RADIO COMMUNICATION TERMINAL, COMMUNICATION CONTROL APPARATUS, AND COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD

• US 20150119049A1
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Isobe, Shin-ichi, Nishida, Katsutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/06 based on traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Provided are a radio communication terminal, a communication control apparatus, and a communication control method capable of enhancing the possibility of providing a communication application through inter-terminal direct communication (D2D communication) even in a case where a call request cannot be accepted due to congestion on the network side. In a terminal 400A, a call restriction reception unit 420 receives a call restriction containing configuration information on a communication environment necessary for direct communication. During restriction of initiation of communication to the radio access network, a radio communication unit 440 executes direct communication with another radio communication terminal based on the configuration information if a direct communication determination unit 430 determines that a communication application is executable through direct communication.

Claims

1. A radio communication terminal capable of providing a communication application via a radio access network and providing a communication application through direct communication with another radio communication terminal without involving the radio access network, the radio communication terminal comprising:

a call restriction reception unit configured to receive a call restriction from the radio access network, the call restriction restricting initiation of communication to the radio access network;

a direct communication determination unit configured to determine whether or not a communication application to be executed in the radio communication terminal is executable through direct communication with another radio communication terminal without involving the radio access network; and

a radio communication unit configured to execute direct communication based on a result of the determination by the direct communication determination unit, wherein

the call restriction reception unit receives a call restriction containing configuration information on a communication environment necessary for direct communication, and

during restriction of initiation of communication to the radio access network, the radio communication unit executes direct communication with the other radio communication terminal based on the configuration information when the direct communication determination unit determines that the communication application is executable through direct communication.

2. The radio communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the call restriction reception unit receives the call restriction containing permission information indicating whether direct communication is permitted or not, and

the direct communication determination unit determines whether the communication application is executable through direct communication or not based on the permission information.

3. The radio communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising

a call restriction control unit configured to determine whether the communication application is targeted by the call restriction or not when the direct communication determination unit determines that the communication application is not executable through direct communication, and permit the communication application to be executed via the radio access network when the communication application is not targeted by the call restriction.

4. A communication control apparatus which controls a radio communication terminal capable of providing a communication application via a radio access network and providing a communication application through direct communication with another radio communication terminal without involving the radio access network, the communication control apparatus comprising

a call restriction transmission unit configured to send the radio communication terminal and the other radio communication terminal a call restriction restricting initiation of communication to the radio access network and containing permission information indicating whether direct communication is permitted or not and configuration information on a communication environment necessary for direct communication, wherein

the call restriction transmission unit sends the permission information permitting direct communication between adjacent multiple areas.

5. A communication control method performed by a radio communication terminal capable of providing a communication application via a radio access network and providing a communication application through direct communication with another radio communication terminal without involving the radio access network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call restriction from the radio access network, the call restriction restricting initiation of communication to the radio access network;

determining whether or not a communication application to be executed in the radio communication terminal is executable through direct communication with another radio communication terminal without involving the radio access network; and

executing direct communication based on a result of the determination made in the determining step, wherein

in the receiving step, the call restriction received contains configuration information on a communication environment necessary for direct communication, and

in the step of executing direct communication, during restriction of initiation of communication to the radio access network, the direct communication with the other radio communication terminal is executed based on the configuration information if the determining step determines that the communication application is executable through direct communication.