JP2007201569A - Wireless communication control apparatus and wireless communication control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless communication control apparatus and a wireless communication control method capable of properly controlling downloading of data. <P>SOLUTION: When an HTTP request signal received from a terminal 11 requires downloading of large-sized Web data, an HTTP request monitoring section 30 informs an HTTP response detection section 40 about a TCP connection number included in the HTTP request signal. The HTTP response detection section 40 queues the HTTP response signal to a low priority queue 51 whose priority is comparatively low when the TCP connection number of the HTTP response signal transmitted from a server 10 is coincident with the noticed TCP connection number. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication control device such as a gateway device and a wireless communication control method, and more particularly to a technique for appropriately controlling data download using TCP / IP (Transmisson Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, mobile use has been performed in which a mail line or Web data is downloaded by accessing a server from a terminal such as a notebook PC using a wireless line. TCP / IP is widely used as a communication protocol for performing such downloading.

  However, in general, wireless lines have lower communication quality and narrower effective bandwidth than wired lines. In particular, since these points become more prominent in automobiles and trains, it is necessary to perform communication control in consideration of these points.

  As conventional communication control, Patent Literature 1 discloses that when transmitting data (audio / video) data that requires real-time performance, even if a part of a fragmented (divided) IP packet is lost, An example of a communication control device that determines whether or not there is an influence level and restores audio / video from this data when there is no influence is disclosed. Patent Document 2 discloses an example of a communication control apparatus that dynamically monitors the quality of a wireless channel and dynamically controls the maximum segment size of a TCP packet according to the quality.

JP 2004-312129 A JP 2000-324164 A

  In general, in data downloaded from a server, image data included in Web data and audio data integrated (pasted) into the image data often have a large data size. Therefore, when data is downloaded by accessing the server using a wireless line, it is necessary to appropriately control these data having a large data size. However, in the above Patent Documents 1 and 2, the data is not always appropriately controlled. There was a problem that it was not possible.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication control apparatus and a wireless communication control method capable of appropriately controlling data download.

  The wireless communication control device according to the present invention is arranged between a server and a wireless line in order to control communication of TCP / IP data via a wireless line between the server and the terminal, and the TCP / IP data is larger than a predetermined size. Large Web data detection means for detecting whether the data is Web data, first storage means for storing large Web data, second storage means for storing TCP / IP data other than large Web data, and first storage means Transmitting means for transmitting the data stored in the wireless line to the wireless line with a lower priority than the data stored in the second storage means.

  The wireless communication control device according to the present invention is arranged between a server and a wireless line in order to control communication of TCP / IP data via a wireless line between the server and the terminal, and the TCP / IP data is larger than a predetermined size. Large Web data detection means for detecting whether the data is Web data, first storage means for storing large Web data, second storage means for storing TCP / IP data other than large Web data, and first storage means Transmitting means for transmitting the data stored in the wireless line to the wireless line with a lower priority than the data stored in the second storage means. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently use the bandwidth of the wireless line and avoid congestion. That is, data download can be appropriately controlled.

  A wireless communication control apparatus and a wireless communication control method according to the present invention provide a TCP (Transmisson Control Protocol) layer request signal (transmission control protocol) transmitted from a terminal to a server when the terminal accesses the server and downloads data using a wireless line. The HTTP request signal is monitored to detect the type and size of the data, and this data is Web data larger than a predetermined size (in this specification, image data or audio data integrated with this image data is a generic term) In this case, control is performed to lower the priority of data transmission. Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, transmission and reception of data and signals in each embodiment (indicated by arrows in each drawing) are all performed using IP (Internet Protocol) packets.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of radio communication control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication control device 1 includes a wired transmission medium interface 2, a wireless transmission medium interface 3, a branching unit 4, an HTTP request monitoring unit 30, an HTTP response detecting unit 40, and a low priority. A queue 51, a high priority queue 52, and a queue reading unit 41 are provided.

  The wired transmission medium interface 2 is connected to a plurality of servers 10 via a wired line 12 made of, for example, a 100Base-T cable. The server 10 has a service function for applications such as Web and mail. The server 10 and the wireless communication control device 1 are installed in a data center or the like owned by a provider (service provider) that provides application services.

  The wireless transmission medium interface 3 is connected to a plurality of terminals 11 via a wireless line 13. The terminal 11 is a mobile terminal such as a notebook PC for a user to access the server 10 via the wireless line 13 by a dial-up method or the like (note that the wireless line 13 indicated by a dotted line is merely a concept. Actually, various other communication facilities are interposed between the wireless transmission medium interface 3 and the terminal 11).

  The wireless communication control device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a gateway disposed between the server 10 and the wireless line 13 in order to control transmission / reception of TCP / IP data between the server 10 and the terminal 11 via the wireless line 13. Device. In general, transmission / reception of Web data between the server 10 and the terminal 11 is performed in a state where the server 10 and the terminal 11 are connected by a virtual and temporary line called a TCP connection. This TCP connection has a virtual and temporary line number called a TCP connection number. In addition, on this TCP connection, the terminal 11 transmits a request signal called an HTTP request signal to the server 10, and the server 10 transmits a response signal called an HTTP response signal to the terminal 11. There are various types of signals as the HTTP request signal. When requesting transmission of Web data, a request signal called a GET request signal is used. The wireless communication control apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment transmits and receives these request signals and responses between the server 10 and the terminal 11 over the TCP connection specified by one TCP connection number (corresponding to one line). By detecting the signal, transmission / reception of Web data between the server 10 and the terminal 11 is controlled.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the wireless communication control device 1 will be described when the terminal 11 requests the server 11 to download Web data larger than a predetermined size (hereinafter also referred to as large Web data).

  First, the terminal 11 transmits an HTTP request signal including an IP packet to the server 10 in order to request download of Web data. The HTTP request signal is branched by the branching unit 4 via the wireless transmission medium interface 3 and sent to the wired transmission medium interface 2 and the HTTP request monitoring unit 30.

  The wired transmission medium interface 2 sends an HTTP request signal to the server 10 via the wired line 12. In response to the HTTP request signal, the server 10 transmits an HTTP response signal to the terminal 11. The HTTP response signal includes large-scale Web data that the terminal 11 requested to download.

  On the other hand, the HTTP request monitoring unit 30 checks whether or not the received HTTP request signal is a request for downloading large-scale Web data.

  Specifically, the character string “GET” representing the GET request signal is included in the character string representing the HTTP request signal, and the character strings “images”, “gif”, “ If the terminal 11 requests the server 10 to download image data or audio data when “jpeg”, “jpg”, “mpeg”, “png”, “avi”, “swf”, etc. are included. Judgment can be made. As an example of such a character string, for example, “GET http: / requesting download of gif format image data“ zzz.gif ”arranged in the folder“ yyy ”in the server“ xxx.xxx.xxx ”. /xxx.xxx.xxx/yyy/zzz.gif ”.

  That is, the HTTP request monitoring unit 30 functions as a large-sized Web data detection unit according to the present invention.

  When the received HTTP request signal is a request for downloading of large-scale Web data, the HTTP request monitoring unit 30 stores the HTTP request signal and sets the TCP connection number included in the HTTP request signal as an HTTP response. Notify the detection unit 40. This notification is performed by transmitting a TCP connection number signal S1.

  On the other hand, the HTTP response signal transmitted from the server 10 is inspected for a TCP connection number by the HTTP response detection unit 40. When the TCP connection number of the HTTP response signal to be inspected matches the TCP connection number notified by the TCP connection number signal S1, the HTTP response detection unit 40 determines that the HTTP response signal is relatively prioritized. Is queued (stored) in the low-priority queue 51 having a low value. The HTTP response detection unit 40 relatively prioritizes the HTTP response signal when the TCP connection number of the HTTP response signal to be inspected does not match the TCP connection number notified by the TCP connection number signal S1. It is stored in the high priority queue 52 having a higher rank. Further, the HTTP response detection unit 40 stores all IP packets constituting signals other than the HTTP response signal in the high priority queue 52.

  The IP packets stored in the low priority queue 51 and the high priority queue 52 are read by the queue reading unit 41 according to the following rules and transmitted to the wireless transmission medium interface 3.

  That is, when there is an IP packet in the high priority queue 52, the queue reading unit 41 always extracts the IP packet from the high priority queue 52 and transmits it to the wireless transmission medium interface 3. When the high priority queue 52 becomes empty, the IP packet is taken out from the low priority queue 51 and transmitted to the wireless transmission medium interface 3. The wireless transmission medium interface 3 transmits the received IP packet to the terminal 11 via the wireless line 13.

  That is, the low priority queue 51 functions as a first storage unit according to the present invention, and the high priority queue 52 functions as a second storage unit according to the present invention. The queue reading unit 41 and the wireless transmission medium interface 3 function as a transmission unit according to the present invention.

  As described above, in the wireless communication control device 1 according to the present embodiment, when an HTTP request signal that requests large-scale Web data from the terminal 11 to the server 10 is detected, an HTTP response signal that responds to the HTTP request signal is transmitted. , Lower priority than other IP packets and transmit to the terminal 11. In general, image data and audio data in Web data are often not required to have real-time properties, and as described above, they have a large data size (several hundred kbits) and are transmitted by one TCP connection. Often not cut. Therefore, by lowering the priority order of large-scale Web data, it becomes possible to efficiently use the bandwidth of the wireless line 13 even in a car or train with a low communication quality and a narrow effective bandwidth, thereby avoiding congestion. . That is, data download can be appropriately controlled.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, since large-scale Web data is transmitted with a lower priority order, when the line of the wireless line 13 is congested (congested), such large-scale Web data will be stored in the terminal 11 no matter how long it passes. Cannot be sent to. Therefore, there are cases where the user who uses the terminal 11 continues to wait for downloading of large-scale Web data.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the wireless communication control device 1a according to the second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram in which a transmission timer monitoring unit 42 is interposed between the HTTP request monitoring unit 30 and the HTTP response detection unit 40 in FIG.

  The wireless communication control device 1a according to the present invention uses the transmission timer monitoring unit 42 to count the time that has elapsed since the transmission of the HTTP request signal from the terminal 11 to the server 10, and even if the predetermined time has passed, the large-scale Web When data remains in the low priority queue 51, it is determined that transmission of data is difficult due to congestion of the wireless line 13, and this large-scale Web data is discarded.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the wireless communication control device 1a will be described in the case where large-scale Web data remains in the low priority queue 51 even after a predetermined time.

  In the case where the received HTTP request signal is a request for downloading large-scale Web data, the HTTP request monitoring unit 30 activates the timer of the transmission timer monitoring unit 42 in addition to the operation described in the first embodiment. Perform the action. This activation is performed by transmitting a timer activation signal S2 including the above TCP connection number.

  The transmission timer monitoring unit 42 continues to count the timer, and when a predetermined time has elapsed and timed out, the transmission timer monitoring unit 42 notifies the HTTP response detecting unit 40 of the time-out and the above TCP connection number. This notification is performed by transmitting a timeout TCP connection signal S3.

  The HTTP response detection unit 40 checks whether an HTTP response signal including the notified TCP connection number remains in the low priority queue 51. If such an HTTP response signal remains, the HTTP response signal is discarded from the low priority queue 51 and at the same time, notification character data for notifying that large-scale Web data cannot be transmitted (the HTTP response detection unit 40 in advance). Is queued in the high priority queue 52. Thereby, the notification character data can be transmitted to the terminal 11 with high priority. In general, character data is much smaller in size than Web data, and can therefore be transmitted with a single TCP connection.

  As described above, in the wireless communication control device 1a according to the present embodiment, when it is determined that transmission of data is difficult due to congestion of the wireless line 13, the large-scale Web data remaining in the low priority queue 51 is stored. Discard. Therefore, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, congestion can be further avoided.

  In addition, when the large-scale Web data is discarded, the notification character data is transmitted to the terminal 11 with high priority, thereby promptly notifying the user that the large-scale Web data cannot be transmitted. Therefore, in addition to the above effect, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent the user from waiting for the download of large-scale Web data.

<Embodiment 3>
In the second embodiment, when it is determined that transmission of data is difficult due to the congestion of the wireless line 13, large Web data is discarded. However, when such processing is performed, the operation may become complicated when the user downloads the large-scale Web data again.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of radio communication control apparatus 1b according to the third embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram in which a Web processing unit 71 is interposed in parallel with the transmission timer monitoring unit 42 between the HTTP request monitoring unit 30 and the HTTP response detection unit 40 in FIG.

  The wireless communication control device 1b according to the present invention can download the discarded large-scale Web data again using the Web processing unit 71.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the wireless communication control device 1b will be described in the case where a large amount of Web data is discarded from the low priority queue 51 after a predetermined time.

  First, in the case where the received HTTP request signal is a request for downloading large-scale Web data, the HTTP request monitoring unit 30 sends a GET request signal to the Web processing unit 71 in addition to the operation described in the second embodiment. The operation of transmitting S4 is performed. The Web processing unit 71 stores the received GET request signal S4.

  Further, as described above in the second embodiment, when the HTTP response signal is discarded from the low priority queue 51, the HTTP response detection unit 40 transmits the notification character data to the terminal 11 with high priority. In this notification character data, in addition to the fact that large-scale web data cannot be transmitted, a link for requesting retransmission of large-scale web data from the terminal 11 to the web processing unit 71 is described. Examples of such links include, for example, “http: // (IP address of wireless communication control device 1b) / (folder name of Web processing unit 71) /zzz.gif”.

  In the terminal 11 that has received the notification character data, it is possible to request retransmission of the large-scale Web data to the Web processing unit 71 using this link by a user operation. The Web processing unit 71 performs the following operation when the terminal 11 is requested to retransmit large Web data.

  That is, the Web processing unit 71 reads out the stored GET request signal S4, and notifies the TCP connection number included in the GET request signal S4 to the HTTP response detection unit 40 (this notification includes the TCP connection number signal S5). This GET request signal S4 is transmitted to the server 10 via the wired transmission medium interface 2 (not shown). In response to the GET request signal S4, the server 10 retransmits the HTTP response signal, and the HTTP response signal is checked by the HTTP response detection unit 40 for the HTTP response signal. The HTTP response detection unit 40 sends the HTTP response signal to the high priority queue 52 when the TCP connection number of the HTTP response signal to be inspected matches the TCP connection number notified by the TCP connection number signal S5. Queue. Thereby, this large-scale Web data can be retransmitted to the terminal 11 with high priority.

  As described above, in the wireless communication control device 1b according to the present embodiment, in addition to the fact that large Web data cannot be transmitted to the notification character data transmitted to the terminal 11 when large Web data is discarded, retransmission is performed. Include a link to request. Therefore, the operation can be easily performed when the user downloads the large-scale Web data again.

3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a radio communication control apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a radio communication control apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a radio communication control apparatus according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 1b Wireless communication control device, 2 wired transmission medium interface, 3 wireless transmission medium interface, 4 branching unit, 10 server, 11 terminal, 12 wired line, 13 wireless line, 30 HTTP request monitoring unit, 40 HTTP response detection Unit, 41 queue reading unit, 42 transmission timer monitoring unit, 51 low priority queue, 52 high priority queue, 71 Web processing unit, S1, S5 TCP connection number signal, S2 timer start signal, S3 timeout TCP connection signal, S4 GET request signal.

Claims (7)

Arranged between the server and the wireless line to control communication of TCP / IP data via the wireless line between the server and the terminal;
Large web data detecting means for detecting whether the TCP / IP data is large web data larger than a predetermined size;
First storage means for storing the large-scale Web data;
Second storage means for storing the TCP / IP data other than the large-scale Web data;
A wireless communication control device comprising: transmission means for transmitting data stored in the first storage means to the wireless line with a lower priority than data stored in the second storage means. The wireless communication control device according to claim 1,
The large-scale Web data is a wireless communication control device that is image data or audio data integrated with the image data. The wireless communication control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The transmission unit is a wireless communication control device that does not transmit the large-scale Web data to the wireless line when the large-scale Web data is stored in the first storage unit for longer than a predetermined time. The wireless communication control device according to claim 3,
The transmission means is a wireless communication control device for transmitting predetermined character data having a size smaller than that of the large Web data to the wireless line when the large Web data is not transmitted to the wireless line. The wireless communication control device according to claim 4,
The predetermined communication data includes a content for notifying that the large-scale Web data cannot be transmitted. The wireless communication control device according to claim 4,
The wireless communication control apparatus, wherein the predetermined character data includes information for retransmitting the large-scale Web data. A large-scale web data detection step for detecting whether TCP / IP data to be transmitted from the server to the terminal via a wireless line is large-scale web data larger than a predetermined size;
A first storage step for storing the large-scale Web data;
A second storage step for storing the TCP / IP data other than the large-scale Web data;
A transmission step of transmitting the data stored in the first storage step to the wireless line with a lower priority than the data stored in the second storage step.

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