Communication terminal, communication state information providing system, and method of providing communication state information

• US 7,457,634 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2005
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakatsuchi, Masaharu, Itoh, Masashi, Morinaga, Yasuo, Sasao, Nobuaki, Takase, Satoshi, Kaneda, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/177,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20060014561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/41.2, 455/550.1, 455/519, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/466, 455/67.13, 455/566, 455/563
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• 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 communication state information providing system comprises a cellular phone of an information provider, and an information providing device having an information receiving unit for receiving, via a wireless LAN, the communication state information transmitted from the cellular phone, a communication state information storage unit for storing the communication state information received by the information receiving unit associated with the phone number specifying the cellular phone, and an information transmitting unit for transmitting the communication state information stored in the communication state information storage unit to a destination associated with the phone number of the cellular phone.

Claims

1. A communication state information providing system, comprising:

a communication terminal including

first communication means for communicating with a first outside system over a mobile communication network;

second communication means for communicating with a second outside system over a wireless LAN;

communication state detection means for detecting any change in a communication state of the first communication means; and

communication state notification means for notifying the second communication means of communication state information, which indicates the change in the communication state of the first communication means,

wherein the second communication means transmits the communication state information over the wireless LAN; and

an information providing device including

information receiving means for receiving the communication state information transmitted by the communication terminal over the network;

communication state information storage means for storing the communication state information received by the information receiving means associated with communication terminal specification information, which specifies the communication terminal; and

information transmitting means for transmitting the communication state information stored in the communication state information storage means to a destination associated with the communication terminal specification information.

2. The communication state information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the communication state detection means detects whether or not the first communication means is being connected with the first outside system as the communication state of the first communication means.

3. The communication state information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the information providing device further includes a request signal receiving means for receiving, from another client terminal, a request signal that includes a specified time for requesting the communication state information of the client terminal corresponding to the specified time.

4. The communication state information providing system according to claim 3, wherein the information providing device further includes communication state information selection means for selecting the stored communication state information according to the received request signal, and

wherein the information transmitting means transmits the selected communication state information to the another client terminal.

5. The communication state information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the client terminal further includes communication history information storage means for storing the detected change in the communication state of the first communication means.

6. A method of providing communication state information comprising:

communicating, by first communication means of a communication terminal, with a first outside system over a mobile communication network;

communicating, by second communication means of the communication terminal, with a second outside system over a wireless LAN;

detecting, by the communication terminal, any change in a communication state of the first communication means;

notifying, by the communication terminal, the second communication means of communication state information indicating the change in the communication state of the first communication means;

transmitting the communication state information over the wireless LAN by the second communication means;

receiving, by an information providing device, the communication state information transmitted by the communication terminal over the wireless LAN;

storing, by the information providing device, the received communication state information, associated with communication terminal specification information that specifies the communication terminal; and

transmitting, by the information providing device, the stored communication state information to a destination associated with the communication terminal specification information.

7. The method of providing communication state information according to claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the information providing device, a request signal from another client terminal including a specified time, for requesting the communication state information of the client terminal corresponding to the specified time.

8. The method of providing communication state information according to claim 7, further comprising:

selecting, by the information providing device, the stored communication state information according to the received request signal,

wherein the step of transmitting, by the information providing device, comprises transmitting the selected communication state information to the another client terminal.

9. The method of providing communication state information according to claim 6, further comprising:

storing, in the communication terminal, the detected change in the communication state of the first communication means.

10. A communication state information providing system, comprising:

a communication terminal including

a first communication unit configured to communicate with a first outside system over a mobile communication network;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with a second outside system over a wireless LAN;

a communication state detection unit configured to detect any change in a communication state of the first communication unit; and

a communication state notification unit configured to notify the second communication unit of communication state information, which indicates the change in the communication state of the first communication unit,

wherein the second communication unit transmits the communication state information over the wireless LAN; and

an information providing device including

an information receiving unit configured to receive the communication state information transmitted by the communication terminal over the network;

a communication state information storage unit configured to store the communication state information received by the information receiving unit associated with communication terminal specification information, which specifies the communication terminal; and

an information transmitting unit configured to transmit the communication state information stored in the communication state information storage unit to a destination associated with the communication terminal specification information.