, The steps include: the master unit establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit in response to the slave unit connection request signal; When the base station determines, based on the slave unit's location, that the slave unit has returned to the base station's management area, it sends a slave unit connection release request signal to the master unit requesting the release of the wireless connection with the slave unit, updates the status information of the slave unit in the device list to the stored state, and updates the wireless connection destination of the slave unit from the master unit to the base station. The steps include: the master unit disconnecting the wireless connection with the slave unit in response to the slave unit disconnection request signal; The base station establishes a wireless connection with the slave unit, A method for sharing a child device that connects wirelessly to a base unit, including the base unit.

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