Controller apparatus, mobile terminal, and communication control method

• US 8,019,372 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US11/312,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20060160555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: 455/426.2, 455/445, 455/557, 455/550.1, 455/41.2, 455518-520, 455/522, 370/254, 370/401, 370/457, 370/338, 370/229, 370/392, 370/396
• US Class Current: 455/519
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A controller apparatus is configured to control an ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile terminals. The controller apparatus includes a transmission power determining unit configured to determine transmission power of a certain mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, based on traffic distribution in the ad hoc network.

Claims

1. A controller apparatus configured to control an ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile terminals, and provided in an assist network separate from the ad hoc network, the controller apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store traffic distribution information indicating a traffic distribution in the ad hoc network which is a correspondence between traffic volume of respective mobile terminals and locations of the respective mobile terminals, the traffic volume being any one of a volume of packets actually transmitted, a volume of packets actually received and a volume of packets stored in a transmission buffer of each of the respective mobile terminals; and

a transmission power determining unit configured to determine transmission power of a mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, based on the stored traffic distribution information,

wherein the controller apparatus receives the traffic volume and the locations from the respective mobile terminals via the assist network, and

the controller apparatus transmits the determined transmission power to the mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network via the assist network.

2. The controller apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a terminal capability information acquiring unit configured to acquire terminal capability information showing capabilities of the respective mobile terminals;

wherein the transmission power determining unit is configured to determine the transmission power of the mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, based on the stored traffic distribution information and the terminal capability information.

3. The controller apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication condition information acquiring unit configured to acquire communication condition information required for the respective mobile terminals;

wherein the transmission power determining unit is configured to determine the transmission power of the mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, based on the stored traffic distribution information and the communication condition information.

4. The controller apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the communication condition information is configured to include an allowable delay time and a required transmission rate set by an application operated on the mobile terminals.

5. The controller apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication environment information acquiring unit configured to acquire communication environment information showing a communication environment at each of the respective mobile terminals; and

a proxy control information transmitting unit configured to transmit proxy control information for controlling the ad hoc network in place of the controller apparatus, to a representative mobile terminal which is one of the plurality of mobile terminals forming the ad hoc network, when the acquired communication environment information satisfies a predetermined condition.

6. The controller apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a network management information unit configured to store a communication ID, a transmission power, and a transmission duration time for respective mobile terminals,

wherein the transmission power determining unit determines the transmission power of the mobile terminal joining the ad hoc network based on the traffic distribution information, the stored communication ID, the stored transmission power, and the stored transmission duration time.

7. A mobile terminal configured to join an ad hoc network, formed by a plurality of mobile terminals, comprising:

a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to a controller apparatus controlling the ad hoc network and provided in an assist network separate from the ad hoc network, traffic volume of the mobile terminal and a location of the mobile terminal via the assist network, the traffic volume being any one of a volume of packets actually transmitted, a volume of packets actually received or a volume of packets stored in a transmission buffer of the mobile terminal; and

a communicating unit configured to perform communication in the ad hoc network with transmission power received from the controller apparatus via the assist network, the transmission power being determined by the controller apparatus being based on traffic distribution information stored in the controller apparatus, the stored traffic distribution information indicating a traffic distribution in the ad hoc network which is a correspondence between the traffic volume of respective mobile terminals and the locations of the respective mobile terminals.

8. A communication control method for controlling an ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile terminals connectable to a controller apparatus located in an assist network separate from the ad hoc network, the method comprising:

transmitting, from respective mobile terminals via the assist network to the controller apparatus, locations of the respective mobile terminals and a traffic volume of the respective mobile terminals, the traffic volume being any one of a volume of packets actually transmitted, a volume of packets actually received or a volume of packets stored in a transmission buffer of each of the respective mobile terminals;

storing, at the controller apparatus, traffic distribution information indicating a traffic distribution in the ad hoc network which is a correspondence between the traffic volume of the respective mobile terminals and the location of the respective mobile terminals;

determining, at the controller apparatus, transmission power of a mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, based on the stored traffic distribution information; and

performing, at the mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, communication in the ad hoc network with the determined transmission power received via the assist network.

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

transmitting, from respective mobile terminals to the controller apparatus via the assist network, a transmission duration time of the respective mobile terminals;

determining, at the controller apparatus, the transmission power of the mobile terminal joining the ad hoc network, based on the stored traffic distribution information and the received transmission time duration.

10. A representative mobile terminal which is one of a plurality of mobile terminals forming an ad hoc network and controls the ad hoc network, the representative mobile terminal comprising:

a storage unit configured to store traffic distribution information indicating a traffic distribution in the ad hoc network which is a correspondence between traffic volume of respective mobile terminals and location of the respective mobile terminals, the traffic volume being any one of a volume of packets actually transmitted, a volume of packets actually received and a volume of packets stored in a transmission buffer of respective mobile terminals; and

a transmission power determining unit configured to determine transmission power of a mobile terminal joining the ad hoc network, based on the stored traffic distribution information.

11. A communication control method for controlling an ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile terminals, the ad hoc network being controlled by a representative mobile terminal which is one of the plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising:

transmitting, from respective mobile terminals to the representative mobile terminal, locations of the respective mobile terminals and traffic volume of the respective mobile terminals, the traffic volume being any one of a volume of packets actually transmitted, a volume of packets actually received or a volume of packets stored in a transmission buffer of each of the respective mobile terminals;

storing, at the representative mobile terminal, traffic distribution information indicating a traffic distribution in the ad hoc network which is a correspondence between the traffic volume of the respective mobile terminals and the locations of the respective mobile terminals;

determining, at the representative mobile terminal, transmission power of a mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, based on the stored traffic distribution information; and

performing, at the mobile terminal joining in the ad hoc network, communication in the ad hoc network with the determined transmission power.