Communication device

Abstract

The communication device can easily serve as an extended user interface such as a remote controller of a target apparatus without causing any complicated operations to a user. The communication device includes the following units. An apparatus information obtainment unit ( 203 ) obtains apparatus information from an apparatus. A position information obtainment unit ( 206 ) obtains position information of the communication device ( 102 ). An operation information obtainment unit ( 212 ) obtains operation information based on the apparatus information. A storage unit ( 213 ) stores the position information as apparatus position information indicating as a position of the apparatus, in association with the operation information. A direction sensor unit ( 207 ) detects direction of the communication device ( 102 ). A directional space calculation unit ( 208 ) calculates a directional space of the communication device ( 102 ). A selection unit ( 209 a) specifies the apparatus existing in the directional space based on the apparatus position information and selects the operation information associated with the specified apparatus. An operation information transmission unit ( 215 ) transmits, based on the selected operation information, a control signal to the specified apparatus so as to allow the communication device to operate the apparatus.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication device comprising:
 an apparatus information obtainment unit configured to obtain, from an apparatus, apparatus information for uniquely identifying the apparatus;   a position information obtainment unit configured to obtain position information indicating a position of said communication device;   an external communication unit configured to perform external communication;   an operation information obtainment unit configured to obtain, via said external communication unit, operation information for allowing said communication device to operate the apparatus, based on the apparatus information;   a storage unit configured to store the position information and the operation information in association with each other, the operation information being obtained by said operation information obtainment unit, and the position information being obtained when said apparatus information obtainment unit obtains the apparatus information and being considered as apparatus position information indicating a position of the apparatus;   a direction sensor unit configured to generate direction information indicating a direction to which said communication device faces;   a directional space calculation unit configured to calculate a directional space based on the position information obtained by said position information obtainment unit and the direction information generated by said direction sensor unit, the directional space being a space pointed by said communication device facing the space;   a selection unit configured to (i) specify the apparatus existing in the directional space based on the apparatus position information stored in said storage unit, and (ii) select, from said storage unit, the operation information associated with the apparatus position information of the specified apparatus; and   an operation information transmission unit configured to transmit, based on the operation information selected by said selection unit, a control signal to the apparatus specified by said selection unit so as to allow said communication device to operate the apparatus.   
     
     
       2. The communication device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a proximity wireless communication unit configured to perform proximity wireless communication,   wherein said apparatus information obtainment unit is configured to obtain the apparatus information regarding the apparatus via said proximity wireless communication unit.   
     
     
       3. The communication device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein said selection unit includes:   an apparatus direction calculation unit configured, when there are a plurality of apparatuses including the apparatus in the directional space, to calculate plural pieces of apparatus direction information based on the position information of said communication device and plural pieces of apparatus position information including the apparatus position information, the plural pieces of apparatus direction information each indicating a direction from said communication device to a corresponding one of the apparatuses, and the plural pieces of apparatus position information being stored in said storage unit and each indicating a position of the corresponding one of the apparatuses;   a difference calculation unit configured to calculate a difference between the direction information of said communication device and each of the plural pieces of apparatus direction information; and   an apparatus decision unit configured to decide, as the specified apparatus existing in the directional space, an apparatus having the difference that is smaller than a predetermined value from among the apparatuses, the difference being calculated by said difference calculation unit.   
     
     
       4. The communication device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein said selection unit includes:   a space information storage unit configured to store space information indicating (a) a space and (b) an arrangement of the apparatus in the space; and   an apparatus decision unit configured, when there are a plurality of apparatuses including the apparatus in the directional space, to (i) obtain the space information including information of a space in which said communication device exists from said space information storage unit based on the position information of said communication device, and (ii) decide, as the specified apparatus existing in the directional space, an apparatus existing in the space in which said communication device exists based on the obtained space information.   
     
     
       5. The communication device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a display unit,   wherein said selection unit includes:   a pitch angle detection unit configured to generate pitch angle information indicating an angle of a pitch direction of said communication device;   a pitch angle information storage unit configured to store the pitch angle information in association with the apparatus information; and   an apparatus decision unit configured to decide, as the specified apparatus existing in the directional space, an apparatus selected by a user from an apparatus candidate list displayed on said display unit,   wherein said display unit is configured to display, as the apparatus candidate list, apparatuses existing in the directional space, based on plural pieces of apparatus position information including the apparatus position information stored in said storage unit and plural pieces of pitch angle information including the pitch angle information stored in said pitch angle information storage unit, and   said pitch angle detection unit is configured to store the generated pitch angle information into said pitch angle information storage unit in association with the apparatus decided by said apparatus decision unit.   
     
     
       6. The communication device according to  claim 5 , further comprising
 an apparatus state obtainment unit configured to obtain an operation state of the apparatus,   wherein said display unit is further configured to display, based on the operation state obtained by said apparatus state obtainment unit, (a) the apparatus candidate list and (b) plural pieces of operation information including the operation information associated with respective apparatuses in the apparatus candidate list.   
     
     
       7. The communication device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein said apparatus information obtainment unit further includes:   an absolute position generation unit configured to generate absolute position information of said communication device; and   a relative position generation unit configured to generate relative position information of said communication device, the relative position information indicating a position moved from a position indicated by said absolute position information,   wherein the position information is generated from the absolute position information and the relative position information.   
     
     
       8. The communication device according to  claim 7 , further comprising
 a still determination unit configured to obtain move information of said communication device from the relative position information and the direction information, and determine, based on the move information, whether or not said communication device is still,   wherein said direction sensor unit is configured to generate the direction information indicating a direction to which said communication device faces, when said still determination unit determines that said communication device is still.   
     
     
       9. The communication device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein, when it is determined based on the apparatus information that it is possible to obtain the apparatus position information from said storage unit, said position information obtainment unit is configured to (i) store, into said storage unit, the absolute position information generated by said absolute position obtainment unit as the apparatus position information, and (ii) initialize the relative position information generated by said relative position generation unit.   
     
     
       10. The communication device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a display unit,   wherein, when it is determined, based on the direction information and the position information, that said communication device is outside a communicable range where said operation information transmission unit is capable of transmitting the control signal to the apparatus,   said display unit is configured to display a fact that said communication device is outside the communicable range, when said operation information transmission unit is to transmit the control signal to the apparatus.   
     
     
       11. The communication device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a sound sensor unit configured to detect sound information produced by the apparatus,   wherein said communication device determines, based on the sound information detected by said sound sensor unit, whether or not the transmission of the control signal to the apparatus is successful.   
     
     
       12. The communication device according to  claim 11 , further comprising
 an operation history obtainment unit configured to obtain an operation history including a history of the transmission of the control signal to the apparatus,   wherein said communication device transmits the operation history to a server by performing the external communication, when it is determined that the transmission of the control signal to the apparatus is successful.   
     
     
       13. The communication device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the apparatus information further includes individual identification information for identifying a user of said communication device, and   said communication device controls the display on said display unit, based on the individual identification information.   
     
     
       14. The communication device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein said operation information obtainment unit is configured to obtain external communication operation information of the apparatus for allowing said communication device to operate the apparatus via said external communication unit, when it is determined, based on the position information obtained by said position information obtainment unit, that the apparatus does not exist in a range where said operation information transmitting unit is capable of transmitting the control signal to the apparatus, and   said communication device operates the apparatus via said external communication unit based on the external communication operation information.   
     
     
       15. The communication device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said apparatus information obtainment unit includes   a reading unit configured to read the apparatus information from an image regarding the apparatus information, the image being provided on the apparatus.   
     
     
       16. A position determination method for determining a position of a mobile communication terminal, the position determination method comprising:
 receiving, using a communication device having a plurality of antennas, radio waves transmitted by the mobile communication terminal;   calculating, for each of the antennas of the communication device, a characteristic of a phase and an amplitude of the radio waves received by the antenna;   storing a plurality of preliminary characteristics and pieces of position information of the mobile communication terminal, each of the pieces of position information of the mobile communication terminal corresponding to one of the plurality of preliminary characteristics;   comparing the plurality of preliminary characteristics to the calculated characteristics;   specifying, based on a result of the comparing, a preliminary characteristic identical or approximate to one of the calculated characteristics, the specified preliminary characteristic being from among the plurality of preliminary characteristics; and   determining, as the position of the mobile communication terminal, the stored piece of the position information of the mobile communication terminal which corresponds to the specified preliminary characteristic,   wherein the mobile communication terminal controls one of a plurality of appliances based on a relationship between the determined position of the mobile communication terminal and previously registered position information for each of the plurality of appliances.