Radio communication terminal device and radio communication function control method

• US 20070191069A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US10/592,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There are provided a radio communication terminal device and a radio communication function control method enabling a user to perform off-operation of only the mobile telephone function when the user is in a radio LAN area. In the device and the method, a radio dual terminal (100) is a radio communication terminal device having both of the communication function via a mobile telephone base station (101) of a mobile telephone system (mobile telephone function) and the communication function via a radio LAN base station (102) of the radio LAN system (radio LAN function). When the radio dual terminal (100) comes into the radio LAN area (104), a message asking whether to turn off the mobile telephone function appears on the display screen. If the user answers Yes, only the mobile telephone function is turned off, thereby reducing the power consumption when in the radio LAN area (104). It should be noted that when the radio dual terminal (100) goes out of the radio LAN area (104), the mobile telephone function which has been off is automatically turned on.

Claims

1. A radio communication terminal apparatus that has both a mobile phone function that performs communication via a mobile phone system and a wireless LAN function that performs communication via a wireless LAN system, comprising:

a determination section that determines whether or not the terminal has entered a wireless LAN area;

a display section that, when it is determined by the determination section that the terminal has entered a wireless LAN area, displays a message inquiring as to whether or not the mobile phone function is to be turned off; and

a control section that places the mobile phone function in an off state or sleep state in response to a button operation in response to the inquiry display.

2. The radio communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control section turns off the mobile phone function in response to the button operation after the inquiry display.

3. The radio communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the mobile phone function is turned off, the control section automatically turns on the mobile phone function when it is determined by the determination section that the terminal has exited a wireless LAN area, or it is determined that the radio wave reception strength has deteriorated.

4. A radio communication function control method in a radio communication terminal apparatus that has both a mobile phone function that performs communication via a mobile phone system and a wireless LAN function that performs communication via a wireless LAN system, wherein a message inquiring as to whether or not the mobile phone function is to be turned off is displayed on a display screen upon entry in a wireless LAN area, and the mobile phone function is turned off or placed in a sleep state in response to a directive in response to the inquiry display.

5. The radio communication function control method according to claim 4, wherein a mobile phone function that has been turned off or placed in a sleep state is turned on when a wireless LAN area is exited.