COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20110258319A1
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Efthymiou, Costas, Kalogridis, Georgios
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for optimising a communications network (101) comprising a plurality of heterogeneous network resources. The method comprises receiving a communication request from a device (106a, 106b, 105, 107a, 107b) for setting up a communication through one of a plurality of heterogeneous network resources; selecting, in accordance with at least one communication characteristic, a network resource of the plurality of network resources through which the communication is to be set-up; and establishing the communication through the selected network resource.

Claims

1. A method for optimising a communications network comprising a plurality of heterogeneous network resources, the method comprising:

receiving a communication request from a device for setting up a communication through one of a plurality of heterogeneous network resources;

selecting, in accordance with at least one communication characteristic, a network resource of the plurality of network resources through which the communication is to be set-up; and

establishing the communication through the selected network resource.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting further comprises:

determining a network resource of the plurality of network resources which is preferable for use by the device; and

determining whether to set-up the communication through the preferred network resource in accordance with the at least one communication characteristic.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of selecting further comprises:

determining an alternative network resource to set up the communication through when a determination is made not to set-up the communication through the preferred network resource.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein setting up the communication through the alternative network resource involves providing the communication through a wired network resource to a further device, and a short range wireless link between the further device and the device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication characteristic comprises a communication characteristic associated with the device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the information relating to the communication characteristic associated with the device includes an identification of the type of communications session to be set up.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the information identifying the type of communication session to be set up includes information relating to bandwidth requirements of the type of communications session.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the information identifying the type of communication session to be set up includes information relating to minimum delay requirements of the type of communications session.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication characteristic comprises a bandwidth usage of at least one of the plurality of network resources.

14. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one communication characteristic comprises a communication characteristic associated with the device including one or more of:

information relating to bandwidth requirements of the type of communications session to be set-up; and

information relating to minimum delay requirements of the type of communications session to be set-up.

15. A carrier medium carrying computer readable code for controlling a suitable computer to carry out the method of claim 1.

10. An apparatus for optimising a communications network comprising a plurality of heterogeneous network resources, the apparatus comprising:

an input arranged to receive a communication request from a device for setting up a communication through one of a plurality of heterogeneous network resources; and

a processor arranged to;

select, in accordance with at least one communication characteristic, a network resource of the plurality of network resources through which the communication is to be set-up; and

establish the communication through the selected network resource.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when selecting a network resource, the processor is further arranged to:

determine a network resource of the plurality of network resources which is preferable for use by the device; and

determine whether to set-up the communication through the preferred network resource in accordance with the at least one communication characteristic.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when selecting a network resource, the processor is further arranged to:

determine an alternative network resource to set up the communication through when a determination is made not to set-up the communication through the preferred network resource.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processor is arranged to set up the communication through the alternative network resource by providing the communication through a wired network resource to a further device, and a short range wireless link between the further device and the device.