Communication apparatus and communication method for extracting notification information from received signal and transmitting notification information

• US 9,198,012 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US13/456,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20130023227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554141-4144, 455/11.1, 455/15, 455/16, 370/466, 370/467, 370/315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks

Abstract

A communication apparatus includes a receiving unit, an extracting unit, a generating unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit receives a signal from a first network using a first communication method. The extracting unit extracts, from a signal received via a control channel of the first network, notification information that is broadcast to be notified to a communication apparatus belonging to the first network and also used by a communication apparatus belonging to a second network. Here, the second network uses a second communication method different from the first communication method. The generating unit generates a notification frame used to notify the communication apparatus belonging to the second network of the notification information. The transmitting unit transmits the notification frame to the communication apparatus belonging to the second network.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a signal via a control plane of a first network which uses a first protocol, the control plane being used for broadcasting control information;

a processor that

classifies frames received from the first network into frames including user data and frames for reporting control information, wherein data received via the control plane is determined as control information,

determines a frame including notification information from the frames for reporting control information, wherein the notification information has been broadcast to a communication apparatus belonging to the first network and is to be used by a communication apparatus belonging to a second network which uses a second protocol different from the first protocol,

extracts the notification information from the frame which is determined as a frame including the notification information, and

generates a notification frame to be used to notify the communication apparatus belonging to the second network of the extracted notification information according to a frame format of a user plane which is used for communicating the user data of the communication apparatus belonging to the second network,

determines a second frame including the user data and outputting the second frame to a converting unit for converting to a format that can be processed by the communication apparatus belonging to the second network; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the generated notification frame or converted second frame to the communication apparatus belonging to the second network via the user plane of the second network.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a memory which stores a recognition format, in which a notification application running on the communication apparatus belonging to the second network recognizes data, in order to notify a user of the notification information, wherein

the processor includes the notification information in the notification frame as data corresponding to the recognition format.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a memory which stores a notification setting that is a setting of a media access control header used to detect the notification information by the notification application running on the communication apparatus belonging to the second network in order to notify a user of the notification information, wherein

the processor sets the media access control header of the notification frame as the notification setting, and records the notification information in a media access control message of the notification frame.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the notification information is partitioned into a first segment and a second segment, the first segment is broadcast by first announcement information, and the second segment is broadcast by second announcement information, the extracting unit extracts the first segment form the first announcement information, also extracts the second segment from the second announcement information, and obtains the notification information by merging the first segment and the second segment.

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

a disaster identification table in which a disaster identifier for identifying a disaster notified from a base station belonging to the first network is recorded, wherein

the processor

determines a target frame which includes a disaster identifier recorded in the disaster identification table as a frame to be relayed from the first network to the second network, and

extracts the notification information from the target frame.

6. A communication method for causing a relay apparatus, which relays data between a first network and a second network, to execute a process, the process comprising:

receiving a signal via a control plane of the first network which uses a first protocol, the control plane being used for broadcasting control information;

classifying frames received from the first network into frames including user data and frames for reporting control information, wherein data received via the control plane is determined as control information;

determining a frame including notification information from the frames for reporting control information, wherein the notification information has been broadcast to a communication apparatus belonging to the first network and is to be used by a communication apparatus belonging to a second network which uses a second protocol different from the first protocol;

extracting the notification information from the frame which is determined as a frame including the notification information;

generating a notification frame to be used to notify the communication apparatus belonging to the second network of the extracted notification information according to a frame format of a user plane which is used for communicating the user data of the communication apparatus belonging to the second network;

determining a second frame including the user data and outputting the second frame to a converting unit for converting to a format that can be processed by the communication apparatus belonging to the second network; and

transmitting the generated notification frame or the converted second frame to the communication apparatus belonging to the second network via the user plane of the second network.

7. A non-transitory storage medium on which is recorded a program for causing a relay apparatus, which relays data between a first network and a second network, to execute a process, the process comprising:

receiving a signal via a control plane of the first network which uses a first protocol, the control plane being used for broadcasting control information;

classifying frames received from the first network into frames including user data and frames for reporting control information, wherein data received via the control plane is determined as control information;

determining a frame including notification information from the frames for reporting control information, wherein the notification information has been broadcast to a communication apparatus belonging to the first network and is to be used by a communication apparatus belonging to a second network which uses a second protocol different from the first protocol;

extracting the notification information from the frame which is determined as a frame including the notification information;

generating a notification frame to be used to notify the communication apparatus belonging to the second network of the extracted notification information according to a frame format of a user plane which is used for communicating the user data of the communication apparatus belonging to the second network;

determining a second frame including the user data and outputting the second frame to a converting unit for converting to a format that can be processed by a communication apparatus belonging to the second network; and

transmitting the generated notification frame or the converted second frame to the communication apparatus belonging to the second network via the user plane of the second network.