Communication system, communication terminal apparatus and wireless key apparatus

• US 20060003788A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Osamu, Itoh, Katsutoshi, Itagaki, Takeshi, Yasuda, Mitsuyoshi, Yokoshi, Minoru, Natori, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

It is constituted such that a function limitation is to be applied to a communication terminal apparatus of a mobile telephone terminal or the like at a place far from wireless key by a constant distance and it is also constituted such that after the function limitation is applied once, it is made impossible for the function limitation to be released until the communication terminal. The transmission power is controlled in response to the state by utilizing a phenomenon that the communication possible distance between the apparatuses changes according to the amount of the transmission power wireless-communicated. Specifically, with respect to the transmission power on the occasion when a connection operation is carried out between the communication terminal apparatus and the wireless key, it is constituted for the transmission power from at least one of apparatuses such that the transmission power when releasing the function limitation is made smaller than the transmission power when applying the function limitation. Further, after the function limitation is released, the transmission power is again increased to the original transmission power when applying the function limitation.

Claims

1. A communication system constituted by a communication terminal apparatus and a wireless key apparatus which can carry out a wireless communication with the communication terminal apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system, wherein

said communication terminal apparatus comprises:

a communication unit for carrying out a wireless communication by said predetermined wireless communication system,

a distance judgment unit for judging a distance with respect to said wireless key apparatus, and

a control unit for limiting a predetermined function of said communication terminal apparatus according to the distance with respect to said wireless key apparatus;

said wireless key apparatus comprises;

a communication unit for a wireless communication by said predetermined wireless communication system, and

a distance judgment unit for judging a distance with respect to said communication terminal apparatus;

at least one of said communication terminal apparatus and said wireless key apparatus comprises a transmission power changing unit for controlling the transmission power of a wireless signal which said communication unit of said one apparatus transmits; and

when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said wireless key apparatus is longer than a first distance, said control unit of said communication terminal apparatus limits said predetermined function of said communication terminal apparatus and at the same time, said transmission power changing unit changes said transmission power such that the communication possible distance between said communication terminal apparatus and said wireless key apparatus becomes said second distance which is shorter than said first distance.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit of said communication terminal apparatus releases said limited predetermined function limitation when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said wireless key apparatus is shorter than said second distance after said predetermined function is limited and at the same time, said transmission power changing unit changes said transmission power such that the communication possible distance between said communication terminal apparatus and said wireless key apparatus is to become said first distance.

3. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless key apparatus includes a notification unit for notifying that the function of said communication terminal apparatus is limited, and said notification unit notifies that the function of said communication terminal apparatus is limited when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said communication terminal apparatus is longer than said first distance.

4. A communication system according to claim 3, wherein said notification unit stops said notification when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said communication terminal apparatus is shorter than said second distance after it notified that the function of said communication terminal apparatus was limited.

5. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said communication terminal apparatus further comprises a communication unit for a telephone communication for carrying out a wireless communication for a telephone communication with a predetermined base station.

6. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein said communication terminal apparatus includes a clocking unit for clocking a predetermined time period, and said control unit of said communication terminal apparatus operates said clocking unit when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said wireless key apparatus longer than a first distance and limits said predetermined function in a case when it is judged by said distance judgment unit on an occasion when said clocking unit clocks said predetermined time period that the distance with respect to said wireless key apparatus becomes equal or less than said first distance.

7. A communication terminal apparatus comprising

a communication unit for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal with a connection partner apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system;

a distance judgment unit for judging a distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus; and

a control unit for limiting a predetermined function when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus is longer than a first distance and also for releasing the limitation of said limited predetermined function after limiting said predetermined function and when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus is shorter than a second distance which is shorter than said first distance.

8. A communication terminal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said communication unit includes a transmission power changing unit for controlling a transmission power of a wireless signal to be transmitted;

and said control unit changes said transmission power such that the communication possible distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus will become said second distance after said predetermined function was limited and also controls said transmission power changing unit to change said transmission power such that the communication possible distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus will become said first distance after the limitation of said predetermined function was released.

9. A communication terminal apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a communication unit for a telephone communication for carrying out a wireless communication for a telephone communication with a predetermined base station.

10. A communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal with a connection partner apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system;

a distance judgment unit for judging a distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus;

a transmission power changing unit for controlling a transmission power of a wireless signal which said communication unit transmits; and

a control unit for limiting a predetermined function when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus is longer than a first distance and also for controlling said transmission power changing unit so as to change said transmission power such that the communication possible distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus will become a second distance which is shorter than said first distance.

11. A wireless key apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal with a connection partner apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system;

a distance judgment unit for judging a distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus;

a notification unit for notifying that a predetermined function of said connection partner apparatus is limited; and

a control unit for executing said notification when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus is longer than a first distance and also for controlling said notification unit so as to stop said notification when it is judged by said distance judgment unit after said notification that the distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus is shorter than a second distance which is shorter than said first distance.

12. A wireless key apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a transmission power changing unit for controlling a transmission power of a wireless signal which said communication unit/portion transmits included, and said control unit changes said transmission power such that the communication possible distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus will become said second distance after said notification was executed and controls said transmission power changing unit so as to change said transmission power such that the communication possible distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus will become said first distance after said notification was stopped.

13. A wireless key apparatus

a communication unit for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal with a connection partner apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system;

a distance judgment unit for judging a distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus;

a notification unit for notifying that a predetermined function of said connection partner apparatus is limited;

a transmission power changing unit for controlling a transmission power of a wireless signal which said communication unit transmits; and

a control unit for controlling said notification unit so as to execute said notification when it is judged by said distance judgment unit that the distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus is longer than a first distance and also for controlling said transmission power changing unit so as to change said transmission power such that the communication possible distance with respect to said connection partner apparatus will become a second distance which is shorter than said first distance.

14. A communication system constituted by a communication terminal apparatus and a wireless key apparatus which can carry out a wireless communication with the communication terminal apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system, wherein

said communication terminal apparatus comprises:

a communication unit for carrying out a wireless communication by said predetermined wireless communication system,

a state judgment unit for judging a wireless state of said wireless signal which said communication unit receives, and

a control unit for limiting a predetermined function according to the wireless state judged by said state judgment unit

said wireless key apparatus comprises;

a communication unit for a wireless communication by said predetermined wireless communication system,

a state judgment unit for judging a wireless state of said wireless signal which said communication unit receives, and

a transmission power changing unit for changing a transmission power of a wireless signal which said communication unit transmit; and

said control unit of said communication terminal apparatus limits said predetermined function when it is judged by said state judgment unit that the wireless state of the wireless signal transmitted from said wireless key apparatus by a first transmission power is worse than a predetermined communication state; and

at the same time, the transmission power changing unit of said wireless key apparatus changes the transmission power such that a wireless signal is to be transmitted by a second transmission power which is smaller than said first transmission power.

15. A communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for carrying out a wireless communication with a connection partner apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system;

a state judgment unit for judging a wireless state of said wireless signal which said communication unit receives; and

a control unit for limiting said predetermined function when it is judged by said state judgment unit that the wireless state of the wireless signal transmitted from said connection partner apparatus by a first transmission power is worse than a predetermined communication state and also for releasing said limited predetermined function limitation when it is judged by said state judgment unit after said predetermined function was limited that the wireless state of the wireless signal transmitted from said connection partner apparatus by a second transmission power smaller than said first transmission power is better than a predetermined communication state.

16. A wireless key apparatus

a communication unit for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal with a connection partner apparatus by a predetermined wireless communication system;

a state judgment unit for judging a wireless state of said wireless signal which said communication unit receives;

a notification unit for notifying that a predetermined function of said connection partner apparatus is limited;

a transmission power changing unit for controlling a transmission power of a wireless signal which said communication unit transmits; and

a control unit for controlling said notification unit so as to execute said notification when it is judged by said state/situation judgment unit that the wireless state of the wireless signal transmitted from said connection partner apparatus by a first transmission power is worse than a predetermined communication and also for controlling said transmission power changing unit such that said transmission power changing unit is to change the transmission power so as to transmit a wireless signal by a second transmission power smaller than said first transmission power.

17-24. -24. (canceled)