Mobile communications system, mobile communications network controller, mobile communications terminal, and method of controlling mobile communications network

• US 20030013435A1
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Kenichi, Sakamoto, Kenji, Kikuta, Yoko, Yokoyama, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,257,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• 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 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A mobile communications system of the present invention obtains in advance information on communications environments in a mobile communications system and provides users with the information on communications environments. The mobile communications system also predicts the movement of users and provides seamless services based on the predictions.

A mobile communications system of the present invention includes an information acquisition unit for obtaining information regarding resources of a given object, an information memory for storing the obtained information on resources of a given object, and an information provision unit for searching the information memory in response to a request for provision of the information on resources of a given object transmitted from a mobile communications terminal, and providing the information on resources of a given object found in the search to the mobile communications terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system comprising:

a mobile communications terminal; and

a mobile communications network controller;

said mobile communications network controller comprising;

an information acquisition unit for obtaining information regarding resources of a given object;

an information memory for storing said obtained information regarding resources of a given object; and

an information provision unit for searching said information memory in response to a request for provision of said information regarding resources of a given object transmitted from said mobile communications terminal and providing said information regarding resources of a given object found in the search to said mobile communications terminal; and

said mobile communications terminal comprising;

an information provision request transmitter for transmitting said request for provision of said information regarding resources of a given object; and

an indicator for indicating said information regarding resources of a given object provided from said mobile communications network controller.

2. A mobile communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said request for provision of said information regarding resources of a given object is a request for provision of information regarding locations where a desired service is available.

3. A mobile communications system as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said mobile communications network controller further comprises a location information manager for managing location information of said mobile communications terminal and a given object;

said location information manager calculates the distance between said mobile communications terminal and a location where a desired service is available or the distance between a location where a desired service is available and a location specified by said request, based on said information found in the search, regarding a location where a desired service is available; and

said information provision unit provides information on said calculated distance to said mobile communications terminal.

4. A mobile communications network controller comprising:

a history information memory for storing history of movement of a mobile communications terminal to a given place;

a notification unit for detecting and notifying the movement of said mobile communications terminal to a given place; and

a processing unit for performing predetermined processing to a service to be provided to said mobile communications terminal in response to said notification.

5. A mobile communications network controller as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a history information update unit for monitoring movement of said mobile communications terminal, and based on the monitor result, updating contents stored in said history information memory.

6. A mobile communications network controller as set forth in claim 5, wherein said history information update unit updates contents stored in said history information memory, depending on frequency in movement of said mobile communications terminal to a given place.

7. A mobile communications network controller comprising:

an information acquisition unit for obtaining information regarding resources of a given object;

an information memory for storing said obtained information regarding resources of a given object; and

an information provision unit for searching said information memory in response to a request for provision of said information regarding resources of a given object and providing said information regarding resources of a given object found in the search.

8. A mobile communications terminal comprising:

an information provision request transmitter for transmitting a request for provision of information regarding resources of a given object; and

an indicator for indicating said information regarding resources of a given object provided by the request.

9. A method of controlling a mobile communications network, comprising the steps of:

A) obtaining information regarding resources of a given object at a mobile communications network controller;

B) storing said obtained information regarding resources of a given object at said mobile communications network controller; and

C) providing, at said mobile communications network controller, a mobile communications terminal with said information regarding resources of a given object searched in response to a request for provision of said information regarding resources of a given object transmitted from said mobile communications terminal.

10. A method of controlling a mobile communications network as set forth in claim 9, wherein said request for provision of said information regarding resources of a given object is a request for provision of information regarding locations where a desired service is available.

11. A method of controlling a mobile communications network as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

D) calculating, at a location information manager of said mobile communications network controller for managing location information of said mobile communications terminal and a given object, the distance between said mobile communications terminal and a location where a given service is available or the distance between a location where a desired service is available and a location specified by said request, based on said searched information on a location where a desired service is available; and

E) providing, at said mobile communications network controller, information on said calculated distance to said mobile communications terminal.

13. A method of controlling a mobile communications network as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

D) monitoring movement of said mobile communications terminal and updating memory contents of said history based on the monitor result.

14. A method of controlling a mobile communications network as set forth in claim 13, wherein at step D), the update of the memory contents of said history depends on frequency in movement of said mobile communications terminal to a given place.

12. A method of controlling a mobile communications network, comprising the steps of:

A) storing, at a mobile communications network controller, history of movement of a mobile communications terminal to a given place;

B) detecting and notifying, at said mobile communications network controller, the movement of said mobile communications terminal to a given place; and

C) performing predetermined processing, at said mobile communications network controller, to a service to be provided to said mobile communications terminal, in response to said notification.