Data communication terminal

• US 20020054569A1
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited, Photon-X, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Morikawa, Shigenori
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1417 Advice of charge with threshold, e.g. user indicating maximum cost

Abstract

In carrying out data communication by use of a communication network where accounting is made according to a data amount, the start and end of transmission/reception of a set of objective data to be transmitted/received are recognized, and the amount of packets transmitted/received from the start to the end of transmission/reception of the set of objective data to be transmitted/received is measured, and thereby a communication charge is calculated, and it is judged whether or not the calculated communication charge has reached a warning money amount specified by a user, and when it is judged that the calculated communication charge has reached the warning money amount, a warning to that effect is given to the user.

Claims

1. A data communication terminal comprising:

data communication means for connecting to a communication network where accounting is made according to a data amount to carry out data communication;

means for recognizing the start and the end of transmission/reception of a set of objective data to be transmitted/received;

means for measuring data amount from the start to the end of transmission/reception of the set of objective data to be transmitted/received and to be recognized;

means for judging whether or not the transmitted/received data amount to be measured has reached a specified data amount; and

means for, when it is judged that the transmitted/received data amount has reached the specified data amount, warning a user to that effect.

2. A data communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising means for, when it is judged that the transmitted/received data amount has reached the specified data amount, temporarily suspending transmission/reception of the set of objective data to be transmitted/received, receiving an instruction to resume or terminate transmission/reception of the set of objective data from a user, and resuming or terminating transmission/reception of the set of objective data according to the instruction.

3. A data communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein data comprising plural packets to be transmitted/received continuously on the basis of an instruction from a user is recognized as the set of objective data to be transmitted/received.

4. A data communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein a set of sub data is recognized as the set of objective data on the basis of tag information contained in the another set of objective data, the tag information instructing to read the set of sub data.

5. A data communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for optionally setting an upper limit value of the data amount with which a set of objective data to be transmitted/received can be transmitted/received continuously,

wherein the judgment is made so that, when the set upper limit value is reached, the transmitted/received data amount has reached the specified data amount.

6. A data communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein when transmission/reception of data is not suspended but continued after it is judged that the transmitted/received data amount has reached the specified data amount, the upper limit value of the data amount with which a set of objective data to be transmitted/received can be transmitted/received continuously is temporarily increased.

7. A data communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for calculating communication charge according to the transmitted/received data amount; and

upper limit setting means for optionally setting an upper limit value of the communication charge,

wherein the judgment is made by judging whether or not the transmitted/received data amount has reached the specified data amount, by whether or not the communication charge calculated by the calculating means with respect to the transmitted/received data amount to be measured has reached the upper limit value of the communication charge.

8. A data communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

unit charge setting means for optionally setting a communication charge per unit data amount,

wherein the calculation is made so that communication charge according to the transmitted/received data amount is calculated on the basis of the communication charge per the set unit data amount.

9. A data communication method, comprising:

connecting to a communication network where charging is made according to a data amount to start data communication;

recognizing the start and the end of transmission/reception of a set of objective data to be transmitted/received;

measuring a data amount to be transmitted/received from the start to the end of transmission/reception of the set of objective data to be transmitted/received and to be recognized;

judging whether or not the transmitted/received data amount to be measured has reached a specified data amount; and

when it is judged that the transmitted/received data amount has reached the specified data amount, warning a user to that effect.

10. A computer readable recording medium that stores a program that makes a computer execute:

a process of connecting to a communication network where charging is made according to a data amount to carry out data communication;

a process of recognizing the start and the end of transmission/reception of a set of objective data to be transmitted/received;

a process of measuring a data amount to be transmitted/received from the start to the end of transmission/reception of the set of objective data to be transmitted/received and to be recognized;

a process of judging whether or not the transmitted/received data amount to be measured has reached a specified data amount; and

a process of, when it is judged that the transmitted/received data amount has reached the specified data amount, warning a user to that effect.

11. A data communication terminal comprising:

means for carrying out data communication by use of a communication network selected from among a communication network where accounting is made according to a data amount and a communication network where accounting is made according to connection time;

means for setting a limit amount of communication charge;

means for calculating communication charge required for data communication in real time manners according to the selected communication network;

means for judging whether or not the calculated communication charge has reached the limit amount of communication charge; and

means for, when it is judged that the calculated communication charge has reached the limit amount, warning a user to that effect.

12. A data communication terminal according to claim 11, further comprising means for, when the calculated communication charge has reached the limit amount, temporarily suspending transmission/reception of data in the case connected to the communication network where accounting is made according to the data amount, and waiting for an instruction to resume or terminate connection from a user, while terminating transmission/reception of the data to be transmitted/received without waiting for the instruction from a user in the case connected to the communication network where accounting is made according to the connection time.

13. A data communication terminal according to claim 12, further comprising means for ending communication connection immediately when terminating transmission/reception of the data to be transmitted/received without waiting for the instruction from a user, in the case connected to the communication network where accounting is made according to the connection time.