METHOD, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, DEVICE AND SYSTEM

• US 20150148064A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Shinichiro, Usui, Takashi, Ide, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 10,257,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

The present application relates to a method whereby the communication traffic between a wireless communication apparatus such as a smartphone and another device such as a map information providing server and/or server managed by mobile virtual network operator MVNO. According to a first aspect, the communication traffic can be reduced by dividing items of geographical information that are sent to the smartphone are divided into static information and dynamic information and the two types of information are separately processed in that the map data is updated less often than information such as traffic congestion, weather information or the congestion level of a base station. According to a second aspect, congestion information is derived by averaging over time the number of vehicles which pass through a certain point. According to a third aspect, the updating interval, i.e. the frequency by which new information will be downloaded from the server, is adapted to degree of change of the dynamic information over time. According to a fourth aspect, the updating interval is adapted to the movement speed of the smartphone. According to a fifth aspect, download rates of a communication carrier are displayed on top of a map, thereby providing some sort of geobrowsing. According to a sixth aspect, an MVNO informs its subscribers about base station related information, such as signal intensity and the base station'"'"'s congestion level. According to a seventh aspect, the smartphone selects, on the basis of the various items of information received, another network, either manually or automatically.

Claims

1. A method for controlling updating of information stored on a device, the information comprising information of a first type and information of a second type, the method comprising:

determining, using at least one processor, when a first item of information of the first type and a second item of information of the second type are to be updated, wherein the second item of information is to be updated more frequently than the first item of information; and

causing the device to update the first and second items of information in accordance with the determination at least in part by wirelessly communicating with at least one other device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining a first updating frequency at which the first item of information is to be updated and a second updating frequency at which the second item of information is to be updated, wherein the second updating frequency is larger than the first updating frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the second item of information is to be updated comprises:

determining an average value for the second item of information over a period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein information of the first type changes more slowly over time than information of the second type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the first and second items of information are to be updated comprises:

calculating a movement speed of the device at least in part by obtaining position information indicating a position at which the device is located.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the device to update the first item information comprises causing the device to:

request an updated version of the first item of information from the at least one other device; and

in response to the request, receive the updated version of the first item of information from the at least one other device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the device to display the second item of information superimposed on the first item of information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first item of information is map information and the second item of information is at least one communication rate for at least one communication carrier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first item of information is map information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to communicate wirelessly with a base station, the first item of information is information related to intensity of a pilot, beacon, or reference signal received from the base station and/or information related to intensity of an interference signal received from the base station, and wherein the second item of information is information related to allocation of wireless resources to the base station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to use a first communication service provided by a first communication carrier, the method further comprising:

causing the device to use a second communication service provided by a second communication carrier instead of the first communication service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first item of information is map information, the second item of information comprises a first communication rate associated with the first communication service and a second communication rate associated with the second communication service, the method further comprising:

causing the device to display the first and second communication rates superposed on the map information; and

when the device uses the second communication service, causing the device to display the first communication rate and second communication rate differently from when the device uses the first communication service.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by the device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by the at least one other device.

15. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for controlling updating of information stored on a device, the information comprising information of a first type and information of a second type, the method comprising:

determining when a first item of information of the first type and a second item of information of the second type are to be updated, wherein the second item of information is to be updated more frequently than the first item of information; and

causing the device to update the first and second items of information in accordance with the determination at least in part by wirelessly communicating with at least one other device.

16. A device, comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing at least a first item of information of a first type and at least a second item of information of a second type; and

at least one processor programmed to control updating of information stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium at least in part by;

determining when a first item of information of the first type and a second item of information of the second type are to be updated, wherein the second item of information is to be updated more frequently than the first item of information; and

updating the first and second items of information in accordance with the determination at least in part by wirelessly communicating with at least one other device.

17. A system comprising:

a device comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing at least a first item of information of a first type and at least a second item of information of a second type; and

at least one computer configured to control updating of information stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium at least in part by;

determining when a first item of information of the first type and a second item of information of the second type are to be updated, wherein the second item of information is to be updated more frequently than the first item of information; and

causing the device to update the first and second items of information in accordance with the determination at least in part by wirelessly communicating with at least one other device.