Communication Apparatus

• US 20070237317A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Suda, Yukinori
• Application Number:
  US11/587,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20070237317A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/112.40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1417 Advice of charge with threshold, e.g. user indicating maximum cost
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A communication apparatus plurally using the same and different types of lines, wherein the upper limit of a communication charge as calculated per hour from the upper limit of a predetermined monthly communication charge is compared with an actual communication charge as calculated per hour from the time that has passed since the start of a connection and from the number of transmitted/received packets as determined by a communication terminal, and if the actual communication charge exceeds the upper limit of the communication charge, then the packet transmission amount is reduced when using a line for which the charge increases with amount of packets; or alternatively the communication is disconnected when using a line for which the charge increases with time.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus simultaneously connectable to a plurality of communication systems of an identical type and a different type including a communication system for which a charge increases with an amount of communication, comprising:

an entire administration policy, being information of a target minimum of a communication rate or an upper limit of a communication charge, said target minimum and upper limit obtained by integrating at least a plurality of communication systems;

a line-by-line administration policy, being information for administering each communication system;

communication line quality information, being quality information of a line of each communication system;

statistics information that becomes status information of a line of each communication system; and

a line selecting means for, based upon said line-by-line administration policy, communication line quality information, and statistics information, selecting a line of each communication system so as to satisfy the entire administration policy.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a utilization priority degree and a connectable maximum line number set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selecting means is configured to select and connect a line of a communication system having the line of which said utilization priority degree is high from among the communication systems in which a communication line quality that is obtained from said communication line quality information is at a communicable level, and yet the number of already connected lines is less than said maximum line number in a case where an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or less than said upper limit per hour, and yet a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number is equal to or less than said target minimum of said communication rate.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selecting means is configured to select a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the lines of the communication systems in connection, and to disconnect the line of the above communication system in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a charging system and a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selecting means is configured to select a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the lines of the communication systems in connection in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour, and to suppress a transmission rate in the line of said communication system so that said actual communication charge per hour does not exceed said upper limit per hour in a case where the charging system of this communication system is a system for which a charge increases with an amount of packets.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a charging system, a charging rate, and a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selecting means is configured to select a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the already connected lines of the communication systems in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour, and, in a case where the charging system of this communication system is a system for which a charge increases with an amount of packets, to suppress a transmission rate of the line of said communication system when a communication charge per hour calculated from the charging rate of the line of said communication system and the transmitted/received packet number of the line of said communication system is larger than a difference between said upper limit per hour and said actual communication charge per hour.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a charging system, a charging rate, and a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selecting means is configured to select a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the already connected lines of the communication systems in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said communication time or transmitted/received packet number is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour, and in a case where the charging system of this communication system is a system for which a charge increases with an amount of packets, to disconnect the line of said communication system only when a communication charge per hour calculated from the charging rate of the line of said communication system and the transmitted/received packet number of said communication system is equal to or less than a difference between said upper limit per hour and said actual communication charge per hour.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

in a case where a communication charge calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or less than said upper limit of said communication charge, yet a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number is equal to or less than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet a line having a transmission rate suppressed exists, said line selecting means is configured to remove a suppression of the transmission rate of said line having the transmission rate suppressed.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said communication apparatus is mounted onto a mobile machine that moves; and

the entire administration policy of said communication apparatus differs responding to a vehicle occupancy ratio of said mobile machine.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said communication apparatus is mounted onto a mobile machine that moves; and

the entire administration policy of said communication apparatus differs responding to a position of said mobile machine.

10. A communication apparatus simultaneously connectable to a plurality of communication systems of an identical type and a different type, comprising a line selecting means for deciding a communication system so as to satisfy a target minimum of a communication rate or an upper limit of a communication charge, said target minimum and upper limit obtained by integrating a plurality of communication systems.

11. A line selection method of a communication apparatus simultaneously connectable to a plurality of communication systems of an identical type and a different type including a communication system for which a charge increases with an amount of communication, comprising a line selection step of, based upon a line-by-line administration policy, being information for administering each communication system, communication line quality information, being quality information of a line of each communication system, and statistics information that becomes status information of a line of each communication system, selecting a line of each communication system so as to satisfy a target minimum of a communication rate or an upper limit of a communication charge, said target minimum and upper limit obtained by integrating a plurality of communication systems.

12. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a utilization priority degree and a connectable maximum line number set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selection step is a step of, in a case where an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or less than said upper limit per hour, and yet a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number is equal to or less than said target minimum of said communication rate, selecting and connect a line of a communication system having the line of which said utilization priority degree is high from among the communication systems in which a communication line quality that is obtained from said communication line quality information is at a communicable level, and yet the number of already connected lines is less than said maximum line number.

13. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selection step is a step of, in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour, selecting a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the lines of the communication systems in connection, and disconnecting the line of the above communication system.

14. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a charging system and a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selection step is a step of, in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour, selecting a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the lines of the communication systems in connection, and in a case where a charging system of this communication system is a system for which the charge increases with an amount of packets, suppressing a transmission rate in the line of said communication system so that said actual communication charge per hour does not exceed said upper limit per hour.

15. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a charging system, a charging rate, and a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selection step is a step of, in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour, selecting a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the already connected lines of the communication systems, and in a case where the charging system of this communication system is a system for which a charge increases with an amount of packets, suppressing a transmission rate in the line of said communication system when a communication charge per hour calculated from the charging rate of the line of said communication system and the transmitted/received packet number of the line of said communication system is larger than a difference said upper limit per hour and said actual communication charge per hour.

16. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said upper limit of said communication charge of said entire administration policy is an upper limit per hour;

said line-by-line administration policy includes a charging system, a charging rate, and a utilization priority degree set for each communication system;

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selection step is a step of, in a case where a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number is equal to or more than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet an actual communication charge per hour calculated from said communication time or transmitted/received packet number is equal to or more than said upper limit per hour, selecting a line of a communication system of which said utilization priority degree is low from among the already connected lines of the communication systems, and in a case where the charging system for which a charge increases with an amount of packets, disconnecting the line of said communication system only when a communication charge per hour calculated from the charging rate of the line of said communication system and the transmitted/received packet number of the line of said communication system is equal to or less than a difference between said upper limit per hour and said actual communication charge per hour.

17. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said statistics information includes a transmitted/received packet number or a communication time of said communication apparatus; and

said line selection step is a step of, in a case where a communication charge calculated from said transmitted/received packet number or communication time is equal to or less than said upper limit of said communication charge, yet a communication rate calculated from said transmitted/received packet number is equal to or less than said target minimum of said communication rate, and yet a line. having a transmission rate suppressed exists, removing a suppress of the transmission rate of said line having the transmission rate suppressed.

18. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said communication apparatus is mounted onto a mobile machine that moves; and

the entire administration policy of said communication apparatus differs responding to a vehicle occupancy ratio of said mobile machine.

19. The line selection method according to claim 11, wherein:

said communication apparatus is mounted onto a mobile machine that moves; and

the entire administration policy of said communication apparatus differs responding to a position of said mobile machine.

20. A line selection method of a communication apparatus simultaneously connectable to a plurality of communication systems of an identical type and a different type, comprising a line selection step of deciding a communication system so as to satisfy a target minimum of a communication rate or an upper limit of a communication charge, said target minimum and upper limit obtained by integrating a plurality of communication systems.

21. A computer-readable program, said computer controlling an operation of a communication apparatus simultaneously connectable to a plurality of communication systems of an identical type and a different type including a communication system for which a charge increases with an amount of communication, comprising a line selection step of, based upon a line-by-line administration policy, being information for administering each communication system, communication line quality information, being quality information of a line of each communication system, and statistics information that becomes status information of a line of each communication system, selecting a line of each communication system so as to satisfy a target minimum of a communication rate or an upper limit of a communication charge, said target minimum and upper limit obtained by integrating a plurality of communication systems.

22. A communication apparatus simultaneously connectable to a plurality of communication systems of an identical type and a different type, comprising:

an entire administration policy, being information of a target minimum of a communication rate or an upper limit of a communication charge, said target minimum and upper limit obtained by integrating at least a plurality of communication systems;

a line-by-line administration policy, being information for administering each communication system;

communication line quality information, being quality information of a line of each communication system;

statistics information that becomes status information of a line of each communication system; and

a line selecting means for, based upon said line-by-line administration policy,

communication line quality information, and statistics information, selecting a line of each communication system so as to satisfy the entire administration policy.