Wireless base station, wireless communication terminal, and wireless communication system

• US 9,237,408 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mukai, Tsutomu, Takai, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elpenord, Candal
• Application Number:
  US13/613,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20130003643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless communication system transmits information requested by a wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication terminal moving through a spot wireless area. In a wireless base station, an external information communication control section controls communication with a server. A contents memory stores at least a part of contents received from the server. A wireless communication section communicates with the communication terminal using a predetermined communication method. A control section establishes connection with the communication terminal using a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure, or using a second connection which requires the authentication procedure. An access control (restriction) section permits access from the communication terminal to the contents memory and prohibits access to the server when a type of connection is the first connection, and permits access from the communication terminal to the contents memory and to the server in the case of the second connection.

Claims

1. A wireless base station for connecting to a plurality of wireless communication terminals and receiving contents via a network, the wireless base station comprising:

a network communication control section that controls communication with the network;

a wireless communication section that communicates with the plurality of wireless communication terminals in accordance with a predetermined communication method; and

a control section that controls the wireless communication section, wherein

an interval during which the wireless communication section connects to the plurality of wireless communication terminals includes a metadata transmitting interval, a contents data request interval, a contents data transmitting interval, and a normal communication interval,

the control section, by controlling the wireless communication section, (i) collectively broadcasts, to the plurality of wireless communication terminals during the metadata transmitting interval, metadata of contents received via the network, (ii) receives, during the contents data request interval, first request information that is transmitted from the plurality of wireless communication terminals based on the metadata and that instructs a request of contents, (iii) collectively broadcasts, to the plurality of wireless communication terminals during the contents data transmitting interval, contents data selected based on a summary of the first request information received from the plurality of wireless communication terminals, and (iv) receives, during the normal communication interval, second request information that is transmitted from one of the plurality of wireless communication terminals and that instructs a request of contents not broadcasted during the contents data transmitting interval, and transmits contents data selected based on the second request information to the one of the plurality of wireless communication terminals that transmitted the second request information, and

the predetermined communication method establishes one of a first connection which does not substantially require an authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminals, or by using a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminals.

2. The wireless base station according to claim 1, further comprising:

a contents memory section that stores the contents received via the network.

3. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined communication method is a wireless LAN communication method.

4. The wireless base station according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control-wireless communication section that performs communication in accordance with a control-communication method, wherein

the control section, in advance of the communication between the wireless communication section and the plurality of wireless communication terminals, obtains setting information that is necessary for the wireless communication section and the plurality of wireless communication terminals to communicate in accordance with the predetermined communication method by controlling the control-wireless communication section.

5. The wireless base station according to claim 1, wherein

the control section broadcasts, by controlling the wireless communication section, individual contents data to the plurality of wireless communication terminals, the individual contents data being a part of contents received via the network in the contents data transmitting interval.

6. A wireless communication terminal, included in a plurality of wireless communication terminals, for connecting to a wireless base station which receives contents via a network, the wireless communication terminal comprising:

a wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with a predetermined communication method;

a control section that controls the wireless communication section; and

a terminal control section that controls transmission of information on a contents request to the wireless base station, wherein

interval during which the wireless communication section connects to the wireless base station includes a metadata transmitting interval, a contents data request interval, a contents data transmitting interval, and a normal communication interval,

the wireless communication section (i) receives, from the wireless base station during the metadata transmitting interval, metadata of contents received by the wireless base station via the network, (ii) transmits, to the wireless base station during the contents data request interval, first request information that instructs a request of contents based on the metadata, (iii) receives, during the contents data transmitting interval, contents data selected by the wireless base station based on a summary of the first request information and collectively broadcasted to the plurality of wireless communication terminals, and (iv) transmits, during the normal communication interval, a second request information that instructs a request of contents not broadcasted during the contents data transmitting interval to the wireless base station, and receives, from the wireless base station, contents data selected by the wireless base station based on the second request information, and

the predetermined communication method establishes one of a first connection which does not substantially require an authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminals, or by using a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminals.

7. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

a control-wireless communication section that performs communication in accordance with a control-communication method, wherein

the control section, in advance of the communication between the wireless base station and the wireless communication section, obtains setting information that is necessary for the wireless base station and the wireless communication section to communicate in accordance with the predetermined communication method by controlling the control-wireless communication section.

8. A wireless communication system in which a wireless base station, which receives contents via a network, and a plurality of wireless communication terminals are connected to each other,

the wireless base station comprising:

a network communication control section that controls communication with the network;

a base station side wireless communication section that communicates with the plurality of wireless communication terminals in accordance with a predetermined communication method; and

a base station side control section that controls the base station side wireless communication section, wherein

an interval during which the base station side wireless communication section connects to the plurality of wireless communication terminals includes a metadata transmitting interval, a contents data request interval, a contents data transmitting interval, and a normal communication interval,

the base station side control section, by controlling the base station side wireless communication section, (i) collectively broadcasts, to the plurality of wireless communication terminals during the metadata transmitting interval, metadata of contents received via the network, (ii) receives, during the contents data request interval, first request information that is transmitted from the plurality of wireless communication terminals based on the metadata and that instructs a request of contents, (iii) collectively broadcasts, to the plurality of wireless communication terminals during the contents data transmitting interval, contents data selected based on a summary of the first request information received from the plurality of wireless communication terminals, and (iv) transmits, during the normal communication interval, contents data that is selected based on second request information from one of the plurality of wireless communication terminals that instructs a request of contents not broadcasted during the contents data transmitting interval, to the one of the plurality of wireless communication terminals that transmitted the second request information,

the predetermined communication method establishes one of a first connection which does not substantially require an authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminals, or by using a second connection which requires the authentication procedure for connection with the wireless communication terminals, and

each of the wireless communication terminals comprises;

a terminal side wireless communication section that communicates with the wireless base station in accordance with the predetermined communication method; and

a terminal side control section that controls the terminal side wireless communication section, wherein

the terminal side control section controls transmission of information on a contents request to the wireless base station, and

the terminal side wireless communication section (v) receives, during the metadata transmitting interval, metadata of contents received from the wireless base station via the network, (vi) transmits, to the wireless base station during the contents data request interval, first request information that instructs a request of contents based on the metadata, (vii) receives, during the contents data transmitting interval, contents data that is selected by the wireless base station based on the summary of the first request information and that is collectively broadcasted to the plurality of wireless communication terminals, and (viii) transmits, during the normal communication interval, second request information that instructs a request of contents not broadcasted during the contents data transmitting interval to the wireless base station, and receives contents data selected based on the second request information from the wireless base station.