Communication control method, communication control apparatus and storage medium

• US 20060161649A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Tetsuya, Chikada, Michiyasu
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Even if a communication is interrupted, a communication control module in a data terminal reestablish the communication without informing a communication module that the communication has been interrupted in a case where it is possible to reestablish the communication. The communication control module determines that the communication can be reestablished if the interruption is temporary, or the condition of a network is good. The communication module does not recognize the interruption of the communication if the communication can be reestablished. Therefore, when the communication circuit is reestablished, the data communication is restored retrospectively to the time of the interruption of the communication.

Claims

1. A communication control method for a data terminal which includes data communication module for transmitting data to or receiving data from another data terminal connected with the data terminal through a communication line, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an interruption of the communication line; and

when it is detected that the communication line is interrupted, reestablishing the communication line without informing the data communication module of the interruption of the communication line.

2. A communication control method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of judging whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line, wherein when it is detected that the communication line is interrupted, and it is judged that the communication line should be reestablished, the communication line is reestablished without informing the data communication module of the interruption of the communication line.

3. A communication control method according to claim 2, wherein it is judged, based on a cause for the interruption of the communication line, whether to reestablish the communication line.

4. A communication control method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of diagnosing the condition of a network, wherein it is judged, based on the diagnosed condition of the network, whether to reestablish the communication line.

5. A communication control method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of diagnosing the condition of a network, wherein it is judged, based on the cause for the interruption of the communication line and the diagnosed condition of the network, whether to reestablish the communication line.

6. A communication control apparatus for controlling a data terminal with a data communication module for performing a data communication with another data terminal, the communication control apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting an interruption of the communication line; and

a communication controller for reestablishing, when the detector detects an interruption of the communication line, the communication line without informing the data communication module of the interruption of the communication line.

7. A communication control apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a judging module for judging whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line, wherein when the detector detects an interruption of the communication line, and the communication controller reestablishes the interrupted communication line without informing the data communication module of the interruption of the communication line.

8. A communication control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the judging module judges, based on a cause for the interruption of the communication line, whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line.

9. A communication control apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a diagnosing module for diagnosing the condition of a network, wherein the judging module judges, based on the diagnosed condition of the network, whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line.

10. A communication control apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising a diagnosing module for diagnosing the condition of a network, wherein the judging module judges, based on the cause for the interruption of the communication circuit and the diagnosed condition of the network, whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line.

11. A communication control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the data communication module performs data communication through a portable terminal which wirelessly communicates with a radio base station,

the diagnosing module determines whether or not the portable terminal is within a wireless zone formed by the radio base station, and

the judging module judges, based on whether or not the portable terminal is within the wireless zone, whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line.

12. A communication control apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising an inquiring module for sending an inquiry as to the condition of the network to an external diagnosing module for diagnosing the condition of the network, wherein the judging module judges, based on the condition of the network diagnosed by the external diagnosing module, whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line.

13. A storage medium that stores a communication control program executed by a data terminal which includes data communication module for performing data communication with another data terminal through a communication line, the program comprising the steps of:

detecting an interruption of the communication line;

when it is detected that the communication line is interrupted, reestablishing the communication line without informing the data communication module of the interruption of the communication line.

14. A storage medium that stores a communication control program according to claim 13, the program further comprising the step of judging whether to reestablish the interrupted communication line, wherein when it is detected that the communication line is interrupted, and it is judged that the communication line should be reestablished, the communication line is reestablished without informing the data communication module of the interruption of the communication line.

15. A storage medium that stores a communication control program according to claim 14, wherein it is judged, based on a cause for the interruption of the communication line, whether to reestablish the communication line.

16. A storage medium that stores a communication control program according to claim 14, the program further comprising the step of diagnosing the condition of a network, wherein it is judged, based on the diagnosed condition of the network, whether to reestablish the communication line.

17. A storage medium that stores a communication control program according to claim 15, the program further comprising the step of diagnosing the condition of a network, wherein it is judged, based on the cause for the interruption of the communication line and the diagnosed condition of the network, whether to reestablish the communication line.