WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND ITS METHOD, AND DEVICE AND PROGRAM USED FOR SAME

• US 20100014495A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hirano, Yumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Wireless LAN base station devices (107 to 109) monitored by a wireless LAN base station monitoring server device (105) send wireless LAN base station information on themselves to the wireless LAN base station monitoring server device (105). A combined wireless terminal (110) which is to start communication requests the wireless LAN base station information on connectable wireless LAN base station devices. The wireless LAN base station monitoring server device (105) sends information on whether or not there is any connectable base station device and, if any, the connectable wireless LAN base station information according to information acquired from the combined wireless terminal (110) having requested the wireless LAN base station information via a 3G network (102). The combined wireless terminal (110) having received the wireless LAN base station information determines whether or not to set up a connection to a wireless LAN network (103) from the wireless LAN base station information.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A wireless communication system in which a wireless terminal is connectable to two wireless communication networks or more, said wireless communication system comprising:

an acquiring means for acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network to which the wireless terminal can set up a connection through the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

a determining means for determining whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said communication quality information.

32. A wireless communication system according to claim 31, wherein said predetermined communication network is a narrow-range and high-speed communication network, and wherein the wireless communication network through which said communication quality information goes is a wide-range and low-speed wireless communication network.

33. A wireless communication system according to claim 32, wherein said narrow-range and high-speed wireless communication network is a wireless LAN network, and wherein said wide-range and low-speed wireless communication network is a 3G network.

34. A wireless communication system according to claim 31,

wherein said acquiring means acquires position information associated with a position of the connectable base station and control information necessary for setting up a connection to said base station device in addition to said communication quality information;

and

wherein said determining means determines whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said acquired position information, control information, and communication quality information.

35. A wireless communication system according to one claim 31, wherein said communication quality information is band occupation information of the base station.

36. A wireless communication system according to claim 31,

wherein said wireless communication system comprises an application information acquiring means for acquiring application information that said wireless terminal employs for communication;

and

wherein said determining means determines whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon at least each of said application information and said communication quality information.

37. A wireless communication system according claim 31,

wherein said wireless communication system comprises an electric cell residual-quantity acquiring means for acquiring a residual quantity of an electric cell of said wireless terminal;

and

wherein said determining means determines whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon at least each of said residual quantity of said electric cell and said communication quality information.

38. A wireless communication system comprising:

a server comprising;

an acquiring means for acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network; and

a means for transmitting the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable, out of the base stations in said predetermined wireless communication network, to said wireless terminal via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

a wireless terminal comprising a determining means for receiving the communication quality information of the base station in said predetermined wireless communication network via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network, and determining whether to set up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said communication quality information.

40. A wireless communication system according to claim 38,

wherein said wireless terminal comprises a means for acquiring position information of its own terminal, and transmitting said position information to said server via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network:

and

wherein said server comprises a means for selecting the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable based upon the position information of said wireless terminal.

41. A wireless communication system according to one of claim 38, wherein said server comprises a means for acquiring the position information of said wireless terminal, and selecting the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable based upon the position information of said wireless terminal.

39. A wireless communication system comprising:

a server comprising;

a quality information acquiring means for acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network;

a determining means for determining whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable, out of the base stations in said predetermined wireless communication network; and

a means for transmitting a determination result by said determining means to said wireless terminal via a wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

a wireless terminal comprising a means for receiving said determination result of the connection via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network, and setting up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said determination result of the connection.

42. A server for managing a wireless terminal that can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said server comprising:

an acquiring means for acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network; and

a means for transmitting the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable, out of the base stations in said predetermined wireless communication network, to said wireless terminal via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

43. A server for managing a wireless terminal that can set up a connect to two wireless communication networks or more, said server comprising:

an acquiring means for acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network;

a determining means for determining whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable, out of the base stations in said predetermined wireless communication network; and

a means for transmitting a determination result by said determining means to said wireless terminal via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

44. A wireless terminal that can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said wireless terminal comprising:

a means for receiving communication quality information of a base station of a predetermined wireless communication network via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

a determining means for determining whether to set up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said communication quality information.

45. A wireless terminal according to claim 44:

wherein said wireless terminal comprises an application information acquiring means for acquiring application information being employed for communication; and

wherein said determining means determines whether to set up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon at least each of said application information and said communication quality information.

46. A wireless terminal according to claim 44:

wherein said wireless terminal comprises an electric cell residual-quantity acquiring means for acquiring a residual quantity of an electric cell; and

wherein said determining means determines whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon at least each of said residual quantity of said electric cell and said communication quality information.

47. A wireless terminal according to claim 44, said wireless terminal comprising:

a position acquiring means for acquiring position information of its own terminal; and

a means for transmitting said position information to a server via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

48. A wireless terminal that can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said wireless terminal comprising:

a means for receiving a determination as to whether or not a connection to a base station of a predetermined wireless communication network is possible via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

a means for setting up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said determination as to whether or not a connection is possible.

49. A wireless terminal according to claim 48, said wireless terminal comprising:

an application information acquiring means for acquiring application information being employed for communication; and

a means for transmitting said application information via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

50. A wireless terminal according to claim 48, said wireless terminal comprising:

an electric cell residual-quantity acquiring means for acquiring a residual quantity of an electric cell; and

a means for transmitting said residual quantity of said electric cell via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

51. A wireless terminal according to claim 48, said wireless terminal comprising:

a position acquiring means for acquiring position information of its own terminal; and

a means for transmitting said position information to a server via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

52. A wireless communication method in which a connection to two wireless communication networks or more is possible, said wireless communication method comprising:

acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network to which a wireless terminal can set up a connection through the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

determining whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said communication quality information.

53. A program of a server for managing a wireless terminal that can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said program causing the server to execute the processes of:

acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network; and

transmitting the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable, out of the base stations in said predetermined wireless communication network, to said wireless terminal via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

54. A program of a server for managing a wireless terminal that can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said program causing the server to execute the processes of:

acquiring communication quality information associated with a communication quality of a base station in a predetermined wireless communication network;

determining whether said wireless terminal sets up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon the communication quality information of the base station to which said wireless terminal is connectable, out of the base stations in said predetermined wireless communication network; and

transmitting said determination result to said wireless terminal via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network.

55. A program of a wireless terminal that can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said program causing the wireless terminal to execute the processes of:

receiving communication quality information of a base station of a predetermined wireless communication network via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

determining whether to set up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said communication quality information.

56. A program of a wireless terminal that can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said program causing the wireless terminal to execute the processes of:

receiving a determination as to whether or not a connection to a base station of a predetermined wireless communication network is possible via the wireless communication network except said predetermined wireless communication network; and

setting up a connection to said predetermined wireless communication network based upon said determination as to whether or not a connection is possible.

57. Abase station device in a wireless communication system in which a wireless terminal can set up a connection to two wireless communication networks or more, said base station device comprising a means for determining whether a communication quality of its own station satisfies a communication quality that said wireless terminal requests, and transmitting its determination result to said wireless terminal via the wireless communication network different from the wireless communication network of its own station.