Data communication terminal for conducting data communication for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received

• US 7,403,480 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited, Photon-X, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Morikawa, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Blanche
• Application Number:
  US09/991,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,451 Days
• Field of Search: 370/114.01, 370/223, 370/224, 370/30
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1417 Advice of charge with threshold, e.g. user indicating maximum cost

Abstract

A data communication terminal carries out data communication via a first communication network in which accounting is made according to a transmitted/received data amount, and via a second communication network in which accounting is made according to a connection time. The terminal calculates a communication charge according to the transmitted/received data amount of the data communication carried out via the first communication network, and according to the connection time of the data communication carried out via the second communication network. The terminal sets a communication charge limit amount for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received, selects one of the first and second communication networks to carry out data communication, calculates the communication charge for the data communication carried out by the selected one of the first and second communication networks, and judges whether the calculated charge has reached the communication charge limit amount to warn a user.

Claims

1. A data communication terminal comprising:

first data communication means for carrying out data communication via a first communication network in which accounting is made according to a transmitted/received data amount;

second data communication means for carrying out data communication via a second communication network in which accounting is made according to a connection time;

first calculating means for calculating a communication charge according to the transmitted/received data amount of the data communication carried out by the first data communication means;

second calculating means for calculating a communication charge according to the connection time of the data communication carried out by the second data communication means;

limit amount setting means for setting a communication charge limit amount for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received;

selected communication means for selecting one of the first data communication means and the second data communication means to carry out data communication;

judging means for selecting one of the first and second calculating means to calculate the communication charge for the data communication carried out by the selected one of the first and second data communication means, and for judging whether the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount; and

warning means for, when the judging means judges that the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount, warning a user that the communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount.

2. A data communication terminal comprising:

first data communication means for carrying out data communication via a first communication network in which accounting is made according to a transmitted/received data amount;

second data communication means for carrying out data communication via a second communication network in which accounting is made according to a connection time;

first calculating means for calculating a communication charge according to the transmitted/received data amount of the data communication carried out by the first data communication means;

second calculating means for calculating a communication charge according to the connection time of the data communication carried out by the second data communication means;

limit amount setting means for setting a communication charge limit amount for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received;

selected communication means for selecting one of the first data communication means and the second data communication means to carry out data communication;

judging means for selecting one of the first and second calculating means to calculate the communication charge for the data communication carried out by the selected one of the first and second data communication means, and for judging whether the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount; and

warning means for, when the judging means judges that the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount;

(i) warning a user that the communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount, and (ii) temporarily suspending the data communication to wait for an instruction from the user if the data communication is carried out by the first communication means, and immediately terminating the data communication if the data communication is carried out by the second communication means.

3. A computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a program for controlling a computer of a data communication terminal, which carries out data communication using one of a first communication network in which accounting is made according to a transmitted/received data amount and a second communication network in which accounting is made according to a connection time, the program controlling the computer to carry out functions comprising:

setting a communication charge limit amount for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received;

selecting one of the first data communication network and the second data communication network to carry out data communication;

calculating a communication charge of the data communication carried out by the selected one of the first and second data communication networks;

judging whether the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount; and

when it is judged that the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount, warning a user that the communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount.

4. A computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a program for controlling a computer of a data communication terminal, which carries out data communication using one of a first communication network in which accounting is made according to a transmitted/received data amount and a second communication network in which accounting is made according to a connection time, the program controlling the computer to carry out functions comprising:

setting a communication charge limit amount for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received;

selecting one of the first data communication network and the second data communication network to carry out data communication;

calculating a communication charge of the data communication carried out by the selected one of the first and second data communication networks;

judging whether the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount; and

when it is judged that the calculated communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount;

(i) warning a user that the communication charge has reached the communication charge limit amount, and (ii) temporarily suspending the data communication to wait for an instruction from the user if the data communication is carried out by the first communication network, and immediately terminating the data communication if the data communication is carried out by the second communication network.