Mobile wireless communication terminal and communication control method

• US 8,224,302 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Moride, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisner, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/796,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20070202865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/406, 4554141-4143, 455418-420, 370/406, 370/274, 370/279, 370/293, 370/315, 370/389, 370/390, 370/392, 370/400, 370/408, 370/492, 370/501
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In order to improve the efficiency of the data communication between mobile wireless communication terminals having a communication means mainly used for the wireless communication between the mobile wireless communication terminals and a wireless communication means mainly with a base station, a following terminal is used. Namely, it includes: a first communication unit used for communication with a specific base station; a second communication unit used for communication with other mobile wireless communication terminals; a storage area storing content data that can be used in the mobile wireless communication terminal and can be transmitted to other mobile wireless communication terminals; and a communication controller that obtains specific content data by searching the storage area when a request of the specific content data is accepted from a user of the mobile wireless communication terminal, transmitting a request to other mobile wireless communication terminals that can communicate via the second communication unit when the valid specific content data is not detected in the storage area, and transmitting a request to the specific base station via the first communication unit when the specific content data cannot be received from other mobile wireless communication terminals, which can communicate, within a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communication terminal, comprising:

a first communication unit used for communication with a base station;

a second communication unit used for communication with other mobile wireless communication terminals;

a storage device storing contents data that can be used in said mobile wireless communication terminal and can be transmitted to said other mobile wireless communication terminals; and

a communication controller that obtains specific contents data by searching said storage device when said specific contents data is requested, transmitting, by packet broadcast, a request of said specific contents data to said other mobile wireless communication terminals that can communicate via said second communication unit when the valid specific contents data is not detected in said storage device, and transmitting a request of said specific contents data to said base station via said first communication unit when said specific contents data cannot be received from said other mobile wireless communication terminals, which can communicate, within a predetermined time, and

wherein, when receiving a second request of second contents data by said packet broadcast from another mobile wireless communication terminal, said communication controller searches said storage device for the requested second contents data, replies with said requested second contents data to said another mobile wireless communication terminal when the valid requested second contents data is detected in said storage device, and transfers the received second request of said second contents data by said packet broadcast to other mobile wireless communication terminals when said second contents data is not detected in said storage device, and

upon detecting that lack of a packet exists among packets for said specific contents data, which were received from said other mobile wireless communication terminals that are different from said base station, said communication controller causes the first communication unit to transmit a request for data of at least a lacked packet through said base station to a contents delivery computer.

2. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller judges, based on at least either a number of request relay times or presence or absence of registration to a relayed packet list, whether or not said second request of said second contents data should be transferred.

3. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein expiration date is attached to said contents data.

4. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller registers an address of said mobile wireless communication terminal of a generation source of said second request in association with an address of said mobile wireless communication terminal of a transmission source of said second request into a relay table, when said second request of said second contents data by said packet broadcast is received, and

said communication controller refers to said relay table when a relay packet other than a broadcast packet is received, and transmits said relay packet to said address of said mobile wireless communication terminal of the corresponding transmission source in said relay table, when an original destination address of said relay packet is registered as said address of said mobile wireless communication terminal of said generation source.

5. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller stores a packet including said contents data and received from said other mobile wireless communication terminals into said storage device, regardless of whether or not said packet is addressed to this mobile wireless communication terminal.

6. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller transmits a request of a list of stored contents data

to other mobile wireless communication terminals, which can communicate, and identifies contents data to be requested for said other mobile wireless communication terminals, and transmits a request of the identified contents data to said other mobile wireless communication terminal, when said list of said contents data is received from said other mobile wireless communication terminal.

7. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller confirms a communication processing state in said first and second communication units and a storage processing state to said storage device when a power-off is instructed by a user of said mobile wireless communication terminal, and carries out a processing to carry out said power-off of said mobile wireless communication terminal after the communication processing and the storage processing.

8. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein an electronic signature by an owner or a distributor of contents data in said storage device is attached to said contents data, and a verification processing of said contents data is carried out by using said electronic signature when a use request of said contents data by a user of said mobile wireless communication terminal is accepted.

9. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said contents data is encrypted, when the encrypted contents data is stored in said storage device, and a use request of said contents data by a user of said mobile wireless communication is accepted, an acquiring processing of a decryption key is carried out in response to an instruction of said user, and when said decryption key is acquired, a decryption processing is carried out to carry out an output processing of said contents data.

10. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller refers to data concerning use frequency of said contents data to determine a transmission order of said contents data when a plurality of sets of said contents data are transmitted via said second communication unit.

11. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller transmits a request of contents data identified based on a predetermined reference to a wireless communication base station that communicates using a communication method used for said other mobile wireless communication terminals via said second communication unit, when said wireless communication base station connectable with the second communication unit is detected.

12. The mobile wireless communication terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communication controller stores said contents data in a complete state, which was received via said second communication unit from a wireless communication base station that communicates using a communication method used for said other mobile wireless communication terminals, into said storage device, when said wireless communication base station that broadcasts predetermined contents data is detected.

13. A communication control method executed by a mobile wireless communication terminal having a first communication unit used for communication with a base station, and a second communication unit used for other mobile wireless communication terminal, said communication control method comprising:

searching a storage device storing contents data that can be used in said mobile wireless communication terminal and can be transmitted to said other mobile wireless communication terminals, in response to detecting that specific contents data is requested;

transmitting, by packet broadcast, a request of said specific contents data to said other mobile wireless communication terminals that can communicate via said second communication unit in response to detecting that the valid specific contents data is not detected in said storage device;

transmitting a request of said specific contents data to said base station via said first communication unit in response to detecting that said specific contents data cannot be received from said other mobile wireless communication terminals, which can communicate, within a predetermined time;

upon receiving a second request of second contents data by said packet broadcast from another mobile wireless communication terminal, searching said storage device for the requested second contents data and replying with said second requested contents data to said another mobile wireless communication terminal when the valid requested second contents data is detected in said storage device;

transferring the received second request of said second contents data by said packet broadcast to other mobile wireless communication terminals, upon detecting that said second contents data is not detected in said storage device; and

upon detecting that lack of a packet exists among packets for said specific contents data, which were received from said other mobile wireless communication terminals that are different from said base station, causing the first communication unit to transmit a request for data of at least a lacked packet through said base station to a contents delivery computer.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a mobile wireless communication terminal having a first communication unit used for communication with a base station and a second communication unit used for other mobile wireless communication terminal to execute a process, comprising:

searching a storage device storing contents data that can be used in said mobile wireless communication terminal and can be transmitted to said other mobile wireless communication terminals, in response to detecting that specific contents data is requested;

transmitting, by packet broadcast, a request of said specific contents data to said other mobile wireless communication terminals that can communicate via said second communication unit in response to detecting that the valid specific contents data is not detected in said storage device;

transmitting a request to said base station via said first communication unit in response to detecting that said specific contents data cannot be received from said other mobile wireless communication terminals, which can communicate, within a predetermined time;

upon receiving a second request of second contents data by said packet broadcast from another mobile wireless communication terminal, searching said storage device for the requested second contents data and replying with said second requested contents data to said another mobile wireless communication terminal when the valid requested second contents data is detected in said storage device;

transferring the received second request of said second contents data by said packet broadcast to other mobile wireless communication terminals, upon detecting that said second contents data is not detected in said storage device; and

upon detecting that lack of a packet exists among packets for said specific contents data, which were received from said other mobile wireless communication terminals that are different from said base station, causing the first communication unit to transmit a request for data of at least a lacked packet through said base station to a contents delivery computer.