JP6145185B1 - Communication terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a communication terminal device capable of switching and connecting a plurality of types of wireless networks for each application while reducing a large-scale function addition and load increase on an existing network side. When executing at least one application selected from a plurality of types of applications, communication quality request information corresponding to the application to be executed, radio network selection information, and radio network communication quality information are included. Based on this, control is performed so as to select at least one wireless network used for communication during execution of the application to be executed. [Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal apparatus capable of communicating by connecting to a wireless network.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, communication terminal apparatuses that can communicate by switching between a wireless network for mobile communication such as 3G, LTE, 4G (LTE-TDD) and a wireless network for a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) are known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). By switching between wireless networks in this way, throughput can be improved and wireless resources can be effectively used.

However, if it is attempted to control the switching of wireless networks in a large number of communication terminal devices on the network side, a large-scale function addition occurs on the existing network side including the base station device and the access point, or the load increases. There are challenges.
In addition, since a suitable wireless network for improving throughput and effective use of radio resources may differ depending on the type of application executed in the communication terminal apparatus, a plurality of types of wireless are provided for each application executed in the communication terminal apparatus. There is a request to be able to connect by switching networks.

A communication terminal apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is a communication terminal apparatus that can be connected to a wireless network, and selectively connects to a plurality of types of wireless networks that are different from each other in at least one of a frequency band and a wireless communication scheme. Communication means, application execution means for selectively executing different types of communication service applications with connection to a wireless network, communication quality request information required for each of the multiple types of applications, A storage unit that stores selection information of wireless networks that can be selected and used at the time of execution of each of the plurality of types of applications and communication quality information of each of the plurality of types of wireless networks, and selected from the plurality of types of applications Run at least one application The communication quality request information corresponding to the execution target application, the wireless network selection information, and the communication quality information of the wireless network are used for communication at the time of execution of the execution target application. Control means for controlling to select at least one wireless network.
In the communication terminal apparatus, the control means may preferentially select a wireless network having high communication quality.
Further, in the communication terminal device, a measuring unit that measures communication quality when communicating by connecting to each of the plurality of types of wireless networks, and the control unit, based on a measurement result of the measuring unit, The communication quality measurement information stored in the storage means may be updated. Here, when the control unit executes at least one application selected from the plurality of types of applications, the control unit is based on the application information stored in the storage unit and the communication quality information of the wireless network. , Temporarily select at least one wireless network from the plurality of types of wireless networks, connect to the temporarily selected wireless network, perform communication, measure communication quality, and store in the storage unit based on the measurement result The communication quality measurement information that has been updated is updated, and at least one wireless network to be used when executing the application to be executed is selected based on the updated communication quality measurement information and the application information You may control to do. The information on the communication quality may include information on a difference between the communication quality of the temporarily selected wireless network and the communication quality of the selected wireless network.
Further, in the communication terminal device, the control unit corresponds to the execution target application stored in the storage unit based on the information of the at least one wireless network selected for the execution target application. The wireless network selection information may be updated.
In the communication terminal device, the control means selects at least one wireless network for each of the plurality of applications to be executed when executing a plurality of applications selected from the plurality of types of applications by multitasking. May be.
In the communication terminal apparatus, the wireless network selection information may include information on past selection and use frequencies of the wireless network selected and used when each of the plurality of types of applications is executed. Here, the information on the past selective use frequency of the wireless network may be stored for each of a plurality of time zones.
In the communication terminal apparatus, the communication quality information may include at least one of throughput and delay time in communication when the application is executed.
In the communication terminal apparatus, the communication quality information may include a moving speed (mobility) of the communication terminal apparatus.
In the communication terminal apparatus, the wireless network selection information may include information on selection priority of wireless networks that can be selected and used when each of the plurality of types of applications is executed. Here, the information processing apparatus may further include means for downloading the selection priority information from a server. Also, class information of the plurality of types of applications that can be executed by the communication terminal apparatus, information on the plurality of types of wireless networks that can be used for communication by the communication terminal apparatus, and selection at the time of execution of each of the plurality of types of applications. The information processing apparatus may further comprise means for uploading to the server at least one of selection information of usable wireless networks, information on the communication quality, and information on a cell in which the communication terminal device is located.
Further, in the communication terminal device, the upload means may change a wireless network used for location registration of the communication terminal device, handover of inter-cell movement of the communication terminal device, or communication of the communication terminal device. Sometimes the information may be uploaded.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to switch and connect a plurality of types of wireless networks for each application while reducing large-scale function addition and load increase on the existing network side.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the communication terminal device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the radio | wireless network selection function with the relearning function in the communication terminal device which concerns on this embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the radio | wireless network selection function operation | movement with the relearning function in the communication terminal device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the first half part of an example of the process sequence of the radio | wireless network selection agent with the relearning function in the communication terminal device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart showing the remaining second half of the processing procedure of the wireless network selection agent in FIG. 5. The flowchart which shows another example of the process sequence of the radio | wireless network selection agent with the relearning function in the communication terminal device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of a selection algorithm in the wireless network selection agent of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the quantification method of communication quality Q (n, k) in case there exist a some component in communication quality Q (n, k). The flowchart which shows the first half part of another example of the process sequence of the radio | wireless network selection agent with the relearning function in the communication terminal device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a part for obtaining a wireless network number following the processing procedure of the wireless network selection agent in FIG. 10. The flowchart which shows an example of the update procedure of the communication quality database following the process sequence of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the communication system of the present embodiment, the communication terminal device 10 is a communication terminal device such as a mobile phone or a smartphone having a cellular communication function and a wireless LAN communication function. The communication terminal apparatus 10 includes cellular communication paths (cellular communication bearers) via relay apparatuses (hereinafter referred to as “base stations”) 60 and 65 of a plurality of types of cellular systems using predetermined wireless communication systems and frequency bands. ) And at least one wireless LAN communication path (wireless LAN communication bearer) via a relay device (hereinafter referred to as “access point”) 20 of a wireless LAN system wireless network using a predetermined wireless communication system and frequency band, Can be switched for communication.

  In the communication system of FIG. 1, a case where a plurality of cellular communication paths are a cellular communication path via the FDD-LTE base station 60 and a cellular communication path via the TDD-LTE base station 65 is shown. However, other types of cellular communication paths (for example, W-CDMA and CDMA2000 cellular communication paths described later) may be used. Moreover, the communication terminal device 10 may be capable of communicating by simultaneously using communication paths of a plurality of types of wireless networks. Further, the communication terminal device 10 does not have a wireless LAN communication function, and is a cellular communication path (eg, TDD-LTE method, FDD-LTE method, W-CDMA method, CDMA2000 method) of a plurality of types of cellular wireless networks. The cellular communication path may be switched and communicated.

  When the communication terminal device 10 is located in a wireless communication area 20A of an access point 20 of a wireless LAN system wireless network provided in, for example, a fast food restaurant or a station, a predetermined wireless communication system and frequency band To connect to the access point 20 of the wireless network. The communication terminal device 10 is connected to the communication network via the access point 20 and the backbone network 30 and communicates with the servers 40 and 80, or other communication terminal devices 11 and the like via the other access points 21 and the like. 12 can communicate with each other.

  The access point 20 is a wireless LAN relay device that can wirelessly communicate with the communication terminal device 10 using a predetermined wireless communication method and frequency band, and communicates externally via the backbone network 30 and a gateway (GW). It is connected to the Internet 50 as a network. The access point 20 may be connected to an authentication server as an authentication processing device or a policy server as a policy management device. The authentication server is, for example, a RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial In User Service) server connected to a subscriber database (DB) in which various information of subscribers who have subscribed to the communication service are stored. The policy server is a server that manages communication policy information of the plurality of communication terminal apparatuses 10.

  The access point 20 wirelessly communicates with the communication terminal device 10 in the communication area 20A via a wireless LAN communication path via a wireless network using a predetermined wireless communication method and frequency band, and the communication terminal device 10 and the communication network. It is possible to relay communication between The wireless communication method between the access point 20 and the communication terminal apparatus 10 is, for example, wireless such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) that conforms to the IEEE 802.11 standard (802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11n, etc.). It is a LAN communication system, and a frequency band used in the wireless communication system is, for example, a 2.4 GHz band or a 5 GHz band.

  Further, when the communication terminal device 10 is located in the communication area 60A, which is a wireless communicable area such as a macro cell or a small cell of a mobile communication network, the macro terminal of the wireless network using a predetermined wireless communication method and frequency band Connect to a base station 60 such as a base station or a small cell base station. Then, the communication terminal apparatus 10 is connected to the communication network via the base stations 60 and 65 and the core network 70 to communicate with the servers 40 and 80, or another communication terminal apparatus via the other base station 61 or the like. 11 and 12 can be communicated.

  The base station 60 is a cellular mobile communication relay device that can wirelessly communicate with the communication terminal device 10 using a predetermined wireless communication method and frequency band, and via a core network 70, a gateway (GW), and the like. These are connected to various servers and the Internet 50 as an external communication network. The base station 60 may be connected to the above-described authentication server or policy server. Further, the communication areas of the base stations 60 and 65 may be the same as the communication area 60A or may be a part of the communication area 60A.

  In addition, the base station 60 wirelessly communicates with the communication terminal device 10 in the communication area 60A through a cellular communication path via a wireless network using a predetermined wireless communication method and frequency band, and the communication terminal device 10 and the communication network The communication between can be relayed.

The wireless network of the cellular communication path is wireless of cellular communication compliant with standards such as third generation (3G), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced, fourth generation (4G), and fifth generation (5G). It is a network, for example, a wireless network using a wireless communication method and frequency band exemplified in the following (A) to (D).
(A) A W-CDMA (Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access) system having a frequency band of 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1.7 GHz, 1.8 MHz, 1.9 GHz, or 2.1 GHz.
(B) CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) 2000 system in a frequency band of 800 MHz or 2.1 GHz.
(C) 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1.5 GHz, 1.7 GHz, 1.8 MHz, 1.9 GHz, or 2.1 GHz frequency band FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) -LTE system.
(D) TDD (Time Division Duplex) -LTE system in a frequency band of 800 MHz, 2.5 GHz, or 3.5 GHz.

  In FIG. 1, one communication terminal device 10 located in the communication areas 20A and 60A is illustrated, but two or more communication terminal devices 10 may be provided. In addition, the communication terminal device 10 of the present embodiment can be a computer device such as a notebook computer, a game machine, a tablet terminal, a digital camera, a printer, a book browsing terminal, etc., as long as it can communicate by switching the wireless network. A device having a communication function may be used. In addition, the communication terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment is a home appliance (for example, a TV, a refrigerator, a recording device) capable of network cooperation, a wearable device such as a watch or glasses, a weight scale, a blood pressure monitor, other medical devices, a robot, A device having a communication function may be used.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the communication terminal device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication terminal apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a main control unit 110, a wireless communication unit 111, a baseband processing unit 112, a sound input / output unit 113, a display unit 114, and an operation unit 115 as an operation unit. The communication terminal device 10 is equipped with a USIM 15 as an IC module, which is a subscriber information storage medium that can be attached to and detached from the device body.

  The main control unit 110 includes a storage device including an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and controls each unit such as the baseband processing unit 112 by executing a program such as a predetermined basic OS or middleware. Or build a native platform environment or application execution environment on the software configuration, or execute various processes.

  The storage device is selected at the time of executing each of the plurality of types of applications and the communication quality request information required for each of the plurality of types of applications (for example, viewing of e-mail and streaming video) that can be executed by the communication terminal device 10. And a function as a storage means for storing selection information of usable wireless networks and communication quality information of each of the plurality of types of wireless networks.

  The communication quality information is information on the communication speed (throughput) and response (for example, latency) of information data received via the wireless network while the application is running, and is passed to the running application. As the communication quality information, instead of or in addition to the communication speed (throughput) and response information, simple information indicating improvement / degradation of communication quality compared to before the switching of the wireless network may be used. This simple information is, for example, information with improved communication quality (for example, flag information: +1) or information with deteriorated communication quality (for example, flag information: −1) as a result of comparison with before switching of wireless networks. Also good.

  The storage device of the main control unit 110 includes, for example, at least one of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk device, and an optical disk device. The storage device stores a driver program, an operating system program, an application program, data, and the like used for processing in each unit. For example, the storage device includes, as a driver program, a communication driver program that executes a wireless communication method of IEEE802.11 standard and a wireless communication method of mobile communication (cellular communication), an input device driver program that controls the operation unit 115, and a display unit An output device driver program for controlling 114 is stored. In addition, the storage device has, as an operating system program, for example, a basic OS such as Android (registered trademark) OS or iOS (registered trademark), a wireless communication method of IEEE 802.11 standard, or wireless communication of mobile communication (cellular communication). A connection control program for performing authentication and the like in the communication method is stored. In addition, the storage device includes an authentication program that performs web authentication, a time measurement program that measures time, a web browser program that acquires and displays a web page, an e-mail program that transmits and receives e-mail, and a real-time or non-real-time streaming video Application programs such as viewing programs, various data used when executing these programs, and application information (for example, application name, type, class) related to the application in use can be stored. Further, the storage device can store network information, communication quality measurement conditions, and the like for connecting to the base station 60 and the access point 20 of the wireless LAN. The storage device may store various text data, video data, image data, and the like, or temporarily store temporary data related to a predetermined process.

  The network information is information obtained by communication via a wireless network, for example, policy information regarding the operation of the wireless network. This policy information includes information on wireless network operation guidelines (for example, wireless network selection priority information described later), customer contract information, customer fee information, and customer data usage of the network operator operating the wireless network. Amount (data usage tendency). This network information is input as initial information together with the application information to a wireless network selection agent that functions by executing a control program for selecting a wireless network.

  In addition, the storage device includes a measurement communication quality measurement program for measuring communication quality when connected to each of a plurality of types of wireless networks, and a control program (wireless network selection agent) for controlling to select a wireless network. ) And various data used when executing these programs. The storage device stores setting information and history information for selecting a wireless network for each application.

Table 1 is an example of an internal information storage table showing setting information and history information for selecting a wireless network (NW) for each application. This wireless network selection setting information and history information can be used for wireless network selection control for each application activated in the communication terminal device 10.

  In the internal information storage table of Table 1, an application number (application number) k is assigned to each application group that requests a single application or similar required communication quality Qreq. The application number may be class identification information (class number) corresponding to the application. And the numerical value of the required communication quality Qreq (k) required for each application or application group is stored. The required communication quality Qreq (k) includes a throughput (information rate) and an end-to-end transmission delay time as exemplified in Table 1. Furthermore, the moving speed (also referred to as “mobility”) of the communication terminal device can be used as the required communication quality. In this example, the required communication quality uses throughput and end-to-end transmission delay as quality measures. The required communication quality Qreq (k) is set for each application number k (application or application group).

  The internal information storage table of Table 1 stores the names of radio networks (radio access technology (RAT: Radio Access Technology)) that can be used by each application or application group and the radio network number n assigned to them. ing. Furthermore, when the communication terminal apparatus selects an available network, information (NW selection priority) p (n) about which wireless network is preferentially connected is also stored in the internal information storage table. The NW selection priority p (n) can be set in advance by the network operator for each user as a network policy, or in another example, can be set by the user. In addition, when the communication terminal device possesses the ratio (selection frequency) F (n) of the wireless network used in the past when using an application as statistical information, the selection frequency information from the past selection frequency information The priority of the wireless network (NW selection priority p (n)) can be set in descending order. In addition, the priority order can be set for the elements constituting the communication quality (for example, the above-mentioned order of small end-to-end delay).

  In the internal information storage table of Table 1, as described above, the required communication quality Qreq is set with throughput (information rate) [Mbps] and end-to-end transmission delay time (delay (E2E)) [ms]. . Throughput is a requirement required by an application for data transmission / reception between the communication terminal device 10 and a server (for example, a mail server or a streaming video server) that communicates while the application is running (for example, necessary for normal execution of the application) (Minimum value) is set.

  Further, in the internal information storage table of Table 1, as a measured communication quality (hereinafter also referred to as “measurement value of commercial quality”) Q (n, k), throughput (information) that is measured when the terminal is connected to the wireless network is measured. Measurement values of (speed) [Mbps] and end-to-end transmission delay time (delay (E2E)) [ms] are stored. These numerical values may be actually measured by connecting to a wireless network, or may be stored by substituting preset numerical values when measurement cannot be performed on the spot by connecting to a wireless network.

  Further, at least one of the required communication quality Qreq and the wireless NW selection priority p (n) in Table 1 may be incorporated in advance in the communication terminal device 10 or at the communication network side at a predetermined timing. You may download to the communication terminal device 10 from the predetermined server 40. Further, at least one of the measured communication quality Q (n, k) (throughput and delay) and the selection frequency F (n) in Table 1 is measured and investigated during a predetermined period (for example, 1 day, 1 month, etc.). It may be measured or surveyed for a plurality of time zones (for example, morning, afternoon, midnight) of the day. Also, at least one of the measured communication quality Q (n, k) (throughput and delay) and the selection frequency F (n) in Table 1 is uploaded to a predetermined server 40 on the communication network side at a predetermined timing. Also good. Further, the history information of selection of the wireless network (NW) for each application in Table 1 may include the use time and use time (length) of the application, and the location information (use place) of the terminal when using the application. . The internal information storage table in Table 1 may be a personal table created individually for each user, or a shared table created in common for a plurality of users.

  The wireless communication unit 111 in FIG. 2 is a wireless LAN communication unit that communicates via the wireless LAN access point 20 in FIG. 1 and a mobile communication unit that communicates via the base station 60 and the base station 65 of cellular communication. For example, a synthesizer, a frequency converter, a high-frequency amplifier, an antenna, and the like. The wireless communication unit 111 executes high-frequency signal processing for wireless communication with the access point 20 by a predetermined communication method such as IEEE 802.11, or 3G or TDD with the base station 60 or the base station 65. For example, high-frequency signal processing for wireless communication is performed by a predetermined communication method such as LTE of the system, LTE of the FDD system, or the like.

  The wireless communication unit 111 also functions as a communication unit that selectively connects to and communicates with a plurality of types of wireless networks in which at least one of the frequency band and the wireless communication method is different from each other. The wireless NW selection / switching unit that switches wireless communication via a plurality of types of wireless networks may be provided in the wireless communication unit 111 or may be provided outside the wireless communication unit 111. In addition, individual wireless communication units may be provided for each of a plurality of types of wireless networks, or a part of the plurality of types of wireless networks may be shared.

  The baseband processing unit 112 performs digital processing for performing voice communication and data transmission / reception communication with communication terminal devices such as other mobile phones and various servers. The baseband processing unit 112 and the wireless communication unit 111 are connected via a D / A converter or an A / D converter.

  The sound input / output unit 113 includes a microphone, a speaker, a sound signal processing unit, and the like. The analog audio signal output from the microphone is converted into a digital signal by the sound signal processing unit and sent to the main control unit 110, the baseband processing unit 112, and the like. The speaker receives an analog signal converted from a digital signal by the sound signal processing unit, and outputs a voice during a call, or outputs a ringtone for a mail, a ringing tone for a telephone, music, or the like. The speaker may be configured by separately providing a receiver speaker (receiver) for listening to voice during a call and an external output speaker for outputting ringtones, music, etc. You may comprise with one speaker so that a speaker and an external output speaker may be combined.

  The display unit 114 is configured by an LCD (liquid crystal display), an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or the like, and displays various images based on commands from the main control unit 110. For example, the display unit 114 may display an image indicating information on measurement results of communication quality, an image indicating selection information on a wireless network, an image indicating a wireless LAN connection status such as Wi-Fi, and the like.

  The operation unit 115 includes a touch panel incorporated in the display unit 114, various operation keys and buttons, a power switch as a power ON / OFF unit, and the like. This operation unit 115 is used when the user turns on / off the main body power supply of the communication terminal device 10, instructs a call start / end, menu selection, screen switching, etc., or inputs information. It is done.

  Further, the communication terminal apparatus 10 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit 117 as a position information acquisition unit, a camera unit 118 as an imaging unit, a sensor unit 119, a power supply unit 120 as a power supply unit, a clock unit (not shown), and the like. It also has.

  The GPS unit 117 includes a GPS receiving module, a GPS antenna, and the like, receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS satellites arranged around the earth, and the latitude and longitude at which the communication terminal device 10 is located based on the reception result And altitude data.

  The camera unit 118 includes a lens, an imaging device, and the like, and is used when shooting a person, a landscape, and the like. As the imaging device, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera or a CMOS camera can be used.

  The sensor unit 119 includes an acceleration sensor and / or a geomagnetic sensor. The acceleration sensor may be a uniaxial acceleration sensor or a multi-axis acceleration sensor such as a biaxial or triaxial acceleration sensor. Further, the geomagnetic sensor may be a uniaxial geomagnetic sensor, or may be a multiaxial geomagnetic sensor such as a biaxial or a triaxial. Based on the output of the sensor unit 119, data indicating the position, orientation, posture, and movement of the communication terminal device 10 can be calculated. Further, based on the output of the sensor unit 119, the communication terminal device 10 determines whether or not the communication terminal device 10 is based on history information that is information on temporal changes in acceleration data and geomagnetic data when the user's communication terminal device 10 moves from a reference position at a predetermined altitude. Data indicating the altitude, angle, and the like that are located can be calculated.

  The power supply unit 120 includes a rechargeable battery, a power supply circuit that supplies power of a predetermined voltage from the battery to each unit, a charging circuit that charges the battery, and the like. The clock unit includes a clock circuit and the like, counts accurate date and time, and generates time information for various information update processing and the like.

In the present embodiment, the main control unit 110 of the communication terminal apparatus 10 can implement the following functions as each means in cooperation with other wireless communication units 111 and the like by executing a predetermined program. It is.
For example, the main control unit 110 of the communication terminal apparatus 10 can function as the following units (A101) to (A105) by executing a predetermined program.
(A101) Application execution means for selectively executing different types of communication service applications with connection to a wireless network.
(A102) When executing at least one application selected from a plurality of types of applications, the communication quality request information corresponding to the execution target application, the selection information of the wireless network, and the communication quality information of the wireless network Control means for controlling to select at least one wireless network to be used for communication at the time of execution of the execution target application.
(A103) Measuring means (communication quality measuring means) for measuring communication quality (for example, throughput, delay time) when communication is performed by connecting to each of the plurality of types of wireless networks.
(A104) Means for downloading, from the server 40, selection priority information of a wireless network that can be selected and used when each of the plurality of types of applications is executed.
(A105) Class information of a plurality of types of applications that can be executed by the communication terminal apparatus 10, information on a plurality of types of wireless networks that can be used for communication by the communication terminal apparatus 10, and selection and use at the time of execution of each of the plurality of types of applications Means for uploading to the server 40 at least one of selection information of possible wireless networks and information on a cell in which the communication terminal device 10 is located;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a wireless network selection function with a relearning function in the communication terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 3, the application execution unit 141 executes the application and provides the control unit 143 with the application number k of the application being executed or about to be executed or the application number k of the application group to which the application belongs. The control unit 143 reads the required communication quality Qreq (k) stored in the storage unit 144. Further, the available wireless network number n and NW information selection priority p (n) are read out. In another embodiment, the selection frequency F (n) is further read. In another embodiment, the measured communication quality Q (n, k) measured in the past is read out. In another embodiment, the measured communication quality Q (n, k, t) measured at a plurality of past times t is read.

  The control unit 143 selects an optimum wireless network using the information and the measurement result of the communication quality of each wireless network measured by the communication quality unit 142. According to the selection result, the control unit 143 connects a wireless communication unit (for example, FDD-LTE of the communication unit 145) to the application.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a wireless network selection function operation with a relearning function in the communication terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment. The control instruction unit 132 determines which wireless network to select using the initial information (application information, network information) and past wireless network selection history information stored in the internal information storage table 134, and the determination result is A certain wireless network selection command is instructed to the wireless network selection / switching unit 136. The wireless network selection / switching unit 136 selects a wireless network used in the application in accordance with the wireless network selection command from the control command unit 132. The wireless network quality measuring unit 138 measures the communication quality via the selected wireless network, and sends the communication quality information that is the measurement result to the control command unit 132. Based on the newly obtained communication quality information and past determination history information stored in the internal information storage table 134, the control command unit 132 determines a wireless network that is considered optimal, and A wireless network selection command for instructing selection is sent again to the wireless network selection / switching unit 136. At the same time, the control command unit 132 stores / updates the wireless NW selection command information, the communication quality obtained by the selected wireless network, the application information and network information used at that time in the internal information storage table 134.

  In the operation of the wireless network selection agent in FIG. 4, the number of wireless networks (bearers) selected and used by the application in use may be one or more. In the case of multitasking in which a plurality of applications are activated and used, a single or a plurality of wireless networks (bearers) may be selected and used for each of the plurality of applications.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the radio network selection agent with the relearning function in the communication terminal apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 shows the remaining processing procedure of the radio network selection agent of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows a latter half part. The example shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is an example of a method for selecting a wireless network number having a minimum measured value Q (n, k) of communication quality that satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k).

  In FIG. 5, when a predetermined timing for performing a wireless network selection process for an application used for communication via a wireless network comes, a counter n for the number of times of communication quality measurement is initialized (S11). Then, the internal information storage table is referred to based on the use application information (use application number k) in the communication terminal device 10, and the optimum wireless network is selected for the first application being used. When there are a plurality of applications to be used, the optimum wireless network is similarly selected for the second and subsequent applications.

Hereinafter, an example of a method for selecting the optimum network for the first application in use will be described.
In FIG. 5, first, an application number k (k = 1 in the case of the first application) and initial setting of network information (required communication quality Qreq (k)) are read (S12), and initial selection of a wireless network (bearer) is performed. (N = 1) is performed (S13). That is, information on the required communication quality Qreq (k), which is a communication quality requirement corresponding to the application (application number k) to be used, stored as history information in the internal information storage table can be read (S12) and used. Based on selection information n (1 ≦ n ≦ N (maximum value)) of the wireless network and information (measured value of communication quality) of the measured communication quality Q (n, k) of the wireless network, required at that time One wireless network satisfying the communication quality Qreq (k) is selected (S13). Specifically, the communication quality of the usable wireless network n is measured, and the measured value Q (n, k) is acquired (S131). Then, the wireless network number n satisfying the required communication quality Qreq (k) and the measured communication quality Q (n, k) at that time are selected from the measured communication quality measurement values Q (n, k) (S132˜). S134).

  The measured value of the communication quality that satisfies the required communication quality obtained by the above processing is set to Qmin, and the wireless network number of the wireless network that provides the measured value is set to Nmin (S14), thereby initializing Qmin and Nmin. When completed, the communication quality measurement counter n is initialized again (S15).

  Note that in any of the usable wireless networks (1 ≦ n ≦ N (maximum value)), if the measured value Q (n, k) of the communication quality does not satisfy the required communication quality Qreq (k), the default wireless network The communication quality measurement value Q (nd, k) and the wireless network number nd are set as Qmin and Nmin (S16).

  Processing step S17 in FIG. 6 is a part for selecting a wireless network that satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k) and has the minimum communication quality. When a wireless network having a communication quality lower than the communication quality Qmin calculated in the processing step S14 and the wireless network number Nmin that provides the communication quality and satisfying the required communication quality Qreq (k) is found, the new minimum communication quality Q ( n, k) and the wireless network number n at that time are newly set to Qmin and n (S174).

  Next, based on the initial value Qmin of the minimum communication quality measurement value, the wireless network number having the minimum communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) that satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k) is selected. A wireless network selection agent process (S17 in FIG. 6) is executed. In this wireless network selection agent processing, it is determined whether or not the communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k), and the communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) that satisfies the required communication quality. The wireless communication network number n that minimizes the communication quality Q (n, k) and the communication quality Q (n, k) are obtained (S171 to S176).

  That is, the processing step S17 of FIG. 6 is a part for selecting a wireless network that satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k) and has the minimum communication quality. When a wireless network having a communication quality smaller than the communication quality Qmin calculated in the processing step S14 and satisfying the required communication quality Qreq (k) is found, the new minimum communication quality Q (n, k) and the new minimum communication quality Q (n, k) are provided. The wireless network number n of the wireless network is newly set as Qmin and Nmin, respectively (S174).

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing procedure of the wireless network selection agent with the relearning function in the communication terminal apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The example shown in FIG. 7 is an example of a method of selecting a wireless network number n having the highest priority set in advance among wireless networks satisfying the required communication quality Qreq (k).

The priority order j of usable wireless networks is set as p (n) in the internal information storage table. In FIG. 7, first, the initial value j = 1 of the priority order is set (S21). Next, the required communication quality Q (n, k) of the application k being used is read by referring to the internal information storage table based on the use application information (use application number k) in the communication terminal device 10. Next, the wireless network number np (j = 1) with the first priority j (= P (n)) is read with reference to the internal information storage table (S231). Next, the communication quality Q (np (j = 1), k) of the read first priority wireless network number np (1) is measured (S232), and the measured communication quality measurement value Q is measured. It is determined whether (np (j = 1), k) satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k) of the application k (S233). The loop constituted by the processing steps S231 to S233 is a part (S23) for determining whether the wireless network with the priority j is satisfied with the required communication quality Qreq (k) of the application k (S23). It repeats from j = 1 to the maximum value N.

Here, if the wireless networks of all ranks do not satisfy the required communication quality Qreq (k), the determination step S234 is branched to YES, and if no wireless network satisfies the required communication quality of the application k, In the selection process (S25) in that case, the wireless network number with the first priority = np (1) is selected, and the wireless network number np (1) and the communication quality Q (np (1), k) are set to Ns. Store in (k) and Qs (k) (S250). On the other hand, if the measurement value Q (np (j), k) of the communication quality satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k) in the determination step S233, the wireless network number np (j) and the communication quality at that time Q (np (j), k) is stored in Ns (k) and Qs (k), respectively. Ns (k) at this time is the number of the selected optimum wireless network.

  In the example of FIG. 7, the wireless network with the highest priority is selected when none of the wireless networks satisfies the required quality of the application. However, the wireless network with the highest communication quality (measured value) is selected. You may do it.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the selection algorithm (S25) when no usable wireless network satisfies the required communication quality in the wireless network selection agent of FIG. The processing step S25 'in FIG. 8 is performed by replacing the processing step S25 in FIG.

  In FIG. 8, first, a communication quality measurement value counter n is initialized (S251), and a communication quality measurement value Q () corresponding to the first wireless network number n (= 1) measured in the above-described processing step S23. 1, k), and the wireless network number n (= 1) and the communication quality measurement value Q (1, k) are stored in Nmax (k) and Qmax (k), respectively.

  Next, the communication quality measurement value counter n is counted up (n = n + 1), and the communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) corresponding to the nth wireless network number n is read (S253). The communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) of the nth wireless network is compared with Qmax (k) (S254). Here, when the communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) is equal to or greater than Qmax (k) (YES in S254), the wireless network number n and the communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) are Nmax (k). Qmax (k) is updated (S256). By repeating the above processing steps S253 to S256 for the remaining wireless networks, the wireless network having the highest communication quality measurement value can be selected when no usable wireless network satisfies the required communication quality.

In the above examples of FIGS. 5 to 7, the case where the required communication quality Qreq and the communication quality measurement value Q (n, k) are a single index such as throughput (information rate) has been described. Each of the quality Qreq and the communication quality Q (n, k) may be two or more components such as a throughput (information rate) and a transmission delay time.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a method for quantifying the communication quality Q (n, k) when the communication quality Q (n, k) includes a plurality of components. In addition, although FIG. 9 demonstrates the case where there are two components, that is, the throughput and the transmission delay time, the case where there are other components (for example, the movement speed (mobility) of the communication terminal device 10), If the setting is made so that the communication quality improves as the index value of the component increases, the same can be handled.

In the internal information storage tables shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7, the measured communication quality Q (n, k) includes a plurality of items (for example, throughput (information rate) I [Mbs] and transmission delay time D [ms]). If there are two items)
Q (n, k) = aI + b (1 / D) (Formula 1)
Can be used as an evaluation function of communication quality.

  In the above formula 1, 1 / D is used because the communication quality improves as the transmission delay time D decreases, so that 1 / D increases as D decreases by setting 1 / D. Here, a and b in Equation 1 are the weighting coefficients of item 1 and item 2, and can be determined in advance by the application k to be used.

  In FIG. 9, composite communication when there are four types of wireless networks (wireless network # 1, wireless network # 2, wireless network # 3, wireless network # 4) having different throughput (information rate) I and transmission delay time D. An example of how to create quality Q (n, k) is shown. Since the communication quality is better when the transmission delay time D is shorter, the reciprocal number is shown as an example in FIG. In FIG. 9, the slope of the straight line (communication quality judgment line) varies depending on the type of application. In the case of the illustrated application, it can be seen that the communication quality Q (n, k) is higher in the order of the wireless network # 2, the wireless network # 3, the wireless network # 1, and the wireless network # 4.

  As described above, when there are a plurality of evaluation items for different communication qualities, the communication quality Q (n, k) can be quantified by defining an evaluation function that weights the values of the evaluation items or their reciprocal values. .

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the first half of yet another example of the processing procedure of the wireless network selection agent with the relearning function in the communication terminal apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the part for obtaining the wireless network number following the processing procedure of the wireless network selection agent of FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a communication quality database update procedure following the processing procedure of FIG. In the examples shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the communication quality Q (n, k, t−1) written in the internal information storage table is read, the optimum wireless network is selected, and the network can be selected quickly. This is an example. The communication quality Q has three variables: a wireless network number n, an application number k being used, and a communication quality measurement time t. For example, Q (n, k, t−1) represents the communication quality Q of the wireless network n and the application k at the previous measurement time.

  In FIG. 10, first, an initial value (n = 1) of a usable wireless network number n is set (S31). Next, the required communication quality Qreq (k) of the application k being used is read (S32). The next processing step S33 is a step for checking whether or not the communication quality information Q (n, k, t-1) at time t-1 read from the internal information storage table satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k). .

  In the processing step S33, first, the communication quality information Q (n, k, t-1) at time t-1 is read and acquired from the internal information storage table (S331), and Q (n, k, t-1). Is checked whether or not the required communication quality Qreq (k) is satisfied (S332). First, the communication quality Qmin of the wireless network satisfying Qreq (k) and the wireless network number Nmin at that time are stored (S34). These values become initial values for the minimum value search in the next processing step S37.

  If the communication quality information Q (n, k) does not satisfy the required communication quality Qreq (k) for any of the usable wireless networks (1 ≦ n ≦ N), the communication quality information Q ( nd, k) and the wireless network number nd are set as the Qmin and Nmin (S35). That is, the processing step S35 is an exception process when all the available wireless networks do not satisfy the required communication quality Qreq (k), and is a step of connecting to a preset wireless network. The default wireless network may be a wireless network having the highest network connection priority.

Next, after setting the initial value (n = 1) of the wireless network number n that can be used (S36), a process for obtaining the minimum communication quality Qmin that satisfies the required communication quality and the wireless network number Nmin that provides it is executed. (S37). In this processing step S37, first, communication quality information Q (n, k, t-1) is acquired from the internal information storage table (S371), and the acquired communication quality information Q (n, k, t-1) is required. Whether or not the communication quality Qreq (k) is satisfied is inspected (S372). Next, it is determined whether the acquired communication quality information Q (n, k, t-1) is smaller than the minimum value Qmin of communication quality information obtained before (S373). If the communication quality information Q (n, k, t-1) is smaller than the minimum value Qmin of the communication quality information obtained before that, the communication quality information Q (n, k, t-1) value is newly set. Is stored in the internal information storage table as a minimum value Qmin. The wireless network number n at that time is also stored in the internal information storage table as Nmin. The above processing steps S371 to S374 are repeated for all wireless network numbers n to detect the minimum value of communication quality (S371 to S376). By detecting the minimum value as described above, it is possible to select the wireless network number Nmin having the minimum communication quality Q (n, k, t−1) that satisfies the required communication quality Qreq (k) of the application k.

  In the processing step S38 shown in FIG. 12, the communication quality Q (n, k, t-1) stored in the internal information storage table is updated with the newly measured communication quality measurement value Q (n, k, t). It is a functional block. In this process step S38, the initial value n = 1 of the wireless network number is set (S381), the communication quality is measured, and the communication quality measurement value Q (n, k, t) is acquired (S382). Next, the acquired communication quality measurement value Q (n, k, t) is output to the internal information storage table for update storage. The above processing steps S332 to S383 are repeated for all the wireless networks n (S382 to S385).

  In the example of the wireless network selection algorithm described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 12, instead of the communication quality measurement, a communication quality Q (n, k) can also be used. In this case, an estimated value or a calculated value of the communication quality Q (n, k) achievable with the wireless interface is obtained, and a sub-optimal wireless network can be selected even when measurement of the communication quality is difficult.

  In the example of the wireless network selection algorithm described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 12, the communication quality Q (n, k) or the communication quality Q (n, k, t) is a value of the communication quality itself. Instead, the difference from the previous measured value of communication quality can be used.

Further, in the case where a plurality of communication quality information is stored in the internal information storage table as Q (n, k, t) in addition to the information on the measurement time t in the measured communication quality information Q (n, k), the measurement is performed in the past. The communication quality Q (n, k, t−1) can be used for selecting a wireless network. As an example, Q (n, k, t) can be set to a plurality of times at past times by using communication quality Q (n, k, t-1), Q (n, k, t-2) measured in the past. A linear prediction is performed from the communication quality measurement result, and an estimated value Q_estimation (n, k, t) of Q (n, k, t) is calculated by, for example, Equation 2, and the measured communication quality information Q (n, Network selection may be performed using the estimated value Q_estimation (n, k, t) instead of k).
Q_estimation (n, k, t) = a1 × Q (n, k, t−1) + a2 × Q (n, k, t−2) + a3 × Q (n, k, t−3) +. * Q (n, k, t−n) (Formula 2)

  Here, a1, a2,..., An in the expression (2) are weighting coefficients, for example, an estimated value Q_estimation (n, k, t) and an actual measured value Q (n, k) by the least square method. , T) can be determined so as to minimize the error.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of types of applications involving communication via a wireless network are used in the communication terminal device 10, a plurality of types of wireless networks can be switched and connected for each application to be used. . In addition, by incorporating the predetermined wireless network selection agent into the communication terminal device 10, it becomes possible to control switching of the wireless network for each application to be used. Therefore, large-scale function addition and load increase on the existing network side can be achieved. Can be reduced. Also, there is no need to change the layer (wireless protocol layer, physical layer) that handles the wireless system.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, as a wireless network to be used for each application to be used, a wireless network having a high communication quality during use of the application is preferentially selected. Communication becomes possible.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, communication quality is measured when communication is performed by connecting to each of a plurality of types of wireless networks that can be used by the communication terminal device 10, and the internal information storage table is based on the measurement result. Because it has a self-relearning function that updates the measurement information of communication quality, even if there is a change in the environment of the wireless network, based on the latest measurement results of communication quality, Selection can be performed with high accuracy.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when executing at least one application selected from the plurality of types of applications, a plurality of types are selected based on the application information in the internal information storage table and the communication quality information of the wireless network. At least one wireless network is temporarily selected from the wireless networks, communication is performed by connecting to the temporarily selected wireless network, communication quality is measured, and stored in the internal information storage table based on the measurement result The communication quality measurement information is updated, and control is performed so that at least one wireless network to be used when executing the application is selected based on the updated communication quality measurement information and application information. With this control, it is possible to perform reselection of the radio network only when the communication quality of the radio network selected in the past with respect to the execution target application is deteriorated, so that unnecessary reselection of the radio network can be avoided. . Here, the information on the communication quality includes information on a difference between the communication quality of the temporarily selected wireless network and the communication quality of the selected wireless network (for example, an identifier such as a flag indicating improvement or deterioration of the communication quality). May be included. In this case, it becomes easy to determine improvement or deterioration of communication quality.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the selection information of the wireless network corresponding to the execution target application stored in the internal information storage table is updated based on the information of at least one wireless network selected for the execution target application. By doing so, it becomes possible to preferentially select a wireless network having a track record of recent use for the application.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when a plurality of applications selected from a plurality of types of applications are executed by multitasking, a plurality of multitasking can be performed by selecting at least one wireless network for each of the plurality of applications. You can select and use the best wireless network for each application individually.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the selection information of the wireless network includes information on the past selection and use frequency of the wireless network that is selected and used at the time of execution of each of the plurality of types of applications. It is possible to select a suitable wireless network with high accuracy. Here, the information on the past selective use frequency of the wireless network may be stored for each of a plurality of time zones. In this case, when the selective use frequency of the wireless network is different in each time zone, For each, it is possible to accurately select a suitable wireless network with a track record in each application.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the communication quality information includes at least one of throughput and delay time in communication at the time of execution of the application, so that a wireless network having a high throughput and a short delay time is selected and the application is selected. Available to:

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the selection information of the wireless network includes the information on the selection priority of the wireless network that can be selected and used when each of the plurality of types of applications is executed. A wireless network can be efficiently selected based on the ranking.

Here, the wireless network selection priority information may be downloaded from the server 40 to the communication terminal device 10. In this case, the server 40 can centrally manage the selection priority of the wireless network.
In addition, class information of a plurality of types of applications that can be executed by the communication terminal apparatus 10, information on a plurality of types of wireless networks that can be used for communication by the communication terminal apparatus 10, and a plurality of types of applications that can be selected and used at the time of execution. At least one piece of information on the selection information of the wireless network and information on the cell where the communication terminal device 10 is located may be uploaded to the server 40. In this case, the selection priority of the wireless network can be accurately set based on the various information.
In addition, the wireless network environment is highly likely to change greatly, the location of the communication terminal device 10, the handover of the inter-cell movement of the communication terminal device 10, or the wireless network used for communication of the communication terminal device 10 By uploading the information at the time of change, it is possible to set the selection priority of the wireless network more accurately according to the environmental change.

10, 11, 12 Communication terminal device 20 Wireless LAN access point 20A Access point communication area 30 Backbone network 40 Server 50 Internet 60 Base station 60A Base station communication area (cell)
70 core network 80 server

JP 2014-2222846 A

Claims (10)

A communication terminal device connectable to a wireless network,
Communication means for selectively connecting to and communicating with a plurality of types of wireless networks in which at least one of a frequency band and a wireless communication method is different from each other;
Application execution means for selectively executing different types of communication service applications with connection to a wireless network;
Measuring means for measuring communication quality when communicating by connecting to each of the plurality of types of wireless networks;
Wireless network including application information including communication quality request information required for each of the plurality of types of applications, and information on past selection and use frequencies of the wireless network selected and used when each of the plurality of types of applications is executed Storage means for storing the selection information and past measurement information of communication quality measured by the application communicating with each of the plurality of types of wireless networks;
When running at least one application selected from the plurality of types of applications, and control means for controlling so as to select at least one radio network used to communicate during previous SL to be executed in an application execution ,
The control means includes
When executing at least one application selected from the plurality of types of applications, referring to information stored in the storage unit, application information including communication quality request information required in the execution target application; , Based on the selection information of the wireless network including information on the past use frequency of the wireless network selected during the past execution of the application to be executed, and the measurement information of the past communication quality of the wireless network, Temporarily select at least one wireless network from multiple types of wireless networks,
Measure the communication quality when the application to be executed is connected to the temporarily selected wireless network for communication,
Based on the measurement result and the application information, at least one wireless network to be used when executing the application to be executed is selected,
The communication quality measurement information stored in the storage unit is updated based on the communication quality measurement result, and the wireless unit stored in the storage unit is updated based on the information of the selected wireless network. A communication terminal apparatus that performs control so as to update information on past selection and use frequencies of a network . The communication terminal device according to claim 1,
The control means preferentially selects a wireless network with high communication quality . In the communication terminal apparatus 請 Motomeko 1 or 2,
The communication terminal device, wherein the measurement information of the communication quality includes information on a difference between the communication quality of the temporarily selected wireless network and the communication quality of the selected wireless network . In one of the communication terminal apparatus 請 Motomeko 1 to 3,
The control means, when executing a plurality of applications selected from the plurality of types of applications in a multitasking manner, selects at least one wireless network for each of the plurality of applications to be executed. . In the communication terminal device in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4 ,
The information on the past selective use frequency of the wireless network is stored for each of a plurality of time zones. In the communication terminal device in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 5 ,
The communication terminal apparatus, wherein the communication quality measurement information includes at least one of a throughput and a delay time in communication at the time of execution of the application and a moving speed of the communication terminal apparatus. In the communication terminal device in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 6 ,
The wireless terminal selection information includes information on a selection priority of a wireless network that can be selected and used when each of the plurality of types of applications is executed. In the communication terminal device according to claim 7 ,
The communication terminal apparatus further comprising means for downloading the selection priority information from a server. The communication terminal device according to claim 8 .
Class information of the plurality of types of applications that can be executed by the communication terminal apparatus, information on the plurality of types of wireless networks that can be used for communication by the communication terminal apparatus, and selection and use when executing each of the plurality of types of applications A communication terminal device further comprising means for uploading at least one of selection information of a wireless network, measurement information of the communication quality, and information on a cell in which the communication terminal device is located to the server. The communication terminal device according to claim 9 , wherein
The uploading means uploads the information at the time of location registration of the communication terminal apparatus, at the time of handover of inter-cell movement of the communication terminal apparatus, or at the time of change of a wireless network used for communication of the communication terminal apparatus. A communication terminal device characterized in that:

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