Wireless communication system including a server device and multiple relay devices

• US 8,005,423 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sumita, Naoki, Takei, Kiyoshi, Izumida, Masamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US11/971,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20080171511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels

Abstract

A communication system includes: a plurality of mobile communication terminals; a server device; and a plurality of relay devices performing a relay between the plurality of mobile communication terminals and the server device. The mobile communication terminals include: a communication unit transmitting and receiving a long wave wirelessly, and a processing unit performing a predetermined process based on received information. The relay devices include: a first communication unit transmitting and receiving the long wave wirelessly with respect to the mobile communication terminals, a second communication unit communicating with the server device, and a relay processing unit performing a relaying process in which information received from the server device via the second communication unit is transmitted to the mobile communication terminals via the first communication unit, and a relaying process in which information received from the mobile communication terminals via the first communication unit to the server device via the second communication unit. The server device includes: a communication unit communicating with the relay devices, a group information storing unit storing group information on a group to which the mobile communication terminals belong, and a group communication processing unit performing a group communication process in which mobile communication terminals that belong to a predetermined group are extracted based on the group information so as to transmit predetermined information to the mobile communication terminals that are extracted.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile communication terminals;

a server device; and

a plurality of relay devices, each of the plurality of relay devices performing a relay between at least one of the plurality of mobile communication terminals and the server device,

wherein each of the plurality of mobile communication terminals includes;

a communication unit transmitting and receiving a first long wave wireless signal including information, and

a processing unit performing a predetermined process based on the information received from the relay devices;

wherein each of the plurality of relay devices includes;

a first communication unit transmitting and receiving a second long wave wireless signal with respect to at least one of the plurality of mobile communication terminals,

a second communication unit communicating with the server device, and

a relay processing unit performing a relaying process in which information received from the server device via the second communication unit is transmitted to the at least one of the plurality of mobile communication terminals via the first communication unit, and a relaying process in which information received from the at least one of the plurality of mobile communication terminals via the first communication unit is relayed to the server device via the second communication unit;

wherein the server device includes;

a communication unit communicating with at least one of the plurality of relay devices,

a group information storing unit storing group information on a group to which each of the plurality of mobile communication terminals belongs, and

a group communication processing unit performing a group communication process in which any of the plurality of mobile communication terminals that belong to a predetermined group are extracted based on the group information so as to transmit predetermined information to the any of the plurality of mobile communication terminals that are extracted;

wherein the plurality of relay devices includes;

a first relay device that is placed at a first side of a predetermined gate and includes a first antenna capable of receiving a communication wave from the mobile communication terminals that are present in a predetermined area of the first side of the gate, and

a second relay device that is placed at a second side, the second side being opposite to the first side, of the predetermined gate and includes a second antenna capable of receiving a communication wave from the mobile communication terminals that are present in a predetermined area of the second side of the gate; and

wherein a terminal position management unit of the server device determines whether the mobile communication terminals pass the predetermined gate or not based on the information from the first relay device and the second relay device and performs an updating process to information on passage of the mobile communication terminals through the predetermined gate based on a result of the determination.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the relay devices include a call processing unit that performs calling transmission for confirming presence of the terminals therearound by predetermined timing and enters a reception mode for a predetermined period after the calling transmission so as to receive a response with respect to the calling transmission, and

if the processing unit of the mobile communication terminals receives the calling transmission, the processing unit performs a transmission process for a response.

3. A mobile communication terminal that is used for the communication system according to claim 1.

4. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the group communication processing unit of the server device transmits communication data to be transmitted to the plurality of the mobile communication terminals that belong to the predetermined group together with information for specifying the predetermined group in one of broadcast and multicast, and

wherein the processing unit of the mobile communication terminals includes a belonging group information storing unit storing belonging group information for specifying an own belonging group, and determines whether the communication data that is received is for the own belonging group or not based on the belonging group information and information for specifying a predetermined group, the information for specifying a predetermined group being appended to the communication data which is received, and in a case where the processing unit determines that the information is for the own belonging group, the processing unit performs a predetermined process.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein

the terminal position management unit checks which of the plurality of relay devices receives the communication data from each of the plurality of mobile communication terminals and transmits the data to the server device so as to determine positions of the each of the plurality of mobile communication terminals and performs a position information updating process of the each of the plurality of mobile communication terminals based on a result of the determination.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the terminal position management unit of the server device determines whether information on a position of one mobile communication terminal satisfies a predetermined condition, and in a case where the information satisfies the predetermined condition, the terminal position management unit transmits notifying information to at least one of the one mobile communication terminal and other terminals belonging to a group to which the one mobile communication terminal belongs.

7. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the terminal position management unit of the server device selects the relay device for the communication data to be transmitted to the mobile communication terminals based on the information on the positions of the mobile communication terminals so as to transmit the communication data to the mobile communication terminals via the relay device that is selected.

8. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein

each of the relay devices includes a loop antenna capable of receiving a communication wave from the mobile communication terminals that are present in an area that is assigned to each of the relay devices, and

the terminal position management unit of the server device checks which relay device receives the communication data from the mobile communication terminals and transmits the data to the server device so as to determine an area where the mobile communication terminals are present and performs the position information updating process of the information on the presence area of the mobile communication terminals based on a result of the determination.