Method, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, device and system to update information on a device

• US 10,257,641 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Shinichiro, Usui, Takashi, Ide, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donado, Frank E
• Application Number:
  US14/405,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

The present application relates to a method whereby the communication traffic between a wireless communication apparatus such as a smartphone and another device such as a map information providing server and/or server managed by mobile virtual network operator MVNO. According to a first aspect, the communication traffic can be reduced by dividing items of geographical information that are sent to the smartphone are divided into static information and dynamic information and the two types of information are separately processed in that the map data is updated less often than information such as traffic congestion, weather information or the congestion level of a base station. According to a second aspect, congestion information is derived by averaging over time the number of vehicles which pass through a certain point. According to a third aspect, the updating interval, i.e. the frequency by which new information will be downloaded from the server, is adapted to degree of change of the dynamic information over time. According to a fourth aspect, the updating interval is adapted to the movement speed of the smartphone. According to a fifth aspect, download rates of a communication carrier are displayed on top of a map, thereby providing some sort of geobrowsing. According to a sixth aspect, an MVNO informs its subscribers about base station related information, such as signal intensity and the base station'"'"'s congestion level. According to a seventh aspect, the smartphone selects, on the basis of the various items of information received, another network, either manually or automatically.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a first device configured to store a first item of information and a second item of information;

setting, by at least one processor, the first item of information to a first type of information and the second item of information to a second type of information, wherein the first item of information is information to be superimposed on map information, the second item of information is information concerning wireless communication between a base station and the first device, and the second item of information is superimposed on the first item of information;

based on the wireless communication between the base station and the first device;

determining, by the at least one processor, a first updating frequency to update the first item of information;

determining, by the at least one processor, a second updating frequency to update the second item of information, wherein the second updating frequency is higher than the first updating frequency;

determining, by the at least one processor, a first time at which the first item of information is updated and a second time at which the second item of information is updated, based on the first updating frequency and the second updating frequency, respectively;

updating, by the at least one processor, the first item of information and the second item of information based on the first time and the second time, respectively;

determining, by the at least one processor, an average value corresponding to a change in value for the second item of information over a period of time; and

decreasing, by the at least one processor, the second updating frequency based on the determined average value being less than a threshold value, the second updating frequency corresponding to a sending frequency between the first device and the base station when a heavy load is imposed on the first device based on a relationship between the first device and the base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second time at which the second item of information is updated is determined based on the average value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a rate of change of the first item of information is lower than a rate of change of the second item of information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating, by the at least one processor, a movement speed of the first device by obtaining position information indicating a position of the first device; and

determining, by the at least one processor, the first time and the second time based on the position of the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, by the at least one processor, an updated version of the first item of information from at least one second device; and

receiving, by the at least one processor, the updated version of the first item of information from the at least one second device based on the request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling, by the at least one processor, the first device to display the second item of information superimposed on the first item of information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second item of information includes at least a communication rate for at least one communication carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating wirelessly with a base station, wherein the first item of information is one of first information or second information, wherein

the first information is associated with at least one of a pilot signal intensity, a beacon signal intensity, or a reference signal intensity received from the base station,

the second information is associated with an intensity of an interference signal received from the base station, and

the second item of information is associated with allocation of wireless resources to the base station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor, the first device to;

display a first communication service managed by a first communication carrier; and

display a second communication service managed by a second communication carrier, wherein the display of the second communication service is visually distinguishable from the display of the first communication service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second item of information comprises a first communication rate associated with the first communication service and a second communication rate associated with the second communication service, the method further comprising:

controlling, by the at least one processor, the first device to display the first communication rate and the second communication rate superposed on the map information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed by at least one second device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising categorizing, by the at least one processor, the first item of information and the second item of information into one of the first type of information or the second type of information based on a position of the first device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the at least one processor, the first type of information in a first memory; and

storing, by the at least one processor, the second type of information in a second memory.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor of a first device, cause the first device to execute operations, the operations comprising:

in the first device configured to store a first item of information and a second item of information;

setting, by the processor, the first item of information to a first type of information and the second item of information to a second type of information, wherein the first item of information is information to be superimposed on map information, the second item of information is information concerning wireless communication between a base station and the first device, and the second item of information is superimposed on the first item of information;

based on the wireless communication between the base station and the first device;

determining, by the processor, a first updating frequency to update the first item of information;

determining, by the processor, a second updating frequency to update the second item of information, wherein the second updating frequency is higher than the first updating frequency;

determining, by the processor, a first time at which the first item of information is updated and a second time at which the second item of information is updated, based on the first updating frequency and the second updating frequency, respectively;

updating, by the processor, the first item of information and the second item of information based on the first time and the second time, respectively;

determining, by the processor, an average value corresponding to a change in value for the second item of information over a period of time; and

decreasing, by the processor, the second updating frequency based on the determined average value being less than a threshold value, the second updating frequency corresponding to a sending frequency between the first device and the base station when a heavy load is imposed on the first device based on a relationship between the first device and the base station.

15. A first device, comprising:

a memory configured to store a first item of information and a second item of information; and

at least one processor configured to;

set the first item of information to a first type of information and the second item of information to a second type of information, wherein the first item of information is information to be superimposed on map information, the second item of information is information concerning wireless communication between a base station and the first device, and the second item of information is superimposed on the first item of information; and

configured to, based on the wireless communication between the base station and the first device;

determine a first updating frequency to update the first item of information;

determine a second updating frequency to update the second item of information, wherein the second updating frequency is higher than the first updating frequency;

determine a first time at which the first item of information is updated and a second time at which the second item of information is updated, based on the first updating frequency and the second updating frequency, respectively;

update the first item of information and the second item of information based on the first time and the second time, respectively;

determine an average value corresponding to a change in value for the second item of information over a period of time; and

decrease the second updating frequency based on the determined average value being less than a threshold value, the second updating frequency corresponding to a sending frequency between the first device and the base station when a heavy load is imposed on the first device based on a relationship between the first device and the base station.

16. A system, comprising:

a first device that comprises a memory configured to store a first item of information and a second item of information; and

at least one processor configured to;

set the first item of information to a first type of information and the second item of information to a second type of information, wherein the first item of information is information to be superimposed on map information, the second item of information is information concerning wireless communication between a base station and the first device, and the second item of information is superimposed on the first item of information; and

configured to, based on the wireless communication between the base station and the first device;

determine a first updating frequency to update the first item of information;

determine a second updating frequency to update the second item of information, wherein the second updating frequency is higher than the first updating frequency;

determine a first time at which the first item of information is updated and a second time at which the second item of information is updated, based on the first updating frequency and the second updating frequency, respectively;

cause the first device to update the first item of information and the second item of information based on the first time and the second time, respectively;

determine an average value corresponding to a change in value for the second item of information over a period of time; and

decrease the second updating frequency based on the determined average value being less than a threshold value, the second updating frequency corresponding to a sending frequency between the first device and the base station when a heavy load is imposed on the first device based on a relationship between the first device and the base station.