Radio communication system and mobile information terminal

• US 9,497,586 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Akizuki, Ryutan, Iida, Noboru, Ikeda, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US14/101,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An operation for reconnecting a mobile information terminal and a base unit, which is performed when a user returns home, is made easier, and a matter that has occurred in the base unit during his absence is displayed on the mobile information terminal. The mobile information terminal enters a sleep state when receiving no signal from the base unit. When the user performs a predetermined operation, the mobile information terminal returns from the sleep state, then searches for the base unit, and displays, on a display section, information relating to the matter that has occurred during his absence, the information being transmitted from the base unit when the terminal is reconnected to the base unit. Accordingly, the user can know, through a simple operation, the record of an incoming call received through a wired network, or an answering machine message that has occurred during his absence from the base unit.

Claims

1. A radio communication system comprising:

a base unit in compliance with a near filed communication protocol operable to connect with a public wired network; and

a mobile information terminal that includes a near field radio communicator operable to wirelessly connect with the base unit using the near field communication protocol, and that includes a public radio communicator operable to wirelessly connect with a public radio network comprising a cellular phone network, wherein;

the mobile information terminal is configured to, after a first time period of receiving no signal from the base unit or in response to a defined user operation performed on the mobile information terminal, enter into a first search mode of searching for the base unit at a first cycle for a second time period and, after the second time period of receiving no signal from the base unit, enter into a second search mode of searching for the base unit at a second cycle that is longer than the first cycle; and

the base unit, in operation,

records one or more events that occur while the mobile information terminal is disconnected, and

when the mobile information terminal is reconnected, transmits information relating to the one or more events to the mobile information terminal for display.

2. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more events include one or more incoming calls received from the public wired network.

3. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more events include one or more answering machine messages.

4. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first search mode and the second search mode are part of a sleep state of the mobile information terminal.

5. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein, in the first search mode, the mobile information terminal displays that there is no near field radio connection.

6. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile information terminal, when disconnected from the base unit, displays that there is no near field radio connection.

7. The radio communication system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile information terminal further includes a touch panel, and is operable to connect with the Internet through the public radio network.

8. A mobile information terminal comprising:

a near field radio communicator operable to wirelessly connect with a base unit of a radio communication system using a near field communication protocol, wherein the base unit is in compliance with the near field communication protocol; and

a public radio communicator operable to wirelessly connect with a public radio network comprising a cellular phone network, wherein

the mobile information terminal is configured to,

after a first time period of receiving no signal from the base unit or in response to a defined user operation performed on the mobile information terminal, enter into a first search mode of searching for the base unit at a first cycle for a second time period,

after the second time period of receiving no signal from the base unit, enter into a second search mode of searching for the base unit at a second cycle that is longer than the first cycle, and

when reconnected with the base unit, receive from the base unit information relating to one or more events that have occurred while the mobile information terminal was disconnected from the base unit and display the received information.

9. The mobile information terminal according to claim 8, wherein:

in the first time period of receiving no signal from the base unit, the mobile information terminal is in a continuous search mode of continuously searching for the base unit; and

in the first search mode, the mobile information terminal displays that there is no near field non-connection.

10. The mobile information terminal according to claim 8, wherein the one or more events include one or more incoming calls that the base unit received from the public wired network.

11. The mobile information terminal according to claim 8, wherein the one or more events include one or more answering machine messages.

12. The mobile information terminal according to claim 8, wherein the first search mode and the second search mode are part of a sleep state of the mobile information terminal.

13. The mobile information terminal according to claim 8, which is configured to display that there is no near field radio connection when disconnected from the base unit.

14. The mobile information terminal according to claim 13, which is configured to display that there is no near field radio connection in the first search mode and in the second search mode.

15. The mobile information terminal according to claim 8, further comprising a touch panel.