Mobile unit, server and method of providing information

• US 7,171,218 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Okajima, Ichiro, Ikeda, Takehiro, Omae, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): D AGOSTA, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/801,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455450-4521, 455/436, 455/432.1, 4554351-4352, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/440, 455437-438
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• 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

A mobile unit capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems including a usability determination section to determine usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of the mobile unit. The mobile unit also includes a communication subsystem selection section for selecting a communication subsystem whereby the current location of the mobile unit can be measured with highest accuracy. A mobile telephone network communication section in the mobile device then measures the current location of the mobile unit and transmits the result of determination of usability, together with information indicating the current location, to an information provision server. Then, the mobile unit is able to look up the result of determination of usability from a plurality of mobile units that is stored in the information provision server.

Claims

1. An information provision system, comprising:

a mobile unit capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems, comprising

determination means that determines usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;

selection means that selects a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be measured with the greatest accuracy, of the communication subsystems that are determined as usable by said determination means; and

transmission means that measures said current location using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means and transmits the result of determination of said usability by said determination means, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means, and

a server, comprising

communication means that receives the result of the determination of said usability transmitted by transmission means of the mobile unit together with the information indicating said current location;

region specification means that specifies a geographical region to which the current location belongs, based on information indicating said current location received by said communication means; and

storage means that stores in updateable fashion as frequency-of-use information the number of times per unit time that a usability determination result has been received by said communication means, in correspondence with the usable communication subsystem indicated by said determination result and the geographical region specified by said region specification means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said region specification means specifies the frequency-of-use of the each communication subsystem in the geographical region to which said current location or the location designated by said mobile unit belongs by looking up frequency-of-use information stored in said storage means; and

said communication means notifies said mobile unit of the frequency-of-use specified by said region specification means in response to a request from the mobile unit.

3. A method of information provision for a mobile unit capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems, comprising:

at the mobile station,

a determination step of determining usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;

a selection step of selecting a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be most accurately measured, of the communication subsystems determined as usable in said determination step; and

a transmission step of measuring said current location using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step and transmitting the result of determination of said usability in said determination step, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step, and

at a server,

a reception step for receiving the determination result of said usability transmitted in said transmission step, together with information indicating said current location;

a region specification step of specifying a geographical region to which the current location belongs, based on the information indicating said current location received in said reception step;

a storage step of storing in storage means in updateable fashion as frequency-of-use information the number of times per unit time that the result of determination of usability has been received in said reception step, in correspondence with the usable communication subsystem indicated by said determination result and the geographical region specified in said region specification step;

a frequency specification step of specifying the frequency-of-use of the each communication subsystem in the geographical region to which said current location or the location designated by said mobile unit belongs, by looking up the frequency-of-use information stored in said storage means; and

a notification step of notifying said mobile unit of the frequency-of-use specified in said frequency specification step, in response to a request from the mobile unit.