Control device, control method, and communication system

• US 9,693,270 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kagimoto, Tomonari, Du, Xiang, Yatsushiro, Tatsuya, Shigesada, Yasushi, Satou, Junji, Yamamoto, Tomohide
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Clemence
• Application Number:
  US14/309,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0066 of control information between different types of networks in order to establish a new radio link in the target network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A control device includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: acquire congestion information indicating a congestion state of communication of wireless local area networks (LANs) which are connection destination candidates of a mobile terminal configured to switch a state thereof between a first state and a second state, in the first state the mobile terminal being wirelessly connected to a radio base station of a mobile communication network and not performing a detection operation of a wireless LAN among the wireless LANs, and in the second state the mobile terminal performing the detection operation and being wirelessly connected to a detected wireless LAN, and perform switching control for switching a state of the mobile terminal from the first state to the second state when the congestion information satisfies a given condition.

Claims

1. A control device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

acquire congestion information indicating a congestion state of communication of wireless local area networks (LANs) which are connection destination candidates of a mobile terminal configured to switch a state thereof between a first state and a second state, in the first state the mobile terminal being wirelessly connected to a radio base station of a mobile communication network and not performing a detection operation of a wireless LAN among the wireless LANs, and in the second state the mobile terminal performing the detection operation and being wirelessly connected to a detected wireless LAN,

determine when the acquired congestion information satisfies a given condition;

acquire movement speed information indicating a movement speed of the mobile terminal; and

perform switching control for switching a state of the mobile terminal from the first state to the second state when both the congestion information is determined to satisfy the given condition and the movement speed of the mobile terminal is less than a given movement speed, by transmitting a control signal, to trigger the switching, via the base station to the mobile terminal.

2. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is configured not to perform the switching control when the movement speed indicated by the movement speed information is equal to or higher than the given movement speed, even when the congestion information is determined to satisfy the given condition.

3. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is configured to notify the mobile terminal of a wireless LAN which is selected from among the wireless LANs which are connection destination candidates based on the congestion information in the switching control, so that the mobile terminal is wirelessly connected to the selected wireless LAN.

4. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is configured to perform the switching control when there is a communication request from the mobile terminal to the radio base station and the congestion information is determined to satisfy the given condition, so that the mobile terminal makes a request for communication with the wireless LAN.

5. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the congestion information includes connection state information indicating a difference between a maximal number of mobile terminals which enable to be simultaneously connected to the wireless LAN which is a connection destination candidate and the number of mobile terminals which are currently connected to the wireless LAN which is a connection destination candidate, and

wherein the processor is configured to perform the switching control when the connection state information satisfies a given condition.

6. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the congestion information includes a band state information indicating a difference between a maximal communication band of the wireless LAN which is a connection destination candidate and a communication band which is currently used by the wireless LAN which is a connection destination candidate, and

wherein the processor is configured to perform the switching control when the band state information satisfies a given condition.

7. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is configured to acquire distance information indicating a difference between a distance between the wireless LAN which is a connection destination candidate and the mobile terminal and a wireless transmission distance of the wireless LAN which is a connection destination candidate, and

wherein the processor is configured to perform the switching control when the distance information satisfies a given condition.

8. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is configured to perform the switching control when a bearer type of communication between the radio base station and the mobile terminal is a given bearer type, and the congestion information is determined to satisfy the given condition.

9. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the processor is configured to perform the switching control when a protocol of communication between the radio base station and the mobile terminal is a given protocol, and the congestion information is determined to satisfy the given condition.

10. A control method comprising:

acquiring congestion information indicating a congestion state of communication of wireless local area networks (LANs) which are connection destination candidates of a mobile terminal configured to switch a state thereof between a first state and a second state, in the first state the mobile terminal being wirelessly connected to a radio base station of a mobile communication network and not performing a detection operation of a wireless LAN among the wireless LANs, and in the second state the mobile terminal performing the detection operation and being wirelessly connected to a detected wireless LAN;

determining when the acquired congestion information satisfies a given condition;

acquiring movement speed information indicating a movement speed of the mobile terminal; and

performing, by a processor, switching control for switching a state of the mobile terminal from the first state to the second state when both the congestion information is determined to satisfy the given condition and the movement speed of the mobile terminal is less than a given movement speed, by transmitting a control signal, to trigger the switching, via the base station to the mobile terminal.

11. A communication system comprising:

a mobile terminal configured to switch a state thereof between a first state and a second state, in the first state the mobile terminal being wirelessly connected to a radio base station of a mobile communication network and not performing a detection operation of a wireless local area network (LAN) among wireless LANs, and in the second state the mobile terminal performing the detection operation and being wirelessly connected to a detected wireless LAN; and

a control device configured to;

acquire congestion information indicating a congestion state of communication of the wireless LANs which are connection destination candidates of the mobile terminal,

determine when the acquired congestion information satisfies a given condition,

acquire movement speed information indicating a movement speed of the mobile terminal; and

perform switching control for switching a state of the mobile terminal from the first state to the second state when both the congestion information is determined to satisfy the given condition and the movement speed of the mobile terminal is less than a given movement speed, by transmitting a control signal, to trigger the switching, via the base station to the mobile terminal.