Patent ID: 7787874
Filing Date: 2010-08-31
Classification: H04M,H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A portable electronic device comprising: a public line wireless communication circuit having a communication function of performing wireless communication with a public network; a LAN wireless communication circuit having a communication function of performing wireless data communication with a local area network; an information acquisition unit that performs short-range wireless communication with an information supply device which supplies information; and a communication controller which enables or disables the communication function of the LAN wireless communication circuit in accordance with a communication of the information acquisition unit with the information supply device, wherein priorities, each indicating a degree that the public line wireless communication circuit or the LAN wireless communication circuit is preferentially used in performing wireless communication, are allocated to the public line wireless communication circuit and the LAN wireless communication circuit, respectively, and the communication controller has a function of changing the respective priorities of the public line wireless communication circuit and the LAN wireless communication circuit, based on whether the device is determined to be inside or outside of a building, when the information acquisition unit notifies the communication controller of the communication with the information supply device, such that the changing of the priorities comprises: setting the priority of the LAN wireless communication circuit higher than that of the public line wireless communication circuit and prioritizing use of the LAN wireless communication circuit when the device is determined to be inside the building, raising the priority of the public line wireless communication circuit and prioritizing use of the public line wireless communication circuit when the device is determined to be outside the building or the LAN wireless communication circuit is disabled for more than a predetermined time, and raising the priority of the LAN wireless communication circuit and prioritizing use of the LAN wireless communication circuit when both the LAN wireless communication circuit and the public line wireless communication circuit are enabled and the device is determined to be inside the building.