Mobile unit, server and method of providing information

• US 20040185850A1
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Okajima, Ichiro, Ikeda, Takehiro, Omae, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile unit 10 according to the present invention is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems. Usability determination section 13 determines usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of the mobile unit 10 based on the electrical field intensity of a wireless LAN and the electrical field intensity of a mobile unit telephone network. A communication subsystem selection section 14 selects a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be measured with highest accuracy, of the communication subsystems that are determined as being usable. For example, if the mobile telephone subsystem is selected, the mobile telephone network communication section 15 infers the current location of the mobile unit 10 and transmits the result of determination of usability, together with information indicating the current location, to the address of an information provision server 20. After this, the mobile unit 10 looks up the result of determination of usability from a plurality of mobile units that is stored in the information provision server 20.

Claims

1. A mobile unit that is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems, characterized in that it comprises:

determination means that determines usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;

selection means that selects a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be measured with the greatest accuracy, of the communication subsystems that are determined as usable by said determination means; and

transmission means that infers said current location using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means and transmits the result of determination of said usability by said determination means, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means.

2. A server characterized in that it comprises:

communication means that receives the result of determination of said usability transmitted by the transmission means of the mobile unit according to claim 1, together with information indicating said current location; and

storage means that stores in updateable fashion the result of determination of said usability received by said communication means as geographical information, in correspondence with information indicating said current location.

3. The server according to claim 2 characterized in that,

it further comprises communication subsystem specification means that specifies a communication subsystem that is usable at said current location or at a location designated by said mobile unit, by looking up the geographical information stored in said storage means;

and,

said communication means notifies said mobile unit of the usable communication system specified by said communication system specification means, in response to a request from the mobile unit.

4. A server characterized in that it comprises:

communication means that receives the result of determination of said usability transmitted by transmission means of a mobile unit according to claim 1, together with information indicating said current location;

region specification means that specifies a geographical region to which the current location belongs, based on information indicating said current location received by said communication means; and

;

storage means that stores in updateable fashion as frequency-of-use information the number of times per unit time that a usability determination result has been received by said communication means, in correspondence with the usable communication subsystem indicated by said determination result and the geographical region specified by said region specification means.

5. The server according to claim 4 characterized in that,

said region specification means specifies the frequency-of-use of the each communication subsystem in the geographical region to which said current location or the location designated by said mobile unit belongs by looking up frequency-of-use information stored in said storage means;

and

said communication means notifies said mobile unit of the frequency-of-use specified by said region specification means in response to a request from the mobile unit.

6. A method of information provision characterized in that,

a mobile unit that is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems comprises:

a determination step of determining usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;

a selection step of selecting a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be most accurately measured, of the communication subsystems determined as usable in said determination step; and

a transmission step of inferring said current location using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step and transmitting the result of determination of said usability in said determination step, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step, and

a server comprises;

a reception step for receiving the determination result of said usability transmitted in said transmission step, together with information indicating said current location;

a storage step of storing in storage means in updateable fashion as geographical information the result of determination of said usability received in said reception step, in correspondence with information indicating said current location;

a communication subsystem specification step of specifying a communication subsystem that can be used at said current location or at a location designated by said mobile unit, by looking up the geographical information stored in said storage means; and

a notification step of notifying said mobile unit of a usable communication subsystem specified in said communication subsystem specification step, in response to a request from the mobile unit.

7. A method of information provision characterized in that,

a mobile unit that is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems comprises:

a determination step of determining usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;

a selection step of selecting a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be most accurately measured, of the communication subsystems determined as usable in said determination step; and

a transmission step of inferring said current location using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step and transmitting the result of determination of said usability in said determination step, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step, and

a server comprises;

a reception step for receiving the determination result of said usability transmitted in said transmission step, together with information indicating said current location;

a region specification step of specifying a geographical region to which the current location belongs, based on the information indicating said current location received in said reception step;

a storage step of storing in storage means in updateable fashion as frequency-of-use information the number of times per unit time that the result of determination of usability has been received in said reception step, in correspondence with the usable communication subsystem indicated by said determination result and the geographical region specified in said region specification step;

a frequency specification step of specifying the frequency-of-use of the each communication subsystem in the geographical region to which said current location or the location designated by said mobile unit belongs, by looking up the frequency-of-use information stored in said storage means; and

a notification step of notifying said mobile unit of the frequency-of-use specified in said frequency specification step, in response to a request from the mobile unit.