Mobile terminal, wireless communications system and mobile terminal control method

• US 7,848,275 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshihiro, Kobayashi, Motonari, Takita, Wataru, Khan, Ashiq
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMMONDS, MARCUS C
• Application Number:
  US11/672,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 370/311, 370/406, 370/338, 370315-318
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile terminal configured to constitute an ad hoc network together with a plurality of other terminals, the mobile terminal includes a packet relay unit configured to execute a relay operation of relaying a packet transferred between the other terminals. A packet transmitter is configured to execute a transmission operation of transmitting a packet generated in the mobile terminal to any one of the other terminals. A power supply manager is configured to execute a power supply control operation. A coordination controller is configured to cause the relay operation and the power supply control operation to be coordinated with each other, and to selectively control whether each of the relay operation, the transmission operation and the power supply control operation is executed.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal configured to constitute an ad hoc network together with a plurality of other terminals, comprising:

a packet relay unit configured to execute a relay operation of relaying a packet transferred between the other terminals;

a packet transmitter configured to execute a transmission operation of transmitting a packet generated in the mobile terminal to any one of the other terminals;

a power supply manager configured to execute a power supply control operation, which includes a power-off operation;

a coordination controller configured to;

cause the relay operation, the power supply control operation and the transmission operation to be coordinated with each other by selectively controlling whether each of the relay operation, the transmission operation and the power supply control operation is executed;

prioritize the relay operation over the transmission operation and the power-off operation; and

reject a packet transmission request from the packet transmitter during a predetermined time period after power-on, and cause only the relay operation to be executed; and

a determination unit configured to increase the predetermined time period for executing only the relay operation when it is determined that a node density in the ad hoc network is low.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the predetermined time period in accordance with any one of an operation time of the packet relay unit, a node density in the ad hoc network, and a traffic amount in the ad hoc network.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the coordination controller is configured to reject a power-off request from the power supply manger and a packet transmission request from the packet transmitter, and cause only the relay operation to be executed during a predetermined time period after completion of the transmission operation.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the predetermined time period in accordance with any one of an operation time of the packet relay unit, the node density in the ad hoc network, and the traffic amount in the ad hoc network.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the power supply manager is configured to detect the amount of remaining power at power-on, and

the coordination controller is configured to reject a packet transmission request from the packet transmitter, and cause only the relay operation to be executed, when the amount of remaining power is less than a fixed amount.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the power supply manager is configured to detect the amount of remaining power at power-on, and

the coordination controller is configured to cause both of the relay operation and the transmission operation not to be executed when the amount of remaining power is less than a fixed amount.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the packet relay unit is configured to determine whether the mobile terminal holds an active route, and

the coordination controller is configured to reject a power-off request from the power supply manager when the mobile terminal holds the active route.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the packet relay unit is configured to determine whether the mobile terminal holds an active route, and

the coordination controller is configured to issue an instruction to the packet relay unit to execute a power-off advance notice process for prompting the other terminals to switch to another route for the purpose of permitting power-off when the power supply manager requests power-off while the mobile terminal holds the active route.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to increase the predetermined time period for executing only the relay operation when it is determined that a traffic amount in the ad hoc network is high.

10. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile terminals configured to constitute an ad hoc network; and

a core network configured to control the mobile terminals,

wherein each of the mobile terminals comprises;

a packet relay unit configured to execute a relay operation of relaying a packet transferred between the other terminals;

a packet transmitter configured to execute a transmission operation of transmitting a packet generated in the mobile terminal to any one of the other terminals; and

a power supply manager configured to execute a power supply control operation, which includes a power-off operation,

wherein the core network is configured to;

cause the relay operation, the transmission operation and the power supply control operation to be coordinated with each other by selectively controlling whether each of the relay operation, the transmission operation and the power supply control operation is executed;

prioritize the relay operation over the transmission operation and the power-off operation;

reject a packet transmission request from the packet transmitter during a predetermined time period after power-on, and cause only the relay operation to be executed; and

increase the predetermined time period for executing only the relay operation when it is determined that a node density in the ad hoc network is low.

11. A mobile terminal control method for controlling a mobile terminal configured to constitute an ad hoc network together with a plurality of other terminals, comprising:

executing a relay operation of relaying a packet transferred between the other terminals;

executing a transmission operation of transmitting a packet generated in the mobile terminal to any one of the other terminals;

executing a power supply control operation, which includes a power-off operation;

causing the relay operation, the transmission operation and the power supply control operation to be coordinated with each other;

controlling whether each of the relay operation, the transmission operation and the power supply control operation is executed, and prioritizing the relay operation over the transmission operation and the power-off operation;

rejecting a packet transmission request from the mobile terminal during a predetermined time period after power-on, and causing only the relay operation to be executed; and

increasing the predetermined time period for executing only the relay operation when it is determined that a node density in the ad hoc network is low.