Communication control apparatus, communication control method, mobile communication terminal, and data reception method

• US 7,996,011 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• 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: Takahashi, Masaru, Nakamura, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BEHNAMIAN, SHAHRIAR
• Application Number:
  US12/036,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080207266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424, 455/428, 455436-442, 455560-561, 370/328, 370331-332, 370/395.59, 370/400
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Data is transmitted through a plurality of types of communication networks to a mobile communication terminal while a handover of the mobile communication terminal is handled. A communication control apparatus 10 is adapted to control data communication to a cell phone 50 connectable to a plurality of types of communication networks, and is composed of a detecting unit 12 for detecting a connection status of the cell phone 50 in each mobile communication network; an assigning unit 13 for assigning data addressed to the cell phone 50, to each mobile communication network to which the cell phone 50 is connected, based on a volume of the data addressed to the cell phone 50 and the detected connection status; a transmitting unit 15 for transmitting the data assigned to each mobile communication network, to the each mobile communication network; and a handover processing unit 14 for performing a handover process in the plurality of types of mobile communication networks, based on the detected connection status.

Claims

1. A communication control apparatus for controlling data communication to a mobile communication terminal connectable to a plurality of types of communication networks, comprising:

a detecting unit that detects a connection status of the mobile communication terminal in each communication network;

an assigning unit that assigns data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network to which the mobile communication terminal is connected, based on a volume of the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal and the connection status detected by the detecting unit;

a transmitting unit that transmits the data assigned to each communication network by the assigning unit, to said each communication network; and

a handover processing unit that performs a handover process in the plurality of types of communication networks, based on the connection status detected by the detecting unit,

wherein when the detecting unit detects that the mobile communication terminal is simultaneously connected to a plurality of communication networks, the assigning unit divides data addressed to the mobile communication terminal into separate portions and assigns each of the separate portions to a separate one of the connected communication networks based on the volume of data and the communication rates of the connected communication networks.

2. A communication control apparatus for controlling data communication to a mobile communication terminal connectable to a plurality of types of communication networks, comprising:

a detecting unit that detects a connection status of the mobile communication terminal in each communication network;

an assigning unit that assigns data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network to which the mobile communication terminal is connected, based on a volume of the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal and the connection status detected by the detecting unit;

a transmitting unit that transmits the data assigned to each communication network by the assigning unit, to said each communication network; and

a handover processing unit that performs a handover process in the plurality of types of communication networks, based on the connection status detected by the detecting unit,

wherein when the handover process by the handover processing unit is finished, the assigning unit reassigns the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal.

3. The communication control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the handover process by the handover processing unit is initiated, the assigning unit reassigns the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal.

4. The communication control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the handover processing unit initiates the handover process for one communication network out of communication networks to which the mobile communication terminal is connected, the assigning unit reassigns the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network except for said one communication network.

5. A communication control apparatus for controlling data communication to a mobile communication terminal connectable to a plurality of types of communication networks, comprising:

a detecting unit that detects a connection status of the mobile communication terminal in each communication network;

an assigning unit that assigns data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network to which the mobile communication terminal is connected, based on a volume of the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal and the connection status detected by the detecting unit;

a transmitting unit that transmits the data assigned to each communication network by the assigning unit, to said each communication network; and

a handover processing unit that performs a handover process in the plurality of types of communication networks, based on the connection status detected by the detecting unit,

wherein the assigning unit assigns the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network, based on a communication rate of said each communication network.

6. A communication control method for a communication control apparatus to control data communication to a mobile communication terminal connectable to a plurality of types of communication networks, comprising:

a detecting step wherein the communication control apparatus detects a connection status of the mobile communication terminal in each communication network;

an assigning step wherein the communication control apparatus assigns data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network to which the mobile communication terminal is connected, based on a volume of the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal and the connection status detected in the detecting step;

a transmitting step wherein the communication control apparatus transmits the data assigned to each communication network in the assigning step, to said each communication network; and

a handover processing step wherein the communication control apparatus performs a handover process in the plurality of types of communication networks, based on the connection status detected in the detecting step,

wherein when the communication control apparatus detects that the mobile communication terminal is simultaneously connected to a plurality of communication networks in the detecting step, the communication control apparatus divides data addressed to the mobile communication terminal into separate portions and assigns each of the separate portions to a separate one of the connected communication networks based on the volume of data and the communication rates of the connected communication networks.

7. A mobile communication terminal configured to perform data communication with a communication control apparatus, through connection to a plurality of types of communication networks, comprising:

receiving unit for receiving data, which was transmitted by the communication control apparatus after the communication control apparatus assigned data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network, from said each communication network; and

reconfiguring unit for reconfiguring the data received by the receiving unit, to restore the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal,

wherein the communication control apparatus includes

a detecting unit that detects a connection status of the mobile communication terminal in each communication network;

an assigning unit that assigns data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network to which the mobile communication terminal is connected, based on a volume of the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal and the connection status detected by the detecting unit;

a transmitting unit that transmits the data assigned to each communication network by the assigning unit, to said each communication network; and

a handover processing unit that performs a handover process in the plurality of types of communication networks, based on the connection status detected by the detecting unit.

8. A data reception method for a mobile communication terminal configured to receive data from a communication control apparatus, through connection to a plurality of types of communication networks, comprising:

a receiving step wherein the mobile communication terminal receives data, which was transmitted by the communication control apparatus after the communication control apparatus assigned data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network, from said each communication network; and

a reconfiguring step wherein the mobile communication terminal reconfigures the data received in the receiving step, to restore the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal,

wherein the communication control apparatus includes

a detecting unit that detects a connection status of the mobile communication terminal in each communication network;

an assigning unit that assigns data addressed to the mobile communication terminal, to each communication network to which the mobile communication terminal is connected, based on a volume of the data addressed to the mobile communication terminal and the connection status detected by the detecting unit;

a transmitting unit that transmits the data assigned to each communication network by the assigning unit, to said each communication network; and

a handover processing unit that performs a handover process in the plurality of types of communication networks, based on the connection status detected by the detecting unit.