Communication terminal device with communication controller

• US 6,675,011 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Kita, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferguson, Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/617,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/550, 455/422, 455/475, 455/90, 455/427, 455/445, 455/428, 455/429, 455/12.1, 455/566, 455/556, 455/557, 455/66, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18541 for handover of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1855 using a telephonic control signal, e.g. propagation delay variation, Doppler frequency variation, power variation, beam identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18552 using a telephonic control signal and a second ranging satellite determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location G01S5/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A satellite position/arrival-time calculating section calculates the arrival in date and time at which a communication satellite is to arrive a communicable area where the communication satellite can communicate with a satellite communication terminal apparatus, and creates communicable date and time information. A timer controls a power supply control circuit in accordance with the arrival date and time information created by the satellite position/arrival-time calculating section. The timer automatically controls the power supply control circuit so as to supply communication power to a satellite communication circuit section while the communication satellite is in the communicable area and so as to stop the supply of the communication power at the time when the communication satellite leaves the communicable area.

Claims

1. A communication terminal device comprising:

a position recognizer which obtains present position data;

a display unit which displays the position data obtained by said position recognizer;

an audio input which inputs sound information to be utilized for audio communication with an other device;

a satellite communication controller which controls audio communication with the sound information input by said audio input so that said communication terminal device communicates with the other device via communication satellites; and

a ground wave communication controller which controls the audio communication with the sound information input by said audio input so that said communication terminal device communicates with the other device with ground wave communication via ground stations;

wherein said ground wave communication controller includes an ID code receiver which receives ID codes of said around stations; and

wherein a communication selector activates said ground wave communication controller when said ID code receiver receives the ID codes from the around stations, and activates said satellite communication controller in a case where the ID codes of the ground stations are unavailable if the communication satellite is within a limit of communication coverage.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said satellite communication controller includes a controller which controls the audio communication so as to activate the audio communication when the communication satellite is within the limit of communication coverage, and to deactivate the audio communication when the communication satellite is out of the limit of the communication coverage.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said position recognizer includes a position input which inputs information representing a present position of said communication terminal device.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said position recognizer includes a position calculator which measures a present position of said communication terminal device to calculate the present position data.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said position calculator includes a positioning unit which receives a radio wave signal from a satellite for a global positioning system, and calculates the present position data of said communication terminal device.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communication terminal device comprises a wrist band which enables a user to wear said communication terminal device on the user'"'"'s wrist.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said satellite communication controller and said ground wave communication controller comprise power controllers which control said satellite communication controller to be turned on or off.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communication terminal device comprises a speaker for the audio communication with the other device.

9. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said ground wave communication controller includes a call-waiting receiver which carries out call-waiting communication.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said ground wave communication controller includes a digital unit which controls mobile communication with TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access).

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said display unit further comprises a display controller which controls said display unit to display data representing at least one of a current time, an orbit of the communication satellite, a geocentric position of the communication satellite, and an apparent position of the communication satellite, in addition to the present position data.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communication terminal device further comprises:

a wrist-watch type case which houses said communication terminal device;

a wrist band which enables a user to wear said communication terminal device housed in said wrist-watch type case on the user'"'"'s wrist; and

an antenna unit which transmits and receives a radio wave signal for at least one of the satellite communication and the ground wave communication.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said antenna unit includes any one of a helical antenna, a dielectric antenna, and a patch flat antenna.

14. A portable communication terminal device which is housed in a case comprising a display unit for displaying data, and which is adapted to be worn by a user on a wrist band said sortable communication terminal device comprising:

a position recognizer which obtains present position data;

a display controller which controls said display unit to display the present position data obtained by said position data obtainer;

an audio input which inputs sound information to be utilized for audio communication with an other device; and

a communication controller which controls said communication terminal device to communicate with the other device using the sound information input by said audio input;

wherein said communication controller comprises;

a satellite communication controller which controls the audio communication with the sound information input by said audio input so that said communication terminal device communicates with the other device via communication satellites; and

a ground wave communication controller which controls the audio communication with the sound information input by said audio input so that said communication terminal device communicates with the other device by ground wave communication via ground stations;

wherein said ground wave communication controller includes an ID code receiver which receives ID codes of said ground stations; and

wherein a communication selector activates said ground wave communication controller when said ID code receiver receives the ID codes from the ground stations, and activates said satellite communication controller in a case where the ID codes of the ground stations are unavailable if the communication satellite is within a limit of a communication coverage.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said satellite communication controller includes a controller which controls the audio communication so as to activate the audio communication when the communication satellite is within the limit of the communication coverage, and to deactivate the audio communication when the communication satellite is out of the limit of the communication coverage.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein said position recognizer includes a position input which inputs information representing a present position of said communication terminal device.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein said position recognizer includes a position calculator which measures a present position of said communication terminal device to calculate the present position data.

18. The device according to claim 17, said position calculator includes a positioning unit which receives a radio wave signal from a satellite for a global positioning system, and calculates the present position data of said communication terminal device.

19. The device according to claim 14, wherein said satellite communication controller and said ground wave communication controller comprise power controllers which control said satellite communication controller to be turned on or off.

20. The device according to claim 14, wherein said communication terminal device comprises a speaker for the audio communication with the other device.

21. The device according to claim 14, wherein said ground wave communication controller includes a call-waiting receiver which carries out call-waiting communication.

22. The device according to claim 14, wherein said ground wave communication controller includes a digital unit which controls mobile communication with TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access).

23. The device according to claim 14, wherein said display unit further comprises a display controller which controls said display unit to display data representing at least one of a current time, an orbit of the communication satellite, a geocentric position of the communication satellite, and an apparent position of the communication satellite, in addition to the present position data.

24. The device according to claim 14, wherein said communication terminal device further comprises an antenna unit which transmits and receives a radio wave signal for at least one of the satellite communication and the ground wave communication.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein said antenna unit includes any one of a helical antenna, a dielectric antenna, and a patch flat antenna.