Controller apparatus, mobile terminal, and communication control method

• US 20060159033A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshihiro, Kobayashi, Motonari
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• 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 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/00 Network topologies

Abstract

A controller apparatus of this invention includes a topology information managing unit configured to manage topology information showing a topology, a location information acquiring unit configured to acquire location information on a plurality of mobile terminals, a link information acquiring unit configured to acquire link information at the mobile terminals, a determining unit configured to determine a way to change the topology, based on the location information, the link information and the topology information, and a transmitting unit configured to generate instruction information for changing the topology, based on the determined way to change the topology, and to transmit the instruction information to a certain mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A controller apparatus configured to control a topology in an ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile terminals, the controller apparatus comprising:

a topology information managing unit configured to manage topology information showing the topology;

a location information acquiring unit configured to acquire location information on the mobile terminals;

a link information acquiring unit configured to acquire link information at the mobile terminals;

a determining unit configured to determine a way to change the topology, based on the acquired location information, the acquired link information, and the topology information managed by the topology information managing unit; and

a transmitting unit configured to generate instruction information for changing the topology, based on the determined way to change the topology, for transmission to a certain mobile terminal.

2. The controller apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the instruction information is configured to instruct the certain mobile terminal forming a part of the ad hoc network to move in a required direction or to a required location.

3. The controller apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the instruction information is configured to instruct the certain mobile terminal not joining in the ad hoc network to join in the ad hoc network.

4. The controller apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the determining unit is configured to determine a way to change the topology, based on traffic conditions in the ad hoc network.

5. The controller apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the determining unit is configured to determine a way to change the topology, so as to reduce a hop count in communication between certain mobile terminals.

6. The controller apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

a communication environment information acquiring unit configured to acquire, from the mobile terminals, communication environment information showing a communication environment at the mobile terminals; and

a proxy control information transmitting unit configured to transmit proxy control information for performing the topology control in place of the controller apparatus, to a representative mobile terminal belonging to the ad hoc network, when the acquired communication environment information satisfies a predetermined condition.

7. A mobile terminal configured to be able to join in an ad hoc network, comprising:

a location information transmitting unit configured to transmit location information on the mobile terminal to a controller apparatus configured to control a topology in the ad hoc network;

a link information transmitting unit configured to transmit link information at the mobile terminal to the controller apparatus; and

an output unit configured to output instruction information transmitted from the controller apparatus.

8. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 7, wherein the instruction information is configured to instruct the mobile terminal to move in a required direction or to a required location.

9. The mobile terminal as set forth in claim 7, wherein the instruction information is configured to instruct the mobile terminal to join in the ad hoc network.

10. A communication control method in which a controller apparatus is configured to control a topology in an ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

acquiring, at the controller apparatus, location information on the mobile terminals;

acquiring, at the controller apparatus, link information at the mobile terminals;

determining, at the controller apparatus, a way to change the topology, based on the acquired location information, the acquired link information, and topology information showing the topology managed by the controller apparatus;

generating, at the controller apparatus, instruction information for changing the topology, based on the determined way to change the topology, for transmission to a certain mobile terminal; and

outputting, at the certain mobile terminal, the instruction information transmitted from the controller apparatus.