Network service information providing system and network service information providing apparatus and method and terminal thereof

• US 20030081567A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shuntaro, Okanoue, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,486,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present invention provides a network service information providing system which allows users to readily know a location and radio transmission parameters for connecting to a narrow-area wireless communications system in a system which contains a mixture of wide-area wireless communications systems and narrow-area wireless communications systems and to set up a new narrow-area wireless communications system which can provide higher communications services without causing degradation in existing communications services in the environment where different wireless communications systems coexist. The user knows his/her own location through a wide-area wireless communications system and sends the location of a narrow-area wireless communications system which he/she wants to connect to, wireless transmission parameters, and other requirements to a wireless area information server. The wireless area information server possesses wireless transmission parameters of narrow-area wireless communications systems and the locations of base stations which provide narrow-area wireless communications services. Upon receiving the requirements from the user, the wireless area information server informs the user of the service area of the narrow-area wireless communications system nearest to the user via the wide-area wireless communications system.

Claims

1. A network service information providing system in a communications system which contains a mixture of first wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas and second wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as wide-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to areas wider than said designated areas and which includes terminals capable of connecting at least to said wide-area wireless communications systems, comprising:

network service information detecting means which possesses information about each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and which provides information about service areas of said narrow-area wireless communications systems as network service information to said terminals in response to requests from said terminals via said wide-area wireless communications systems.

2. The network service information providing system according to claim 1, wherein each of said terminals comprises means for sending its location information and conditions for the narrow-area wireless communications system to which it wants to connect, as one of said requests to said network service information detecting means via appropriate one of said wide-area wireless communications systems.

3. The network service information providing system according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said narrow-area wireless communications systems comprises hot spot wireless communications systems connected to a trunk network to which said wide-area wireless communications systems are also connected, and ad hoc wireless communications systems which are not connected to said trunk network and are formed temporarily of only terminals; and

each of said requests comprises a request to connect to one of said ad hoc wireless communications systems or one of said hot spot wireless communications systems, and a construction request to newly construct said ad hoc wireless communications system.

4. The network service information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said network service information detecting means comprises:

databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

means for estimating communications service quality which can be provided by each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion and providing the estimated communications service quality as said network service information.

5. The network service information providing system according to claim 1, wherein said network service information detecting means comprises:

databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

means for acquiring degrees of congestion of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and providing said degrees of congestion as said network service information.

6. The network service information providing system according to claim 3, wherein said network service information detecting means possesses information for authenticating users who can connect to said ad hoc wireless communications systems, information about forms of communications services provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems, and communications content provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems, as information about said ad hoc wireless communications systems.

7. The network service information providing system according to claim 1, wherein each of said terminals comprises means for receiving said network service information and outputting visualized information obtained by superimposing the network service information over geographical information of surroundings around the terminal.

8. A network service information providing system in a wireless communications system which contains a mixture of wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas, comprising:

network service information detecting means which estimates communications service quality resulting from installation of a new narrow-area wireless communications system in response to an installation request to install the new narrow-area wireless communications system, and provides installation conditions by modifying said installation request if it is estimated that the communications service quality will fall below a designated threshold.

9. The network service information providing system according to claim 8, wherein said installation request contains the location of a base station for providing communications service by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

10. The network service information providing system according to claim 8, wherein said installation request contains an area to which communications service will be provided by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

11. The network service information providing system according to claim 8, wherein said network service information detecting means comprises:

databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

means for estimating communications service quality which can be provided by the narrow-area wireless communications system based on said installation request and communications service quality which can be provided by each of existing narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion.

12. A network service information providing apparatus in a communications system which contains a mixture of first wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas and second wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as wide-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to areas wider than said designated areas, wherein said network service information providing apparatus is intended to provide network service information to a terminal capable of connecting at least to said wide-area wireless communications systems and comprises:

network service information detecting means which possesses information about each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and which provides information about service areas of said narrow-area wireless communications systems as network service information to said terminals in response to requests from said terminals via said wide-area wireless communications systems.

13. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of said requests contains location information of the requesting terminal and conditions for the narrow-area wireless communications system which said terminal wants to connect to.

14. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

at least one of said narrow-area wireless communications systems comprises hot spot wireless communications systems connected to a trunk network to which said wide-area wireless communications systems are also connected, and ad hoc wireless communications systems which are not connected to said trunk network and are formed temporarily of only a terminal; and

each of said requests comprises a request to connect to one of said ad hoc wireless communications systems or one of said hot spot wireless communications systems, and a construction request to newly construct said ad hoc wireless communications system.

15. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 12, comprising:

databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

means for estimating communications service quality which can be provided by each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion and providing the estimated communications service quality as said network service information.

16. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 12, comprising:

databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

means for acquiring degrees of congestion of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and providing said degrees of congestion as said network service information.

17. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 14, having information for authenticating users who can connect to said ad hoc wireless communications systems, information about forms of communications services provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems, and communications content provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems, as information about said ad hoc wireless communications systems.

18. A network service information providing apparatus for providing network service information in a wireless communications system which contains a mixture of wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas, comprising:

network service information detecting means which estimates communications service quality resulting from installation of a new narrow-area wireless communications system in response to an installation request to install the new narrow-area wireless communications system, and provides installation conditions by modifying said installation request if it is estimated that the communications service quality will fall below a designated threshold.

19. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said installation request contains the location of a base station for providing communication service by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

20. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said installation request contains an area to which communications service will be provided by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

21. The network service information providing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said network service information detecting means comprises:

databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

means for estimating communications service quality which can be provided by the narrow-area wireless communications system based on said installation request and communications service quality which can be provided by each of existing narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion.

22. A network service information providing method in a communications system which contains a mixture of first wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas and second wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as wide-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to areas wider than said designated areas and which includes terminals capable of connecting at least to said wide-area wireless communications systems as well as includes a network service information providing apparatus intended to provide network service information in response to requests from said terminals, comprising in said network service information providing apparatus:

a step of preparing information about each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and providing information about service areas of said narrow-area wireless communications systems as network service information to said terminals in response to requests from said terminals via said wide-area wireless communications systems.

23. The network service information providing method according to claim 22, comprising, in said terminals, a step of sending location information of the requesting terminal and conditions for the narrow-area wireless communications system to which the terminal wants to connect, as one of said requests to said network service information providing apparatus, via appropriate one of said wide-area wireless communications systems.

24. The network service information providing method according to claim 22, wherein:

at least one of said narrow-area wireless communications systems comprises hot spot wireless communications systems connected to a trunk network to which said wide-area wireless communications systems are also connected, and ad hoc wireless communications systems which are not connected to said trunk network and are formed temporarily of only a terminal; and

each of said requests comprises a request to connect to one of said ad hoc wireless communications systems or one of said hot spot wireless communications systems, and a construction request to newly construct said ad hoc wireless communications system.

25. The network service information providing method according to claim 22, in said network service information providing apparatus comprising the steps of:

preparing databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

estimating communications service quality which can be provided by each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion and providing the estimated communications service quality as said network service information.

26. The network service information providing method according to claim 22, in said network service information providing apparatus comprising the steps of:

preparing databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

acquiring degrees of congestion of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and providing said degrees of congestion as said network service information.

27. The network service information providing method according to claim 24, wherein information about said ad hoc wireless communications systems includes information for authenticating users who can connect to said ad hoc wireless communications systems, information about forms of communications services provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems, and communications content provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems.

28. The network service information providing method according to claim 22, in said terminals, comprising a step of receiving said network service information and outputting visualized information obtained by superimposing the network service information over geographical information of surroundings around the terminal.

29. A network service information providing method in a wireless communications system which contains a mixture of wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas, comprising:

a step of estimating communications service quality resulting from installation of a new narrow-area wireless communications system in response to an installation request to install the new narrow-area wireless communications system, and offering installation conditions by modifying said installation request if it is estimated that the communications service quality will fall below a designated threshold.

30. The network service information providing method according to claim 29, wherein said installation request contains the location of a base station for providing communications service by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

31. The network service information providing method according to claim 29, wherein said installation request contains an area to which communications service will be provided by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

32. The network service information providing method according to claim 29, in said network service information providing apparatus comprising the steps of:

preparing databases which store data related to wireless transmission of by each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

estimating communications service quality which can be provided by the narrow-area wireless communications system based on said installation request as well as communications service quality which can be provided by each of existing narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion.

33. An operation control method for a network service information providing apparatus in a communications system which contains a mixture of first wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas and second wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as wide-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to areas wider than said designated areas and which includes terminals capable of connecting at least to said wide-area wireless communications systems as well as includes said network service information providing apparatus intended to provide network service information in response to requests from said terminals, comprising:

a step of preparing information about each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and providing information about service areas of said narrow-area wireless communications systems as network service information to said terminals in response to requests from said terminals via said wide-area wireless communications systems.

34. The operation control method according to claim 33, wherein:

at least one of said narrow-area wireless communications systems comprises hot spot wireless communications systems connected to a trunk network to which said wide-area wireless communications systems are also connected, and ad hoc wireless communications systems which are not connected to said trunk network and are formed temporarily of only a terminal; and

each of said requests comprises a request to connect to one of said ad hoc wireless communications systems or one of said hot spot wireless communications systems, and a construction request to newly construct said ad hoc wireless communications system.

35. The operation control method according to claim 33, comprising the steps of:

preparing databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

estimating communications service quality which can be provided by each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion as the result of presuming communications service quality and providing the estimated communications service quality as said network service information.

36. The operation control method according to claim 33, comprising the steps of:

preparing databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

acquiring degrees of congestion of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and providing said degrees of congestion as said network service information.

37. The operation control method according to claim 34, wherein information about said ad hoc wireless communications systems includes information for authenticating users who can connect to said ad hoc wireless communications systems, information about forms of communications services provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems, and communications content provided by said ad hoc wireless communications systems.

38. An operation control method for a network service information providing apparatus in a wireless communications system which contains a mixture of wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas, said operation control method comprising:

a step of estimating communications service quality resulting from installation of a new narrow-area wireless communications system in response to an installation request to install the new narrow-area wireless communications system, and offering installation conditions by modifying said installation request if it is estimated that the communications service quality will fall below a designated threshold.

39. The operation control method according to claim 38, wherein said installation request contains the location of a base station for providing communications service by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

40. The operation control method according to claim 38, wherein said installation request contains an area to which communications service will be provided by said new narrow-area wireless communications system.

41. The operation control method according to claim 38, comprising the steps of:

preparing databases which store data related to wireless transmission of each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, information about locations of base stations for providing communications service from each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, and information about structures which affect radio wave propagation and geographical information; and

estimating communications service quality which can be provided by the narrow-area wireless communications system based on said installation request as well as communications service quality which can be provided by each of existing narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion.

42. A terminal in a network service information providing system which contains a mixture of first wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas and second wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as wide-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to areas wider than said designated areas and which includes a network service information providing apparatus that possesses information about each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and that provides information about service areas of said narrow-area wireless communications systems as network service information to said terminals in response to requests from said terminals via said wide-area wireless communications systems, comprising:

means for sending its location information and conditions for the narrow-area wireless communications system to which it wants to connect, as one of said requests to said network service information providing apparatus via appropriate one of said wide-area wireless communications systems.

43. The terminal according to claim 42, wherein:

at least one of said narrow-area wireless communications systems comprises hot spot wireless communications systems connected to a trunk network to which said wide-area wireless communications systems are also connected, and ad hoc wireless communications systems which are not connected to said trunk network and are formed temporarily of only a terminal; and

each of said requests comprises a request to connect to one of said ad hoc wireless communications systems or one of said hot spot wireless communications systems, and a construction request to construct anew ad hoc wireless communications system.

44. The terminal according to claim 42, wherein said network service information is obtained by estimating communications service quality which can be provided by each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems, taking into consideration radio interference between said narrow-area wireless communications systems, radio wave propagation loss, and delay distortion as the result of presuming communications service quality.

45. The terminal according to claim 42, wherein said network service information represents degrees of congestion of said narrow-area wireless communications systems.

46. The terminal according to claim 42, comprising means for receiving said network service information and outputting visualized information obtained by superimposing the network service information over geographical information of surroundings around the terminal.

47. A recording medium containing a program for making a computer execute operations of a network service information providing apparatus in a communications system which contains a mixture of first wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas and second wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as wide-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to areas wider than said designated areas and which includes terminals capable of connecting at least to said wide-area wireless communications systems as well as includes said network service information providing apparatus intended to provide network service information in response to requests from said terminals,

wherein said program comprises:

a step of preparing information about each of said narrow-area wireless communications systems and providing information about service areas of said narrow-area wireless communications systems as network service information to said terminals in response to requests from said terminals via said wide-area wireless communications systems.

48. A recording medium containing a program for making a computer execute operations of a network service information providing apparatus in a wireless communications system which contains a mixture of wireless communications systems (hereinafter referred to as narrow-area wireless communications systems) for providing wireless communications service to designated areas,

wherein said program comprises:

a step of estimating communications service quality resulting from installation of a new narrow-area wireless communications system in response to an installation request to install the new narrow-area wireless communications system, and offering installation conditions by modifying said installation request if it is estimated that the communications service quality will fall below a designated threshold.