Data communication method, data communication system, and communication terminal

• US 20060179135A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
• Original Assignee: Vodafone KK (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okaniwa, Takafumi, Shibata, Akiho, Murai, Yusuke, Doi, Masayuki, Aoyagi, Tatsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,885,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0221 power availability or consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A portable telephone unit 10 receives management information comprising size information for contents data wanting to be downloaded, and adjusts an environment for receiving the object data, based on size information for contents data contained in the management information. To adjust the environment for receiving the object data it is possible, for example, to determine a communication system for receipt, or to secure a storage region for storing object data that has been received. After that, the portable telephone unit 10 transmits a contents data download request, and receives contents data returned in response to the download request. As a result, it is possible for the communication terminal to download the contents data in a state where the receive environment has been optimized according to the size of the contents.

Claims

1. A data communication method, for downloading data to a communication terminal, comprising steps of:

requesting an object data management information, wherein the communication terminal transmits a request for object data management information, including size information for the object data to be downloaded;

receiving an object data management information, wherein the communication terminal receives the object data management information;

adjusting a data receive environment, wherein the communication terminal adjusts an environment for receiving the object data, based on the size information for the object data;

requesting a download, wherein the communication terminal transmits a download request for the object data; and

receiving object data, wherein the communication terminal receives the object data.

2. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein

the data receive environment adjustment step comprises a step of determining a data communication system used in downloading the object data, based on the size information for the object data;

and

the communication terminal designates the determined communication system to transmit the object data download request in the download request step.

3. The data communication method of claim 2, wherein,

when the size of the object data is less than a specified size, the data communication system is determined to be a packet communication system, while when the size of the object data is the specified size or greater the data communication system is determined to be a circuit switching communication system in the data communication system determination step.

4. The data communication method of claim 2, further comprising a step of confirming a download request, wherein the communication terminal having received the object data management information displays the object data size, and entrusts determination as to whether or not the download request step is executed to a user of the communication terminal.

5. The data communication method of claim 4, wherein,

in the download request confirmation step, operating power remaining amount capable of being supplied by a power supply of the communication terminal is detected, and when it is determined that the detected operating power remaining amount is not a sufficient margin for an object data download operation, display advising caution to the user of the mobile communication terminal is carried out.

6. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein

the data receive environment adjustment step further comprises a step of determining a free space size, wherein

the communication terminal that has received the object data management information determines whether or not the size of free space size in a region used for download by the communication terminal is larger than the object data size, and

when the determination result of the free space determination step is affirmative, executing the download request step.

7. The data communication method of claim 6, wherein

the data receive environment adjustment step further comprises a step of suggesting a free space size securement, wherein

when the determination is negative in the free space size determination step, securing the size of the free space to greater than or equal to the size of the object data is suggested to the user of the communication terminal.

8. The data communication method of claim 7, further comprising a step of confirming a download request, wherein

the communication terminal having received the object data management information displays the object data size, and entrusts determination as to whether or not the download request step is executed to a user of the communication terminal.

9. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein

data type information for the object data is further comprised in the object data management information.

10. The data communication method of claim 9, wherein,

when data type information among the object data management information is not of a type the communication terminal is expecting, an error is displayed and an operation for downloading the object data is suspended.

11. The data communication method of claim 10, wherein

the object data comprises data type information in a header section, and

the communication terminal compares data type information in the object data management information with data type information in the object data, and in the event that they do not match an error display is carried out.

12. The data communication method of claim 1, wherein

the communication terminal compares object data size information in the object data management information with size of the object data downloaded, and in the event that they do not match carries out error display.

13. The data communication method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

requesting a remaining portion download, wherein the communication terminal requests download for a remaining portion, which is a portion after the portion that has already been downloaded, when download of the object data in the object data receiving step was not completed, and

receiving a remaining portion wherein the communication terminal receives the remaining portion.

14. A data communication system, for downloading data to a communication terminal, wherein the communication terminal comprises:

object data management information request means, for requesting for object data management information, comprising size information for the object data wanting to be downloaded;

object data management information receive means for receiving the object data management information;

data receive environment adjustment means, for adjusting an environment for receiving the object data, based on size information for the object data inside the object data management information returned in response to the object data management information request; and

download means for performing download control of the object data.

15. The data communication system of claim 14, further comprising:

a management information server for transmitting the object data management information to the communication terminal in response to the object data management information request; and

an object data server for transmitting the object data to the communication terminal in response to the download request, using the determined communication system.

16. The data communication system of claim 15, wherein

the management information server and the object data server are the same device.

17. The data communication system of claim 15, wherein

the management information server and the object data device are mutually different server, and

location position information for the object data server device is further included in the object data management information.

18. The data communication system of claim 14, wherein

the communication terminal is a mobile communication terminal.

19. A communication terminal, comprising:

object data management information request means, for requesting for object data management information, including size information for the object data to be downloaded;

an object data management information receiving step for receiving the object data management information;

data receive environment adjustment means, for adjusting an environment for receiving the object data, based on size information for the object data inside the object data management information returned in response to the object data management information request; and

download means for performing download control of the object data.

20. The data communication terminal of claim 19, wherein

the data receive environment adjustment means comprises data communication system determination means for determining a data communication system used in downloading the object data, based on the size information for the object data.

21. The data communication terminal of claim 20, wherein

when the size of the object data is less than a specified size, the data communication system determination means determines the data communication system to be a packet communication system, while when the size of the object data is the specified size or greater determines the data communication system to be a circuit switching communication system.

22. The communication terminal of claim 20, wherein

the download means displays object data size before transmission of a download request, and entrusts determination as to whether or not the object data download request is executed to a user.

23. The data terminal of claim 20, wherein

the download means detects operating power remaining amount capable of being supplied by a power supply before transmission of the download request, and

when it is determined that the detected operating power remaining amount is not a sufficient margin for an object data download operation, display advising caution to the user is carried out.

24. The communication terminal of claim 19, wherein

the data receive environment adjustment means comprises free space determination means for determining whether or not there is free space for storing the object data in a permanent storage region where storage data is not deleted unless there is an explicit command from the user, based on the object data size information, and

when the determination result by the free space determination means is affirmative, the download means transmits the object data download request, and receives object data returned in response to the download request.

25. The communication terminal of claim 24, wherein,

when the determination result is negative, the free space determination means suggest securement of the free space size of greater than or equal to the object data size to the user.

26. The communication terminal of claim 24, wherein

the download means displays object data size before transmission of a download request, and entrusts determination as to whether or not the object data download request is executed to a user.

27. The communication terminal of claim 24, wherein

the permanent storage region is a region divided for each data type, and

data type information for the object data is further included in the object data management information.

28. The communication terminal of claim 19, wherein,

when download of the object data is not completed, the download means performs a remaining portion download request for a remaining portion, being a portion other than the portion that has already been downloaded, to the server device.