Mobile communication terminal apparatus with data communication function

• US 6,052,565 A
• Filed: 07/02/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishikura, Akira, Marui, Kuniyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chawan, Vijay B.
• Application Number:
  US08/887,328
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423-425, 455/466, 455/67.1, 455/556, 455/557, 455/456, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

During the CDPD mode period, RSSI data and battery capacity remaining determination data measured by a hand held phone HHP are periodically transferred to a personal computer PC, and are displayed on an LCD display of the personal computer PC. During the CDPD mode period, status data representing the operation state of the personal computer PC is transferred to and displayed on the hand held phone HHP. Furthermore, during the CSCD mode period, status data representing the operation state of the hand held phone HHP is transferred to the personal computer PC, and is displayed on the LCD display of the personal computer PC.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal apparatus comprising:

a hand held phone for exchanging a radio communication signal with a base station via a radio channel and using a battery as a power supply; and

a data terminal device including,

a control unit for performing mobile data communication with a data terminal device of a communication partner at least via said hand held phone and the base station, said control unit having a display unit, and

a modem unit for connecting said control unit and said hand held phone and performing an interface operation for the mobile data communication under the control of said control unit,

wherein said hand held phone comprises means for monitoring an operation state of said hand held phone and notifying said data terminal device of monitoring results while a mode for the mobile data communication is set, and

wherein said data terminal device comprises means for generating information based on the monitoring results and displaying the generated information on the display unit of said control unit.

2. The mobile communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said hand held phone further includes received signal strength measurement means for measuring a received signal strength of a radio channel which is being received, and transferring measurement data of the received signal strength to said data terminal device, while a mode for the mobile data communication is set, and

wherein said data terminal device further includes reception quality display control means for generating information representing reception quality based on the measurement data of the received signal strength transferred from said hand held phone, and displaying the reception quality information on the display unit of said control unit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said received signal strength measurement means has a function of measuring the received signal strength a plurality of number of times at predetermined time intervals every unit time, and transferring the individual measurement data to said data terminal device, and

said reception quality display control means calculates an average value of the plurality of measurement data per unit time transferred from said received signal strength measurement means, compares the average value with a predetermined threshold value, and displays the comparison result as the information representing the reception quality on said control unit.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said received signal strength measurement means has a function of measuring the received signal strength a plurality of number of times at predetermined time intervals every unit time, directly transferring the measurement data to said data terminal device in the first measurement, and transferring data representing a difference between current measurement data and previous measurement data to said data terminal device in the second and subsequent measurements, and

said reception quality display control means calculates an average value of measurement data per unit time on the basis of the data transferred from said received signal strength measurement means, compares the average value with a predetermined threshold value, and displays the comparison result as the information representing the reception quality on said control unit.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said received signal strength measurement means measures the received signal strength a plurality of number of times at predetermined time intervals every unit time, calculates an average value of measurement values, compares the average value with a predetermined threshold value, and transfers the comparison result to said data terminal device as measurement data, and

said reception quality display control means displays the measurement data transferred from said received signal strength measurement means as the information representing the reception quality on said control unit.

6. The mobile communication terminal apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said hand held phone further includes battery monitoring means for monitoring a state of the battery, and transferring the monitoring data to said data terminal device, while a mode for the mobile data communication is set, and

wherein said data terminal device further includes battery information display control means for generating information representing a battery state based on the monitoring data of the battery state transferred from said hand held phone, and displaying the battery state information on the display unit of said control unit.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said battery monitoring means detects a battery remaining capacity at predetermined time intervals, compares each detection value with a plurality of predetermined threshold values, and transfers information representing the comparison result to said data terminal device as the monitoring data, and

said battery information display control means generates information representing the battery remaining capacity on the basis of the monitoring data transferred from said hand held phone, and displays the information on said control unit.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said battery monitoring means detects a battery remaining capacity at predetermined time intervals, and transfers the detection values to said data terminal device as the monitoring data, and

said battery information display control means compares each battery remaining capacity detection value transferred from said hand held phone with a plurality of predetermined threshold values, generates information representing the battery remaining capacity on the basis of information representing the comparison result, and displays the information on the display unit of said control unit.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said battery information display control means checks if the comparison result between the battery remaining capacity detection value and the plurality of threshold values corresponds to a discharge end state or a nearly discharge end state of the battery, and if it is determined that the comparison result corresponds to the discharge end state or nearly the discharge end state, said battery information display control means displays a mark indicating that the battery remaining capacity has become zero.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said battery information display control means flickers the mark indicating that the battery remaining capacity has become zero.

11. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said battery information display control means generates information representing a remaining communication time of said hand held phone on the basis of the monitoring data of the battery state transferred from said hand held phone, and displays the information on the display unit of said control unit.

12. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said battery information display control means generates information representing a consumption radio of the battery on the basis of the monitoring data of the battery state transferred from said hand held phone, and displays the information on the display unit of said control unit.

13. A hand held phone which is connected to a data terminal device having a predetermined communication control function required for performing a mobile data communication, and has a function of transmitting transmission data of said data terminal device to a base station via a radio channel, and receiving reception data coming from the base station via the radio channel and transferring the reception data to said data terminal device, comprising:

measurement means for measuring a received signal strength of a radio channel which is being received while a mode for the mobile data communication is set; and

transfer means for transferring the measurement data obtained by said measurement means to said data terminal device, and displaying the transferred data on a control unit of said data terminal device.

14. A hand held phone which is connected to a data terminal device having a predetermined communication control function required for performing a mobile data communication, has a function of transmitting transmission data of said data terminal device to a base station via a radio channel, and receiving reception data coming from the base station via the radio channel and transferring the reception data to said data terminal device, and comprises a battery as a power supply, comprising:

battery monitoring means for monitoring a state of the battery while a mode for the mobile data communication is set; and

battery monitoring data transfer means for transferring the monitoring data obtained by said battery monitoring data to said data terminal device, and displaying the transferred data on said data terminal device.

15. A hand held phone which is connected to a data terminal device having a predetermined communication control function required for performing a mobile data communication, and has a function of transmitting transmission data of said data terminal device to a base station via a radio channel, and receiving reception data coming from the base station via the radio channel and transferring the reception data to said data terminal device, comprising:

power-OFF request output means for, when an operation for turning off a power supply of said hand held phone is performed while a mode for the mobile data communication is set, outputting a power-OFF request to said data terminal device; and

first power-OFF control means for, when a power-OFF instruction is sent back from said data terminal device after said power-OFF request output means outputs the power-OFF request, turning off the power supply of said hand held phone, and for, when a power-ON instruction is sent back, maintaining the power supply of said hand held phone in an ON state.

16. A hand held phone according to claim 15, further comprising second power-OFF control means for, when neither the power-OFF instruction nor the power-ON instruction are sent back within a predetermined period of time after the power-OFF request is output to said data terminal device, turning off the power supply of said hand held phone.

17. A data terminal device which comprises a control unit having a control function of performing a mobile data communication with a data terminal device of a communication partner via a hand held phone and a base station connected to the hand held phone via a radio channel, and a modem unit for connecting said control unit and the hand held phone and performing an interface operation for the mobile data communication under the control of said control unit, comprising:

reception quality display control means for, when measurement data of a received signal strength is transferred from the hand held phone, generating information representing reception quality on the basis of the transferred measurement data, and displaying the information on said control unit.

18. A data terminal device which comprises a control unit having a control function of performing a mobile data communication with a data terminal device of a communication partner via a hand held phone and a base station connected to the hand held phone via a radio channel, and a modem unit for connecting said control unit and the hand held phone and performing an interface operation for the mobile data communication under the control of said control unit, comprising:

battery information display control means for, when monitoring data representing a battery state of the hand held phone is transferred from the hand held phone, generating information representing the battery state of the hand held phone on the basis of the transferred monitoring data, and displaying the information on a display unit of said control unit.

19. A hand held phone for use in a radio system, wherein the hand held phone is connected with a base station over radio channels, and further connected with a data terminal device having a predetermined communication control function required for performing a mobile data communication, the hand held phone transmits forward data from the data terminal device to the base station over a first one of the radio channels and receives reverse data from the base station over a second one of the radio channels and transfers the received reverse data to the data terminal device, comprising:

measurement means for measuring a strength of the received reverse data while a mode for the mobile data communication is set;

transfer means for transferring the measured strength to the data terminal device;

control means for controlling a display unit of the data terminal device to display the transferred data.

20. A hand held phone for use in a radio system, wherein the hand held phone is connected with a base station over radio channels, and further connected with a data terminal device having a predetermined communication control function required for performing a mobile data communication, the hand held phone transmits forward data from the data terminal device to the base station over a first one of the radio channels and receives reverse data from the base station over a second one of the radio channels and transfers the received reverse data to the data terminal device, comprising:

battery monitoring means for monitoring a state of the battery;

transfer means for transferring the monitored state to the data terminal device; and

causing means for causing a display of the terminal device to display the transferred data.

21. A hand held phone, coupled to a data terminal separated from the hand held phone, for transmitting data received from the data terminal to a base station via a radio channel and receiving data from the base station via the radio channel and transferring the received data to said data terminal, the data terminal for performing a predetermined communication control function necessary for mobile data communication, said hand held phone comprising:

a signal strength detector for measuring a received signal strength of a radio channel received while a mobile data communication mode is active; and

a control circuit responsive to the signal strength detector for transferring measured signal strength data to the data terminal, the data terminal displaying reception quality based on the measured signal strength data.

22. The hand held phone of claim 21, where the mobile data communication mode is a cellular digital packet data mode.

23. A data terminal comprising:

a control unit having a control function of performing a mobile data communication via a hand held phone separated from the data terminal and a base station connected to the hand held phone via a radio channel with a data terminal of a communication partner;

a modem for interfacing said control unit and the hand held phone for the mobile data communication responsive to said control unit; and

a display control circuit, responsive to measured signal strength data received from the hand held phone, for generating information representing reception quality based on the measured signal strength data and displaying the generated information on said control unit.

24. The data terminal of claim 23, where the mobile data communication is a cellular digital packet data communication.