Data transmission/reception system capable of transmitting and receiving data even from within a mobile unit that cannot maintain constant connection with a communication network

• US 20050203682A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nishioka, Michio, Omino, Takayuki, Mineshita, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A data transmission/reception system is capable of transmitting and receiving data even from within a moving vehicle in which a constant connection to a communication network cannot be maintained. A temporary storage server that is established inside the moving vehicle temporarily saves upload data that are received from a user terminal. The temporary storage server is provided with the capability to determine whether a state exists that allows communication with various servers. When in a state that allows communication with the various servers, the temporary storage server transmits the data that it has temporarily saved to various servers by way of a communication network. The temporary storage server further, when requested to download from a user terminal, receives the download data from various servers by way of a communication network when in a state that allows communication with the various servers. The temporary storage server then temporarily saves the download data that have been received.

Claims

1. A data transmission/reception system wherein a user terminal that is used by a user inside a moving vehicle transmits and receives data with a server that is outside the moving vehicle by way of a communication network;

wherein;

an on-board server is established inside said moving vehicle;

said on-board server being provided with;

communication state determination means for determining whether said on-board server is in a sate that allows communication with said server that is outside the moving vehicle;

data transmission/reception means for carrying out transmission and reception of data with said server that is outside the moving vehicle by way of a communication network in accordance with a request from said user terminal when said communication state determination means determines that said data transmission/reception means is in a state that allows communication with said server that is outside the moving vehicle; and

data saving means for temporarily saving data that are transmitted and received by said data transmission/reception means.

2. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 1, wherein

said data saving means temporarily saves upload data that have been received from said user terminal;

and

when said communication state determination means has determined that a state has been established that allows communication with an upload destination server that is outside the moving vehicle, said data transmission/reception means transmits upload data that have been saved by said data saving means to said server that is the upload destination by way of a communication network in accordance with an upload request from said user terminal.

3. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 2, wherein said data transmission/reception means:

when the transmission of upload data to a server that is the upload destination is interrupted during transmission, enters a standby state until said communication state determination means determines that a state that allows communication with said server that is the upload destination has again been established,

and when said communication state determination means determines that a state that allows communication with said server that is the upload destination has again been established, re-transmits upload data to said server that is the upload destination by way of the communication network.

4. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 2, wherein said on-board server is further provided with:

data deletion means for, when said data transmission/reception means has completed transmission of upload data to said server that is the upload destination, deleting upload data that have been temporarily saved by said data saving means.

5. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 3, wherein said on-board server is further provided with:

data deletion means for, when said data transmission/reception means has completed transmission of upload data to said server that is the upload destination, deleting upload data that have been temporarily saved by said data saving means.

6. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 1, wherein

said communication state determination means determines whether a state is established that allows communication with a server that is the download destination and that is outside the moving vehicle;

said data transmission/reception means receives download data from said server that is the download destination server by way of a communication network in accordance with a download request from a user terminal when said communication state determination means determines that a state has been established that allows communication with the server that is said download destination; and

said data saving means temporarily saves download data that have been received by said data transmission/reception means.

7. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 6, wherein said data reception means:

when the reception of download data from said server that is the download destination is interrupted during reception, remains in a standby state until said communication state determination means determines that a state that allows communication with said server that is the download destination has again been established; and

when said communication state determination means determines that a state that allows communication with said server that is the download destination has again been established, re-receives download data from said server that is the download destination by way of a communication network.

8. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 6, wherein said on-board server is further provided with:

a data transfer means for, in accordance with a request from a user terminal, transferring download data that are temporarily saved by said data saving means to said user terminal; and

a data deletion means for, when said data transfer means completes transfer of download data to said user terminal, deleting download data that are temporarily held by said data saving means.

9. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 7, wherein said on-board server is further provided with:

a data transfer means for, in accordance with a request from a user terminal, transferring download data that are temporarily saved by said data saving means to said user terminal; and

a data deletion means for, when said data transfer means completes transfer of download data to said user terminal, deleting download data that are temporarily held by said data saving means.

10. A data transmission/reception system according to claim 1, wherein:

a relay server for relaying the transmission and reception of data between said on-board server and a server that is outside the moving vehicle is established at each relay point; and

said relay server is provided with relay data saving means for temporarily saving the transmission and reception data of said on-board server and said server that is outside the moving vehicle.

11. A data transmission/reception method wherein a user terminal that is used by user in a moving vehicle transmits and receives data with a server that is outside the moving vehicle by way of a communication network;

said data transmission/reception method comprising steps of;

determining whether a state is established that allows communication with a server that is outside said moving vehicle;

transmitting and receiving data with said server that is outside said moving vehicle by way of a communication network in accordance with a request from said user terminal when it has been determined that a state has been established that allows communication with said server that is outside said moving vehicle; and

temporarily saving said data that are transmitted and received.

12. A data transmission/reception program wherein a user terminal that is used by user in a moving vehicle transmits and receives data with a server that is outside the moving vehicle by way of a communication network;

said data transmission/reception program causing a computer to execute processes of;

determining whether a state is established that allows communication with a server that is outside said moving vehicle;

transmitting and receiving data with said server that is outside said moving vehicle by way of a communication network in accordance with a request from said user terminal when it has been determined that a state has been established that allows communication with said server that is outside said moving vehicle; and

temporarily saving said data that are transmitted and received.