Communication device, and method of communication between communication devices and medium thereof

• US 8,000,343 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ooe, Kazuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsegaye; Saba
• Application Number:
  US09/501,716
• Time in Patent Office: 4,205 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/468, 370/470, 370/471, 370/472, 370/474, 370/477, 709/220, 709/221
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

Disclosed are a function of automatically tuning a communication performance between the communications devices connected to a network and a function of periodically confirming and tuning the communication performance. In a plurality of communications devices capable of performing the communications by switching over a plurality of communication modes, the communication performance in each of the communication modes is previously measured under a plurality of communication conditions, there is obtained, per communication condition, a condition-based optimum communication mode as a communication mode in which the communication performance in the specific communication mode exceeds a communication performance in other communication mode, the condition-based optimum communication mode is selected in accordance with the communication condition when in communications, and the communications are thus performed.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of communicating with a plurality of the other communication devices in different communication modes, the communication device comprising:

a unit that measures performances of a communication between the communication device and one of the other communication device in each of the different communication modes, under the different communication data sizes respectively, for each of the other communication devices;

a unit that determines, for each of the other communication device, a communication data size that a communication performance of a communication between the other communication device in a first communication mode exceeds a communication performance of communication in a second communication mode and set the determined communication data size as a threshold for the other communication device; and

a unit that selects one of the communication modes that the corresponding communication performance exceeds the communication performance of the other communication mode in an actual communication under a particular communication data size between a particular communication device under a particular communication condition.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a table that stores relationship between a communication data size and a communication mode to be selected, for each of the other communication devices, based on a result of the determination,

wherein the unit that selects the communication mode refers to, before starting communication with a certain other communication device, the table to select a communication mode that is suitable for a certain communication data size.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a table that stores the determined communication data size as a threshold value, and a communication mode to be selected for each of the other communication devices,

wherein the unit that selects the communication mode refers to the table before starting communication with a certain other communication device, and selects a communication mode for communicating with the certain other communication device by comparing a certain communication data size to the threshold value.

4. A method for optimizing communication condition of a communication between a communication device and other communication device, the method comprising:

communicating, on a same communicating line, with the other communication device in both a first communication mode and in a second communication mode that is different from the first communication mode respectively, under a plurality of different communication conditions;

obtaining communication performances for each of communications with the other communication device;

measuring a communication performance in the first communication mode, and a communication performance in the second communication mode under each of the different communication conditions;

determining, based on the communication performances measured under each of the different communication conditions, a communication condition in which a communication performance of the first communication mode exceeds a communication performance of the second communication mode; and

before starting communication with the other communication device in a particular communication condition, selecting, among the first communication mode and the second communication mode, a communication mode corresponding to a particular communication condition and the other communication device, for actually communicating with the other communication device under the particular communication condition, that the communication performance exceeds that of the other communication mode;

storing the determined communication condition, as a threshold, for the other communication device; and

referring to the stored threshold when selecting the communication mode to communicate with the other communication device.

5. A method for optimizing communication condition of a communication between a communication device and other communication device, the method comprising:

communicating, on a same communicating line, with the other communication device in both a first communication mode and in a second communication mode that is different from the first communication mode respectively, under a plurality of different communication conditions;

obtaining communication performances for each of the communications with the other communication device;

measuring a communication performance in the first communication mode, and a communication performance in the second communication mode under each of the different communication conditions;

determining, based on the communication performances measured under each of the different communication conditions, a communication condition in which a communication performance of the first communication mode exceeds a communication performance of the second communication mode; and

before starting communication with the other communication device in a particular communication condition, selecting, among the first communication mode and the second communication mode, a communication mode corresponding to a particular communication condition and the other communication device, for actually communicating with the other communication device under the particular communication condition, that the communication performance exceeds that of the other communication mode;

storing a relationship between a communication condition and a communication mode to be applied for a communication with the other communication device;

wherein when selecting a communication mode, referring to the stored relationship and determining a communication mode that corresponding to a certain communication condition.

6. A communication method of performing communications between a communication device and other communication device, the method comprising:

communicating with the other communication device to evaluate communication speed, the communication being performed in a plurality of different communication modes respectively, by varying communication data size;

measuring communication speed of each of the communication modes under each of the varied communication data size; and

storing into a memory information indicating the measured communication speed of each of the communication modes and corresponding communication data size.

7. The communication method according to claim 6, the method further comprising:

determining a communication data size in which a communication speed in one of the communication modes exceeds a communication speed in the other of the communication modes as a threshold based on the measured communication speed;

wherein information indicating the determined threshold and the communication mode to be selected in accordance with communication data size of an actual communication.

8. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising:

comparing the threshold stored in the memory and a communication data size of an actual communication to be performed between the other communication device;

selecting, before performing the actual communication, one of the communication modes from the memory based on the result of comparison; and

performing the actual communication in the selected communication mode.

9. The communication method according to claim 6, the method further comprising:

determining, for each of the communication data size, a communication mode in which corresponding communication speed exceeds communication speed of the other communication mode;

wherein information indicating correspondence between the determined communication mode and the communication data size is stored into the memory.

10. The communication method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining communication data size of an actual communication to be performed between the other communication device;

selecting, before performing the actual communication, a communication mode relating to the determined communication data size from the memory; and

performing the actual communication in the selected communication mode.