Communication terminal and communication method

• US 20070077893A1
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasao, Nobuaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal and a communication method that can reduce power consumption while securing a communication state by a first communication means or a second communication means. A mobile device includes a radio communication part that communicates and connects with a mobile communication network and a WLAN communication part that communicates and connects with a WLAN. In the mobile device, a communication state monitoring part judges whether or not a radio communication using the radio communication part can be performed based on a preset reference value. When the communication state monitoring part judges that the communication using the radio communication part can be performed, a control part causes the WLAN communication part to transit to a sleep state.

Claims

1. A communication terminal, comprising:

a first communication means for performing a communication by a first communication system;

a second communication means for performing a communication by a second communication system;

a judgment means for judging whether or not the communication using the first communication means can be performed based on a preset value; and

a control means for controlling the second communication means so that an active state of the second communication means is stopped when the judgment means judges that the communication using the first communication means can be performed, and the active state of the second communication means is continued when the judgment means judges that the communication using the first communication means cannot be performed.

2. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the judgment means judges whether or not the communication using the first communication means can be performed, based on whether or not radio field intensity detected by the first communication means is equal to or greater than the preset value, or whether or not a packet loss value detected by the first communication means is equal to or smaller than a setting value.

3. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein, the judgment means, when judging that the communication using the first communication means can be performed, further judges whether or not the communication using the first communication means can be performed by predicting a future communication state.

4. The communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein the judgment means predicts the future communication state based on a history of the radio field intensity or the packet loss value detected by the first communication means.

5. In a communication method of a communication terminal having a first communication means for performing a communication by a first communication system and a second communication means for performing a communication by a second communication system, the communication method comprising:

a judgment step judging whether or not the communication using the first communication means can be performed based on a preset value; and

a control step controlling the second communication means so that an active state of the second communication means is stopped when the judgment step judges that the communication using the first communication means can be performed, and the active state of the second communication means is continued when the judgment step judges that the communication using the first communication means cannot be performed.