Data transmission apparatus, data transmission method, data transmission program, and recording medium

• US 20060083261A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Okanoue, Kazuhiro, Maeda, Yasuhiro, Maruyama, Toshikazu
• Application Number:
  US11/251,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20060083261A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/54 Organization of routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point

Abstract

Establishment of a connection between a wireless terminal and a destination terminal for data transmission. The wireless terminal is connectable to at least two communication networks each of which is connected to an internet. The destination terminal is connected to the internet. First, one of the communication networks is selected at the wireless terminal based on communication quality of the communication networks. Next, a path through the selected communication network is selected at the wireless terminal based on the network address of the destination terminal. And then a connection is established between the wireless terminal and the destination terminal through the selected path.

Claims

1. A data transmission apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of sets of communication network connection means for connecting to different communication networks, respectively;

communication quality information store means for storing communication quality information as information as to the communication quality of the communication networks, to which the respective sets of the communication network connection means are connected, by corresponding the communication quality information to each of the plurality of sets of communication network connection means;

a plurality of address path correspondence tables each disposed to each of the transmission network connection means to store the addresses of respective opponents and path information as information showing paths to the addresses through the communication networks, to which the transmission network connection means are connected, by corresponding the addresses to the path information;

to-be-used communication network connection means selection means for selecting communication network connection means which is used to transmit data as the object of transmission based on the communication quality information stored in the communication quality information store means;

address path correspondence table discrimination means for discriminating an address path correspondence table corresponding to the communication network connection means selected by the to-be-used communication network connection means selection means from the plurality of address path correspondence tables;

path information acquisition mean for acquiring corresponding path information by searching the destination address of the data by the address path correspondence table discriminated by the address path correspondence table determination means; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data through the path shown by the path information acquired by the path information acquisition means.

2. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

communication status monitor means for sequentially monitoring the communication status of each of the plurality of communication networks; and

communication quality information change means for sequentially changing the corresponding contents of the communication quality information stored in the communication quality information store means according to a result of the monitor executed by the communication status monitor means.

3. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the to-be-used communication network connection means selection means is means comprising requested quality discrimination means for discriminating requested quality as communication quality requested to transmission of data as an object of transmission and requested quality suitability discrimination means for discriminating the communication quality information which is most suitable to the requested quality discriminated by the requested quality discrimination means in the communication quality information stored in the communication quality information store means and selecting corresponding communication network connection means as communication network connection means to be used for the transmission of the data.

4. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising communication quality of respective sets of application store means for storing application information for identifying a plurality of sets of different application software and communication quality of respective sets of application as communication quality suitable to the respective sets of the application software by corresponding the application information to the communication quality of the respective sets of the application,

wherein the to-be-used communication network connection means selection means comprises communication quality of respective sets of application acquisition means for searching the application information of application software using data added to the data as the object of the transmission in the communication quality of respective sets of application store means and acquiring corresponding communication quality of the respective sets of application and suitability of communication quality of respective sets of application discrimination means for discriminating the communication quality information, which is most suitable to the communication quality of the respective sets of application acquired by the communication quality of respective sets of application acquisition means, from the communication quality information stored in the communication quality information store means and selecting corresponding communication network connection means as communication network connection means to be used to the transmission of the data.

5. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising communication quality of respective opponents store means for storing the addresses of respective opponents and communication quality of the respective opponents as communication quality suitable to a communication to the respective opponents by corresponding the addresses to the communication quality of the respective opponents,

wherein the to-be-used communication network connection means selection means is means comprising communication quality of respective opponents acquisition means for searching the destination address of data as an object of transmission by the communication quality of respective opponents acquisition means and acquiring corresponding communication quality of the respective opponents and suitability of communication quality of respective opponents discrimination means for discriminating the communication quality information, which is most suitable to the communication quality of the respective opponents acquired by the communication quality of respective opponents acquisition means, from the communication quality information stored in the communication quality information store means and selecting corresponding communication network connection means as communication network connection means used to the transmission of the data.

6. A data transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of address path correspondence tables, the path information acquisition means, and the data transmission means correspond to the Internet Protocol.

7. A method of establishing connection between a wireless terminal and a destination terminal, the wireless terminal being connectable to at least two communication networks each of which is connected to an internet, the destination terminal being connected to the internet, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting one of the communication networks at the wireless terminal based on communication quality of the communication networks;

(b) selecting a path through the communication network and the internet selected at the step (a) at the wireless terminal based on the network address of the destination terminal; and

(c) establishing a connection between the wireless terminal and the destination terminal through the path selected at the step (b).

8. A data transmission method comprising:

a requested quality discrimination step of discriminating requested quality as communication quality requested to the transmission of data intended to be transmitted using a plurality of sets of communication network connection means for connecting to different communication networks, respectively;

a communication network connection means selection step of discriminating communication quality information, which is most suitable to the requested quality discriminated at the requested quality discrimination step, as information as to the communication quality of the communication networks to which the plurality of sets of communication network connection means are connected from communication quality information store means in which the communication quality information is stored in correspondence to each of the respective sets of communication network connection means and selecting a corresponding communication network connection means as communication network connection means to be used to the transmission of the data;

an address path correspondence table discrimination step of discriminating an address path correspondence table, which corresponds to the communication network connection means selected at the communication network connection means selection step from a plurality of address path correspondence tables which are disposed to the respective sets of the communication network connection means and in which opponent addresses and path information as information showing paths up to the addresses through communication networks, to which the communication network connection means are connected, are stored in correspondence to each other;

a path information acquisition step of searching the destination address of the data as an object of transmission in the address path correspondence table discriminated at the address path correspondence table discrimination step and acquiring corresponding path information; and

data transmission step of transmitting the data through the path shown by the path information acquired at the path information acquisition step.

9. A data transmission program for causing a computer of a data transmission apparatus to execute:

requested quality discrimination processing for discriminating requested quality as communication quality requested to the transmission of data which the data transmission apparatus intends to transmit using a plurality of sets of communication network connection means for connecting to different communication networks, respectively;

communication network connection means selection processing for discriminating communication quality information, which is most suitable to the requested quality discriminated by the requested quality discrimination processing, as information as to the communication quality of the communication networks to which the plurality of sets of communication network connection means are connected from communication quality information store means in which the communication quality information is stored in correspondence to each of the respective sets of the communication network connection means and selecting a corresponding communication network connection means as communication network connection means to be used to the transmission of the data;

address path correspondence table discrimination processing for discriminating an address path correspondence table, which corresponds to the communication network connection means selected by the communication network connection means selection processing from a plurality of address path correspondence tables which are disposed to the respective sets of the communication network connection means and in which opponent addressee and path information as information showing paths up to the addresses through communication networks to which the communication network connection means are connected;

path information acquisition processing for searching the destination address of the data as an object of transmission in the address path correspondence table discriminated by the address path correspondence table discrimination processing and acquiring corresponding path information; and

data transmission processing for transmitting the data through the path shown by the path information acquired by the path information acquisition processing.

10. A machine language readable recording medium for recording a program for executing a requested quality discrimination procedure for discriminating requested quality as communication quality requested to the transmission of data intended to be transmitted using a plurality of sets of communication network connection means for connecting to different communication networks, respectively;

a communication network connection means selection procedure for discriminating communication quality information, which is most suitable to the requested quality discriminated by the requested quality discrimination procedure, as information as to the communication quality of the communication networks to which the plurality of sets of communication network connection means are connected from communication quality information store means in which the communication quality information is stored in correspondence to each of the respective sets of communication network connection means and selecting a corresponding communication network connection means as communication network connection means to be used to the transmission of the data;

an address path correspondence table discrimination procedure for discriminating an address path correspondence table, which corresponds to the communication network connection means selected by the communication network connection means selection procedure from a plurality of address path correspondence tables which are disposed to the respective sets of the communication network connection means and in which opponent addresses and path information as information showing paths up to the addresses through communication networks to which the communication network connection means are connected;

a path information acquisition procedure for searching the destination address of the data as an object of transmission in the address path correspondence table discriminated by the address path correspondence table discrimination procedure and acquiring corresponding path information; and

a data transmission procedure for transmitting the data through the path shown by the path information acquired by the path information acquisition procedure.