Abstract:
A mobile terminal retains a communication device allocation priority table in which the allocation priorities of communication devices to respective applications are recorded for each of the communication devices mounted to the mobile terminal. The allocation priorities are determined from the combination of the types of an application and the operation state of the application. The mobile terminal allocates the communication devices to the applications in accordance with the priority orders recorded in the allocation priority table. The allocation priorities recorded in the communication device allocation priority table are varied in accordance with the operation states of the applications and the presence/absence of an alternate device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present information relates to a mobile terminal such as a car navigation system, and more particularly to a mobile terminal provided with plural communication devices and capable of appropriately allocating the communication devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Patent Document 1 describes a communication terminal device which can use plural communication channels between itself and another communication terminal and which performs communication using communication identifiers for specifying communication channels. When a terminal application is activated, the communication terminal device communicates with the counterpart communication terminal using plural communication identifiers to collect information, such as response times and loss rates, representing communication quality of plural communication channels and determines, based on the collected information, a communication channel to be used. 
         [0003]    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-324945 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In the patent document 1, a communication device allocation system is described which is aimed at enabling communication using an optimum communication channel selected, reflecting varying communication environments, for a specific application. The patent document 1, however, does not discuss allocation control for allocating plural communication devices to plural applications. According to the patent document 1, therefore, allocation control which can be performed without impeding the operations of active applications cannot be realized (problem 1), and allocation control which can effectively utilize an unused communication device cannot be realized, either (problem 2). 
         [0005]    An object of the present invention is to provide communication device allocation control which can be performed without impeding the operations of active applications. 
         [0006]    Another object of the present invention is to provide communication device allocation control which can effectively utilize an unused communication device. 
         [0007]    According to the present invention, a mobile terminal mounted with plural communication devices holds a communication device allocation priority table corresponding to each of the plural communication devices. In the communication device allocation priority table, the priorities for allocating the corresponding communication device to different applications are recorded. The communication device allocation priorities are determined according to combinations of application types and the operating states of applications. The mobile terminal allocates the communication device to an application in accordance with the priorities recorded in the allocation priority table. The communication device allocation priorities recorded in the communication device allocation priority table are updated according to the operating states of applications and the availability of alternative communication devices. 
         [0008]    According to the present invention, when determining the priorities for allocating a communication device to applications, the operating states of the applications can be taken into consideration so as to realize communication device allocation control which can be performed without impeding the operations of active applications. 
         [0009]    Also, according to the present invention, to realize communication device allocation control which can effectively utilize an unused communication device, when there are plural communication devices which can be used to realize an application, that is, when an alternative communication device is available for an application, a low allocation priority is set for such an application. In this way, when competition for using a communication device occurs between plural applications, the alternative communication device can be allocated to an application which can use an alternative communication device. 
         [0010]    According to the present invention, even when an event as cited below occurs, a mobile terminal, for example, a car navigation system mounted with plural wireless communication means such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), WiMAX (registered trademark), UWB (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark) devices does not impede the operations of applications which make use of communication devices and can effectively utilize communication devices not being used by applications. The event may be, for example, operation by the user of an external device, for example, a cellular phone or a music player, moving out of a wireless communication area, for example, by moving away from a wireless communication base station, or a change in a state of an external device, for example, arrival of a call at a cellular phone occurs. 
         [0011]    Namely, the present invention can realize communication device allocation control which does not impede the operations of active applications. 
         [0012]    Also, the present invention can realize communication device allocation control which can effectively utilize an unused communication device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of a terminal according to the present mode of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing a system configuration according to the present mode of the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of processing of a section of controlling allocation of a plurality of communication devices according to the present mode of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram for an application/communication device correspondence table according to the present mode of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram for allocation processing starting events according to the present mode of the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram for a communication device allocation priority table according to the present mode of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory diagram for a first embodiment of the present mode of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is an explanatory diagram for the first embodiment of the present mode of the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is an explanatory diagram for a second embodiment of the present mode of the invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is an explanatory diagram for the second embodiment of the present mode of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    The best mode of the present invention will be described below. 
       Hardware Configuration  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a hardware configuration diagram of a mobile terminal. 
         [0025]    The mobile terminal includes a CPU  51 , a main memory  53 , a nonvolatile storage device  55 , a wireless communication device  57  for exchanging data with other terminals by wireless communication, an input/,output device  52  (e.g. a display, speaker, or touch panel) used to input/output data from/to, for example, a listener, viewer, or operator, and a GPS device  60  which are interconnected via a communication line  59 , for example, a bus. 
         [0026]    The CPU  51  performs various kinds of processing by reading programs stored in the storage device  55  into the main memory  53  and executing the programs. Such programs and data may be stored in the storage device  55  beforehand or inputted from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or downloaded from another device via a network. The functions to be realized by the programs may alternatively be realized by specialized hardware. 
       Overall Configuration 
       [0027]      FIG. 2  shows an overall configuration according to the present mode. 
         [0028]    The mobile terminal  1  is a terminal mounted on a mobile object such as a vehicle or carried by a pedestrian. 
         [0029]    The mobile terminal  1  is provided with plural wireless communication devices  57 - 1 ,  57 - 2 , and  57 - 3  which may include, for example, Wi-F , WiMAX, Bluetooth, or UWB devices. The mobile terminal  1  is connected by such wireless communication devices to, for example, a base station  35 , a portable music player  37 , a portable terminal  39  which may be a PDA, or a cellular phone  40 . The base station (access point)  35  is a base station for Wi-Fi/WiMAX wireless communication based on IEEE802. The mobile terminal  1  can wirelessly communicate with the base station (access point)  35 , so that it can connect, via the base station and a communication line  33  which may be Internet, to a management terminal. 
         [0030]    The storage device  55  included in the mobile terminal  1  stores programs included in a section of managing the states of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications  7 , a section of controlling allocation of a plurality of communication devices  11 , and a section of managing allocation priority table of communication devices  12 , and data included in a section of storing the states of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications  9 , a section of storing correspondence table of applications and communication devices  13 , and a section of storing allocation priority table of communication devices  17 . 
         [0031]    The section of managing a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications  7  collects, from the device drivers for the wireless communication devices  57 - 1 ,  57 - 2 , and  57 - 3 , information on the states of plural communication devices and applications, for example, information as to whether wireless connection processing has been completed/uncompleted or data communication is being performed and stores the collected information in the section of storing the states of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications  9  in a table format (table of managing the states of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications) including records indicating such states, communication device names and names of applications using the communication devices. The device drivers communicate with the corresponding devices via an I/O port and determines, based on the bit strings received from the devices, the states of the corresponding devices and applications. In the case of a Bluetooth communication device, for example, whether the device is in a state of having finished or not having finished Bluetooth profile connection processing or whether the device is engaged in data communication is determined and the determined state is stored in the section of storing a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications  9 . The communication devices/applications management section  7  may set correspondence between Bluetooth profile types such as HFP (Hands Free Profile), DUN (Dial Up Network Profile), and OPP (Object Push Profile) and application types to manage such correspondence information together with the device/application states and use the information in determining the operating states of applications to be stored in the section of storing the stat of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications  9 . 
       Outline of System Operation 
       [0032]    The operation of the mobile terminal  1  will be outlined below. 
         [0033]    When an event listed in a table  90  shown in  FIG. 5  occurs, the mobile terminal  1  starts a flow of processing for controlling communication device allocation to plural applications to operate in the mobile terminal  1 .  FIG. 3  shows a basic processing flow performed, upon occurrence of an event, by the section of controlling allocation of a plurality of communication devices  11 . 
         [0034]    The following description is based on the assumption that applications (A) and (B) are operable in the mobile terminal  1  and that application (B) is currently using communication device (C). 
         [0035]    Also assume that the applications (A) and (B) are for hands-free calling and music reproduction, respectively, and that the communication device (C) is a Bluetooth communication device. 
         [0036]    The allocation control section  11  starts processing upon occurrence of an event listed in FIG. 
         [0037]    When, for example, a call arrival event occurs at the application (A) (for hands-free calling), the application (A) issues a request for using a communication device to the allocation control section  11 . 
         [0038]    When a request for using a communication device is received from the application (A), the allocation control section  11  refers to a predefined application/communication device correspondence table  86  and selects a communication device whose utilization priority  85  is the highest among the communication devices compatible with the application (A). Namely, when there are plural communication devices compatible with an application, the allocation control section  11  selects a communication device to be allocated to the application according to their utilization priorities  85 . When there is only one communication device compatible with an application, the communication device is selected regardless of its utilization priority  85 . ( 61 ) 
         [0039]    The allocation control section  11  refers to a table in which conditions for utilization competition occurrence are defined and also to the section of managing the states of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications  7  to check the state of use by any application of the communication device (C) allocation of which is requested by the application (A). By doing so, the allocation control section  11  determines whether or not any condition for utilization competition occurrence is met, i.e. whether or not competition for using the communication device (C) occurs among plural applications (device cannot be used simultaneously by plural applications). ( 63 ) 
         [0040]    When it is determined that no such utilization competition occurs, the allocation control section  11  allocates the communication device (C) to the application (A). ( 65 ) 
         [0041]    When it is determined that utilization competition occurs, the allocation control section  11  refers to a communication device allocation priority table  97  corresponding to the communication device (C) and determines an application to which the communication device (C) is to be allocated according to the allocation priorities that are set based on application types and application operating states. ( 67 ) 
         [0042]    When the allocation priority of the application (A) is higher than that of the application (B) currently using the communication device (C), the current allocation of the communication device (C) to the application (B) is canceled and the communication device (C) is allocated to the application (A). ( 69 ) 
         [0043]    When the allocation priority of the application (A) is lower than that of the application (B) currently using the communication device (C), the application (A) requests for allocation of a communication device whose priority for the application (A) listed in the application/communication device correspondence table  86  is the second highest. ( 61  re-executed) 
         [0044]    When the communication device (C) being used by the application (B) is allocated to another application, the application (B) requests the allocation control section  11  to allocate another communication device. 
       Application/Communication Device Correspondence Table 
       [0045]      FIG. 4  shows an application/communication device correspondence table. 
         [0046]    The application/communication device correspondence table lists application types  81  indicating type of applications which make use of communication, device types  83  of wireless communication devices which can be used to realize the application types, and their utilization priorities  85 . 
         [0047]    The utilization priorities  85  are referred to, when there are plural communication devices compatible with a single application, to determine a communication device to be allocated to the application. 
         [0048]    According to  FIG. 4 , for example, the music stream reproduction application can use wireless communication devices, &lt;1&gt; Bluetooth A2DP profile and &lt;2&gt; Wi-Fi, with &lt;1&gt; higher in priority than &lt;2&gt;. 
       Communication Device Allocation Priority Table  
       [0049]      FIG. 6  shows a communication device allocation priority table  97 . 
         [0050]    A communication device allocation priority table is defined for each wireless communication device (for each of  57 - 1 ,  57 - 2 , and  57 - 3 ). 
         [0051]    In the communication device allocation priority table  97 , combinations of application types  95  and the operating states  93  of the corresponding applications are defined, and the defined combinations are assigned communication device allocation priorities  91 . For example, the communication device allocation priority table shown in FIG.  6  concerns a Bluetooth communication device. &lt;1&gt; When the application operating state is “calling”, the Bluetooth communication device is allocated, with priority 1, to the hands-free calling application. &lt;2&gt; When the application operating state is “reproducing”, the Bluetooth communication device is allocated, with priority 2, to the music reproducing application. When communication device utilization competition occurs, &lt;1&gt; takes priority over &lt;2&gt;. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0052]    An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to  FIG. 7 . 
         [0053]    A mobile terminal  1  includes a Wi-Fi communication device, a UWB communication device, and a Bluetooth communication device. 
         [0054]    The mobile terminal  1  is provided with a rear-seat video reproduction application for transmitting video to a rear-seat monitor  103  by Wi-Fi or UWB communication, a proximity detection application using a UWB communication function, and a probe application for transmitting vehicle information to a center terminal via a data communication network formed by coupling, using a Bluetooth communication function, with a cellular phone or formed, via a Wi-Fi base station, using a Wi-Fi communication function. 
         [0055]    In a case where video is being transmitted to the rear-seat monitor by the rear-seat video reproduction application using the UWB communication function and a probe is being uploaded to the center by the probe application using the Wi-Fi communication function in infrastructure mode, when it becomes necessary to activate the proximity detection application that uses the UWB communication function to assist parking of a vehicle in which the mobile terminal is mounted and which is being moved to a parking space (occurrence of an event corresponding to item  5  in the table shown in  FIG. 5 ), competition for using the UWB communication function occurs. 
         [0056]    In this case, communication device allocation control is performed based on the communication device allocation priority table shown in  FIG. 8  and the control flowchart shown in  FIG. 3 . The control flow will be concretely described below. 
       &lt;Step 1&gt; 
       [0057]    (START in control flow shown in  FIG. 3 ) 
         [0058]    In a case where, as described above, competition for using the UWB communication function occurs ( 61  to  63  in  FIG. 3 ), the section of controlling allocation of a plurality of communication devices  11  refers to the communication device allocation priority table (UWB)  98  and, in accordance with the priorities listed in the table, allocates the right to use the UWB communication function being used by the rear-seat video reproduction application to the proximity detection application ( 67  to  69  in  FIG. 3 ). (END in control flow shown in  FIG. 3 ) 
       &lt;Step 2&gt; 
       [0059]    (START in control flow shown in  FIG. 3 ) 
         [0060]    Next, the allocation control section  11  selects, based on the application/communication device correspondence table, a communication device which can be allocated to the rear-seat video reproduction application that has lost the right to use the UWB communication function. ( 61  in  FIG. 3 ) 
         [0061]    The allocation control section  11  selects the Wi-Fi communication device as a candidate for allocation to the rear-seat video reproduction application and determines whether competition for using the Wi-Fi communication device occurs. The allocation control section  11  determines, because the infrastructure mode to be used by the probe application and the ad-hoc mode to be used by the rear-seat video reproduction application can be set only mutually exclusively, that competition for using the Wi-Fi communication device occurs. ( 63  in  FIG. 3 ) 
         [0062]    The allocation control section  11  refers to the operating state of the rear-seat video reproduction state indicated in the table of managing the states of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications. Because competition for using the Wi-Fi communication device occurs, the allocation control section  11  refers to the communication device allocation priority table (Wi-Fi) and determines whether the Wi-Fi communication device can be allocated to the rear-seat video reproduction application. ( 67  in  FIG. 3 ) 
         [0063]    When the state of operation of the rear-seat monitor video transmission application is reproducing/transmitting, the allocation control section  11  allocates the right to use the Wi-Fi communication function to the rear-seat monitor video transmission application. 
         [0064]    When the state of operation of the rear-seat monitor video transmission application is stopped/transmission stopped, the allocation control section  11  allocates the right to use the Wi-Fi communication function not to the rear-seat monitor video transmission application but to the probe application. 
         [0065]    As described above, the present invention enables communication device re-allocation control without impeding operation of the rear-seat monitor video transmission application. (END in control flow shown in  FIG. 3 ) 
       Second Embodiment  
       [0066]    An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 9 . 
         [0067]    A mobile terminal  1  includes a Wi-Fi communication device and a Bluetooth communication device. 
         [0068]    A music player  37  is provided with a Bluetooth communication device, and a cellular phone  40  is provided with a Bluetooth communication device and a Wi-Fi communication device. 
         [0069]    The mobile terminal  1  is provided with a music stream reproduction application for reproducing a music stream transmitted from the music player  37  using a Bluetooth communication function and a phone directory data transfer application for transferring phone directory data from the cellular phone  40  using a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication function. 
         [0070]    In the present case, communication device allocation control is performed based on the communication device allocation priority table shown in  FIG. 10  and the control flowchart shown in  FIG. 3 . The control flow will be concretely described blow. 
         [0071]    In a case where, while phone directory data is being transmitted by the phone directory data transfer application using the Bluetooth communication function, the music stream reproduction application has started operation to reproduce a music data stream (START in  FIG. 3 ) using the Bluetooth communication function thereby causing competition for using the Bluetooth communication device ( 63  in  FIG. 3 ), the allocation control section  11  refers to the table of managing the states of a plurality of communication devices and a plurality of applications to check whether the Wi-Fi communication device is available for use. 
       &lt;When Wi-Fi Communication Device is not Available&gt; 
       [0072]    When the Wi-Fi communication device included in the mobile terminal  1  is not available, for example, because it is connected with an access point or because of frequency interference, the communication device allocation control section  11  allocates the right to use the Bluetooth communication function to the music stream reproduction application based on a communication device allocation priority table  123  for the Bluetooth communication device. 
       &lt;When Wi-Fi Communication Device is Available&gt; 
       [0073]    When the Wi-Fi communication device included in the mobile terminal  1  is available for use by the phone directory data transfer application, the section of managing allocation priority table of communication devices  12  determines that there is an alternative communication device which can be used, instead of the Bluetooth communication device, by the phone directory data transfer application, and updates the communication device allocation priority table for the Bluetooth communication device as shown in Table  125 . 
         [0074]    The communication device allocation control section  11  refers to the updated communication device allocation priority table and, following the communication device allocation processing flow, allocates the right to use the Bluetooth communication function to the phone directory data transfer application. The communication device allocation control section  11 , following the communication device allocation processing flow, allocates the Wi-Fi communication function to the music stream reproduction application to which the Bluetooth communication function has been determined unavailable. 
         [0075]    Thus, the present invention enables effective utilization of an alternative device. ( 67  to  69  in  FIG. 3 ) (END in  FIG. 3 ) 
         [0076]    Note that the present invention is not limited to a vehicle-mounted terminal. 
         [0077]    The mobile terminal according to the present invention can be applied to a car navigation system.