Conversation system, mobile information terminal, conversation program, and conversation method

The present invention relates to a conversation system performed between a plurality of mobile information terminals that perform communication conforming to a short-range data communication standard, a mobile information terminal that performs communication conforming to a short-range data communication standard, and other mobile information terminals. For mobile information terminals that perform telephone communication with machines, conversation programs that allow mobile information terminals to perform communication conforming to short-range data communication standards, and mobile information terminals that perform telephone communication with other mobile information terminals. Conversation programs that enable communication conforming to short-range data communication standards, conversation methods that enable communication conforming to short-range data communication standards performed on mobile information terminals, and telephone communication with other mobile information terminals It relates to a conversation method for making a communication conforming to a short-range data communication standard performed by a portable information terminal.

In recent years, mobile phones equipped with a wireless communication method called Bluetooth (Bluetooth) have become widespread for the purpose of making mobile phones more enjoyable and making life more comfortable. Bluetooth aims to easily connect devices such as mobile phones wirelessly, and this wireless communication uses the band of 2.45 GHz (gigahertz) and is a wireless data communication technology for a short distance of about 10 m. .. As a method of using a mobile phone equipped with this Bluetooth, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a person inside the vehicle and a person outside the vehicle use a dedicated vehicle interphone with the vehicle window closed. With the task of enabling conversations without having to do so, Bluetooth wireless communication is performed between the mobile phone and the hands-free device, and the transmitted voice input by the microphone of the hands-free device is transmitted to another mobile phone. At the same time, the received voice received from the other mobile phone is output from the speaker of the hands-free device, and the call processing by the hands-free call and the transmitted voice input by the microphone of the hands-free device are received from the speaker of the mobile phone. There is a call system using a mobile phone and a hands-free device that switches between call processing by an interphone call in which the transmitted voice input by the microphone of the mobile phone is output as the received voice from the speaker of the hands-free device. .. However, as a mobile phone equipped with Bluetooth, it does not go beyond the range of hands-free headsets, and the current situation is that Bluetooth is not always effectively utilized.

In addition, there is an application that allows participants to have text-based conversations in real time, which is called chat. As a chat (conversation) system using a mobile phone, for example, as described in Patent Document 2, it is an object to provide a chat system capable of chatting with a desired partner in real time, and from the mobile phone to a server. If you notify the other party's mobile phone number you want to chat with and request a chat, the server will send a chat request to the other party's mobile phone you want to chat with, and the other party who received the chat request will respond at your convenience. If the other party has a request permission, the server sends the request permission to the requesting side, sends the participant list to all the participants, the chat mode is established, and when the server receives the message from the participant, the server sends that message. There is a chat system that sends a message to all participants, displays the message content on the display of each participant's mobile phone, and allows the other party to join the chat from the middle. However, this is not the case when chatting via short-range communication such as Bluetooth.<patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-171336</text></patcit><patcit num="2"><text>Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-132694</text></patcit>

<p> By the way, although mobile phones are communication tools, you cannot enjoy conversation unless you know the other party in advance. In addition, recently, communication by e-mail has been widely and generally performed, and information transmission mainly by text has been performed without any discomfort, and rather, the fun of communication by text has begun to be recognized. However, even with a mobile phone equipped with a text input means, it was not possible to have a text-based chat (conversation) between short distances. Also, even if it is a chat between short distances, if you let them participate in the chat without knowing the current state of the other party, the conversation situation will not proceed and you will not be able to communicate. I will end up. Furthermore, in the case of chat using short-range communication technology, the distance that the communication can be performed is limited, and the conventional chat system has not considered how to respond when a chat participant goes out of the service area. The present invention has been made by paying attention to the problems of such a conventional technique, and easily communicates with another person by using a short-range communication technique such as Bluetooth on a mobile information terminal such as a mobile phone. A conversation system that allows you to check the current state of the other party, or to respond when a chat participant goes out of the range of short-distance communication. It is intended to provide personal digital assistants, conversation programs and conversation methods.</p>

<p> The gist of the present invention for achieving such an object lies in the inventions of the following items. [1] A conversation system performed between multiple personal digital assistants that communicate in compliance with short-range data communication standards. One of the personal digital assistants can communicate in accordance with short-range data communication standards. By the search means for searching another mobile information terminal, the state acquisition means for acquiring the name and state information transmitted from the other mobile information terminal in response to the search by the search means, and the state acquisition means. Of the status display means for displaying the status of the other mobile information terminal and the other mobile information terminal displayed by the status display means according to the acquired name and status information, according to the instruction of the operator. The other mobile information terminal is provided with a conversation partner selection means for selecting a conversation partner and a first conversation means for conducting a conversation by communicating with the other mobile information terminal selected by the conversation partner selection means. The machine detects whether or not to reply to the search instruction from the search means of one of the portable information terminals, and if it is judged by the judgment means, the current state of the own machine is detected. Detection means and It is provided with a transmission means for transmitting the state detected by the detection means to the one mobile information terminal and a second conversation means for having a conversation by communicating with the one mobile information terminal. A conversation system featuring.</p><p> [2] A search means for searching for another portable information terminal that performs communication conforming to the short-range data communication standard and capable of communication conforming to the short-range data communication standard, and the search means. The state acquisition means for acquiring the name and state information transmitted from the other mobile information terminal according to the search, and the other mobile information terminal according to the name and state information acquired by the state acquisition means. A state display means for displaying the state of the above, a conversation partner selection means for selecting a conversation partner according to an operator's instruction among the other portable information terminals displayed by the status display means, and the conversation partner selection means. A personal digital assistant provided with a means of conversation for having a conversation by communicating with the other personal digital assistant selected by.</p><p> [3] A mobile information terminal that communicates in accordance with the short-range data communication standard, and a judgment means for determining whether or not to reply to a search instruction from another mobile information terminal, and a reply by the above-mentioned judgment means. If so, a detection means for detecting the current state of the own machine, a transmission means for transmitting the state detected by the detection means to the other mobile information terminal, and the other mobile information. A personal digital assistant characterized by being provided with a means of conversation for having a conversation by communicating with the terminal.</p><p> [4] A short-range data communication means that is a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal and can perform communication conforming to a short-range data communication standard, and the short-range data communication means. A conversation method that enables conversations between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have communication functions that comply with the same type of short-range data communication standards. A portable information terminal characterized by being equipped.</p><p> [5] A short-range data communication means that is a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal and is capable of performing communication conforming to a short-range data communication standard, and the short-range data communication means. As a means of conversation that enables conversations between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with other personal digital assistants that have the same type of short-range data communication standard-compliant communication function. A personal digital assistant, characterized in that it is provided with an exit means that is regarded as an exit from a conversation by the conversational means when communication with the other mobile information terminal becomes impossible.</p><p> [6] A short-range data communication means that is a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal and can perform communication conforming to a short-range data communication standard, and the short-range data communication means. As a means of conversation that enables conversations between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have communication functions that comply with the same type of short-range data communication standards. , A portable information terminal provided with a conversation termination means for ending a conversation by the conversation means when the number of participants in the conversation by the conversation means becomes one.</p><p> [7] A conversation program that allows a personal digital assistant to perform communication conforming to a short-range data communication standard, and another personal digital assistant capable of communicating according to a short-distance data communication standard. A search function for searching a personal digital assistant, a state acquisition function for acquiring name and state information transmitted from another personal digital assistant in response to a search by the search function, and a state acquisition function for acquiring the state information. Of the status display function that displays the status of the other personal digital assistant according to the name and status information and the other personal digital assistant that is displayed by the status display function, the conversation is performed according to the instruction of the operator. A conversation program characterized by realizing a conversation partner selection function for selecting a partner and a conversation function for having a conversation by communicating with the other mobile information terminal selected by the conversation partner selection function.</p><p> [8] A conversation program that allows a mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard, and returns the mobile information terminal to a search instruction from another mobile information terminal. A judgment function for determining whether or not, and a detection function for detecting the current state of the own machine when it is determined to reply by the judgment function, and the other mobile information terminal for the state detected by the detection function. A conversation program characterized by realizing a transmission function of transmitting to a machine and a conversation function of having a conversation by communicating with the other personal digital assistant.</p><p> [9] A conversation program that allows a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard. Other mobile information that has a short-range data communication function that can perform communication conforming to the data communication standard and a communication function that conforms to the same type of short-range data communication standard by using the short-range data communication function. A conversation program characterized by realizing a conversation function that enables conversations between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with the terminal.</p><p> [10] A conversation program that allows a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard. Other mobile information that has a short-range data communication function that can perform communication conforming to the data communication standard and a communication function that conforms to the same type of short-range data communication standard by using the short-range data communication function. From the conversation function that enables conversation between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with the terminal, and if communication with the other mobile information terminal becomes impossible, the conversation using the conversation function A conversation program characterized by realizing an exit function that is regarded as an exit of.</p><p> [11] A conversation program that allows a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard, and is a conversation program that allows the mobile information terminal to perform short-range communication. Other mobile information that has a short-range data communication function that can perform communication conforming to the data communication standard and a communication function that conforms to the same type of short-range data communication standard by using the short-range data communication function. A conversation function that enables conversations between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with the terminal, and a conversation using the conversation function when there is only one participant in the conversation using the conversation function. A conversation program characterized by realizing a conversation end function.</p><p> [12] This is a conversation method that allows communication in accordance with the short-range data communication standard performed by a personal digital assistant, and the personal digital assistant can perform communication in accordance with the short-range data communication standard. The terminal is searched, the name and status information transmitted from the other mobile information terminal are acquired according to the search, and the other mobile information terminal is acquired according to the acquired name and status information. A status is displayed, a conversation partner is selected from the displayed other mobile information terminals according to the instruction of the operator, and a conversation is performed by communicating with the selected other mobile information terminal. A conversational method characterized by doing.</p><p> [13] This is a conversation method for performing communication conforming to the short-range data communication standard performed on a mobile information terminal, and whether or not the mobile information terminal responds to a search instruction from another mobile information terminal. If it is determined that a reply is made, the current state of the own device is detected, the detected state is transmitted to the other mobile information terminal, and the other mobile information terminal is used. A conversation method characterized by having a conversation by communicating.</p><p> [14] A conversation method in which communication is performed in accordance with a short-range data communication standard performed by a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal, and the mobile information terminal is the short-range data. By using communication compliant with the communication standard and bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have the same type of short-range data communication standard compliant communication function, conversations between operators can be performed. A conversation method characterized by being able to do it.</p><p> [15] A conversation method in which communication is performed in accordance with a short-range data communication standard performed by a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal, and the mobile information terminal is the short-range data. By using communication compliant with the communication standard and bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have the same type of short-range data communication standard compliant communication function, conversations between operators can be performed. A conversation method characterized in that when communication with the other mobile information terminal becomes impossible, it is regarded as an exit from the conversation by the conversation function.</p><p> [16] A conversation method in which communication is performed in accordance with a short-range data communication standard performed by a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal, and the mobile information terminal is the short-range data. Conversation between operators can be achieved by bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have the same type of short-range data communication standard-compliant communication function using communication that conforms to the communication standard. A conversation method characterized in that when the number of participants in a conversation using the conversation function becomes one, the conversation using the conversation function is terminated.</p><p> The present invention works as follows. The conversation system, personal digital assistant, conversation program, and conversation method in the present invention perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard. In one of the personal digital assistants of the conversation system performed between multiple personal digital assistants, the search means searches for another personal digital assistant capable of communicating in accordance with the short-range data communication standard, and the state acquisition means is , The name and state information transmitted from another mobile information terminal are acquired in response to the search by the search means, and the state display means obtains the name and state information acquired by the state acquisition means. The status of the mobile information terminal is displayed, and the conversation partner selection means selects the conversation partner from the other mobile information terminals displayed by the status display means according to the instruction of the operator, and the first conversation. The means conducts a conversation by communicating with the other mobile information terminal selected by the conversation partner selection means. In the other mobile information terminal, the determination means determines whether or not to reply to the search instruction from the search means of the one mobile information terminal, and when it is determined that the detection means replies by the determination means, , The current state of the own machine is detected, the transmitting means transmits the state detected by the detecting means to the one mobile information terminal, and the second conversation means is with the one mobile information terminal. Have a conversation by communicating. This makes it easier to communicate with other people. In particular, when chatting with multiple people, mainly characters, it becomes possible to check the current state of the other party.</p><p> Further, the search means of the mobile information terminal searches for another mobile information terminal capable of communicating in accordance with the short-range data communication standard, and the state acquisition means searches for another mobile information terminal according to the search by the search means. The name and status information transmitted from the user are acquired, the status display means displays the status of the other mobile information terminal according to the name and status information acquired by the status acquisition means, and the conversation partner selection means Among the other mobile information terminals displayed by the status display means, a conversation partner is selected according to the instruction of the operator, and the conversation means is the other mobile information terminal selected by the conversation partner selection means. Have a conversation by communicating. This makes it easy to communicate with other people. In particular, when chatting with multiple people, mainly characters, it becomes possible to check the current state of the other party.</p><p> In addition, the determination means of the mobile information terminal determines whether or not to reply to the search instruction from another mobile information terminal, and if it is determined that the detection means responds by the determination means, the current own device The state is detected, the transmitting means transmits the state detected by the detecting means to the other mobile information terminal, and the talking means communicates with the other mobile information terminal to have a conversation. This makes it easy to communicate with other people. In particular, when chatting with multiple people, mainly characters, it becomes possible to send to the other party what kind of state you are currently in.</p><p> Further, the short-range data communication means of the mobile information terminal can perform communication conforming to the short-range data communication standard, and the conversation means conforms to the same kind of short-range data communication standard by using the short-range data communication means. It is possible to have a conversation between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with another mobile information terminal having the same communication function. This makes it easy to communicate with other people.</p><p> Further, the short-range data communication means of the mobile information terminal can perform communication conforming to the short-range data communication standard, and the conversation means uses the short-range data communication means to achieve the same type of short-range data communication standard. By bidirectionally communicating character data with another mobile information terminal having a compliant communication function, it is possible to have a conversation between operators, and the exit means cannot communicate with the other mobile information terminal. If so, it is considered to be an exit from the conversation by the above-mentioned conversation means. This makes it easy to communicate with other people. In particular, it is possible to take measures when a chat participant goes out of the service area of short-range communication.</p><p> Further, the short-range data communication means of the mobile information terminal can perform communication conforming to the short-range data communication standard, and the conversation means uses the short-range data communication means to achieve the same type of short-range data communication standard. A conversation can be made between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with another mobile information terminal having a compliant communication function, and the means for ending the conversation is one participant in the conversation using the above-mentioned conversation means. If this happens, the conversation by the conversation means is terminated. This makes it easy to communicate with other people. In particular, the opportunity to end the conversation can be clarified.</p>

<p> According to the conversation system, the mobile information terminal, the conversation program, and the conversation method according to the present invention, it is possible to easily communicate with another person by using the short-range communication technology of the mobile information terminal. Alternatively, when chatting with multiple people, mainly characters, it becomes possible to check the current state of the other party. Alternatively, it is possible to take measures when the chat participant goes out of the range of short-range communication. Alternatively, the opportunity to end the conversation can be clarified. As a result, chat can be performed using a mobile information terminal, and its operability and convenience are further improved.</p>

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Each figure shows one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of a conceptual module configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. The module generally refers to parts such as software and hardware that can be logically separated. Therefore, the module in this embodiment refers not only to the module in the program but also to the module in the hardware configuration. Therefore, the present embodiment also serves as a description of a program, a system, and a method. In addition, although modules have almost one-to-one correspondence with functions, in implementation, one module may be configured by one program, multiple modules may be configured by one program, and conversely, one module may be configured. It may be composed of a plurality of programs. Also, a plurality of modules may be executed by one computer, or one module may be executed by a computer in a distributed or parallel environment. Further, hereinafter, "connection" includes not only a physical connection but also a logical connection. In addition, the system is configured by connecting a plurality of computers, hardware, devices, etc. via a network or the like, and also includes a case where it is realized by one computer. Hereinafter, a mobile phone will be described as an example of a mobile information terminal, and Bluetooth will be described as an example of communication conforming to a short-distance data communication standard.

The mobile phone 200A and the mobile phone 200B according to the present embodiment chat using Bluetooth communication. The chat here is, for example, a conversation between the operators of the mobile phone 200, mainly using characters in real time using Bluetooth communication, and is performed one-on-one or with a large number of people participating at the same time. In some cases. A chat consists of a mobile phone 200A called the master who first held the chat and a mobile phone 200B called the slave who participated in the chat by a call from the master. Although it is one, there can be multiple mobile phones 200B as slaves. Of course, the mobile phone 200A and the mobile phone 200B often have the same hardware and software, but in the present embodiment, the master side is the mobile phone 200A and the slave side is the mobile phone 200B for explanation. It is explained as.

The mobile phone 200A is the master side of Bluetooth communication, and as shown in Fig. 1, the transmission module 10A, the reception module 11A, the search module 15, the status acquisition module 20, the status display module 25, the conversation partner selection module 30, and the chat application 35A. , Exit module 40, Chat end module 45. The transmission module 10A is connected to the search module 15 and the chat application 35A, and transmits information to the mobile phone 200B on the slave side using Bluetooth communication. The content to be sent is instructed by the search module 15 and the chat application 35A. The receiving module 11A is connected to the status acquisition module 20, the chat application 35A, and the exit module 40, and receives information from the mobile phone 200B on the slave side using Bluetooth communication. The received information is passed to the status acquisition module 20, the chat application 35A, and the exit module 40 according to the contents. The search module 15 is connected to the transmission module 10A and searches for a chat partner. The status acquisition module 20 is connected to the reception module 11A and the status display module 25, processes the information received by the reception module 11A, and passes the result to the status display module 25. That is, in response to the search by the search module 15, the information transmitted from the other mobile phone 200B is received from the receiving module 11A, and the device name and status information of the mobile phone 200B (mail processing, waiting, etc.) are received from the received information. ) Is obtained. As a result, it becomes possible to confirm the current state of the other party capable of Bluetooth communication at the time of chat request, and the master side can consider the timing of the chat request. The status display module 25 is connected to the status acquisition module 20 and the conversation partner selection module 30, and the device name and status of the mobile phone 200B can be changed to the mobile phone 200A according to the device name and status information acquired by the status acquisition module 20. Display on the display 210 of. At that time, a check box is added for each device name so that the operator can select it.

The conversation partner selection module 30 is connected to the status display module 25 and the chat application 35A, and among the mobile phone 200B displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A by the status display module 25, the conversation partner is instructed by the operator. Select the mobile phone 200B that is. The chat application 35A is connected to the transmission module 10A, the reception module 11A, the conversation partner selection module 30, the exit module 40, and the chat end module 45, and performs Bluetooth communication with the mobile phone 200B selected by the conversation partner selection module 30. Chat by. The exit module 40 is connected to the receiving module 11A, the chat application 35A, and the chat ending module 45, and monitors the information from the receiving module 11A, and the mobile phone 200B and the Bluetooth communication are separated from the distance where the Bluetooth communication is possible. If it becomes impossible, it is regarded as an exit from the conversation by the chat application 35A, and the exit process is executed. The chat end module 45 is connected to the exit module 40 and the chat application 35A, and when the exit module 40 receives the information of the exiter, etc., and the number of participants in the conversation by the chat application 35A becomes one, End the chat with the chat application 35A.

The mobile phone 200B is the slave side of Bluetooth communication, and has a transmission module 10B, a reception module 11B, a reception content judgment module 50, a status detection module 55, a status transmission module 60, and a chat application 35B as shown in FIG. .. The transmission module 10B is connected to the status transmission module 60 and the chat application 35B, and transmits information to the mobile phone 200A on the master side using Bluetooth communication. The content to be transmitted is instructed by the status transmission module 60 and the chat application 35B. The reception module 11B is connected to the reception content determination module 50 and the chat application 35B, and receives information from the mobile phone 200A on the master side using Bluetooth communication. The received information is passed to the received content judgment module 50 and the chat application 35B according to the content. The reception content determination module 50 is connected to the reception module 11B and the state detection module 55, and determines whether or not to reply to the search instruction from the search module 15 of the mobile phone 200A. The status detection module 55 is connected to the reception content determination module 50 and the status transmission module 60, and when it is determined by the reception content determination module 50 to reply, the status of the current mobile phone 200B is detected. The detected content is passed to the status transmission module 60. The state transmission module 60 is connected to the transmission module 10B, the state detection module 55, and the chat application 35B, and transmits the state detected by the state detection module 55 to the mobile phone 200A using the transmission module 10B. The chat application 35B is connected to the transmission module 10B, the reception module 11B, and the status transmission module 60, and chats by performing Bluetooth communication with the mobile phone 200A.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone 200 includes a microphone 250 capable of inputting voice so as to have a function as a telephone, a speaker 240 capable of outputting voice, and characters for inputting characters for a telephone number or chat. It has a key 220 as an input device, an antenna 230 for transmitting and receiving radio waves, and a display 210 for displaying the result of character input by the key 220 and the result of receiving. In addition to this, a camera or the like may be provided.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of an internal configuration mainly related to hardware of the mobile phone 200. The mobile phone 200 includes an antenna 230, a telephone communication module 306, a Bluetooth antenna 301, a Bluetooth communication module 302, a key input detection module 303, a CPU 304, and a memory 305. The CPU 304 executes various processes according to the program stored in the memory 305. The memory 305 stores programs, data input from the key input detection module 303, the telephone communication module 306, the Bluetooth communication module 302, and the like. The key input detection module 303 detects the operation of the key 220 by the operator of the mobile phone 200 and stores it in the memory 305. The telephone communication module 306 is connected to the antenna 230 and transmits / receives radio waves for telephone communication. The Bluetooth communication module 302 is connected to the Bluetooth antenna 301 and communicates with another mobile phone 200 by Bluetooth. FIG. 3 shows an example of one-to-one Bluetooth communication, one of which is a master (mobile phone 200A) and the other of which is a slave (mobile phone 200B).

Next, the operation / operation will be described. The operations performed by the operator and the processing of the device in the chat applications 35A and 35B will be described from the start to the end of the chat applications 35A and 35B. (1) The operator of the mobile phone 200A activates the chat application 35A. If this chat application 35A is started for the first time, the operator is requested to set the handle name. If it is the second time or later, the previous handle name will be used. The memory that stores the handle name is null in the initial state, and after setting, it is not erased even if the chat application 35A is terminated, so such processing can be performed. (2) The mobile phone 200A searches for a partner capable of Bluetooth communication. Look for a device equipped with Bluetooth within a distance of about 10m from the mobile phone 200A. (3) If no one can be found within a certain period of time, a message asking the operator whether to search again is displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A. If the operator instructs "Do not search" or "Stop search in the middle", the chat application 35A is terminated.

(4) If a device equipped with Bluetooth is found as a result of the search, the device name of the device is displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A. In that case, it is also possible to display only those whose other party is a mobile phone. This is realized by using this information because it informs what kind of device the own device is during the search Bluetooth communication. It is also possible to display the state of the device (for example, during mail processing, during a telephone call, etc.). This is also realized by using this information because it informs the state of the own machine during the search Bluetooth communication. In addition, when the list is displayed, it is displayed with a check box. This is to select a chat partner from the searched devices. (5) The device you want to chat with is selected according to the instruction of the operator, and the chat is solicited. At this time, it is possible to send a message. Messages (Let's chat!, Everyone get together, etc.) can be selected by displaying them on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A.

(6) After that, the mobile phone 200A waits until a reply is received from the other party. If there is no reply from anyone, the time-out occurs after a certain period of time and the fact that there is no reply is displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A. The operator of the mobile phone 200A can select whether to search for the device again (return to (2) above) or to terminate the chat application 35A. The same applies when everyone refuses to chat. (7) The operation of the mobile phone 200B that has been solicited for chat differs depending on whether the chat application 35B has already been started or the chat application 35B has not been started yet. (7A) When chat application 35B is already started A solicitation message from the master mobile phone 200A is displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200B, and selectable "YES" and "NO" are also displayed. When "YES" is selected by the operator, Bruttooth communication with the mobile phone 200A is performed and a "connection response" is performed. Then, you can enter the chat as a slave. If "NO", the mobile phone 200A will be notified to that effect and will not enter the chat. (7B) When the chat application 35B is not started yet The chat application 35B of the mobile phone 200B is automatically started by the Bluetooth communication from the mobile phone 200A. At that time, for example, "A chat application start request has been received. Do you want to start the chat application?" Is displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200B, and the operator can select "YES" or "NO". prompt. If "YES", the chat application 35B is started. If "NO", the chat application 35B itself will not be started. If there is no operation after a certain period of time, it is treated as "NO". If it is started and it is the first time, the handle name can be set as in (1). Then, as in (7A), the solicitation message from the master mobile phone 200A is displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200B, and selectable "YES" and "NO" are also displayed. When "YES" is selected by the operator, Bruttooth communication with the mobile phone 200A is performed and a "connection response" is performed. Then, you can enter the chat as a slave. If "NO", the mobile phone 200A will be notified to that effect and will not enter the chat.

(8) When the chat is started, the chat display area 212 and the Yes display 214 are displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A or the mobile phone 200B, and the contents of the conversation are displayed on the displays 210 of all the participants. To. Of course, there can be multiple slaves, and three or more people can participate in the chat. There is only one master. The master mobile phone 200A relays all conversations to each slave mobile phone 200B. In other words, the network configuration during chat is a star type centered on the master mobile phone 200A. Therefore, the master mobile phone 200A can control all the communication contents. Even if the slaves are farther than the Bluetooth communication distance, chatting is possible as long as the distance between the master / slave (between the mobile phone 200A and the mobile phone 200B) is within the Bluetooth communication distance. (9) Since this chat uses a mobile phone terminal, chat participants can move freely. Therefore, the distance between the master and the slave may be longer than the Bluetooth communicable distance. In that case, it is considered that you have left the chat. In other words, the chat application 35B is automatically terminated on the exited mobile phone 200B. The master mobile phone 200A detects that Bluetooth communication has become impossible, and the chat application 35A performs exit processing. The exit process removes the exited device from the member and sends a message to other chat participants that the person has exited the chat. Other participants will be popped up to that effect. Even if some chat participants leave, other members can continue chatting. In addition, when all the slaves leave the chat (when they go out of the service area or when the chat application 35B is terminated), the chat is terminated. When the master exits the chat application 35A, the chat ends, even if there are slave participants. Then, the chat participant also automatically ends the chat.

Next, using FIGS. 4 and 5, the chat application 35A controls the Bluetooth communication module 302 to perform Bluetooth communication with another mobile phone 200B via the Bluetooth antenna 301 to perform chat processing. explain. First, the protocolol of Bluetooth communication performed between the mobile phone 200A and the mobile phone 200B will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the transmitting side (master, mobile phone 200A) is on the left side, and the receiving side (slave, mobile phone 200B) is on the right side. Each software has a two-layer structure. On the sender side, there is a "Java (registered trademark) application" and "Bluetooth Master" in the lower layer. On the receiving side, there is a "Java application" and "Bluetooth Slave" in the lower layer. In the initial state, the receiving Java application is not started. First, the Bluetooth application is launched on the mobile phone 200A (step S501). As a result, the service record registration (step S502) and device search (step S503) instructions are issued from the "Java application" to the "Bluetooth Master". A device search is performed by "Bluetooth Master" from the mobile phone 200A side (step S504). In response to this, a response is made from the mobile phone 200B side (step S505).

Upon receiving this response, a Name Request is made from the mobile phone 200A side (step S506). This asks for the device name of the mobile phone 200B that responded. In response, the device name is returned from the mobile phone 200B side (step S507). The mobile phone 200A receives this device name and passes it to the "Java application" (step S508). The "Java application" issues a service search instruction required for Bluetooth communication to the "Bluetooth Master" (step S509). The "service search" is to inquire "whether or not the other party (that is, the receiving mobile phone 200B)" has a chat application ". The "Bluetooth Master" initiates an ACL link connection to the mobile phone 200B (step S511) and requests a service record (step S512). In response, the mobile phone 200B returns a service record (step S513). The mobile phone 200A receives this service record and passes it to the "Java application" (step S514).

From the received information, the "Java application" displays the communication partner on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A, selects the communication partner, and issues a Java startup request (step S510). Meanwhile, the mobile phone 200B requests the service record from the mobile phone 200A (step S515). Mobile phone 200A returns its service record to mobile phone 200B (step S516). Next, a Name Request is made from the mobile phone 200B side (step S517). In response, the device name is returned from the mobile phone 200A side (step S518). When these series of communications are performed, the ACL link is disconnected from the mobile phone 200B side (step S519). Then, on the mobile phone 200B, a Java application, which is an application that has not been started, is started (step S521). Next, a service request is made from the "Java application" on the mobile phone 200A side (step S520), and a service record request is made on the mobile phone 200B side (step S522).

In response, the service record is returned from the mobile phone 200B side (step S523). The service record is passed to the "Java application" on the mobile phone 200A side (step S524). The "Java application" on the mobile phone 200A side makes a connection request (step S525) and sends a Connect Open process to the mobile phone 200B (step S526). On the mobile phone 200B side, this initiates the connection (step S527). After that, both the mobile phone 200A and the mobile phone 200B are notified of the completion of connection to the "Java application" (step S528). Through these series of processes, it is possible to chat between the transmitting side and the receiving side by Bluetooth communication.

An example of a communication procedure between the transmitting side and the receiving side will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the software has a three-layer structure of "Java application", "extended function", and "VM or less" on both the transmitting side (master) and the receiving side (slave). A "Java application" is a chat program that uses Bluetooth communication written in Java. The "extension function" is an extension of Java so that it can perform processing suitable for the mobile phone 200. "Below VM" is a Java virtual machine. The sender and receiver can already chat via Bluetooth communication by following the procedure described in Fig. 4. Both the sending side and the receiving side perform listener registration (step S601, step S602) by the "Java application". Listener registration is to check if a chat message has been sent. You can get the result that the character was sent to the other party. A message is the content of a conversation in a chat. On the sending side, the "Java application" then sends a message, which is the content of the conversation, to the "extension" (step S603). Then, the "extension" returns the identifier of the message to the "Java application" (step S604). In addition, a message is output to "VM or less" (step S605), and the message is sent to the receiving side (step S607). Then, the transmitting side waits for input (step S608). On the other hand, on the receiving side, after step S601, the "extended function" waits for input for "VM or less" (step S606), and puts the transmission from the transmitting side in a waiting state. Then, when the message from the sender (step S607) is received, the return is returned to the "extension" (step S609). The "extended function" outputs an Ack indicating that it has been received (step S610) and returns it to the sender (step S611). The sender receives the Ack from the receiver and returns it to the "extension" (step S612). By repeating this, the conversation of the chat process is performed. This makes it possible to easily communicate with other people by chat.

Figure 6 shows whether or not the Bluetooth setting is permitted when starting the chat application 35A on the mobile phone 200A on the master side, and if it is not permitted, it can be set to permission. It is a thing. In step S420, the operator of the mobile phone 200A selects to start the chat program, which is a Bluetooth application. In step S430, "Bluetooth on / off setting" is detected. As a result, if it is "ON", the process proceeds to step S480, and if it is "OFF", the process proceeds to step S440. In step S440, since the Bluetooth setting is not permitted, the Bluetooth setting screen is first displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A. In step S450, the Bluetooth on / off setting is instructed by the operation of the operator on the screen displayed in step S440. If it is "ON", the process proceeds to step S470, and if it is "OFF", the process proceeds to step S460. In step S460, the operator remains the Bluetooth setting OFF (not allowed), so the screen returns to the initial screen and the Bluetooth application is not launched. In step S470, the operator turned the Bluetooth setting ON (allowed), so the "Bluetooth on / off setting" is set to "ON". Step S480 is when the "Bluetooth on / off setting" is set to "ON" from the beginning, or when it is set to "ON" by step S470, and starts a chat program which is a Bluetooth application.

The mode of the screen display displayed in step S440 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 shows a mode shown on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200A. The screen consists of a status area 211, a chat display area 212, and a selection area 213. The status area 211 is an area for displaying the radio wave status, battery status, etc. of the mobile phone 200A. In the chat display area 212, the question "This application needs to turn on the Bluetooth setting. Do you want to turn on the Bluetooth setting?" Is displayed, and you can select Yes display 214 or No display 215. It has become. The selection area 213 is an area for selecting either Yes display 214 or No display 215.

FIG. 8 shows that when the mobile phone 200B on the slave side receives the Bluetooth communication from the mobile phone 200A and starts the chat application 35B, it detects whether or not the "Bluetooth application request" is permitted and permits it. If not, it can be set to permission. In step S5020, the receiving module 11B receives the Bluetooth communication request transmitted from the transmitting module 10A of the mobile phone 200A. In step S5030, the setting of "Bluetooth application request" is detected. As a result, if it is "ON", the process proceeds to step S5050, and if it is "OFF", the process proceeds to step S5040. In step S5040, the mobile phone 200A is notified that it is not possible to participate in the chat. In step S5050, the display 210 of the mobile phone 200B is displayed to ask the operator of the mobile phone 200B whether or not to start the Bluetooth application, and the operation of the operator on the screen activates the Bluetooth application. Instructions are given. If "YES", the process proceeds to step S5070, and if "NO", the process proceeds to step S5060. In step S5060, the mobile phone 200A is notified that it is not possible to participate in the chat. In step S5070, the chat program, which is a Bluetooth application on the slave side, is started. This will start the chat.

The screens displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200B on the slave side will be described in chronological order with reference to FIG. The mobile phone 200B receives the Java autostart request. Next, the mobile phone 200B having the coping application displays a pop-up and displays the Java automatic startup confirmation screen to the operator. Figure 9 (A) shows the state of the standby screen before receiving the Java automatic start request.

FIG. 9B shows the state of the screen after receiving the Java automatic start request, and the pop-up screen is displayed. The Bluetooth mark 2114 is displayed and blinks in the status area 211. This indicates that it is possible to chat using Bluetooth communication. In the chat display area 212, the message "What are you doing?" Is displayed, which is a message from the mobile phone 200A on the master side, "I received a request to start the chat application from the sender. Do you want to start it?" Then, the selection of the response to it Yes display 216 and No display 217 are displayed. The operator can select Yes display 216 and No display 217 using the selection area 213. The "sender", "title", and "Java application name to be started" in the data exchanged by the protocol described in FIG. 4 are embedded in the text in the chat display area 212. The pop-up screen is displayed for a certain number of seconds (for example, about 30 seconds), and then transitions to the information notification state. FIG. 9C shows the status of the information notification. The chat display area 212 becomes a standby screen, and has a missed call display 218, a new mail display 219, and a new application request display 2211 which are information notifications indicating the current state. Here, when the new application request display 2211 is selected using the selection area 213, the state transitions to the state shown in FIG. 9 (D). FIG. 9 (D) is a pop-up screen as in FIG. 9 (B). These are repeated at regular intervals.

Using FIG. 10, a screen displayed on the display 210 of the mobile phone 200B when a Java automatic start request is received from the mobile phone 200A while another application is running will be described in chronological order. FIG. 10A shows a state in which a message is displayed in an application such as e-mail. Here, when a Java automatic start request is received from the mobile phone 200A, the state transitions to the state shown in FIG. 10 (B). In FIG. 10B, it is displayed in the status area 211 that "" app name start request is being received and that the operator has received an incoming call. In the "application name", the "Java application name to be started" in the data exchanged by the protocol described in FIG. 4 is displayed. In FIG. 10 (C), when the standby screen is returned, the same information notification as in FIG. 9 (C) is performed.

With reference to FIG. 11, the state of the screen when another Java application start request is newly made while the Java application has already been started will be described. Figure 11 (A) shows that there was another Java application startup request. In this state, the Java application that has already been started is in the suspended state. Then, when Yes display 216 is selected by the operator, the state transitions to the state shown in FIG. 11 (B). In FIG. 11 (B), Yes display 2112 and No display 2113 are displayed in the chat display area 212 with the message "There is a suspended application. Are you sure you want to quit?". In other words, it's a query about what to do with a Java application that's already running. If Yes display 2112 is selected by the operator, the suspended Java application is terminated and another Java application that has been requested to be started is started. If No display 2113 is selected by the operator, the suspended Java application is restarted.

More specifically, an example of an actual display mode will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the status area 211 displays the radio wave status, battery status, and current time of the mobile phone 200. In particular, the Bluetooth mark 215 indicates that Bluetooth communication is currently in progress. In this way, it is possible to detect that Bluetooth communication is being performed and display the status. In the chat display area 212, the conversation is displayed with the handle name (nickname) of the chat participant. In the FEP display area 2212, character input by the participant who owns the mobile phone 200 is displayed. At this input stage, it has not been posted to the chat. For example, as shown in the figure, while writing a reply using the FEP display area 2212 to the conversation "I have to go buy early" by the handle name "po", from the handle name "Taro" When the next conversation is posted, the sentence in the middle of writing should often not be posted. Therefore, you should not post your own sentence without knowing that the conversation was posted by "Taro". Therefore, the chat display area 212 and the FEP display area 2212 are simultaneously displayed in the display 210 so that characters can be input while watching the conversation taking place in real time. The chat conversation is displayed in real time in the chat display area 212, and at the same time, the state of character input by the operator is displayed in the FEP display area 2212. The chat module and character input front-end processor, and the chat screen display module and input character display module operate in parallel, and the display on one display 210 is controlled by the screen display control module, enabling these displays. It has become. This makes it possible to grasp the flow of chat while inputting characters when chatting with multiple people.

In the above embodiment, a mobile phone is shown as a mobile information terminal, but a PHS (Personal Handyphone System), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), etc. can also be used, and the mobile phone can be carried and communication other than Bluetooth is also possible. Anything is fine. The mobile information terminals that serve as the transmitting side and the receiving side do not have to be mobile phones. For example, it may be communication using Bluetooth between a mobile phone and a PDA. In addition, although Bluetooth is shown as communication, it is sufficient if it conforms to the short-distance data communication standard applicable to chat.

The described program can also be stored in a recording medium, and in that case, it can be grasped as the following invention. A portable information terminal that records a conversation program that allows the mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with the short-range data communication standard. The mobile information terminal is a readable recording medium, and the mobile information terminal is used for short-range data communication. A search function that searches for other personal digital assistants that can communicate in accordance with the standard, and a status acquisition function that acquires name and status information sent from other personal digital assistants in response to the search by the search function. A status display function that displays the status of the other mobile information terminal according to the name and status information acquired by the status acquisition function, and the other mobile information terminal displayed by the status display function. Among them, to realize a conversation partner selection function that selects a conversation partner according to the instruction of the operator and a conversation function that conducts a conversation by communicating with the other mobile information terminal selected by the conversation partner selection function. A portable information terminal that records a conversation program characterized by a readable recording medium.

A portable information terminal that records a conversation program that allows a mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard. The mobile information terminal is a readable recording medium, and the mobile information terminal can be used for other mobile information. A judgment function for determining whether or not to reply to a search instruction from a terminal, a detection function for detecting the current state of the own machine when it is determined to reply by the judgment function, and the detection function for detecting the current state of the own machine. A conversation program is recorded, which is characterized by realizing a transmission function of transmitting the state to the other mobile information terminal and a conversation function of having a conversation by communicating with the other personal digital assistant. A recording medium that can be read by a personal digital assistant.

A portable information terminal that records a conversation program that enables a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard. A short-range data communication function that can perform communication with the mobile information terminal in accordance with the short-range data communication standard, and a communication function compliant with the same type of short-range data communication standard by using the short-range data communication function. A mobile information terminal that records a conversation program, which is characterized by realizing a conversation function that enables conversation between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have Machine-readable recording medium.

A portable information terminal that records a conversation program that enables a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard. A short-range data communication function that can perform communication with the mobile information terminal in accordance with the short-range data communication standard, and a communication function compliant with the same type of short-range data communication standard by using the short-range data communication function. The conversation function that enables conversation between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have the above, and communication with the other mobile information terminals is no longer possible. In this case, a portable information terminal readable recording medium on which a conversation program is recorded, which is characterized by realizing an exit function that is regarded as exiting from the conversation by the conversation function.

A mobile information terminal that records a conversation program that enables a mobile information terminal that performs telephone communication with another mobile information terminal to perform communication in accordance with a short-range data communication standard. A short-range data communication function capable of communicating with the mobile information terminal in accordance with the short-range data communication standard, and a communication function compliant with the same type of short-range data communication standard by using the short-range data communication function. There is only one participant in the conversation function, which enables conversations between operators by bidirectionally communicating character data with other mobile information terminals that have the above conversation function. In this case, a portable information terminal readable recording medium on which a conversation program is recorded, which is characterized by realizing a conversation end function for ending a conversation by the conversation function.

A "portable recording medium on which a program is recorded" is a recording medium that can be read by a portable information terminal on which a program is recorded, which is used for program installation, execution, program distribution, and the like. Say. The recording medium is, for example, a digital versatile disc (DVD), which is a standard established by the DVD Forum "DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, etc." and DVD + RW. Standards "DVD + R, DVD + RW, etc.", compact discs (CD), read-only memory (CD-ROM), CD recordable (CD-R), CD rewritable (CD-RW) Etc. Photomagnetic disk (MO), flexible disk (FD), magnetic tape, hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), electrically erased and rewritable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, random access memory, etc. (RAM) etc. are included. Then, the above-mentioned program or a part thereof can be recorded on the above-mentioned recording medium and stored, distributed, or the like. Also, depending on the communication, for example, a wired network used for a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, or wireless communication. It is possible to transmit using a transmission medium such as a network or a combination of these, and it is also possible to carry it on a carrier. Further, the above program may be a part of another program, or may be recorded on a recording medium together with a separate program.

<figref num="1">It is a block diagram which shows the module configuration example which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="2">It is explanatory drawing which shows the configuration example of the mobile phone terminal.</figref><figref num="3">It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure example of a mobile phone.</figref><figref num="4">It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the communication procedure at the time of connection between a transmitting side and a receiving side.</figref><figref num="5">It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the communication procedure between a transmitting side and a receiving side.</figref><figref num="6">It is a flowchart which shows the Bluetooth setting example of a mobile phone.</figref><figref num="7">It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the actual display mode on the screen of a mobile phone.</figref><figref num="8">It is a flowchart which shows the reception processing example on the slave side in Bluetooth communication.</figref><figref num="9">It is explanatory drawing which shows the display mode example of the automatic start confirmation.</figref><figref num="10">It is explanatory drawing which shows the display mode example of the automatic start confirmation during other processing.</figref><figref num="11">It is explanatory drawing which shows the display mode example which shows the incoming call while the application is paused.</figref><figref num="12">It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the actual display mode on the screen of a mobile phone.</figref>

Code description

10A ... Send module 10B ... Send module 11A ... Receive module 11B ... Receive module 15 ... Search module 20 ... Status acquisition module 25 ... Status display module 30 ... Conversation partner Selection module 35A ... Chat application 35B ... Chat application 40 ... Exit module 45 ... Chat end module 50 ... Received content judgment module 55 ... Status detection module 60 ... Status transmission module 200 ... Mobile Phone 200A ... Mobile Phone 200B ... Mobile Phone 210 ... Display 211 ... Status Area 212 ... Chat Display Area 213 ... Selection Area 214 ... Yes Display 215. .. No display 216 ... Yes display 217 ... No display 218 ... Missed call display 219 ... New mail display 220 ... Key 230 ... Antenna 240 ... Speaker 250 ... Mike 301 ... Antenna for Bluetooth 302 ... Bluetooth communication module 303 ... Key input detection module 304 ... CPU 305 ... Memory 306 ... Telephone communication module 2111 ... New application request display 2112 ... Yes display 2113 ... No display 2114 ... Bluetooth mark 2211 ... New application request display 2212 ... Display area for FEP