JP2004023627A - System, method, and program for selecting communication means - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem of the conventional system having not assumed that a communication means at a lower cost can be available when an available communication means is changed due to movement or the like of a user although data communication can be executed by a communication means at the lowest cost among available communication means at an execution point of time of data communication. <P>SOLUTION: The communication means selecting system A includes a function of extracting the upper limit of a permissible cost that is the lowest cost of a communication means when performing data communication of data to be sent at a prescribed communication time and a function of not executing data communication when no communication means is present to perform the data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the upper limit of the permissible cost at a point of time earlier than the prescribed communication time, and a control section 20 is an example of means fulfilling both the functions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication unit selection system, a communication unit selection method, and a communication unit selection program for selecting a communication unit most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication units.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, there is a system for selecting a communication means as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-178422.
This system is a system for calculating a communication means that allows a user to perform communication with the lowest cost when performing data communication, and performing data communication with the calculated lowest cost communication means.
In such a system, the user can perform data communication using the lowest cost communication means among the communication means available at the time of executing data communication.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the above-mentioned conventional system can execute data communication by the lowest cost communication means among the communication means available at the time of executing data communication, When the available communication environment changes, it is not assumed that lower cost communication means will be available.
For example, it is generally considered that data created by a user is generally transmitted and received immediately at the time of data creation. In this case, the above-described conventional system employs the lowest cost communication means at the time of creation. Select and execute data communication.
However, if the user's schedule and the delivery date of data are taken into consideration, for example, the communication means that can be used by moving the user may change, and a communication means that can perform data communication at a lower cost may be available in the future. However, in the above-mentioned conventional system, such future possibilities are not assumed, and it is not always possible to select an appropriate communication means for the user.
In other words, the above-described conventional system enables communication by selecting a communication means having the lowest cost at a certain point in time. However, data communication cannot be performed using data communication.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object the final point in time at which data communication should be performed in consideration of changes in the communication environment of data communication performed by a user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication means selection system, a communication means selection method, and a communication means selection program for selecting a communication means having the lowest cost during a period.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a communication means selection system for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means,
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting means for extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
If there is no communication means capable of performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time, there is provided communication waiting means for not performing data communication. It is configured as a communication means selection system.
Since the present invention is configured as described above, when data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time is subjected to data communication, the lowest cost among communication means that can be used in the period up to the future predetermined communication time is used. It is possible to perform data communication by using the communication means that becomes, for example, when a period of 24 hours a day is considered, it is possible to perform an economical communication that is acceptable within the period, and it is possible to perform the communication in comparison with the conventional system. Also, it is possible to select a communication means that is advantageous in terms of cost to the user.
Further, the allowable cost upper limit value extracting means may extract the allowable cost upper limit value according to a length of a predetermined margin time until the predetermined communication time.
With this configuration, for example, when the predetermined communication time is approaching, by extracting a high allowable cost upper limit value, the range of available communication means can be widened, and the data to be transmitted can be expanded. Can be reliably transmitted at a low cost by the predetermined communication time.
Further, it is possible to provide a margin delivery date input means for inputting a margin delivery date that is a predetermined margin time, and to set an allowable cost upper limit value before the margin delivery date as an allowable cost upper limit value in the margin delivery date. The predetermined communication timing may be a delivery date of the data to be transmitted.
With such a configuration, it is possible to easily provide low-cost communication means in a period until a delivery date of data to be transmitted including a period before the margin delivery date.
[0005]
Considering the present invention as a method invention, in a communication means selection method for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means,
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting step of extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
A communication waiting step of not performing data communication if there is no communication means capable of performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time. It can be regarded as a communication means selection method characterized by the following.
When the present invention is considered as a program invention, a communication means selection program for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means includes:
On the computer
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting step of extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
If there is no communication means capable of performing the data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time, a communication waiting procedure for not performing the data communication is executed. It can be regarded as a communication means selection program characterized by causing the program to be executed.
As described above, even when the present invention is considered as a method or a program invention, when data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time is subjected to data communication, the lowest communication means that can be used in the period up to the predetermined communication time is used. It becomes possible to perform data communication using a communication means that is expensive, and it is possible to select a communication means that is advantageous in terms of cost for the user.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. The following embodiments and examples are mere examples embodying the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which the present invention is implemented, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a communication means selecting system A according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of processes performed by the communication means selection system A, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a user schedule, and FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram to which a due date of power data is added, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram relating to a marginal due date, and FIG.
First, an example of a situation in which the present invention is implemented will be described with reference to FIG.
The communication means selection system A of the present invention may be employed in a mobile device such as a notebook PC, for example, and a user can send a report created using the notebook PC to a server B of a company via a wireless LAN or PHS. , Or in a situation where transmission is performed using a communication means such as an in-house LAN.
In such a situation, it is assumed that the communication costs of the above three communication means are the lowest (free) for the in-house LAN and the highest for the PHS in the order of “in-house LAN <wireless LAN <PHS”.
Next, the communication means selection system A will be described with reference to FIG.
The communication unit selection system A includes a storage unit 10 having a storage function such as a program for storing data to be transmitted to the server B and a sequence of processing performed by the communication unit selection system A, and a user or the like for performing input operations. An input unit 30 for performing communication, a communication control unit 40 for selecting and controlling communication means of data communication performed by the communication means selection system A, and controlling the above-mentioned units and processing the communication means selection system A by the storage unit And a control unit 20 that executes according to a program stored in the storage unit 10.
Further, the program has an allowable cost upper limit value extracting function and a communication waiting function.
The above-mentioned allowable cost upper limit value extracting function is a function of extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is the cost of the communication means having the lowest cost when performing the data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time. This allowable cost upper limit value extracting function is executed by the control unit 20 executing the above-mentioned program.
The communication waiting function does not perform the data communication if there is no communication means that can perform the data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time. A function, which is executed by the control unit 20.
The communication means selection system A may be employed in a mobile device such as a notebook PC as described above, but may be employed in a mobile phone or any other device that can employ the communication means selection system A. good.
[0007]
A series of processes performed by the communication means selection system A configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the user's action schedule and the delivery date of data to be transmitted to the server B are input to the input unit 30 (S10).
As an example of the schedule input here, the schedule shown in FIG. 5 can be considered. In this case, the user is an employee belonging to a company that owns the server B, and the employee departs from the company and conducts out-of-town sales activities. In this case, the user passes through the areas 1 and 2 and returns to the office again and returns home. Further, in step S10, the delivery date of the data is input. An example of this data is a report that the user should report to the company, and the delivery date is input as “report 1”, “report 2”, and “report 3” as shown in FIG.
Next, based on the schedule and delivery date input in step S10 and the communication means available for each delivery date, the control unit 20 allows the cost of the communication means that can communicate at the lowest cost at each delivery date. It is determined as a cost upper limit (S20).
Specifically, since only the PHS is available at the time of delivery of the report 1 from the user's schedule, the control unit 20 sets the allowable cost upper limit of the report 1 as the communication cost of the PHS. In the case of the report 2, since the PHS and the wireless LAN are available at the time of the delivery date of the report 2, the communication cost of the low-cost wireless LAN of the two is set as the allowable cost upper limit value. In the case of report 3, since only the in-house LAN is available at the time of delivery of report 3, the allowable cost upper limit of report 3 is set to the communication cost of the in-house LAN (that is, free of charge).
Then, the control unit 20 determines whether each data of the reports 1 to 3 is completed (S30).
This determination may be made, for example, by determining whether or not there is a flag indicating completion when the data is completed.
In the above determination, when it is determined that each data is incomplete, the process of step S30 is repeated. On the other hand, when it is determined that any of the data is completed, the following is performed with respect to the completed data. The processing of is performed.
The control unit 20 measures the time when the data is completed, and determines whether the time is before the delivery date of the data (S40).
If it is determined that the time at which the data is completed is after the delivery date (after the delivery date), the user may be notified of the fact and the data may be transmitted irrespective of the allowable cost upper limit. (S45).
If it is determined that the time at which the data is completed is before the delivery date, the process of step S50 is performed.
That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a communication means that can communicate with the allowable cost upper limit value or less extracted at step S20 at the time when the data is completed (S50).
The determination in step S50 is specifically performed as follows.
For example, if the data with the delivery date of report 2 is completed at the time X in FIG. 6, the allowable cost upper limit value of the report 2 is the cost of the wireless LAN as described above, but communication is possible at the time X. Since the communication means is only the PHS which is more expensive than the wireless LAN as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined in the above step S50 that the PHS whose cost is higher than this wireless LAN cannot be used as the communication means.
When it is determined in this way, the control unit 20 repeats the process of step S50 until a communication unit that can communicate at the allowable cost upper limit (wireless LAN cost) or less becomes available, thereby waiting for communication. It becomes.
Then, when the wireless LAN becomes available as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 20 automatically transmits the completed data from the communication control unit 40 using the wireless LAN (S60).
By executing a series of processes in this manner, the communication wait state is maintained until the communication means having the lowest cost among the communication means that can be used until the delivery date of the data to be transmitted becomes available, Since the communication is executed when it becomes available, it becomes possible to select a communication means that is more cost-effective for the user than the conventional system.
[0008]
【Example】
Here, the case where the marginal delivery date is further input to the input unit 30 will be described.
The margin delivery date is input to the input unit 20 when a predetermined margin time is determined in view of the margin with respect to the data delivery date described above. For example, the margin delivery date for the report 2 is shown in FIG. The margin delivery date 2 shown in FIG. In other words, a period from the spare delivery date 2 to the delivery date of the report 2 is a predetermined spare time for the data of the report 2.
A case where the allowable cost upper limit value is determined according to the extra time will be described below with reference to FIG.
First, the margin delivery date is input to the input unit 30 together with the user's action schedule and the delivery date of data to be transmitted to the server B (S100).
Here, it is assumed that spare delivery dates 1 to 3 are input as shown in FIG.
Next, the control unit 20 extracts the allowable cost upper limit value according to the length of the margin time using the allowable cost upper limit curve previously stored in the storage unit 10 (S110).
Here, the allowable cost upper limit curve is a curve or a straight line as shown in FIG. 8, and may be predetermined by numerical data or a function.
Also, the allowable cost upper limit curve is predetermined so that the allowable cost upper limit increases as the delivery date approaches as shown in FIG.
In this step S110, for example, the allowable cost upper limit of the marginal delivery date 2 is set to P from the allowable cost upper limit curve of FIG. For example, in the margin delivery date 2 (delivery date with a margin for the report 2), P is set to the cost of the wireless LAN with the lowest cost among the communication means available at that time.
Next, the control unit 20 determines whether each data of the reports 1 to 3 is completed (S120).
This determination may be made by determining whether or not each data has a flag indicating completion as in the above-described embodiment.
In the above determination, when it is determined that each data is incomplete, the process of step S120 is repeated, and when it is determined that any of the data is completed, the following is performed with respect to the completed data. The processing of is performed.
That is, the control unit 20 determines whether the current time has reached the marginal delivery date input in step S100 (S130).
In the above determination, when it is determined that the time at which the data is completed is after the spare delivery date (after the delivery date), the process proceeds to processing step S200. On the other hand, it is determined that the time at which the data is completed is before the spare delivery date. In this case, the process proceeds to step S140.
[0009]
First, the case where the process has previously proceeded to step S140 will be described.
The control unit 20 determines whether there is any communication means that can communicate at a cost equal to or lower than the allowable cost upper limit value extracted in step S110 (S140).
The determination in step S140 is specifically performed as follows.
For example, since the current time is before the marginal delivery date 2, it is determined whether there is a communication means having a cost P or less shown in FIG.
Subsequently, when it is determined that there is no communication means less than the allowable cost upper limit value in the above determination, the control unit 20 repeats the process of step S140 to be in a communication waiting state. If it is determined that there is the following communication means, the data is transmitted by the communication means (S150).
[0010]
The case where the process proceeds to step S200 in step S130 will be described.
The control unit 20 reads the allowable cost upper limit curve stored in the storage unit 10 (S200), and extracts the allowable cost upper limit value corresponding to the current time based on the read allowable cost upper limit curve (S200). S210).
Subsequently, the control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a communication unit that is equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit value extracted in step S210 (S220).
For example, if the current time in step S210 is between X1 and X2, the allowable cost upper limit value exceeds the cost of the wireless LAN, and the communication means that can use the wireless LAN in the determination in step S220. Judge that there is.
On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no communication means equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit value extracted in step S210, the processing from step S200 to step S220 is repeated.
Subsequently, when it is determined in step S220 that there is a communication unit having the allowable cost upper limit or less, the control unit 20 performs communication using the communication unit (S230).
By performing such processing, the allowable cost upper limit increases according to the allowable cost upper limit curve as the time approaches the delivery date. For example, when data transmission is imminent, the available communication means can be used. The selection range is widened, and the data to be transmitted can be reliably transmitted by the predetermined communication time.
[0011]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention provides a communication means selection system for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means,
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting means for extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
If there is no communication means capable of performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time, there is provided communication waiting means for not performing data communication. It is configured as a communication means selection system.
Since the present invention is configured as described above, when data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time is subjected to data communication, the lowest cost among communication means that can be used in the period up to the future predetermined communication time is used. It is possible to perform data communication by using the communication means that becomes, for example, when a period of 24 hours a day is considered, it is possible to perform an economical communication that is acceptable within the period, and it is possible to perform the communication in comparison with the conventional system. Also, it is possible to select a communication means that is advantageous in terms of cost to the user.
Further, the allowable cost upper limit value extracting means may extract the allowable cost upper limit value according to a length of a predetermined margin time until the predetermined communication time.
With this configuration, for example, when the predetermined communication time is approaching, by extracting a high allowable cost upper limit value, the range of available communication means can be widened, and the data to be transmitted can be expanded. Can be reliably transmitted at a low cost by the predetermined communication time.
Further, it is possible to provide a margin delivery date input means for inputting a margin delivery date that is a predetermined margin time, and to set an allowable cost upper limit value before the margin delivery date as an allowable cost upper limit value in the margin delivery date. The predetermined communication timing may be a delivery date of the data to be transmitted.
With such a configuration, it is possible to easily provide low-cost communication means in a period until a delivery date of data to be transmitted including a period before the margin delivery date.
[0012]
Considering the present invention as a method invention, in a communication means selection method for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means,
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting step of extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
A communication waiting step of not performing data communication if there is no communication means capable of performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time. It can be regarded as a communication means selection method characterized by the following.
When the present invention is considered as a program invention, a communication means selection program for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means includes:
On the computer
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting step of extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
If there is no communication means capable of performing the data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time, a communication waiting procedure for not performing the data communication is executed. It can be considered as a communication means selection program characterized by causing the program to be executed.
As described above, even when the present invention is considered as a method or a program invention, when data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time is subjected to data communication, the lowest communication means that can be used in the period up to the predetermined communication time is used. It becomes possible to perform data communication using a communication means that is expensive, and it is possible to select a communication means that is advantageous in terms of cost for the user.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which the present invention is implemented.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a communication means selection system A according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of processes performed by a communication unit selection system A;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of processes performed by a communication unit selection system A;
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user's schedule.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram in which a delivery date of data to be transmitted is added to FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram relating to a margin delivery date.
FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram of a predetermined allowable cost upper limit curve.
[Explanation of symbols]
A: Communication means selection system 10: Storage unit 20: Control unit 30: Input unit 40: Communication control unit

Claims (6)

In a communication means selection system for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means,
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting means for extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
If there is no communication means capable of performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time, there is provided communication waiting means for not performing data communication. Communication means selecting system. 2. The communication means selection system according to claim 1, wherein said allowable cost upper limit value extracting means extracts said allowable cost upper limit value according to a length of a predetermined margin time until said predetermined communication time. Further, there is provided a spare delivery date input means for inputting a spare delivery date which is a predetermined spare time,
3. The communication means selection system according to claim 2, wherein an allowable cost upper limit value before said marginal delivery date is uniformly determined as an allowable cost upper limit value in said marginal delivery date. 4. The communication means selection system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined communication time is a delivery date of the data to be transmitted. In a communication means selection method for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means,
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting step of extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
A communication waiting step of not performing data communication if there is no communication means capable of performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time. A method for selecting a communication means, comprising: In a communication means selection program for selecting a communication means most suitable for data communication from a plurality of communication means,
On the computer
An allowable cost upper limit value extracting step of extracting an allowable cost upper limit value which is a cost of a communication means having the lowest cost when performing data communication of the data to be transmitted at a predetermined communication time;
If there is no communication means capable of performing the data communication of the data to be transmitted at a cost equal to or less than the allowable cost upper limit before the predetermined communication time, a communication waiting procedure for not performing the data communication is executed. A communication means selection program characterized by causing

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