COMMUNICATION CONNECTION DEVICE

• US 20100195608A1
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Inventors: Ishizu, Kentaro, Harada, Hiroshi, Murakami, Homare
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• 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

The present invention provides a technique capable of processing to automatically and optimally select types of external networks and a communication system, and at the same time, capable of switching network selection upon a user'"'"'s arbitrary opportunity. A communication connection device 1 is provided with: a network communication adaptor 13 connecting a terminal device 4; external network communication adaptors 11, 12 compatible with external networks; a network selection processing portion 102 automatically selecting a network from the external networks according to profile information 141 previously including at least one of types of networks and a communication system; re-selection processing instruction mechanisms 15, 103 designed to cause, as a result of a user'"'"'s operation, the network selection processing portion 102 to start selection processing.

Claims

1. A communication connection device for establishing communication between a terminal device and an external network comprising:

a connection path connecting the terminal device;

a single or a plurality of external network communication adaptors compatible with one or more external networks;

a network selection processing portion for automatically selecting a network from the external networks in accordance with stored profile information including at least one of types of networks and a communication system;

a re-selection processing instruction mechanism configured to cause, as a result of a user'"'"'s operation, the network selection processing portion to start selection processing;

an external network connection processing portion for establishing or reconfiguring the connection to an external network selected by the network selection processing portion; and

a communication relay processing portion for relay-processing the communication between the communication terminal and the external network.

2. The communication connection device according to claim 1, wherein

said connection path is configured to be an internal network connecting with a single or a plurality of specific terminal devices, and

said communication connection device includes an internal network communication adaptor compatible with the internal network and an internal network connection processing portion for establishing or reconfiguring the connection to the internal network.

3. The communication connection device according to claim 1, wherein

said communication connection device is a user-portable mobile communication connection device, and

said re-selection processing instruction mechanism is formed by a switch disposed on a device external surface;

and the communication connection device further comprising a notification portion for detecting an input operation of the switch and notifying the network selection processing portion of the detection.

4. The communication connection device according to claim 1, wherein

said network selection processing portion selects, when there is an instruction to start the selection processing from said re-selection processing instruction mechanism, a network different from a type of external network or a communication system currently selected, based on said stored profile information.

5. The communication connection device according to claim 1, wherein

in said stored profile information, an order of priority of at least one of types of external networks to be connected or communication systems is defined, and said network selection processing portion selects according to that order of priority.

6. The communication connection device according to claim 1, wherein

in said stored profile information, verification information necessary for connection to each external network is stored, and

said external network connection processing portion employs the verification information in establishing or reconfiguring the connection to the external network.

7. The communication connection device according to claim 1, wherein

in a configuration in which a selection rule for a communication channel when said external network is a wireless LAN is provided in said profile information, said network selection processing portion acquiring information about an available channel at a current site from said external network connection processing portion,

when there is an available channel, produces an available channel table tabulating, for each channel, numbers of successive available channels before and after a currently selected channel, and

selects the channel according to an available status on the available channel table.

8. The communication connection device according to claim 1, wherein

in a configuration in which a communication channel selection rule for when said external network is a wireless LAN is provided in said stored profile information, said network selection processing portion acquires a signal strength of a channel in use at a current site from said external network connection processing portion,

produces a signal strength table tabulating signal strengths of channels in use, and

selects the channel according to the signal strength for each channel on the signal strength table.

9. The communication connection device according to claim 8, wherein

said network selection processing portion of the communication connection device

selects, when there is the available channel on said available channel table, a channel with a largest number of successive available channels before and after, and

selects, when there is no available channel, a channel having a weakest signal strength from the signal strength table.