JP2011091649A - Mobile terminal, and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To select an operator to be wirelessly connected based on throughput, in an area where a plurality of operators provide services. <P>SOLUTION: This mobile terminal capable of changing over a connection destination provider includes: a retrieval section for retrieving a connectable provider; a connection section connected to a predetermined connection destination through a provider retrieved by the retrieval section; a throughput measurement section for measuring throughput with the connection destination connected by the connection section; and a throughput storage section for storing throughput measured by the throughput measurement section on a provider basis along with the measurement locations. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device.

  In roaming, a user who has a contract with a specific operator registers a location in another operator's network (NW: Network) and receives a communication service. By performing roaming, a communication service can be received in an area not provided by the contracted operator. A specific service can be received by roaming.

  FIG. 1 shows a conceptual diagram of roaming.

  FIG. 1 shows that the home network, the other company network A, and the other company network B provide services in the same region in the home country, for example, Japan. The same area includes the case where some service areas overlap. FIG. 1 also shows that operator A, operator B, and operator C provide services in the same region in other countries than the home country. The same area includes the case where some service areas overlap. FIG. 1 shows an example in which service areas provided by three operators overlap. However, service areas provided by two operators may overlap, and service areas provided by four or more operators. It may overlap.

  Operators in the same country as the home network rarely provide roaming due to rivalry. Therefore, roaming is basically a service concluded between overseas operators. Performing roaming in another country other than the home country is called roaming out.

  However, there are cases where a roaming contract is concluded with a rival network for the purpose of supplementing the service when the rival operator is providing services that the company network cannot provide in exceptional cases in Japan.

  When wireless communication is performed in an area where a plurality of operators provide services, the user needs to select which operator's network is used for connection. However, an operator to be automatically connected may be selected on the mobile terminal device side. For example, the portable terminal device may be connected to a network of operators who can receive radio waves first, or may be preferentially connected to an operator affiliated with an operator in the home country.

JP 2007-300600 A

  For business use such as business trips, communication with a server in the home country from another country is assumed. In particular, in business use for overseas business trips, it may be preferable to select a line with high throughput and transfer information through the line in order to carry out work within a limited time. This is because the waiting time for information transfer can be shortened.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of an area where a plurality of operators provide services.

The mobile terminal device 10 includes a base station 20 ₁ for connecting to the operator A network, a base station 20 ₂ for connecting to the operator B network, and a base station 20 ₃ for connecting to the operator C network. A connection destination of the mobile terminal device 10 is selected. The base stations 20 ₁ , 20 ₂ , and 20 ₃ are connected to the communication network 30. The communication network 30 may be the Internet. A server 40 as a connection destination is connected to the communication network.

  In some cases, it is cheaper to preferentially connect to an operator network affiliated with an operator in the home country. However, some operators employ a pay-per-use system based on connection time depending on the charging method. If the throughput of the operator who is affiliated is low, since the connection time becomes long even if the charge per unit connection time is low, it may be expensive in total.

  In an area where a plurality of operators provide services, in order to select an operator having the fastest communication speed from among the operators as connection candidates, the user operates the mobile terminal device 10 and has the fastest communication speed. It is necessary to select an operator. Specifically, the user operates the mobile terminal device 10 to connect to each operator's network, and measures the communication speed with each operator. Then, the fastest operator is selected based on the communication speed. In addition, since the communication speed may be temporarily high or low, in order to improve the measurement accuracy of the communication speed, it is necessary to connect to each operator's network multiple times and to communicate with each operator. Must be measured multiple times. Therefore, when the connection destination is determined based on the throughput, the load on the user increases.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is a portable terminal capable of selecting an operator to be wirelessly connected based on throughput in an area where a plurality of operators provide services. It is to provide an apparatus and method.

This mobile terminal device
A mobile terminal device capable of switching a connected business operator,
A search unit that searches for connectable operators,
A connection unit that connects to a predetermined connection destination via the operator searched by the search unit;
A throughput measuring unit that measures the throughput with the connection destination connected by the connection unit;
A throughput storage unit that stores the throughput measured by the throughput measurement unit together with the measurement position for each operator.

This method
A method in a portable terminal device capable of switching a connection-destination carrier,
A search step to search for connectable operators;
A connection step of connecting to a predetermined connection destination through the business operator searched in the search step;
A throughput measuring step for measuring a throughput between the connection destinations connected by the connection step;
A throughput storage step of storing the throughput measured by the throughput measurement step together with the measurement position for each business operator.

  According to the disclosed portable terminal, an operator to be wirelessly connected can be selected based on throughput in an area where a plurality of operators provide services.

It is explanatory drawing which shows roaming. It is explanatory drawing which shows the portable terminal device which switches a connection place provider. It is a block diagram which shows the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is a functional block diagram which shows the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the setting of a time slot | zone. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is a functional block diagram which shows the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the portable terminal device according to a present Example.

Next, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated, referring drawings based on the following Examples.
In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for those having the same function, and repeated explanation is omitted.

<Example>
<Mobile terminal device>
FIG. 3 shows a portable terminal device 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 mainly shows the hardware configuration.

  The mobile terminal device 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 102, a storage unit 104, an input unit 106, an output unit 108, and a communication unit 110. Each block is connected by a bus 150. In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal device 100 will be described as an example. The present invention is not limited to the portable terminal device 100 and can be applied to any device having a function capable of connecting to a plurality of operators. For example, it can be applied to a personal digital assistant (PDA).

  The central processing unit 102 controls the storage unit 104, the input unit 106, the output unit 108, and the communication unit 110. The central processing unit 102 functions in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit 104 and performs predetermined processing.

  The storage unit 104 includes an application and an operating system (OS). The application is software having a function of executing a work performed by the user on the mobile terminal device 100. The operating system is software that provides application software with an interface that abstracts hardware in the mobile terminal device 100.

  The input unit 106 includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and is a device for inputting instructions to the mobile terminal device 100 and data. The instruction includes an instruction for the operating system and an application.

  The output unit 108 is configured by a display, for example, and displays a processing state and a processing result by the mobile terminal 100. The processing state and the processing result include those according to the operating system and applications. The display includes a liquid crystal display, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a plasma (PDP: Plasma Display Panel) display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and the like.

  The communication unit 110 performs wireless communication with a base station using a predetermined wireless communication method under the control of the central processing unit 102. The wireless communication system includes W-CDMA (Wideband CDMA). The wireless communication system may include a next-generation wireless communication system. The next-generation wireless communication scheme may include a communication that conforms to a communication standard called Long Term Evolution (LTE).

<Functions of mobile terminal device>
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of the mobile terminal device 100. FIG. 4 mainly shows functions executed by the central processing unit 102.

  The processing executed by the mobile terminal device 100 includes processing for measuring the position of the mobile terminal device 100. In addition, the process executed by the mobile terminal device 100 includes a process of registering a predetermined position in advance and performing control for measuring the communication speed when the mobile terminal device 100 is positioned at the registered position. included. For example, the throughput is measured as the communication speed. The throughput may be a maximum rate at which transmission frames are not lost. The throughput may be a data transfer amount per unit time. The processing executed by the mobile terminal device 100 includes processing for performing statistical processing on the throughput measured by the mobile terminal device 100 as necessary. Further, the process executed by the mobile terminal device 100 includes a process of selecting an operator to be wirelessly connected based on the measured throughput and / or the statistically processed throughput and storing the operator information. It is.

  The mobile terminal device 100 measures the throughput and selects an operator to be wirelessly connected based on the throughput. By selecting an operator, the user can select an optimal operator without performing an operation for selecting an operator to be wirelessly connected.

  Each operator has a base station device. Further, each operator may have an exchange. The connection between the mobile terminal device and the operator means that the mobile terminal device and the base station of the operator are wirelessly connected.

  The mobile terminal device 100 includes a position determination unit 202. Position information of the mobile terminal device 100 is input to the position determination unit 202. The position information may be measured by a global positioning system (GPS).

  A predetermined position is registered in advance in the position determination unit 202. The predetermined position may be a positioning result by GPS. Hereinafter, the predetermined position is referred to as “home position”. For example, when the user is on a business trip, the home position may be a hotel room at a business trip destination or an office at a work destination. Multiple home positions can be set.

  The position determination unit 202 acquires position information of the mobile terminal device 100 at a predetermined cycle, and determines whether the position information corresponds to the home position. Specifically, the position determination unit 202 determines whether the position information is included in a range that can be regarded as the same as the home position based on the position information. The range may be preset. The position determination unit 202 inputs the determination result to the communication control unit 204.

  The mobile terminal device 100 includes a communication control unit 204. Communication control unit 204 is connected to position determination unit 202. Based on the determination result input by the position determination unit 202, the communication control unit 204 is an operator that can connect to the communication unit 110 when the determination result is a determination result that the mobile terminal device 100 is located at the home position. To search. When a plurality of operators are detected as a result of the operator search by the communication unit 110, the communication control unit 204 instructs the communication unit 110 to sequentially establish a wireless connection to the plurality of operators. In addition, connection destination information is input to the communication control unit 204. The connection destination information is a device with which the mobile terminal device 100 should communicate via an operator. For example, the home server may be used. For example, when the company in the home country employs VPN (Virtual Private Network), it may be a gateway (GW). Multiple destinations can be set. The communication control unit 204 sequentially establishes wireless connection with the plurality of operators and connects to the connection destination via the operators. When the communication control unit 204 instructs a plurality of operators to perform wireless connection sequentially, the communication control unit 204 inputs information on the operators to be wirelessly connected to the communication speed measuring unit 206.

  The mobile terminal device 100 includes a communication speed measurement unit 206. The communication speed measurement unit 206 is connected to the communication control unit 204. The communication speed measuring unit 206 measures the communication speed with the connection destination based on the reception signal from the connection destination wirelessly connected by the wireless connection control performed by the communication control unit 204. Throughput may be measured as the communication speed. As a unit of the throughput, bit per second (bps) may be used, packet per second (pps: packets per second), frame per second (fps: frames per second). May be used. The throughput measuring unit 206 inputs operator information corresponding to the throughput to the storage unit 104 and the statistical processing unit 208 together with the throughput. Throughput and operator information corresponding to the throughput are reflected in a throughput measurement data table described later in the storage unit 104.

<Throughput table>
FIG. 5 shows an example of the throughput table stored in the storage unit 104.

  For example, the storage unit 104 stores an operator name and throughput. By storing the operator name and the throughput, the throughput measured for each operator can be stored.

  The storage unit 104 may store home position information. The home position may be indicated by an identifier (identification number). The identification number is associated with the GPS positioning result of the home position. By storing the home position information, when a plurality of home positions are specified, the throughput measured for each home position can be stored.

  The storage unit 104 may store measurement times. By storing the measurement time, the throughput measured at each measurement time can be stored, so that an operator to be wirelessly connected can be selected based on the throughput measured at each measurement time.

  The storage unit 104 may store position information (GPS position) measured by GPS. The GPS position is position information included in a range that can be regarded as the same as the home position among the positions measured when the communication speed is measured. Even when it is time to measure the communication speed, if the measured position is not within the range that can be regarded as the same as the home position, the throughput is not measured.

  The storage unit 104 may store connection destination information. The connection destination information may be indicated by a UI (Uniform Resource Identifier). By storing the connection destination information, when a plurality of connection destinations are designated, the throughput can be stored for each connection destination.

  The mobile terminal device 100 includes a statistical processing unit 208. The statistical processing unit 208 is connected to the communication speed measurement unit 206. The statistical processing unit 208 performs statistical processing on the throughput input by the communication speed measurement unit 206 as necessary. Whether to perform the statistical processing may be set by the user. Further, it may be set in advance so that predetermined statistical processing is performed. For example, when a connection with a connection destination is made a plurality of times by making a wireless connection with a specific operator, an average value of the throughput measured a plurality of times is obtained. The statistical processing unit 208 reflects the statistical processing result of the throughput on the throughput table stored in the storage unit 104.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a throughput measurement data table generated when a connection with a connection destination is made a plurality of times by making a wireless connection with a specific operator. FIG. 6 shows a throughput measurement data table generated when the home position information is indicated by “1” and the connection with the connection destination is made three times by performing the wireless connection with the operator A. An example is shown. Each measurement may be performed at substantially the same time on different days, or may be performed a plurality of times on the same day. According to FIG. 6, 300 kbps at 18:05 on the first day (July 1), 450 kbps at 18:03 on the second day (July 2), and 3 rd day (July 3). A throughput of 150kbps is obtained at 18:02. The throughput measurement data shown in FIG. 6 is prepared for each operator as a connection destination candidate. Further, the throughput measurement data shown in FIG. 6 is prepared for each home position. The statistical processing unit 208 calculates the average of the measurement results obtained a plurality of times (three times in the example of FIG. 6). The statistical processing unit 208 reflects the average of the measurement results in the throughput table.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of the result of reflecting the measurement result in the throughput table. FIG. 7 shows the throughput obtained when the home position number is “1” and the connection with the connection destination is performed by performing the wireless connection with the operator A. In FIG. 7, time zone 1 is a certain time width including the time when the throughput is measured three times. The throughput reflects the average of the measurement results described with reference to FIG. By using the statistical processing result as the throughput, the accuracy of the throughput can be improved. Further, depending on the setting, the throughput measured by the communication speed measuring unit 206 may be directly reflected in the throughput table. By directly reflecting in the throughput table, it is possible to reduce the processing load for measuring multiple times. Furthermore, the processing time until selecting an operator to be connected can be shortened.

  Further, when the throughput is obtained a plurality of times, an average value of the throughput excluding the maximum value and the minimum value may be obtained. By obtaining the average value of the throughput excluding the maximum and minimum values, if the measurement value includes extremely high throughput and extremely low throughput due to the influence of measurement error etc., the extremely high throughput and extremely low Throughput can be eliminated and the influence of measurement errors and the like can be reduced. Obtaining the average value is an example, and any statistical process for obtaining information that can be used when selecting an operator to be connected can be applied as appropriate. The statistical processing unit 208 inputs the result of statistical processing to the recommended operator setting unit 210.

  The mobile terminal device 100 includes a recommended operator setting unit 210. The recommended operator setting unit 210 is connected to the statistical processing unit 208. The recommended operator setting unit 210 determines an operator recommended as an operator to be wirelessly connected based on the statistical processing result input by the statistical processing unit 208. Hereinafter, an operator recommended as an operator to be wirelessly connected is referred to as a “recommended operator”.

  FIG. 8 shows processing of the recommended operator setting unit 210. According to FIG. 8, when the home position number is “1” and the connection is made with the connection destination http://home.jp by making a wireless connection with the operator A. The obtained throughput is 1 Mbps. On the other hand, a throughput obtained when a connection is established with the connection destination http://home.jp by performing a wireless connection with the operator B is 300 kbps. The recommended operator setting unit 210 determines that the operator A can obtain higher throughput at the position indicated by the home position number “1” when the connection destination is http://home.jp. Therefore, when the connection destination is http://home.jp, operator A is the recommended operator.

  Further, according to FIG. 8, a connection is made with the connection destination http://home.jp by performing a wireless connection with the operator A at the position indicated by the home position number “2”. The throughput obtained in this case is 1 Mbps. On the other hand, a throughput obtained when a connection is established with the connection destination http://home.jp by performing a wireless connection with the operator B is 1.5 Mbps. The recommended operator setting unit 210 determines that the operator B can obtain higher throughput at the position indicated by the home position number “2” when the connection destination is http://home.jp. Therefore, when the connection destination is http://home.jp, operator B is a recommended operator.

  The recommended operator setting unit 210 determines whether the operator determined as the recommended operator is the same as the currently set recommended operator. The recommended operator setting unit 210 changes when the operator determined as the recommended operator is different from the currently set recommended operator. When changing the recommended operator, the recommended operator information registered in the storage unit 104 is updated. For example, the recommended operator setting unit 210 updates the recommended operator when the throughput is higher than that of the operator registered as the recommended operator.

  Further, the recommended operator setting unit 210 may output information of the determined recommended operator to the output unit 108. The output unit 108 displays the recommended operator information output by the recommended operator setting unit 210. The recommended operator setting unit 210 may output recommended operator information to the output unit 108 for each pair of home position and connection destination. The output unit 108 displays recommended operator information for each home position / connection destination pair output by the recommended operator setting unit 210.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of a throughput table and an operator output recommended by the throughput table.

  According to FIG. 9, when the home position number is indicated by “1” and a connection is made with the connection destination http://home.jp by performing a wireless connection with the operator A. The obtained throughput is 1 Mbps. On the other hand, a throughput obtained when a connection is established with the connection destination http://home.jp by performing a wireless connection with the operator B is 300 kbps. The recommended operator setting unit 210 recommends the operator A because the operator A can obtain higher throughput to connect to the connection destination http://home.jp at the position indicated by the home position number “1”. An operator. The recommended operator setting unit 210 may output recommended operator information to the output unit 108. For example, it may be output when the recommended operator is changed, or may be output regardless of whether the operator is changed. The output unit 108 displays the recommended operator information output by the recommended operator setting unit 210.

  Moreover, you may make it the portable terminal device 100 connect automatically to a recommended operator. In this case, the operator update unit 210 outputs the recommended operator information to the output unit 108 and also outputs it to the communication unit 110. Based on the recommended operator information input by the operator update unit 210, the communication unit 110 connects via the recommended operator when the connection destination is http://home.jp. When automatically connecting to a recommended operator, the output unit 108 may display home position information, a connection destination, an operator name, and being connected.

  Further, according to FIG. 9, only the operator B was searched at the position indicated by the home position number “2”. Through wireless connection with the operator B, the throughput obtained when the connection is made with the connection destination http://kaisha.jp is 1.5 Mbps. The recommended operator setting unit 210 sets operator B as the recommended operator for connecting to the connection destination http://kaisha.jp at the position indicated by the home position number “2”. The recommended operator setting unit 210 may output the recommended operator to the output unit 108. For example, it may be output when the recommended operator is changed, or may be output regardless of whether the operator is changed. The output unit 108 displays the recommended operator output by the recommended operator setting unit 210.

  Moreover, you may make it the portable terminal device 100 connect automatically to a recommended operator. In this case, the operator update unit 210 outputs the recommended operator information to the output unit 108 and also outputs it to the communication unit 110. Based on the recommended operator information input by the operator update unit 210, the communication unit 110 connects via the recommended operator when the connection destination is http://kaisha.jp. When automatically connecting to a recommended operator, the output unit 108 may display home position information, a connection destination, an operator name, and being connected.

<Operation of Mobile Terminal Device 100>
The operation of the mobile terminal device 100 will be described.

  In the present embodiment, description will be given by dividing into pre-setting for setting predetermined parameters in advance and operation after the pre-setting.

  The mobile terminal device 100 is preset with a measurement interval (measurement cycle) T. The measurement interval (measurement cycle) T is a cycle for determining whether or not the mobile terminal device 100 changes the recommended operator. The measurement interval T may be input by the user, or may be set as a default value in the mobile terminal device 100 in advance. The measurement interval T is input to the communication control unit 204.

  The mobile terminal device 100 is preset with a home position and a connection destination. The home position indicates a position where the mobile terminal device 100 receives data from the connection destination. For example, a positioning result by GPS may be set. The connection destination is a device to be connected when the mobile terminal device 100 measures throughput. For example, it may be a specific website used when measuring throughput. Further, it may be a server that actually needs to be connected. The home position information is input to the position determination unit 202, and the connection destination information is input to the communication control unit 204.

  FIG. 10 shows the operation of the mobile terminal device 100 after the prior setting.

  The mobile terminal device 100 starts a timer (step S1002). For example, the communication control unit 202 starts a timer included in the mobile terminal device 100. The timer expires when the measurement interval T elapses.

  The mobile terminal device 100 determines whether the measurement interval T has elapsed and the timer has expired (step S1004). For example, the communication control unit 204 determines whether the measurement interval T has elapsed.

  If the measurement interval T has not elapsed (step S1004: NO), the process returns to step S1002. On the other hand, when the measurement interval T has passed (step S1004: YES), the mobile terminal device 100 determines whether the user is using the mobile terminal device 100. For example, the communication control unit 204 determines whether or not the mobile terminal device 100 is in use. For example, the determination may be made based on whether or not the mobile terminal device 100 is transmitting or receiving data, or by determining whether or not the user is performing key input by operating the mobile terminal device 100. You may do it. For example, the communication control unit 204 determines whether data is transmitted / received by the communication unit 110 and whether an input is performed on the input unit 106.

  When it is determined that the user is using the mobile terminal device 100 (step S1006: YES), the process returns to step S1002. On the other hand, when it is not determined that the user is using the mobile terminal device 100 (step S1006: NO), the mobile terminal device 100 measures the current position (step S1008). For example, when it is determined that the mobile terminal device 100 is idle, the mobile terminal device 100 preferably measures the current position. For example, you may make it measure by GPS which the said portable terminal device 100 has. Since the connection destination may be changed to measure the throughput, it is preferable to continue using the mobile terminal device 100 when it is determined that the user is using the mobile terminal device 100. This is because it is not preferable that the connection destination is changed during the communication. Therefore, it is preferable to measure the throughput when idle.

  The mobile terminal device 100 determines whether or not the current position is the home position (step S1010). For example, the position determination unit 202 determines whether or not the current position is included in a range that can be regarded as the same as the home position, based on the current position information.

  When the current position is not included in the range that can be regarded as the same as the home position (step S1010: NO), the process returns to step S1002. On the other hand, when the current position is included in the range that can be regarded as the same as the home position (step S1010: YES), the mobile terminal device 100 searches for a receivable operator (step S1012). For example, the communication control unit 204 instructs the communication unit 110 to search for receivable operators. The communication unit 110 searches for an available operator according to the command. For example, an available operator is searched by performing a frequency scan.

  The mobile terminal device 100 obtains the number of searched operators and sets the number of operators (step S1014). For example, the communication control unit 204 sets the number of operators to N.

  The communication terminal apparatus 100 sequentially connects to the connection destination via the operator and measures the throughput (step S1016). For example, the communication control unit 204 instructs the communication unit 110 to connect to the connection destination through the sequentially searched operators, and inputs information on the operator connected to the communication speed measurement unit 206. When the operator information is input from the communication control unit 204, the communication speed measuring unit 206 measures the throughput with the connection destination connected via the operator. The communication speed measurement unit 206 inputs the throughput measurement result to the recording unit 104 and the statistical processing unit 208 together with operator information.

  The mobile terminal device 100 reflects the throughput measurement result in the throughput measurement data table, and performs statistical processing on the throughput measurement result (step S1018). For example, the recording unit 104 reflects the throughput input by the communication speed measurement unit 206 in the throughput measurement data table. As a result, the throughput measurement data shown in FIG. 6 is updated. The statistical processing unit 208 performs statistical processing on the throughput measurement result input by the throughput measuring unit 206. For example, the statistical processing unit 208 may obtain an average value including the already recorded throughput measurement results. The statistical processing unit 208 inputs the statistical processing result of the throughput to the storage unit 104 and the recommended operator setting unit 210 together with operator information. The throughput statistical processing result input to the storage unit 104 is reflected in the throughput table.

  The mobile terminal device 100 obtains the fastest operator having the highest average throughput based on the average throughput corresponding to each operator calculated in step S1018. The fastest operator is a recommended operator. The mobile terminal device 100 determines whether the recommended operator is different from the recommended operator currently set as an operator to be wirelessly connected (step S1020). For example, the recommended operator setting unit 210 obtains the fastest operator having the highest average throughput based on the average throughput value corresponding to each operator input by the statistical processing unit 208. The fastest operator is a recommended operator. The recommended operator setting unit 210 determines whether the recommended operator is different from the recommended operator currently set as an operator to be wirelessly connected.

  When the determined recommended operator is the same as the current recommended operator (step S1020: NO), the process returns to step S1002. If the determined recommended operator is the same as the current recommended operator, the recommended operator is not changed. On the other hand, when the determined recommended operator is different from the current recommended operator (step S1020: YES), the mobile terminal device 100 changes the recommended operator (step S1022). For example, the recommended operator setting unit 210 is determined. Change the recommended operator to the recommended operator.

  The mobile terminal device 100 notifies the user that the recommended operator has been changed (step S1024). For example, when the recommended operator is changed, the recommended operator setting unit 210 notifies the user of new recommended operator information. For example, it may be output to the output unit 108. The output unit 108 displays the recommended operator information notified by the recommended operator setting unit 210.

  After notifying the user that the recommended operator has been changed, the portable terminal device 100 returns to step S1002 and starts the timer again. The communication control unit 204 starts the timer again after the user is notified by the recommended operator setting unit 210 that the recommended operator has been changed.

  The processing of steps S1002-S1006 and S1010-S1024 is executed by the central processing unit 102 mounted on the mobile terminal device 100 performing processing according to a program. A program for causing the central processing unit 102 to function as the mobile terminal device 100 is downloaded via a communication network, for example. Alternatively, the program may be provided in a state where it is recorded on a recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, or a memory card. When the program is provided by a recording medium, when the recording medium is inserted into the auxiliary storage device of the mobile terminal device 100, the program recorded on the recording medium is read. The central processing unit 102 writes the read program into the RAM or HDD and executes the process. The program causes the computer (central processing unit 102) of the mobile terminal device 100 to execute steps S1002-S1006 and S1010-S1024 in FIG. For example, the program may be configured to execute at least some steps.

  In this embodiment, the time may be divided into a plurality of times. The divided one is called a time zone.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of a time zone. FIG. 11 shows an example of three divisions from 0 o'clock to 8 o'clock, 8 o'clock to 18 o'clock, and 18:00 to 24 o'clock. The time zone preferably includes a time that is assumed to have the same throughput characteristics. The time zone may be configured by dividing one day into two, or may be configured by dividing into four or more. Moreover, you may comprise by the time slot | zone of 1 day or more.

  For example, 0:00 to 8 o'clock corresponds to bedtime, so it is late night, 8 o'clock to 18 o'clock is work time, and 18 o'clock to 24 o'clock is work time, so it is personal time zone May be called. The throughput due to the home position may vary significantly depending on the time zone even at the same position. Therefore, even if the operator is recommended based on the throughput in different time zones, the throughput may not be so much in the time zone. Therefore, even if the home position is the same, if the time period during which the throughput is measured is different, it is stored as a different home position. By storing as different home positions, a recommended operator can be set for each time zone. Since a recommended operator can be set for each time zone, even when the throughput varies depending on the time zone, a recommended operator to be wirelessly connected in the time zone can be determined.

  Further, when one day is divided into a plurality of time zones, even if the day is the same home position, different home positions are set if the time zones are different.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of a throughput table created when the time is divided into a plurality of time zones. In FIG. 12, time zones 1, 2, and 3 shown in the measurement time column correspond to homes 1, 2, and 3 shown in FIG. According to FIG. 12, since the time zone of the measurement time is different from the time zone 3 and the time zone 2 even at the same home position, the time zone 3 registers the home position number as “3”, and the time zone 2 registers the home position number as “2”. Since it is possible to register as a different home position for each time zone, the throughput can be obtained for each time zone. Therefore, a recommended operator can be determined for each time zone.

  According to the present embodiment, an operator to be wirelessly connected can be determined on the mobile terminal device side based on the throughput. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize the optimum connection operator. Furthermore, since a plurality of connection sources and / or connection destinations can be set, an optimal connection operator can be determined for each pair of connection source and connection destination.

<Modification (Part 1)>
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the positioning information by GPS is used to specify the home position has been described.

  However, it can be applied to other than GPS positioning information. In this modification, a country / operator code, a location area ID (LAI), and a cell (CELL) -ID are applied.

<Mobile terminal device>
The portable terminal device is the same as that shown in FIG.

<Functions of mobile terminal device>
The functional block diagram showing the functions of the mobile terminal device 100 is the same as FIG.

  The position determination unit 202 receives position information of the mobile terminal device. The location information may be a country / operator code, a location area ID (LAI), and a cell (CELL) -ID. Specifically, the country / operator code may be a mobile country code (MCC) / a mobile network code (MNC). The mobile terminal device 100 receives the notification information transmitted by each operator. The broadcast information includes a country / provider code, a location area ID, and a cell-ID. A predetermined position is registered in the position determination unit 202 in advance. As the predetermined position information, a country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID may be registered. When the notification information transmitted by a plurality of operators can be received, the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID transmitted by each operator may be registered. Hereinafter, the predetermined position is referred to as “home position”. Multiple home positions can be set.

  The position determination unit 202 acquires position information of the mobile terminal device 100 at a predetermined cycle, and determines whether the position information corresponds to the home position. For example, the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID are acquired as location information. Then, the position determination unit 202 determines whether the position information can be regarded as the same as the home position based on the position information. The position determination unit 202 inputs the determination result to the communication control unit 204. Specifically, the position determination unit 202 uses the country / provider code, LAI, and CELL-ID acquired as the position information as the country / provider code, LAI, and CELL-ID registered as the home position. Determine whether they match. If the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID sent by multiple operators are registered, any one of the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID You may make it determine whether it corresponds. Further, it may be determined whether or not it matches a plurality of operator country / operator codes, LAI, and CELL-ID.

<Throughput table>
FIG. 13 shows an example of the throughput table stored in the storage unit 104.

  In this throughput table, the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID are registered instead of the GPS position of the throughput table shown in FIG. The country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID are position information that can be regarded as the same as the home position among the positions measured when the communication speed is measured. As shown in FIG. 13, even in the same position, the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID may be different because the operators are different. Even when the communication speed is measured, if the measured position is not a position that can be regarded as the same as the home position, the throughput is not measured.

<Operation of Mobile Terminal Device 100>
The operation of the mobile terminal device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart described with reference to FIG.

  In the mobile terminal device 100, a country / business operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID are registered as home positions.

  In step S1008, when the mobile terminal device 100 is not used and / or when it is determined that the mobile terminal device 100 is idle, the mobile terminal device 100 measures the current position. For example, the mobile terminal device 100 receives the notification information transmitted by the operator, and acquires the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID from the notification information.

  In step S1010, the mobile terminal device 100 determines whether the current position is the home position. For example, the position determination unit 202 determines whether the current position is a position that can be regarded as the same as the home position based on the information on the current position.

  According to this modification, an operator to be wirelessly connected can be determined on the mobile terminal device side based on the throughput. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize the optimum connection operator. Furthermore, since a plurality of connection sources and / or connection destinations can be set, an optimal connection operator can be determined for each pair of connection source and connection destination.

  In addition, positioning signals transmitted by GPS cannot be received indoors, but country / provider code, LAI, and CELL-ID can be received indoors as long as they can receive broadcast information from the base station. According to this modification, since the position information can be acquired even when the mobile terminal device is located indoors, the operator to be wirelessly connected can be determined indoors based on the throughput. .

<Modification (Part 2)>
In this modification, in order to specify the home position, positioning information by GPS, country / provider code, location area ID (LAI), and cell (CELL) -ID are applied.

<Mobile terminal device>
The portable terminal device is the same as that shown in FIG.

<Functions of mobile terminal device>
The functional block diagram showing the functions of the mobile terminal device 100 is the same as FIG.

  The position determination unit 202 receives position information of the mobile terminal device. The position information may be GPS positioning information, country / operator code, location area ID (LAI), and cell (CELL) -ID. Specifically, the country / operator code may be a mobile country code (MCC) / a mobile network code (MNC). The mobile terminal device 100 receives a positioning signal by the GPS receiving device included in the mobile terminal device 100. Moreover, the portable terminal device 100 receives the notification information transmitted by each operator. The broadcast information includes a country / provider code, a location area ID, and a cell-ID. A predetermined position is registered in the position determination unit 202 in advance. As the predetermined position information, positioning information by GPS, country / provider code, LAI, and CELL-ID may be registered. When the notification information transmitted by a plurality of operators can be received, the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID transmitted by each operator may be registered. Hereinafter, the predetermined position is referred to as “home position”. Multiple home positions can be set.

  The position determination unit 202 acquires position information of the mobile terminal device 100 at a predetermined cycle, and determines whether the position information corresponds to the home position. For example, as positioning information, positioning information by GPS and / or country / business code, LAI, and CELL-ID are acquired. Then, the position determination unit 202 determines whether the position information can be regarded as the same as the home position based on the position information. The position determination unit 202 inputs the determination result to the communication control unit 204. Specifically, the position determination unit 202 determines whether the GPS positioning information acquired as the position information is included in the range that can be regarded as the same as the home position and / or the country / provider code, LAI, and CELL-ID. , Judge whether it matches the country / operator code of the home position, LAI, and CELL-ID. If the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID sent by multiple operators are registered, any one of the country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID You may make it determine whether it corresponds. Further, it may be determined whether or not it matches a plurality of operator country / operator codes, LAI, and CELL-ID.

<Throughput table>
FIG. 14 shows an example of the throughput table stored in the storage unit 104.

  In this throughput table, the country / provider code, LAI, and CELL-ID are registered in the throughput table shown in FIG. The country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID are position information that can be regarded as the same as the home position among the positions measured when the communication speed is measured. Even when the communication speed is measured, if the measured position is not a position that can be regarded as the same as the home position, the throughput is not measured.

<Operation of Mobile Terminal Device 100>
The operation of the mobile terminal device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart described with reference to FIG.

  In the portable terminal device 100, a GPS positioning position, a country / provider code, LAI, and CELL-ID are registered as the home position.

  In step S1008, when the mobile terminal device 100 is not used and / or when it is determined that the mobile terminal device 100 is idle, the mobile terminal device 100 measures the current position. For example, you may make it measure by GPS which the said portable terminal device 100 has. In addition, the mobile terminal device 100 may receive the notification information transmitted by the operator and acquire the country / business operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID from the notification information.

  In step S1010, the mobile terminal device 100 determines whether the current position is the home position. For example, the position determination unit 202 determines whether the current position is a position that can be regarded as the same as the home position based on the information on the current position.

  According to this modification, an operator to be wirelessly connected can be determined on the mobile terminal device side based on the throughput. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize the optimum connection operator. Furthermore, since a plurality of connection sources and / or connection destinations can be set, an optimal connection operator can be determined for each pair of connection source and connection destination.

  In addition, it is possible to determine whether the current location is a transmission source based on GPS, country / operator code, LAI, and CELL-ID. Can be determined based on throughput.

<Modification (Part 3)>
In the present modification, the mobile terminal device 100 acquires position information of the mobile terminal device by some means.

<Mobile terminal device>
The portable terminal device is the same as that shown in FIG.

<Functions of mobile terminal device>
FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of the mobile terminal device 100. FIG. 15 mainly shows functions executed by the central processing unit 102. The functional block diagram showing the functions of the mobile terminal device 100 does not have the position determination unit 202 in the functional block diagram shown in FIG. Information serving as a trigger for measuring throughput is input to the communication control unit 204 in order to select an operator to be connected to the communication terminal device 100. For example, it may be determined that the user is at the home position and an operation for measuring the throughput may be performed.

  When the trigger is input, the communication control unit 204 searches for an operator that can be connected to the communication unit 110. Further, when a plurality of operators are detected as a result of the operator search by the communication unit 110, the communication control unit 204 instructs the communication unit 110 to sequentially perform wireless connection to the plurality of operators. In addition, connection destination information is input to the communication control unit 204. The connection destination information is a device with which the mobile terminal device 100 should communicate via an operator. For example, the home server may be used. For example, if the company in the home country employs VPN, it may be a gateway. Multiple destinations can be set. The communication control unit 204 sequentially establishes wireless connection with the plurality of operators and connects to the connection destination via the operators. When the communication control unit 204 instructs a plurality of operators to perform wireless connection sequentially, the communication control unit 204 inputs information on the operators to be wirelessly connected to the communication speed measuring unit 206.

<Throughput table>
FIG. 16 shows an example of a throughput table stored in the storage unit 104.

  This throughput table is obtained by removing the GPS position from the throughput table shown in FIG.

<Operation of Mobile Terminal Device 100>
The operation of the mobile terminal device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart described with reference to FIG.

  The current position measurement in step S1008 is not performed.

  In step S1010, whether the current position is the home position is determined based on whether a trigger operation has been performed. For example, when a trigger operation is performed, the home position is determined.

  According to this modification, an operator to be wirelessly connected can be determined on the mobile terminal device side based on the throughput. Therefore, the user can be made to recognize the optimum connection operator. Furthermore, since a plurality of connection sources and / or connection destinations can be set, an optimal connection operator can be determined for each pair of connection source and connection destination.

  Further, by measuring the throughput based on the trigger, it is possible to determine an operator to be connected based on the throughput when the connection with the connection destination is performed regardless of whether it is outdoors or indoors. Since it is not necessary to perform processing for determining whether or not the current position is included in the range that can be regarded as the same as the home position, the processing load on the mobile terminal device can be reduced.

  In the embodiment described above, it is not necessary for the operator candidate to be selected to be the same wireless communication system. For example, the operator candidates to be selected may include WCDMA, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), and the like.

  FIG. 17 shows an example of an area where a plurality of operators provide services using different wireless communication methods.

The mobile terminal device 100 includes a base station 200 ₁ for connecting to the operator A network, a base station 200 ₂ for connecting to the operator B network, and a base station 200 ₃ for connecting to the operator C network. A connection destination of the mobile terminal device 100 is selected. The base station ₂₀₀ 1, 200 _2, and 200 ₃ are connected to the communication network 300. The communication network 300 may be the Internet. A server 400 as a connection destination is connected to the communication network. For example, the base station 200 ₁ serving WCDMA, the GSM, the base station 200 ₂ is served by WiMAX, base station 200 ₃ is served by WiFi.

  The mobile terminal device 100 connects to the connection destination (server 400) via each base station by the same method as described above, and measures the throughput. Then, an optimum connection destination is determined based on the throughput.

  According to the present embodiment, the mobile terminal device can select an operator that can obtain the highest throughput when wireless communication is performed in an area where a plurality of operators provide services.

  The following items are disclosed regarding the embodiment including the above examples.

(1) A portable terminal device capable of switching a connected carrier,
A search unit as a communication unit that searches for connectable operators,
A connection unit as a communication control unit, which connects to a predetermined connection destination through the operator searched by the search unit;
A throughput measuring unit as a communication speed measuring unit for measuring a throughput with a connection destination connected by the connecting unit;
A throughput storage unit serving as a storage unit that stores the throughput measured by the throughput measurement unit together with the measurement position for each operator.

(2) In the mobile terminal device according to (1),
The said memory | storage part memorize | stores the said throughput with measurement time.

(3) In the mobile terminal device according to (1) or (2),
Based on the throughput measured for each business operator, a recommended business operator setting unit is provided as a recommended operator setting unit for setting a business operator having the highest throughput as a business operator to be wirelessly connected.

(4) In the mobile terminal device according to any one of (1) to (3),
The recording unit stores, as a measurement position, position information by GPS, and at least one of the country / provider code, location area ID, and cell ID of the provider.

(5) A method in a portable terminal device capable of switching connection destination operators,
A search step to search for connectable operators;
A connection step of connecting to a predetermined connection destination through the business operator searched in the search step;
A throughput measuring step for measuring a throughput between the connection destinations connected by the connection step;
A throughput storage step of storing the throughput measured by the throughput measurement step together with the measurement position for each business operator.

  For convenience of explanation, specific numerical examples will be described to facilitate understanding of the invention. However, unless otherwise specified, these numerical values are merely examples, and any appropriate value may be used.

  Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, each embodiment is merely an example, and those skilled in the art will understand various variations, modifications, alternatives, substitutions, and the like. I will. For convenience of explanation, an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has been described using a functional block diagram, but such an apparatus may be realized by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various variations, modifications, alternatives, substitutions, and the like are included without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10 mobile terminal device 20 _{(20 1,} 20 2, ₂₀ 3) the base station device 30 communication network 40 server 100 the mobile terminal device 102 central processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit)
104 storage unit 106 input unit 108 output unit 110 communication unit 200 _{(200 1,} 200 2, ₂₀₀ 3) base station apparatus 202 position determining unit 204 communication control unit 206 communication speed measurement unit 208 statistical processing unit 210 recommended operator setting unit 300 Communication Network 400 server

Claims (5)

A mobile terminal device capable of switching a connected business operator,
A search unit that searches for connectable operators,
A connection unit that connects to a predetermined connection destination via the operator searched by the search unit;
A throughput measuring unit that measures the throughput with the connection destination connected by the connection unit;
And a throughput storage unit that stores the throughput measured by the throughput measurement unit together with the measurement position for each business operator. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1,
The said memory | storage part is a portable terminal device which memorize | stores the said throughput with measurement time. The portable terminal device according to claim 1 or 2,
A mobile terminal device having a recommended operator setting unit that sets an operator having the highest throughput as an operator to be wirelessly connected based on the throughput measured for each of the operators. The mobile terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The said recording part is a portable terminal device which memorize | stores the positional information by GPS as a measurement position, and at least one of the said company's country and company code, location area ID, and cell ID. A method in a portable terminal device capable of switching a connection-destination carrier,
A search step to search for connectable operators;
A connection step of connecting to a predetermined connection destination through the business operator searched in the search step;
A throughput measuring step for measuring a throughput between the connection destinations connected by the connection step;
A throughput storing step of storing the throughput measured by the throughput measuring step together with the measurement position for each operator.

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