TRANSMITTING APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, RECEIVING APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, BROADCAST RECEIVING SYSTEM, CONTROL PROGRAM, COMMUNICATION METHOD AND BROADCAST RECEIVING METHOD

• US 20090117844A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Furuya, Yukitsuna
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/70 using geographical information, e.g. maps, charts or atlases
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel

Abstract

There are obtained a transmitting apparatus capable of easily notifying information regarding radio waves required for an objective apparatus, a communication apparatus or a receiving apparatus capable of easily setting a frequency required at each place. a communication system or a broadcast receiving system employing the transmitting apparatus, the communication apparatus, and the receiving apparatus; and a control program, a communication method, and a broadcast receiving method to be used in the communication apparatus or the receiving apparatus. The radio wave tower 101 transmits not only radio waves for the television and the radio, but also the radio wave information 104 for communication and for reception of broadcasts by use of the radio wave information transmitting apparatus 102. For example, the portable terminal 106 first receives the radio wave information 104 in a new place and then obtains a center frequency based on the information for communication with the base station 110. This also applies to television and radio frequencies.

Claims

1. A transmitting apparatus comprising:

a radio wave information transmitting unit that constantly transmits radio wave information regarding various radio waves to be used for communication or a broadcast in a belonging area, by use of a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency.

3. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the radio wave information is information assigned to a communication terminal that communicates with a base station in a belonging area.

4. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the radio wave information is information assigned to a receiving apparatus that receives a broadcast from a broadcast station in a belonging area.

5. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by comprising a television broadcast transmitting unit that transmits a radio wave of content of a television broadcast.

6. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized by a comprising radio broadcast transmitting unit that transmits a radio wave of content of a radio broadcast.

7. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the radio wave information comprises, in addition to a center frequency, all or part of a radio mode, frame timing, a pilot code and a pilot frequency, operator information, a frequency including a control signal necessary to start communication, and timing information.

8. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the radio wave information is provided by a terrestrial digital broadcast of one-segment scheme.

9. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the radio wave information is provided by a terrestrial digital broadcast of Digital Video Broadcasting for Handheld (DVB-H) scheme.

10. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the radio wave information comprises note information indicating frequencies among a plurality of frequencies to be used for broadcasts, the frequencies being available in association with a change of a broadcast mode.

2. A transmitting apparatus comprising:

a radio wave information transmitting unit that constantly transmits radio wave information comprising a list of specifications in an associated area of various radio waves of which specifications likely vary between areas, by use of a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency.

26. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the radio wave information is information assigned to a communication terminal that communicates with a base station in a belonging area.

27. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the radio wave information is information assigned to a receiving apparatus that receives a broadcast from a broadcast station in a belonging area.

28. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized by comprising a television broadcast transmitting unit that transmits a radio wave of content of a television broadcast.

29. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized by a comprising radio broadcast transmitting unit that transmits a radio wave of content of a radio broadcast.

30. The transmitting apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the radio wave information comprises, in addition to a center frequency, all or part of a radio mode, frame timing, a pilot code and a pilot frequency, operator information, a frequency including a control signal necessary to start communication, and timing information.

11. A communication apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency;

a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus; and

a communication environment setting unit that sets a communication environment for communication with a base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

13. The communication apparatus in accordance with claim 11, characterized by comprising:

a current position determining unit that determines a current position,

wherein the radio wave information extracting unit selects, from radio wave information of a plurality of areas, information corresponding to positional information determined by the current position determining unit.

14. The communication apparatus in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that the current position determining unit determines a current position based on a Global Positioning System (GPS).

12. A communication apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a communication start unit that starts communication by setting a communication environment to a communication environment previously employed;

a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency if the communication by the communication start unit is not successfully conducted or in a case where another predetermined communication environment is beforehand prepared and the communication is not successfully conducted even in the communication environment;

a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus; and

a communication environment setting unit that sets a communication environment with a base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

15. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency;

a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information comprising a center frequency for respective broadcasts; and

a broadcast receiving unit that receives a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

16. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a broadcast reception start unit that starts broadcast reception by setting a reception environment to a reception environment previously employed for broadcast reception;

a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency if the broadcast reception by the broadcast reception start unit is not successfully conducted or in a case where another predetermined communication environment is beforehand prepared and communication is not successfully conducted even in the communication environment;

a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information comprising a center frequency for respective broadcasts; and

a reception environment setting unit that sets a reception environment of a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

17. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency;

a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information for respective broadcasts receivable by the apparatus; and

a reception environment setting unit that sets a reception environment of a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

19. The receiving apparatus in accordance with claim 17, characterized by comprising a current position determining unit that determines a current position, wherein

the radio wave information extracting unit selects, from radio wave information of a plurality of areas, information corresponding to positional information determined by the current position determining unit.

31. The communication apparatus in accordance with claim 17, characterized by comprising:

a current position determining unit that determines a current position, wherein the radio wave information extracting unit selects, from radio wave information of a plurality of areas, information corresponding to positional information determined by the current position determining unit.

18. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

a reception start unit that starts reception of a broadcast by setting a reception environment to a reception environment previously employed for reception;

a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency if the reception by the reception start unit is not successfully conducted or in a case where another predetermined communication environment is beforehand prepared and communication is not successfully conducted even in the communication environment;

a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information for respective broadcasts receivable by the apparatus; and

a station selecting unit that conducts station selection for a desired broadcast station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

20. A communication system, characterized by comprising:

a transmitting apparatus comprising a radio wave information transmitting unit that is disposed for each of geographically classified areas and that constantly transmits, by use of a predetermined particular frequency, radio wave information regarding various radio waves to be used for communication in an associated area;

a base station disposed in the associated area; and

a communication apparatus comprising a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having the predetermined particular frequency, a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus, and a communication environment setting unit that sets a communication environment for communication with the base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

21. A broadcast receiving system characterized by comprising:

a transmitting apparatus comprising a radio wave information transmitting unit that is disposed for each of geographically classified areas and that constantly transmits, by use of a predetermined particular frequency, radio wave information regarding various radio waves to be used for a broadcast in an associated area;

a broadcast station disposed in the associated area; and

a receiving apparatus comprising a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave having the predetermined particular frequency, a radio wave information extracting unit that extracts, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving unit, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus, and a reception environment setting unit that sets a reception environment for receiving a broadcast of the broadcast station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting unit.

22. A computer-readable medium storing a control program characterized by making a computer of a communication apparatus execute:

radio wave receiving processing for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency transmitted from a belonging area selected from a plurality of geographically classified areas;

radio wave information extracting processing for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving processing, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus; and

communication environment setting processing for setting a communication environment for communication with a base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting processing.

23. A computer-readable medium storing a control program characterized by making a computer of a broadcast receiving apparatus execute:

radio wave receiving processing for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency transmitted from a belonging area selected from a plurality of geographically classified areas;

radio wave information extracting processing for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving processing, radio wave information comprising a center frequency for respective broadcasts; and

communication environment setting processing for setting a reception environment for receiving a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting processing.

24. A communication method, characterized by comprising:

a radio wave receiving step of receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency transmitted from a belonging area selected from a plurality of geographically classified areas;

a radio wave information extracting step of extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving step, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus; and

a communication environment setting step of setting a communication environment for communication with a base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting step.

32. The receiving apparatus in accordance with claim 24, characterized by comprising a current position determining unit that determines a current position, wherein the radio wave information extracting unit selects, from radio wave information of a plurality of areas, information corresponding to positional information determined by the current position determining unit.

25. A broadcast receiving method, characterized by executing:

a radio wave receiving step of receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency transmitted from a belonging area selected from a plurality of geographically classified areas;

a radio wave information extracting step of extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving step, radio wave information comprising a center frequency for respective broadcasts; and

a communication environment setting step of setting a reception environment for receiving a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting step.

33. A transmitting apparatus comprising:

radio wave information transmitting means for constantly transmitting radio wave information regarding various radio waves to be used for communication or a broadcast in a belonging area, by use of a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency.

34. A transmitting apparatus comprising:

radio wave information transmitting means for constantly transmitting radio wave information comprising a list of specifications in an associated area of various radio waves of which specifications likely vary between areas, by use of a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency.

35. A communication apparatus, characterized by comprising:

radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency;

radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus; and

communication environment setting means for setting a communication environment for communication with a base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.

36. A communication apparatus, characterized by comprising:

communication start means for starting communication by setting a communication environment to a communication environment previously employed;

radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency if the communication by the communication start means is not successfully conducted or in a case where another predetermined communication environment is beforehand prepared and the communication is not successfully conducted even in the communication environment;

radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus; and

communication environment setting means for setting a communication environment with a base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.

37. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency;

radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information comprising a center frequency for respective broadcasts; and

broadcast receiving means for receiving a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.

38. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

broadcast reception start means for starting broadcast reception by setting a reception environment to a reception environment previously employed for broadcast reception;

radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency if the broadcast reception by the broadcast reception start means is not successfully conducted or in a case where another predetermined communication environment is beforehand prepared and communication is not successfully conducted even in the communication environment;

radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information comprising a center frequency for respective broadcasts; and

reception environment setting means for setting a reception environment of a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.

39. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency;

radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information for respective broadcasts receivable by the apparatus; and

reception environment setting means for setting a reception environment of a desired broadcast by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.

40. A receiving apparatus, characterized by comprising:

reception start means for starting reception of a broadcast by setting a reception environment to a reception environment previously employed for reception;

radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having a predetermined particular frequency if the reception by the reception start means is not successfully conducted or in a case where another predetermined communication environment is beforehand prepared and communication is not successfully conducted even in the communication environment;

radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information for respective broadcasts receivable by the apparatus; and

station selecting means for conducting station selection for a desired broadcast station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.

41. A communication system, characterized by comprising:

a transmitting apparatus comprising radio wave information transmitting means disposed for each of geographically classified areas for constantly transmitting, by use of a predetermined particular frequency, radio wave information regarding various radio waves to be used for communication in an associated area;

a base station disposed in the associated area; and

a communication apparatus comprising radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having the predetermined particular frequency, radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus, and communication environment setting means for setting a communication environment for communication with the base station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.

42. A broadcast receiving system characterized by comprising:

a transmitting apparatus comprising radio wave information transmitting means disposed for each of geographically classified areas for constantly transmitting, by use of a predetermined particular frequency, radio wave information regarding various radio waves to be used for a broadcast in an associated area;

a broadcast station disposed in the associated area; and

a receiving apparatus comprising radio wave receiving means for receiving a radio wave having the predetermined particular frequency, radio wave information extracting means for extracting, from the radio wave received by the radio wave receiving means, radio wave information comprising a center frequency to be applied to the apparatus, and reception environment setting means for setting a reception environment for receiving a broadcast of the broadcast station by use of the radio wave information extracted by the radio wave information extracting means.