Communication support system, communication support method, communication support program, and communication terminal

• US 20070232340A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsukura, Ryuichi, Yamauchi, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

In a network including a relay apparatus, a relay apparatus management part, a communication management server for controlling communication between communication terminals including a mobile communication terminal, and a messaging server, a communication support system that supports an establishment of connection between communication terminals includes a communication information acquiring part for, in a case where communication cannot be established between a mobile communication terminal and a partner-side terminal due to the congestion of communication, receiving terminal data thereof, a relay apparatus specifying part for specifying an alternative relay apparatus, and a message control part for causing a messaging server to perform processing of transmitting an inquiry message for inquiring about a possibility of movement to a coverage area of the alternative relay apparatus and processing of transmitting a content of a response message. The communication support system enables a rapid transition to a state in which communication between the mobile communication terminal and the partner-side terminal can be established, by allowing information to be exchanged between both the terminals, even in a case where the communication between the terminal and the relay apparatus is congested.

Claims

1. A communication support system for supporting an establishment of connection between communication terminals in a network including a plurality of relay apparatuses for performing wireless transmission with a mobile communication terminal in a coverage area, a relay apparatus management part for recording relay apparatus management data representing an allocation status of a transmission bandwidth in each of the plurality of relay apparatuses, a communication management server for controlling an establishment of connection between communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal, using the allocation status of the transmission bandwidth represented by the relay apparatus management data, and a messaging server for controlling transmission/reception of a message between the communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal,

the system comprising:

a communication information acquiring part for, in a case where the relay apparatus management data represents that the transmission bandwidth of the relay apparatus for performing wireless transmission with the mobile communication terminal that requests an establishment of connection or that is requested to establish connection with another communication terminal is insufficient for establishing the connection, receiving terminal data representing the mobile communication terminal and a partner-side terminal that is the another communication terminal which is about to establish connection with the mobile communication terminal from the communication management server or the relay apparatus management part;

a relay apparatus specifying part for specifying an alternative relay apparatus capable of relaying transmission between the mobile communication terminal and the partner-side terminal among the plurality of relay apparatuses, based on the relay apparatus management data; and

a message control part for causing the messaging server to perform processing of transmitting an inquiry message containing an inquiry about a possibility of movement to a coverage area of the alternative relay apparatus to the mobile communication terminal, and processing of transmitting a message containing a content of a response message from the mobile communication terminal with respect to the inquiry message to the partner-side terminal.

2. The communication support system according to claim 1, wherein communication terminal data representing a mobile communication terminal that becomes capable of performing communication in each of the plurality of relay apparatuses is further recorded in the relay apparatus management part, and

the system further comprises a requesting part for, in a case where the mobile communication terminal represented by the communication terminal data is recorded in the communication terminal data as the mobile communication terminal that becomes capable of communicating with the alternative relay apparatus, requesting the communication management server to establish connection between the mobile communication terminal and the partner-side terminal represented by the terminal data.

3. The communication support system according to claim 1, wherein the relay apparatus management part records, as the relay apparatus management data, data representing a mobile communication terminal that is communicating with or is going to communicate with another communication terminal, using a transmission bandwidth of the relay apparatus, and

the relay apparatus specifying part specifies the alternative relay apparatus based on the mobile communication terminal that is communicating with or is going to communicate with another communication terminal, using a transmission bandwidth of the relay apparatus, represented by the relay apparatus management data.

4. The communication support system according to claim 1,

wherein the network further includes a connection port management part for recording data representing a connection state of a communication terminal with respect to a plurality of connection ports provided so as to connect a communication terminal to the network through a wire,

the relay apparatus specifying part specifies an alternative connection port that is a connection port to which the mobile communication terminal performing wireless transmission with the relay apparatus whose transmission bandwidth is insufficient is able to be connected, based on data recorded in the connection port management part, in addition to the alternative relay apparatus, and

the message control part causes the messaging server to perform processing of transmitting an inquiry message containing an inquiry about a possibility of movement to a coverage area of the alternative relay apparatus and an inquiry about a possibility of connection to the alternative connection port, to the mobile communication terminal represented by the terminal data, and processing of transmitting a content of a response message from the mobile communication terminal with respect to the inquiry message to the partner-side terminal.

5. A communication terminal for communicating with another communication terminal, using a network including a plurality of relay apparatuses for performing wireless transmission with a mobile communication terminal in a coverage area, a relay apparatus management part for recording relay apparatus management data representing an allocation status of a transmission bandwidth in each of the plurality of relay apparatuses, a communication management server for controlling an establishment of connection between communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal, using the allocation status of the transmission bandwidth represented by the relay apparatus management data, and a messaging server for controlling transmission/reception of a message between the communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal,

the terminal comprising:

a communication information acquiring part for, in a case where the relay apparatus management data represents that the transmission bandwidth of the relay apparatus for performing wireless transmission with the mobile communication terminal that requests an establishment of connection or that is requested to establish connection with another communication terminal is insufficient for establishing the connection, receiving terminal data representing the mobile communication terminal and a partner-side terminal that is the another communication terminal which is about to establish connection with the mobile communication terminal from the communication management server or the relay apparatus management part;

a relay apparatus specifying part for specifying an alternative relay apparatus capable of relaying transmission between the mobile communication terminal and the partner-side terminal among the plurality of relay apparatuses, based on the relay apparatus management data; and

a message control part for causing the messaging server to perform processing of transmitting an inquiry message containing an inquiry about a possibility of movement to a coverage area of the alternative relay apparatus to the mobile communication terminal, and processing of transmitting a message containing a content of a response message from the mobile communication terminal with respect to the inquiry message to the partner-side terminal.

6. A communication support method for supporting an establishment of connection between communication terminals using a computer in a network including a plurality of relay apparatuses for performing wireless transmission with a mobile communication terminal in a coverage area, a relay apparatus management part for recording relay apparatus management data representing an allocation status of a transmission bandwidth in each of the plurality of relay apparatuses, a communication management server for controlling an establishment of connection between communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal, using the allocation status of the transmission bandwidth represented by the relay apparatus management data, and a messaging server for controlling transmission/reception of a message between the communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal,

the method comprising:

a communication information acquiring operation in which, in a case where the relay apparatus management data represents that the transmission bandwidth of the relay apparatus for performing wireless transmission with the mobile communication terminal that requests an establishment of connection or that is requested to establish connection with another communication terminal is insufficient for establishing the connection, the computer receives terminal data representing the mobile communication terminal and a partner-side terminal that is the another communication terminal which is about to establish connection with the mobile communication terminal from the communication management server or the relay apparatus management part;

a relay apparatus specifying operation in which the computer specifies an alternative relay apparatus capable of relaying transmission between the mobile communication terminal and the partner-side terminal among the plurality of relay apparatuses, based on the relay apparatus management data; and

a message control operation in which the computer causes the messaging server to perform processing of transmitting an inquiry message containing an inquiry about a possibility of movement to a coverage area of the alternative relay apparatus to the mobile communication terminal, and processing of transmitting a message containing a content of a response message from the mobile communication terminal with respect to the inquiry message to the partner-side terminal.

7. A communication support program recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, causing a computer to perform processing of supporting an establishment of connection between communication terminals in a network including a plurality of relay apparatuses for performing wireless transmission with a mobile communication terminal in a coverage area, a relay apparatus management part for recording relay apparatus management data representing an allocation status of a transmission bandwidth in each of the plurality of relay apparatuses, a communication management server for controlling an establishment of connection between communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal, using the allocation status of the transmission bandwidth represented by the relay apparatus management data, and a messaging server for controlling transmission/reception of a message between the communication terminals including the mobile communication terminal,

the program causing the computer to perform:

communication information acquiring processing of, in a case where the relay apparatus management data represents that the transmission bandwidth of the relay apparatus for performing wireless transmission with the mobile communication terminal that requests an establishment of connection or that is requested to establish connection with another communication terminal is insufficient for establishing the connection, receiving terminal data representing the mobile communication terminal and a partner-side terminal that is the another communication terminal which is about to establish connection with the mobile communication terminal from the communication management server or the relay apparatus management part;

relay apparatus specifying processing of specifying an alternative relay apparatus capable of relaying transmission between the mobile communication terminal and the partner-side terminal among the plurality of relay apparatuses, based on the relay apparatus management data; and

message control processing of causing the messaging server to perform processing of transmitting an inquiry message containing an inquiry about a possibility of movement to a coverage area of the alternative relay apparatus to the mobile communication terminal, and processing of transmitting a message containing a content of a response message from the mobile communication terminal with respect to the inquiry message to the partner-side terminal.