Information transmission system, information sending/receiving system and information terminal

• US 20030027546A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Koichi
• Application Number:
  US10/134,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027546A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An information sending/receiving system performs bidirectional radio communication with an information terminal via a plurality of antennas provided at a plurality of radio relay points, respectively. When the information sending/receiving system has detected an information terminal capable of radio communication via the antennas, the information sending/receiving system performs transmission/reception of information with this information terminal.

Claims

1. An information transmission system having an information sending/receiving system which transmits information by radio communication, and an information terminal which acquires information from the information sending/receiving system by radio communication,

the information sending/receiving system comprising:

a first radio control module which executes bidirectional radio communication with the information terminal;

an information terminal detection module which detects the information terminal capable of radio communication by the first radio control module; and

an information transmission/reception unit which transmits and receives information by the first radio control module to and from the information terminal detected by the information terminal detection module, and

the information terminal comprising;

a second radio control module which executes bidirectional radio communication with the first radio control module;

an information sending/receiving system detection module which detects the information sending/receiving system capable of radio communication by the second radio control module;

an information setting unit which sets information to be desired;

an information receiving module which receives information sent from the information sending/receiving system detected by the information sending/receiving system detection module; and

an information output unit which outputs information set by the information setting unit, which corresponds to the information received by the information receiving module.

2. An information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein radio communication is effected via antennas disposed at a plurality of radio relay points.

3. An information sending/receiving system which transmits information by radio communication, comprising:

a radio control module which executes bidirectional radio communication with an information terminal;

an information terminal detection module which detects the information terminal capable of radio communication by the radio control module; and

an information transmission/reception unit which transmits and receives information by the radio control module to and from the information terminal detected by the information terminal detection module.

4. An information sending/receiving system according to claim 3, wherein said information transmission/reception unit sends information requested by the information terminal detected by the information terminal detection module.

5. An information sending/receiving system according to claim 3, wherein radio communication is effected via antennas disposed at a plurality of radio relay points.

6. An information sending/receiving system according to claim 5, wherein said antennas are disposed at a plurality of radio relay points which are provided in succession, and

said radio control module sets the antenna, which is located at the endmost radio relay point, in a constantly radio-communicable state, and the antennas, which are located at the radio relay points other than the endmost radio relay point, in a radio-communicable state where necessary.

7. An information sending/receiving system according to claim 6, further comprising a terminal position detection unit which detects the position of the information terminal,

wherein said radio control module sets only that one of the antennas, which is other than the antenna provided at the endmost radio relay point and is close to the information terminal, in a radio-communicable state on the basis of the position of the information terminal detected by the terminal position detection unit.

8. An information sending/receiving system according to claim 3, wherein said radio control module controls radio communication by Bluetooth.

9. An information terminal which acquires information by radio communication, comprising:

a radio control module which executes bidirectional radio communication with an information sending/receiving system;

an information sending/receiving system detection module which detects the information sending/receiving system capable of radio communication by the radio control module;

an information setting unit which sets information to be desired;

an information receiving module which receives information sent from the information sending/receiving system detected by the information sending/receiving system detection module; and

an information output unit which outputs information set by the information setting unit, which corresponds to the information received by the information receiving module.

10. An information terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

a request unit which requests the information set by the information setting unit from the information sending/receiving system,

wherein said information receiving module receives information from the information sending/receiving system in response to the request by the request unit.

11. An information terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether the information received by the information receiving module coincides with the information set by the information setting unit; and

a communication finishing unit which finishes the communication of the radio control module with the information sending/receiving system, when the determination unit has determined that the information received by the information receiving module fails to coincide with the information set by the information setting unit.

12. An information terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

an input unit which inputs information representing a response to the information output by the information output unit; and

an information transmission unit which transmits the information, which has been by the input unit, to the information sending/receiving system detected by the information sending/receiving system detection module.

13. An information terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

a position measuring module which measures a current position; and

a position information transmission unit which transmits position information indicative of the current position measured by the position measuring module to the information sending/receiving system detected by the information sending/receiving system detection module.

14. An information terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

a position measuring module which measures a current position; and

a map output unit which outputs, on a map, the information received by the information receiving module along with information on the current position measured by the position measuring module.