Electronic apparatus

• US 20040100932A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yoshikazu, Shiota, Shinsuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,006,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/901 Wide area network

Abstract

An electronic (or computer) apparatus (10) has a current position data output unit (13) and an area data output unit (14) responsive to current position data from the current position data output unit for producing specific country data representative of a specific country including a current position. A wireless LAN connecting unit (12) is preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of country data. Upon reception of the specific country data, the wireless LAN connecting unit automatically sets, as a selected communication mode, one of the wireless LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific country data and carries out transmission/reception via a wireless LAN (11) in the selected communication mode. Each of the wireless LAN communication modes is determined by a radio frequency channel and a transmit power level used in a country represented by the country data.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus having a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) connecting unit for connection with a wireless LAN, the computer apparatus comprising:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver responsive to a GPS signal for producing current position data representative of a current position of the computer apparatus; and

an area data output unit responsive to the current position data for producing specific area data representative of a specific area including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of area data, respectively, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific area data for automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the wireless LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific area data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

2. A computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

each of the wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to the area data is determined by a radio frequency channel and a transmit power level used in an area represented by the area data corresponding thereto;

the wireless LAN connecting unit carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN by the use of the radio frequency channel and the transmit power level which determine the selected communication mode.

3. A computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the area data output unit is responsive to the current position data and produces specific country data representative of a specific country including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of country data, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific country data and automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific country data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

4. A computer apparatus having a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) connecting unit for connection with a wireless LAN, the computer apparatus comprising:

a current position data output unit for producing current position data representative of a current position of the computer apparatus; and

an area data output unit responsive to the current position data for producing specific area data representative of a specific area including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of area data, respectively, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific area data for automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the wireless LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific area data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

5. A computer apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

each of the wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to the area data is determined by a radio frequency channel and a transmit power level used in an area represented by the area data corresponding thereto;

the wireless LAN connecting unit carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN by the use of the radio frequency channel and the transmit power level which determine the selected communication mode.

6. A computer apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the area data output unit is responsive to the current position data and produces specific country data representative of a specific country including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of country data, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific country data and automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific country data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

7. A computer apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the current position data output unit is a gyroscope for producing the current position data representative of the current position of the computer apparatus.

8. A client apparatus having a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) connecting unit for connection with a wireless LAN, the client apparatus comprising:

a current position data output unit for producing current position data representative of a current position of the client apparatus; and

an area data output unit responsive to the current position data for producing specific area data representative of a specific area including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of area data, respectively, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific area data for automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the wireless LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific area data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

9. A client apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

each of the wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to the area data is determined by a radio frequency channel and a transmit power level used in an area represented by the area data corresponding thereto;

the wireless LAN connecting unit carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN by the use of the radio frequency channel and the transmit power level which determine the selected communication mode.

10. A client apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the area data output unit is responsive to the current position data and produces specific country data representative of a specific country including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of country data, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific country data and automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific country data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

11. A client apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the current position data output unit is a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver responsive to a GPS signal for producing the current position data representative of the current position of the client apparatus.

12. A client apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the current position data output unit is a gyroscope for producing the current position data representative of the current position of the client apparatus.

13. An electronic apparatus having a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) connecting unit for connection with a wireless LAN, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a current position data output unit for producing current position data representative of a current position of the electronic apparatus; and

an area data output unit responsive to the current position data for producing specific area data representative of a specific area including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of area data, respectively, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific area data for automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the wireless LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific area data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

14. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

each of the Wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to the area data is determined by a radio frequency channel and a transmit power level used in an area represented by the area data corresponding thereto;

the wireless LAN connecting unit carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN by the use of the radio frequency channel and the transmit power level which determine the selected communication mode.

15. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the area data output unit is responsive to the current position data and produces specific country data representative of a specific country including the current position;

the wireless LAN connecting unit being preliminarily given a plurality of wireless LAN communication modes corresponding to a plurality of country data, the wireless LAN connecting unit being responsive to the specific country data and automatically setting, as a selected communication mode, one of the LAN communication modes which corresponds to the specific country data, thereby carrying out transmission/reception via the wireless LAN in the selected communication mode.

16. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the current position data output unit is a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver responsive to a GPS signal for producing the current position data representative of the current position of the electronic apparatus.

17. An electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the current position data output unit is a gyroscope for producing the current position data representative of the current position of the electronic apparatus.