Data communication method, communication server system, and communication terminal

• US 20060215641A1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Shuji, Kitagawa, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users

Abstract

A data communication method able to transfer data well in real time group communication between one and many communication terminals, which has a communication server system repeatedly judge whether or not each receiving side communication terminal can communicate, postpone the transfer of data to the communication terminals when it judges there is a communication terminal which cannot communicate, and newly transfer the data postponed in transfer to all of the receiving side communication terminals when subsequently judging that the communication terminal judged to be unable to communicate is able to communicate and a communication server system and a communication terminal used in the same.

Claims

1. A data communication method of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be simultaneously performed when a first communication terminal and a plurality of second communication terminals communicate with each other via a communication server system, comprising

a first step of having the communication server system receive from the first communication terminal the data to be transmitted addressed to the plurality of second communication terminals;

a second step of having the communication server system repeatedly judge whether or not each of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate;

a third step of having the communication server system hold the data to be transmitted addressed to the plurality of second communication terminals from the first communication terminal and postpone the transfer to the plurality of second communication terminals when it is judged in the second step that one or more of the plurality of second communication terminals is unable to communicate;

a fourth step of having the communication server system transfer the data to be transmitted addressed to the plurality of second communication terminals from the first communication terminal to all of the plurality of second communication terminals when it is judged in the second step that all of the second communication terminals can communicate; and

a fifth step of having the communication server system transfer the data for which transfer was postponed to the plurality of second communication terminals when it is judged in the third step that all of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate by the repeated judgment in the second step after postponing the transfer of the data.

2. A data communication method as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the communication server system postpones transfer of the data in 0.03-third step, the communication server system notifies the fact of holding untransferred data to the first communication terminal and/or the plurality of second communication terminals.

3. A data communication method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a sixth step of having the communication server system discard data with a postponement time exceeding a predetermined time and/or an excess amount of data from a predetermined amount of data in data for which transfer is postponed at the third step.

4. A data communication method of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be simultaneously performed when a first communication terminal and a plurality of second communication terminals communicate with each other, comprising

a first step of having the first communication terminal repeatedly judge whether or not each of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate;

a second step of having the first communication terminal transmit the data to all of the plurality of second communication terminals when it is judged in the first step that all of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate;

a third step of having the first communication terminal hold the data and postpone the transmission when it is judged in the first step that one or more of the plurality of second communication terminals cannot communicate; and

a fourth step of having the first communication terminal transmit the data for which transmission was postponed to the plurality of second communication terminals when it is judged in the first step that all of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate by the repeated judgment after postponing the transmission of the data.

5. A data communication method as set forth in claim 4, wherein when postponing transfer of the data in the third step, the first communication terminal notifies the fact of holding untransferred data to the plurality of second communication terminals.

6. A data communication method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a fifth step of having the first communication terminal discard data with a postponement time exceeding a predetermined time and/or an excess amount of data from a predetermined amount of data in data for which transfer is postponed at the third step.

7. A communication server system for controlling data communication when a first communication terminal and a plurality of second communication terminals engage in data communication of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be simultaneously performed when they communicate with each other via a communication server system, comprising

a receiving part for receiving data to be transmitted addressed to the plurality of second communication terminals from the first communication terminal;

a judging part for repeatedly judging whether or not each of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate;

a holding part able to hold the data to be transmitted addressed to the plurality of second communication terminals from the first communication terminal;

a transferring part for transferring the data to be transmitted addressed to the plurality of second communication terminals from the first communication terminal to all of the plurality of second communication terminals; and

a controlling part for controlling the system so that where it is judged by the judging part that one or more of the plurality of second communication terminals cannot communicate, the data received at that receiving part is held in the holding part, the transfer by the transferring part is postponed, then, when it is judged by the judging part that all of second communication terminals can communicate after postponing that transfer, the data held in the holding part is transferred to all of the plurality of second communication terminals by the transferring part.

8. A communication server system as set forth in claim 7, further having a communicating part for notifying the fact of holding untransferred data to the plurality of second communication terminals when the holding part holds and postpones transfer of the data.

9. A communication server system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the controlling part controls the holding part so as to discard data with a postponement time exceeding a predetermined time and/or an excess amount of data from a predetermined amount of data in data for which transfer is postponed at the holding part.

10. A communication terminal constituting a first communication terminal for transmitting data to second communication terminals when engaging in data communication of a half-duplex mode where transmission and the reception are not simultaneously possible when the first communication terminal and the plurality of second communication terminals communicated with each other, comprising

a judging part for repeatedly judging whether or not each of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate;

a holding part able to hold the data to be transmitted to the plurality of communication terminals;

a transmitting part for transmitting the data to be transmitted to all of the plurality of second communication terminals; and

a controlling part for controlling the system so that, when it is judged by the judging part that one or more of the plurality of second communication terminals cannot communicate, the data is held in the holding part and the transmission of that data by the transmitting part is postponed, then, when it is judged by the judging part that all of the plurality of second communication terminals can communicate after postponing the transmission, the data held in the holding part is transmitted to all of the plurality of second communication terminals by the transferring part.

11. A communication terminal as set forth in claim 10, further having a communicating part for notifying the fact of holding untransferred data to the plurality of second communication terminals when the holding part holds and postpones transfer of the data to be sent.

12. A communication terminal as set forth in claim 10, wherein the controlling part controls the holding part so as to discard data with a postponement time exceeding a predetermined time and/or an excess amount of data from a predetermined amount of data in data for which transfer is postponed at the holding part.

13. A data communication method of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be simultaneously performed when a first communication terminal and a plurality of second communication terminals communicate with each other via a communication server system, comprising

a first step of having the first communication terminal transmit the data to the plurality of second communication terminals via the communication server system;

a second step of having the first communication terminal prohibit new data transmission after it transmits the data;

a third step of having each of the plurality of second communication terminals transmit a first notification for notifying the completion of reception to the communication server system when it finishes receiving the data from the first communication terminal and prohibit new data transmission;

a fourth step of having the communication server system transmit a second notification for notifying that all of the plurality of second communication terminals finished receiving the data to the first communication terminal and each of the plurality of second communication terminals when the communication server system receives the first notification from all of the plurality of second communication terminals; and

a fifth step of having the first communication terminal and the plurality of second communication terminals permit new data transmission when the first communication terminal and the plurality of second communication terminals receive the second notification from the communication server system.

14. A data communication method as set forth in claim 13, wherein,

the second step further comprises having the first communication terminal notify the second communication terminals of information showing that it prohibits the transmission of new data,

the third step further comprises having each of the plurality of second communication terminals notify the first communication terminal of information showing that it prohibits transmission of new data, and

the fifth step further comprises having the first communication terminal and each of the plurality of second communication terminals notify the fact of permitting the transmission of new data.

15. A data communication method of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be simultaneously performed when a first communication terminal and a plurality of second communication terminals communicate with each other, comprising

a first step of having the first communication terminal transmit the data to the plurality of second communication terminals;

a second step of having the first communication terminal prohibit new data transmission after the first communication terminal transmits the data;

a third step of having each of the plurality of second communication terminals transmit a first notification for notifying the completion of reception to the first communication terminal and prohibit new data transmission when each of the plurality of second communication terminals finishes receiving the data from the first communication terminal;

a fourth step of having the first communication terminal permit new data transmission and transmit a second notification for notifying that all of the plurality of second communication terminals finished receiving the data when the first communication terminal receives the first notification from all of the plurality of second communication terminals; and

a fifth step of having the plurality of second communication terminals permit new data transmission when each of the plurality of second communication terminals receives the second notification from the first communication terminal.

16. A data communication method as set forth in claim 15, wherein,

the second step further comprises having the first communication terminal notify the fact that it prohibits the transmission of new data,

the third step further comprises having each of the plurality of second communication terminals notify the fact that it prohibits transmission of new data,

the fourth step further comprises having the first communication terminal notify the fact of permitting the transmission of new data, and

the fifth step further comprises having each of the plurality of second communication terminals notify the fact of permitting the transmission of new data.

17. A communication server system for controlling data communication when a first communication terminal and a plurality of second communication terminals engage in data communication of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be performed simultaneously when communicating with each other via a communication server system, comprising

a communicating part;

a notification reception controlling part for receiving a first notification for notifying the data finishing being received from each of the plurality of the communication terminals via the communicating part;

a judging part for judging whether or not all of the plurality of second communication terminals finished receiving the data based on the first notification received at the notification reception controlling part; and

a notification transmission controlling part for transmitting a second notification for notifying that all of the plurality of second communication terminals finished receiving the data to the first communication terminal and each of the plurality of second communication terminals via the communicating part when the completion of reception of all of the plurality of second communication terminals is judged in the judging part.

18. A communication terminal constituting a first communication terminal when a first communication terminal transmits data to a plurality of second communication terminals in data communication of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be performed simultaneously when the first communication terminal and the plurality of second communication terminals communicate with each other, comprising

a communicating part;

a transmission prohibiting part for prohibiting the transmission of new data from the communicating part after the communicating part has transmitted the data;

a notification reception controlling part for receiving a first notification for notifying that data has finished being received transmitted from each of the plurality of second communication terminals via the communicating part;

a judging part for judging whether or not all of the plurality of second communication terminals have finished receiving the data based on the first notification received at the notification reception controlling part;

a transmission permitting part for permitting the transmission of new data from the communicating part when the completion of reception of all of the plurality of second communication terminals is judged at the judging part; and

a notification transmission controlling part for transmitting a second notification for notifying that all of the plurality of communication terminals finished receiving the data to each of the plurality of second communication terminals via the communicating part when the completion of reception of all of the plurality of second communication terminals is judged at the judging part.

19. A communication terminal as set forth in claim 18, wherein

the first communication terminal further has a communicating part, and

the communicating part notifies the fact that it prohibits the transmission of new data when transmitting data to a plurality of communication terminals and notifies the fact of permitting the transmission of new data when judging at the judging part that all terminals have finished receiving the data.

20. A communication terminal constituting a second communication terminal when a first communication terminal transmits data to a plurality of second communication terminals in data communication of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be performed simultaneously when the first communication terminal and the plurality of second communication terminals communicate with each other via a communication server system, comprising

a communicating part for transferring data with the communication server system;

a judging part for judging whether or not data has finished being received when receiving data transmitted from the first communication terminal;

a transmission prohibiting part for prohibiting the transmission of new data from the communicating part when data finishing being received is judged at the judging part;

a notification transmission controlling part for transmitting a first notification for notifying the data finishing being received to the communication server system via the communicating part when data finishing being received is judged at the judging part;

a notification reception controlling part for receiving a second notification for notifying that all of the plurality of second communication terminals have finished receiving the data from the communication server system via the communicating part after transmitting the first notification; and

a transmission permitting part for permitting the transmission of new data from the communicating part when receiving the second notification from the communication server system at the notification reception controlling part.

21. A communication terminal constituting a second communication terminal when a first communication terminal transmits data to a plurality of second communication terminals in data communication of a half-duplex mode where transmission and reception cannot be performed simultaneously when the first communication terminal and the plurality of second communication terminals communicate with each other, comprising

a communicating part for transferring data with the first communication terminal;

a judging part for judging whether or not data has finished being received when receiving data transmitted from the first communication terminal;

a transmission prohibiting part for prohibiting the transmission of new data from the communicating part when the data finishing being received is judged at the judging part;

a notification transmission controlling part for transmitting a first notification for notifying the completion of the reception of the data to the first communication terminal via the communicating part when the data finishing being received is judged at the judging part;

a notification reception controlling part for receiving a second notification for notifying that the data has finished being received in all of the plurality of second communication terminals from the first communication terminal via the communicating part after transmitting the first notification; and

a transmission permitting part for permitting the transmission of new data from the communicating part when receiving the second notification from the first communication terminal at the notification reception controlling part.

22. A communication terminal as set forth in claim 21, wherein

the second communication terminal further has a communicating part, and

the communicating part notifies the fact of prohibiting the transmission of new data when the judging part judges that the data transmitted from the one communication terminal has finished being received and notifies the fact of permitting the transmission of new data when the notification reception controlling part receives the second notification.