JP2013197945A - Communication system, and communication control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To connect with a new terminal device without reducing communication quality with respect to a terminal device already performing radio communication, when receiving a request for radio connection from the new terminal device.SOLUTION: A communication system comprises: a first communication device for communicating with a terminal device by either of cable communication and radio communication; and a second communication device for communicating with the first communication device by cable communication and communicating with the terminal device by cable communication or radio communication. The first communication device comprises a control unit which: determines whether or not the remaining communication band to be allocated to a new terminal device is sufficient, when receiving a request for radio communication from the new terminal device; and performs control of switching radio communication with a terminal device already communicating with the first communication device to cable communication or control of switching the communication to communication through the second communication device, when it is determined that the remaining communication band to be allocated to the new terminal device is insufficient.

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system and a communication control method.

  In recent years, wireless LANs defined by IEEE 802.11 have become widespread. In the future, as wireless LAN access points and terminal devices increase, congestion in the frequency band is expected, and various hybrid modems that have a PLC (Power Line Communication) function and a wireless LAN access point function are available. It is regarded as promising in foreign countries. Efficient control is required to avoid congestion of wireless LAN using a hybrid modem. In recent years, since the communication band of the cellular phone network has been tight, it has been studied to secure the communication band by providing an external user with a wireless LAN access point in a private house. On the other hand, a technique for selecting one of a plurality of communication media based on communication quality or the like has been studied (Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-328319 A

  However, providing an external user with a wireless LAN access point in a private home may affect the communication of a home terminal device already connected to the wireless LAN. For example, when a terminal device used by an external user occupies a large communication band, the communication speed of the terminal device in the house, the communication quality, etc. are deteriorated and the service desired by the user cannot be received. There is.

  The present invention was made to solve the above problem, and its purpose is to suppress a decrease in communication quality with respect to a terminal device already performing wireless communication when receiving a request for wireless connection from a new terminal device. An object of the present invention is to provide a communication system and a communication control method that can be connected to a new terminal device.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a first communication device that communicates with a terminal device by either wired communication or wireless communication, and wired communication or wireless communication that performs wired communication with the first communication device. And a second communication device that communicates with the terminal device by any of the above, and when the first communication device receives a request for wireless communication from a new terminal device, the terminal device If there is no communication band to be assigned to the terminal device, the communication with the terminal device already performing wireless communication with the own device is switched to wired communication. It is a communication system characterized by including the control part which performs control which switches to the control which switches, or the communication via said 2nd communication apparatus.

  Further, the present invention is the above-described invention, wherein the allocated communication band is measured for each terminal device communicating with the control unit own device, and the measurement result is stored in the connection state storage unit. When there is no communication band allocated to the terminal device when a request for wireless communication is received from a new terminal device, wired communication is performed from the terminal device already performing wireless communication with the own device based on the measurement result. Or a terminal device to be switched to communication via the second communication device is selected.

  Further, the present invention is the above-described invention, wherein there are a plurality of communication media in the wired communication, and the control unit is any one of the plurality of communication media based on a communication band allocated to the new terminal device. It is characterized by selecting.

  Further, the present invention is the invention described in the above, wherein the control unit reduces the communication band for a terminal device having a low communication priority among the terminal devices already performing wireless communication with the own device, A communication band allocated to a new terminal device is ensured.

  Further, according to the present invention, in the above-described invention, when the control unit cannot secure a communication band to be allocated to the new terminal device, the control unit transmits information indicating that the connection is not permitted to the terminal device. Features.

  In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a first communication device that communicates with a terminal device by either wired communication or wireless communication, and wired communication or communication with the first communication device. A communication control method in a communication system comprising a second communication device that communicates with the terminal device by any of wireless communication, wherein the first communication device requests a wireless communication from a new terminal device. When receiving, it is determined whether or not the communication band to be allocated to the terminal device remains. If the communication band to be allocated to the terminal device does not remain, communication with the terminal device already performing wireless communication with the own device is performed. A communication control method comprising a control step of controlling to switch to wired communication, or switching to communication via the second communication device.

  According to the present invention, when there is no remaining communication band to be allocated to a new terminal device, the communication with the terminal device already performing wireless communication is switched to wired communication or communication via the second communication device. Switch. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a connection while ensuring a communication band to be allocated to a new terminal device while suppressing a decrease in communication quality with respect to a terminal device already performing wireless communication.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structural example of the communication system 100 in one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the connection information memorize | stored in the connection state memory | storage part 11 in the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the band adjustment process which the hybrid modem 1 in the embodiment performs. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process of the band adjustment in the communication system 100 in the embodiment.

Hereinafter, a communication system and a communication control method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a communication system 100 includes a hybrid modem 1 connected to an external network (for example, a public network such as the Internet or a private network), a hybrid modem 2 wired to the hybrid modem 1, and a hybrid modem. 1 or a terminal device 3 a, 3 b, 3 c that performs wireless communication with the hybrid modem 2. In the following description, when any one or all of the terminal devices 3a to 3c are shown, the terminal device 3 is referred to.

The hybrid modem 1 provides a connection environment to an external network for the connected hybrid modem 2 and the terminal devices 3a to 3c. The hybrid modem 2 is connected as a slave unit to the hybrid modem 1 (master unit), and provides a connection environment to the external network to the terminal devices 3a to 3c via the hybrid modem 1.
In the configuration example illustrated in FIG. 1, the hybrid modem 1, the hybrid modem 2, and the terminal devices 3 a and 3 b constitute a home network 5 in the residence. For example, the hybrid modem 1 is located in the first floor room, and the hybrid modem 2 is located in the second floor room. The terminal device 3c is located outside the residence and connects to an external network via wireless communication with the hybrid modem 1.

  The hybrid modem 1 (first communication device) includes a connection state storage unit 11, an internal terminal storage unit 12, an external network communication unit 13, an interface (I / F) unit 14, and a control unit 15. The connection state storage unit 11 includes connection state information including band information, external terminal device information, a communication band assigned to a newly connected terminal device 3, and a free communication band for wireless communication in the hybrid modem 2 as a slave unit. It is remembered. The band information is information including a communication band assigned to each terminal device 3 communicating with the hybrid modem 1 and a free communication band in each communication medium. The external terminal device information is information including an upper limit value of a band allocated to the external terminal device 3 and a wireless communication band allocated to the external terminal device 3 communicating with the hybrid modem 1. The communication band assigned to the newly connected terminal device 3 is a predetermined value, and is determined based on the average value of the communication band used by the terminal device 3 in the hybrid modem 1.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of connection information stored in the connection state storage unit 11 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the band information includes a communication band assigned to each terminal device 3 connected to each of a plurality of communication media (wireless, power line, coaxial line, and telephone line) of the hybrid modem 1. (Band in use) is included. Further, the bandwidth information includes a free bandwidth for each communication medium. For example, identifiers “A”, “B”,..., “E” for identifying the terminal devices 3 that are communicating via wireless communication are assigned communication bands “Na” and “Nb” assigned to the respective terminal devices 3. ,..., “Ne” are associated with each other, and “E1” indicating a free band in wireless communication is included. Similarly, for the “power line”, “coaxial line”, and “telephone line” that are wired communication media, each terminal device 3 “F” that communicates with an external network via its own device, Communication bands “Nf”, “Ng”, “Nh” assigned to “G”, “H”, and free bands “E2”, “E3”, “E4” of each communication medium are included.
Further, in the external terminal device information, the upper limit value “Nmax” of the bandwidth to be allocated to the external terminal device 3 and the identifier “J” of the terminal device 3 that is communicating via radio are allocated to the terminal device 3. Communication band “Nj” is associated. In addition, “N0” as a communication band to be allocated to the terminal device 3 to be newly connected and a free band “Next” for wireless communication in the hybrid modem 2 are stored in the connection state storage unit 11.

Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the communication system 100 will be continued.
In the internal terminal storage unit 12, information (computer name, IP address, etc.) for identifying the internal terminal device 3 constituting the home network 5 is stored in advance.
The external network communication unit 13 is connected to an external network by optical transmission using an optical fiber or VDSL transmission using a metal line, and transmits a packet (information) input from the interface unit 14 to the external network. The packet received from the network is output to the interface unit 14.
The interface unit 14 includes a power line communication unit 141, a coaxial line communication unit 142, a telephone line communication unit 143, and a wireless communication unit 144 for each communication medium used for communication.

For example, the power line communication unit 141 is connected to the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3 via a power line wired in the house, and performs wired communication through the power line with the hybrid modem 2 or the terminal device 3. The power line communication unit 141 outputs a packet received from the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3 to the external network communication unit 13 and transmits a packet input from the external network communication unit 13 to the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3. .
The coaxial line communication unit 142 is connected to the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3 via a communication coaxial line (or flat cable, etc.) wired in the house, and performs wired communication through the coaxial line to the hybrid modem 2 or the terminal device. 3 and two-way communication. The coaxial line communication unit 142 outputs a packet received from the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3 to the external network communication unit 13 and transmits a packet input from the external network communication unit 13 to the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3. To do.

For example, the telephone line communication unit 143 is connected to the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3 via a telephone line wired in the house, and performs wired communication via the telephone line with the hybrid modem 2 or the terminal device 3. Do. Further, the telephone line communication unit 143 outputs a packet received from the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3 to the external network communication unit 13 and transmits a packet input from the external network communication unit 13 to the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3. To do.
For example, the wireless communication unit 144 operates as a wireless LAN access point defined by IEEE 802.11, and performs bidirectional wireless communication with the terminal device 3. The wireless communication unit 144 outputs a packet received from the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3 to the external network communication unit 13 and transmits a packet input from the external network communication unit 13 to the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal device 3.

The control unit 15 includes a band measurement unit 151 and a band adjustment unit 152. The band measuring unit 151 measures the communication band assigned to each terminal device 3 in each of the power line communication unit 141, the coaxial line communication unit 142, the telephone line communication unit 143, and the wireless communication unit 144, and the measurement result is connected. The data is stored in the storage unit 11. Further, the band measuring unit 151 calculates a free band in each communication medium (wireless, power line, coaxial line, and telephone line) based on the measurement result, and stores the calculated free band in the connection state storage unit 11. The band measuring unit 151 performs the above-described measurement at a predetermined cycle, and updates the band information based on the measurement result as described above. Note that the measurement of the communication band by the band measuring unit 151 is calculated based on the packet transmitted from the terminal device 3 to be measured and the size per unit time of the packet transmitted to the terminal device 3.
When the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 receives a connection request via wireless from the terminal device 3, the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 maintains the communication quality in communication with the already connected terminal device 3 and connects the terminal device 3 that transmitted the request. It is determined whether or not it can be performed, and the interface unit 14 and the terminal device 3 are controlled according to the determination result.

  The hybrid modem 2 (second communication device) includes a connection state storage unit 21, an internal terminal storage unit 22, an interface unit 23, an interface unit 24, and a control unit 25. The connection state storage unit 21 stores connection state information in the same manner as the connection state storage unit 11 included in the hybrid modem 1. Similar to the internal terminal storage unit 12 included in the hybrid modem 1, the internal terminal storage unit 22 stores information for identifying the internal terminal device 3 constituting the home network 5.

  The interface unit 23 includes a power line communication unit 231, a coaxial line communication unit 232, and a telephone line communication unit 233. The power line communication unit 231 is connected to the interface unit 24 and the power line communication unit 231 included in the hybrid modem 1 (master unit), and between the hybrid modem 1 and the interface unit 24 connected via the power line. Relay packets sent and received. The coaxial line communication unit 232 is connected to the interface unit 24 and the coaxial line communication unit 232 included in the hybrid modem 1. The telephone line communication unit 233 is connected to the interface unit 24 and the telephone line communication unit 143 included in the hybrid modem 1. Similarly to the power line communication unit 231, the coaxial line communication unit 232 and the telephone line communication unit 233 transmit and receive between the hybrid modem 1 and the interface unit 24 that are connected by different media (coaxial and telephone lines). Relay packets.

The interface unit 24 includes a power line communication unit 241, a coaxial line communication unit 242, a telephone line communication unit 243, and a wireless communication unit 244. The power line communication unit 241, the coaxial line communication unit 242, the telephone line communication unit 243, and the wireless communication unit 244 are respectively a power line communication unit 141, a coaxial line communication unit 142, a telephone line communication unit 143, and wireless communication that the hybrid modem 1 has. Similarly to the unit 144, it communicates with the terminal device 3 through a communication medium unique to each functional unit.
The control unit 25 includes a band measurement unit 251 and a band adjustment unit 252. The band measuring unit 251 is assigned to each terminal device 3 in each of the power line communication unit 241, the coaxial line communication unit 242, the telephone line communication unit 243, and the wireless communication unit 244, similarly to the band measurement unit 151 included in the hybrid modem 1. The communication bandwidth is measured at a predetermined cycle, and the bandwidth information stored in the connection state storage unit 21 is updated based on the measurement result. Further, the band measuring unit 251 transmits the wireless free band in the own device to the band measuring unit 151 of the hybrid modem 1 and causes the connection state storage unit 11 to store the wireless free band in the hybrid modem 2.

  The terminal devices 3a to 3c are, for example, a computer, a portable information terminal, a game machine, and the like that can perform wireless communication complying with the wireless LAN standard, and are movable devices. Further, the terminal devices 3a to 3c make a communication request to the hybrid modem 1 in accordance with an operation by the user. The difference between the terminal devices 3a and 3b and the terminal device 3c is whether or not an identifier is stored in advance in the internal terminal storage unit 12 included in the hybrid modem 1.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the bandwidth adjustment processing performed by the hybrid modem 1 in the present embodiment.
In the hybrid modem 1, when the wireless communication unit 144 receives a connection request from the terminal device 3 and outputs information on the received connection request to the control unit 15, the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 and the terminal device 3 that has transmitted the connection request. It is determined whether or not a wireless band for connection is sufficient (step S101). Specifically, the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 determines a free wireless bandwidth (“E1” in FIG. 2) from the bandwidth information stored in the connection state storage unit 11 and a communication bandwidth ( In FIG. 2, “N0”) is read out, and it is determined whether or not the free band (E1) is equal to or greater than the communication band “N0” assigned to the terminal device 3.

If the radio band is sufficient (step S101: YES), the band adjustment unit 152 advances the process to step S111. On the other hand, when the radio band is not sufficient (step S101: NO), the band adjusting unit 152 uses the band information (“E2”, “E” in FIG. E3 "or" E4 ") is determined whether or not the communication band is" N0 "or more (step S102).
When all the free bands of the wired medium are less than the communication band “N0” (step S102: NO), the band adjusting unit 152 rejects the connection of the terminal device 3 that has transmitted the connection request (step S103). The bandwidth adjustment unit 152 transmits information indicating that the connection is rejected to the terminal device 3 that has transmitted the connection request, and ends the bandwidth adjustment processing.

On the other hand, if any free band of the wired medium is equal to or greater than the communication band “N0” (step S102: YES), the band adjusting unit 152 determines whether the terminal device 3 that transmitted the connection request is the external terminal device 3. It is determined whether or not (step S104). Whether or not the terminal device 3 is an external terminal device 3 is determined based on whether or not the identifier (or IP address) of the terminal device 3 included in the connection request is stored in the internal terminal storage unit 12. When the terminal device 3 that has transmitted the connection request is not the external terminal device 3 (step S104: YES), the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 advances the process to step S106.
On the other hand, when the terminal device 3 is the external terminal device 3 (step S104: NO), the bandwidth adjusting unit 152 allocates the communication bandwidth to the terminal device 3, and then assigns the communication bandwidth to the external terminal device 3. Is less than or equal to the upper limit “Nmax” of the bandwidth allocated to the external terminal device 3 (step S105). Specifically, the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 determines the communication bandwidth (“Nj”,...) Allocated to the external terminal device 3 from the external terminal device information stored in the connection state storage unit 11 and the communication. The sum with the band “N0” is calculated, and it is determined whether or not the calculated sum is equal to or less than the upper limit “Nmax” of the communication band to be allocated to the external terminal device 3.

When it is larger than the upper limit value “Nmax” of the bandwidth allocated to the external terminal device 3 (step S105: NO), the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 proceeds to step S103 and sends information indicating that the connection is rejected to the terminal device 3. Transmit, and the bandwidth adjustment processing ends.
On the other hand, when the bandwidth allocated to the external terminal device 3 is less than or equal to the upper limit value “Nmax” (step S105: YES), the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 from the terminal device 3 that is already communicating with the own device via wireless communication, The terminal device 3 that switches the connection destination to the hybrid modem 2 is selected (step S106).
The selection of the terminal apparatus 3 in step S106 selects at least one of the band information stored in the connection state storage unit 11 from the terminal apparatus 3 communicating with the own apparatus using radio as a communication medium. This selection is performed so that the communication band assigned to the terminal apparatus 3 that is already communicating with the own apparatus via wireless becomes equal to or higher than the communication band “N0”. Note that the priority of selection at this time may be the order in which the connection time is long, the order in which the communication band is small, or the order in which the required communication quality is low.

The bandwidth adjustment unit 152 determines whether or not there is sufficient communication bandwidth in the wireless medium to switch the connection destination of the terminal device 3 selected in step S106 from the own device to the hybrid modem 2 (step S107). This determination is made based on whether or not the sum of the wireless communication bands assigned to the terminal device 3 selected in step S106 is smaller than the free communication band “Next” of the wireless communication in the hybrid modem 2.
When the sum is larger than the communication band “Next” (step S107: NO), the band adjustment unit 152 proceeds to step S103, transmits information indicating that the connection is rejected to the terminal device 3, and performs the band adjustment process. finish.

  On the other hand, when the sum is equal to or smaller than the communication band “Next” (step S107: YES), the band adjustment unit 152 deletes the information corresponding to the terminal device 3 selected in step S106 from the band information (step S108), Control information for switching the connection destination of the apparatus 3 to the hybrid modem 2 is transmitted to the hybrid modem 2 (step S109). In step S109, it is determined that the control information transmitted by the bandwidth adjustment unit 152 includes the information received from the terminal device 3 whose connection destination has been switched to the free communication bandwidth equal to or greater than the communication bandwidth “N0” in step S102. Instructions to be transferred to the own device via one of the communication media are included.

The band adjustment unit 152 outputs instruction information for disconnecting wireless communication to the terminal device 3 selected in step S106 to the wireless communication unit 144, and causes the wireless communication unit 144 to disconnect from the terminal device 3 (step). S110).
The bandwidth adjustment unit 152 transmits information that permits connection of the terminal device 3 that transmitted the connection request to the terminal device 3 via the wireless communication unit 144, and wireless communication with the terminal device 3 is performed by the wireless communication unit 144. Is started (step S111).
When the hybrid modem 2 receives the control information transmitted from the band adjustment unit 152 in step S108, the identifier (or IP address) of the terminal device 3 included in the control information received by the band adjustment unit 252 is stored in the internal terminal storage unit 22. Control is performed so that the wireless communication unit 244 is connected to the terminal device 3 wirelessly.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating a bandwidth adjustment process in the communication system 100 according to the present embodiment. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, there are three terminal devices 3 a to 3 c, the terminal devices 3 a and 3 b are already connected to the hybrid modem 1 via radio, and the terminal device 3 c is connected to the hybrid modem 1. Processing when the terminal device 3c is connected to the hybrid modem 1 via radio after the request is transmitted and the terminal devices 3a and 3b are offloaded to switch the connection destination to the hybrid modem 2 will be described.
The external terminal device 3 transmits a connection request for requesting connection to the hybrid modem 1 via wireless (step S201).

In the hybrid modem 1, the band adjustment unit 152 detects that the radio free band is insufficient, determines to offload the already connected terminal devices 3a and 3b (step S202), and the terminal device The hybrid modem 2 is notified of control information indicating that the connection destination of 3a and 3b is the hybrid modem 2 and that off-loading is performed to ensure a free wireless band of the hybrid modem 1 (step S203).
The bandwidth adjustment unit 152 outputs instruction information for disconnecting the connection with the terminal devices 3a and 3b to the wireless communication unit 144, and disconnects the connection with the terminal devices 3a and 3b (step S204).

When the connection between the wireless communication unit 144 included in the hybrid modem 1 and the terminal devices 3a and 3b is disconnected, the band adjusting unit 252 in the hybrid modem 2 causes the terminal device 3a included in the control information received in step S203. 3b is stored in the internal terminal storage unit 22 and the wireless communication unit 244 is controlled to connect the terminal devices 3a and 3b (step S205).
The wireless communication unit 244 transmits a connection request to the terminal devices 3a and 3b (step S206). Thereafter, the hybrid modem 2 and the terminal devices 3a and 3b perform communication via wireless, and the hybrid modem 2 The communication (packet) between the modem 1 and the terminal devices 3a and 3b is relayed via a wired medium.
The hybrid modem 1 transmits information for permitting connection to the terminal device 3c, and assigns the free wireless bandwidth secured by offloading the terminal devices 3a and 3b to the hybrid modem 2 to the terminal device 3c for wireless communication. This is performed (step S207).

As described above, when the hybrid modem 1 receives a connection request from the terminal device 3 and there is no wireless communication band to be allocated to the terminal device 3, the hybrid modem 1 has already performed wireless communication with the own device. 3 is controlled to change the connection destination to the hybrid modem 2.
As a result, the hybrid modem 1 can secure a wireless communication band allocated to the terminal device 3 that has newly transmitted a connection request, and provides a connection environment to the external network to the terminal device 3 that has transmitted the connection request. can do. Further, since the hybrid modem 2 allocates the same wireless communication band as that during the switching of the connection destination to the terminal device 3 whose connection destination is switched to the hybrid modem 2, it is not affected by the newly connected terminal device 3, Communication speed and communication quality can be maintained.
In this way, by switching the connection destination of the terminal device 3 in the home already connected to the hybrid modem 1 to the hybrid modem 2 and performing offloading to reduce the load on the hybrid modem 1, the terminal device 3 in the home Connection to the hybrid modem 1 can be provided to the external terminal device 3 without degrading the communication quality.

In the above-described embodiment, when the hybrid modem 1 receives a connection request from the terminal device 3, the hybrid modem 1 determines whether or not to connect the terminal device 3 and is already connected via radio. The configuration for determining whether or not the terminal device 3 is offloaded to the hybrid modem 2 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the band information stored in the connection state storage unit 11, when the free area for the radio becomes less than the predetermined communication band “Nth”, the connection is already established via the radio. The terminal device 3 may be offloaded to the hybrid modem 2. In this case, instead of securing the bandwidth of the communication bandwidth “N0”, the terminal device 3 to be offloaded is selected so as to secure the bandwidth of “Nth”. Thereby, in the hybrid modem 1, the opportunity which can connect the terminal device 3 via a radio | wireless can be increased, and a user's convenience can be improved.
Further, when the application in the terminal device 3 is activated, the hybrid modem 1 may determine whether to offload the terminal device 3 that is already connected to the hybrid modem 2 via radio. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the terminal devices 3a and 3b perform wireless communication with the hybrid modem 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the terminal devices 3a and 3b and the hybrid modem 1 may be connected via any one of a power line, a coaxial line, and a telephone line. In this case, instead of securing the wireless communication band by offloading the terminal devices 3a and 3b to the hybrid modem 2, the communication between the terminal devices 3a and 3b and the hybrid modem 1 is switched to a wired medium. You may make it ensure the radio | wireless communication band allocated to the terminal device 3 connected to.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which one selected wired medium is used when relaying a packet between the hybrid modem 1 and the hybrid modem 2 when the terminal device 3 is offloaded has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of wired media may be bundled and used. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, when the terminal devices 3 a and 3 b are offloaded to the hybrid modem 2, communication between the hybrid modem 1 and the hybrid modem 2 is performed using the power line and the coaxial line as a communication medium. Also good. As a result, a wide communication band can be offloaded to the hybrid modem 2, and the wireless communication band that can be provided from the hybrid modem 1 can be expanded.

  In the above-described embodiment, when it is determined that there is no radio band to be allocated to the newly connected terminal device 3, the control unit 15 determines that the band adjustment unit 152 has already performed wireless communication. The allocated communication band may be reduced, and a radio band allocated to the newly connected terminal device 3 may be secured. At this time, the terminal device 3 that reduces the bandwidth has a predetermined amount of communication bandwidth in order from the QoS (communication quality request) of communication being performed, the terminal device 3 having a low priority, and the terminal device 3 having a long connection time. May be reduced (for example, the allocated communication bandwidth is halved).

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the hybrid modem 2 is connected to the hybrid modem 1 has been described. The terminal device 3 connected to the hybrid modem 2 connected to the hybrid modem 1 via radio may be offloaded to another hybrid modem 2. In this case, the band adjustment process performed by the hybrid modem 2 is the same as the band adjustment process shown in FIG. By connecting the hybrid modems 2 in cascade, by preparing a plurality of destinations where the terminal device 3 can be offloaded, the wireless communication band that can be provided to the outside can be expanded. When another hybrid modem 2 is connected to the hybrid modem 2 as a slave unit, the interface unit 23 of the hybrid modem 2 as a slave unit is connected to the interface unit 24 of the hybrid modem 2 as the master unit.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the hybrid modem 2 includes the interface unit 23 connected to the hybrid modem 1 (upper side) and the interface unit 24 connected to the terminal device 3 (lower side) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration including one interface unit that can be connected to the hybrid modem 1 and the terminal device 3 may be employed. Also, the interface unit 23 connected to the upper side and the interface unit 24 connected to the lower side are provided, but the interface unit 23 and the interface unit 24 share one physical terminal for connecting a wired communication medium. You may do it.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the terminal device 3 is stored in advance in the internal terminal storage unit 12 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the bandwidth adjustment unit 151 stores the number of times each terminal device 3 is connected to the hybrid modem 1 or the hybrid modem 2 in the internal terminal storage unit 12, and connects more than a predetermined number of times. The performed terminal device 3 may be determined to be the internal terminal device 3, and the terminal device 3 having the number of connections less than a predetermined number may be determined to be the external terminal device. Thereby, the effort which memorize | stores the internal terminal device 3 in the internal terminal memory | storage part 12 previously can be saved, and a user's convenience can be improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the terminal device 3 is connected to the hybrid modem 1 and the hybrid modem 2 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and communication with respect to the hybrid modem 1 or the hybrid modem 2 is performed with respect to other communication devices. It is also possible to connect a relay device that provides
Moreover, although the above-mentioned embodiment demonstrated the structure which memorize | stores the communication band allocated to the newly connected terminal device 3 in the connection state memory | storage part 11, it is not restricted to this, every application executed in the terminal device 3 The communication bandwidth allocated to the connection state storage unit 11 may be stored. Thereby, efficient bandwidth allocation can be performed.

  A program for realizing the functions of the first communication device (hybrid modem 1) and the second communication device (hybrid modem 2) in the present invention is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the recording medium is recorded on this recording medium. The bandwidth adjustment processing (FIG. 3) may be performed by causing the computer system to read and execute the recorded program. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. The “computer system” includes a WWW system having a homepage providing environment (or display environment). The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a storage device such as a flexible medium, a magneto-optical disk, a portable medium such as a ROM and a CD-ROM, and a hard disk incorporated in a computer system. Further, the “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a volatile memory (RAM) in a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In addition, those holding programs for a certain period of time are also included.

  The program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, the “transmission medium” for transmitting the program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, and what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Hybrid modem 2 ... Hybrid modem 3, 3a, 3b, 3c ... Terminal device 5 ... In-home network 11, 21 ... Connection state memory | storage part 12, 22 ... Internal terminal memory | storage part 13 ... External network communication part 14, 23, 24 ... Interface unit 15, 25 ... Control unit 141, 231, 241 ... Power line communication unit 142, 232, 242 ... Coaxial line communication unit 143, 233, 243 ... Telephone line communication unit 144, 244 ... Wireless communication unit 151, 251 ... Band measurement Units 152, 252 ... Band adjustment unit 100 ... Communication system

Claims (6)

A first communication device that communicates with a terminal device by either wired communication or wireless communication, and a first communication device that performs wired communication with the first communication device and communicates with the terminal device by either wired communication or wireless communication. A communication system comprising two communication devices,
The first communication device is:
When a request for wireless communication is received from a new terminal device, it is determined whether or not a communication band to be allocated to the terminal device remains. If no communication band to be allocated to the terminal device remains, wireless communication with the own device has already been performed. A control system comprising: a control unit that performs control to switch to wired communication that performs communication with the terminal device that is being performed or switches to communication via the second communication device. The communication system according to claim 1,
The controller is
For each terminal device communicating with its own device, measure the allocated communication band, store the measurement result in the connection state storage unit,
When a communication band to be allocated to the terminal device does not remain when a request for wireless communication is received from the new terminal device, based on the measurement result, among the terminal devices already performing wireless communication with the own device. A terminal device that switches to wired communication or a terminal device that switches to communication via the second communication device is selected. A communication system according to claim 1 or claim 2,
There are a plurality of communication media in the wired communication,
The controller is
A communication system, wherein one of the plurality of communication media is selected based on a communication band assigned to the new terminal device. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The controller is
A communication system for reducing a communication band for a terminal apparatus having a low communication priority among the terminal apparatuses already performing wireless communication with the own apparatus and securing a communication band to be allocated to the new terminal apparatus. . The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The controller is
When the communication band allocated to the new terminal device cannot be secured, information indicating that connection is not permitted is transmitted to the terminal device. A first communication device that communicates with a terminal device by either wired communication or wireless communication, and a first communication device that performs wired communication with the first communication device and communicates with the terminal device by either wired communication or wireless communication. A communication control method in a communication system comprising two communication devices,
When the first communication device receives a wireless communication request from a new terminal device, it determines whether or not there is a communication band to be allocated to the terminal device, and there is no communication band to be allocated to the terminal device. And a control step of controlling to switch to wired communication, which switches communication with the terminal device already performing wireless communication with its own device, or to communication via the second communication device. Communication control method.

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