JP2013255187A - Communication cooperation system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication cooperation technique capable of establishing communication of a communication terminal with an available communication network even when communication between the communication terminal and a mobile communication apparatus such as a tethering function is disconnected.SOLUTION: In a communication cooperation system 1 configured to enable tethering between a communication terminal 100 and a mobile communication apparatus 200, the communication terminal 100 includes: a detection unit 101 for detecting whether the communication terminal 100 can communicate with an available communication network 150 while establishing communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication apparatus 200; and a notification unit 103 for notifying the mobile communication apparatus 200 of detection result by the detection unit 101. The mobile communication apparatus 200 includes: a receiving unit 201 for receiving the detection result; a control unit 203 for terminating communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication apparatus 200 when the detection result indicates that the communication terminal 100 can communicate with the communication network 150.

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal that communicates with a mobile communication network by a mobile communication device while communication between the communication terminal and a mobile communication device capable of communication with the mobile communication network is established. The present invention relates to a communication cooperation technology configured to be capable of transmitting and receiving information.

  For example, using the tethering function of a mobile phone terminal having a tethering function to connect another mobile terminal to a network as a slave unit of a mobile phone terminal with a tethering function (cooperation between a mobile phone terminal with a tethering function and a mobile terminal) If a mobile phone terminal with a tethering function always performs beacon transmission as a communication trigger with a mobile terminal (mobile terminal slave unit), there is a problem in terms of power consumption. For this reason, it is conceivable to reduce power consumption by transmitting a beacon only when necessary.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, the tethering function (beacon transmission) is turned OFF when the mobile terminal slave unit and the mobile phone terminal with the tethering function are in the area of the public wireless LAN or the home wireless LAN access point. In addition, a technique is disclosed in which the mobile terminal slave unit directly communicates with a public wireless LAN or the like instead of via tethering to reduce power consumption of the mobile phone terminal with a tethering function.

JP 2010-114743 A

  According to Patent Document 1, a function for detecting a surrounding wireless LAN environment such as a public wireless LAN is performed by a mobile phone (mobile communication device) with a tethering function, and the tethering function is turned on according to the detection result. / OFF switching control is performed. However, if the portable terminal slave unit (communication terminal) that communicates directly with the public wireless LAN cannot properly capture the public wireless LAN at the next timing after the tethering function is turned off, the portable terminal slave unit does not go through tethering. A state in which communication cannot be performed until the public wireless LAN or the like can be captured occurs (that is, the communication path of the portable terminal slave unit does not smoothly switch from tethering to public wireless LAN).

  In view of such a situation, the present invention establishes communication with a communication network that can be used more reliably even when communication between a communication terminal such as a tethering function and a mobile communication device is disconnected. It aims at providing the communication cooperation technology which can do.

  The present invention includes a communication terminal and a mobile communication device capable of communication with a mobile communication network, and a mobile communication network by a mobile communication device while communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established. The communication cooperation system is configured so that the communication terminal can send and receive information via the communication of the communication terminal, and the communication terminal communicates while the communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established. The mobile communication device includes a detection unit that detects whether or not communication with a communication network that can be used by the terminal is possible, and a notification unit that notifies the mobile communication device of a detection result by the detection unit, and the mobile communication device receives the detection result Including a receiving unit and a control unit that terminates communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device when the detection result indicates that communication with a communication network that can be used by the communication terminal is possible. Yes.

  In addition, the communication device includes a communication terminal and a mobile communication device capable of communication with the mobile communication network, and communication between the mobile communication device and the mobile communication network is performed while communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established. Is a communication cooperation method in a communication cooperation system configured to allow a communication terminal to send and receive information via the communication terminal, wherein the communication terminal detection means establishes communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device. A detection step for detecting whether or not communication with a communication network that can be used by the communication terminal is possible, and a notification in which the notification means of the communication terminal notifies the mobile communication device of the detection result obtained in the detection step A reception step in which the reception unit of the mobile communication device receives the detection result, and a control unit of the mobile communication device indicates that the detection result can communicate with a communication network that can be used by the communication terminal. thing In some cases, and a control step of terminating the communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device.

  In the detection step, the detection may be performed regularly or irregularly, and the notification step may be performed every time the detection step is executed. Alternatively, the notification step may be executed when the detection result obtained in the detection step indicates that communication with a communication network that can be used by the communication terminal is possible.

  According to the present invention, since the communication terminal has a function of detecting whether or not communication with a communication network that can be used by the communication terminal is possible while communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established, the tethering is performed. Even if the communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device such as the function is disconnected, it is possible to establish the communication between the communication terminal and the communication network that can be used by the communication terminal more reliably.

The block diagram of the communication cooperation system of embodiment. The sequence diagram which shows cooperation between a communication terminal, a mobile communication apparatus, a communication network, and a mobile communication network. A processing flow in a communication terminal and a mobile communication device.

  The communication cooperation system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention includes a communication terminal 100 and a mobile communication device 200 that can communicate with a mobile communication network 250. Although the communication cooperation system 1 may include a plurality of communication terminals 100 and a plurality of mobile communication devices 200, from the viewpoint of explaining the main points of the present invention, in the embodiment, the communication cooperation system 1 includes one communication terminal 100 and one communication terminal 100. The case where the mobile communication device 200 is included is illustrated. Even if the communication cooperation system 1 includes one or more communication terminals 100 and one or more mobile communication devices 200, one communication terminal 100 and one mobile communication device 200 corresponding to the communication terminal 100 are included. In the meantime, the explanation of the following embodiment is valid.

  In the communication cooperation system 1, the communication terminal 100 transmits and receives information via communication with the mobile communication network 250 by the mobile communication device 200 while communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 is established. A configuration in which the tethering function is realized can be exemplified as such a configuration. Since the technology for establishing communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 using the tethering function is the same as the conventional technology, the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the communication terminal 100 includes a detection unit 101 and a notification unit 103 as functional components, and the mobile communication device 200 includes a reception unit 201 and a control unit 203 as functional components. I have.

  The detection unit 101 of the communication terminal 100 detects whether communication with the communication network 150 that can be used by the communication terminal 100 is possible while the communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 is established. To do. In this detection process, for example, when there are a plurality of communication networks 150 that can be used by the communication terminal 100, a communication network search process, monitoring of reception sensitivity for the communication network 150, connection possibility to the communication network 150, etc. Communication processing is included.

  The notification unit 103 of the communication terminal 100 has a function of notifying the mobile communication device 200 of the detection result obtained by the detection unit 101. It should be noted that, as a means for realizing this function, it is not intended that hardware responsible for only this function is required. For example, in an environment where the tethering function is ON, a communication unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 100 is connected. Since communication is established with the communication unit (not shown) of the mobile communication device 200, the communication unit of the communication terminal 100 can replace the notification unit 103 (that is, communication of the communication terminal 100). When the function and processing of the unit are observed, the communication unit can be evaluated as the notification unit 103 in a situation where the communication unit transmits the detection result to the mobile communication device 200).

  The receiving unit 201 of the mobile communication device 200 has a function of receiving the detection result from the communication terminal 100. It should be noted that, as a means for realizing this function, it is not intended that hardware responsible for only this function is required. For example, in an environment where the tethering function is ON, a communication unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 100 is connected. Since communication is established with the communication unit (not shown) of the mobile communication device 200, the communication unit of the mobile communication device 200 can replace the reception unit 201 (that is, the mobile communication device 200). When the function and processing of the communication unit are observed, the communication unit can be evaluated as the receiving unit 201 in a situation where the communication unit receives the detection result from the communication terminal 100).

  The control unit 203 of the mobile communication device 200 performs communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 when the detection result received by the reception unit 201 represents that the communication terminal 100 can communicate with the communication network 150. Has the function to terminate. In the above example, the process for turning off the tethering function corresponds to this end process.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the communication cooperation process based on the above-described configuration will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that communication is established between the communication terminal 100 and the communication network 150 (for example, a wireless LAN) in the communication cooperation system 1 (step S1).

  From this state, it is assumed that communication between the communication terminal 100 and the communication network 150 is disconnected along with the movement of the user (step S2). At this time, for example, the tethering function of the mobile communication device 200 is used to establish communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200, and during this time, the mobile communication device 200 communicates with the mobile communication network 250. Thus, the communication terminal 100 can transmit and receive information (step S3).

  In this state, that is, in a state where communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 is established, the processing shown in FIG. 3 is performed between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200.

  The detection unit 101 of the communication terminal 100 detects whether or not communication with the communication network 150 that can be used by the communication terminal 100 other than the communication path during tethering is possible (step S41a). Then, the notification unit 103 of the communication terminal 100 transmits the detection result to the mobile communication device 200, and the reception unit 201 of the mobile communication device 200 receives the detection result (step S41b). When the detection process is performed regularly or irregularly, the process of step S41b is executed every time the process of step S41a is executed. Alternatively, when the detection result obtained in the process of step S41a represents that communication with the communication network 150 that can be used by the communication terminal 100 is possible, the process of step S41b is executed. Also good.

  The control unit 203 of the mobile communication device 200 determines whether or not the detection result received by the receiving unit 201 represents that the communication terminal 100 can communicate with the communication network 150 (step S42b). If it represents that “the communication terminal 100 cannot communicate with the communication network 150”, control is performed to perform the process of step S41a, and this determination result indicates that “the communication terminal 100 can communicate with the communication network 150”. In the case where it represents, processing for terminating communication (tethering) between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 is performed (step S51b). When executing the termination process, for example, before the tethering function is terminated, the communication unit (not shown) of the mobile communication device 200 is connected to the communication unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 100. The end information of the tethering function may be notified.

  On the other hand, the control unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 100 determines whether or not communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 can be continued (step S42a). In this determination processing, for example, when a control unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 100 receives tethering function end information from the mobile communication device 200 or from the mobile communication device 200 for maintaining the tethering function. When it becomes impossible to receive the transmitted beacon, it is determined that communication (tethering) between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 cannot be continued. When a control unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 100 determines that communication (tethering) between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 can be continued, control is performed to execute the process of step S41a.

  When the control unit (not shown) of the communication terminal 100 determines that communication (tethering) between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 cannot be continued, the detection obtained in the process of step S41a. Based on the result, processing for establishing communication with the communication network 150 is performed (step S51a).

  Referring to FIG. 2 again, from the state in step S3, that is, the state in which the communication between the communication terminal 100 and the communication network 150 is disconnected, the communication terminal 100 and the communication network again with the movement of the user. When the communication with the communication network 150 is possible, the detection result that the communication terminal 100 detects that the communication with the communication network 150 can be performed is sent to the mobile communication device 200 by the above-described processing shown in FIG. (Steps S41a, S41b, S4), communication (tethering) between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 is terminated by the mobile communication device 200 (Steps S51b, S5), and communication between the communication terminal 100 and the communication network 150 is performed. Is established (steps S51a and S6).

  Then, it is assumed that communication between the communication terminal 100 and the communication network 150 is disconnected again from this state as the user moves (step S7). At this time, for example, the tethering function of the mobile communication device 200 is used to establish communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200, and during this time, the mobile communication device 200 communicates with the mobile communication network 250. Thus, the communication terminal 100 can transmit and receive information (step S8). After step S8, the same processing as that from step S3 to step S6 is performed.

  As described above, the function of detecting whether or not communication with the communication network 150 that can be used by the communication terminal 100 is possible while the communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 is established is a communication terminal. Therefore, even if communication between the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 such as the tethering function is disconnected, communication between the communication terminal 100 and the communication network 150 can be established more reliably.

<Hardware configuration>
The hardware configuration of the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 will be outlined. These include, for example, a CPU that executes an operating system, application programs, and the like, a storage unit that includes a ROM and a RAM, a communication unit that communicates with the communication network 150 or the mobile communication network 250, and a liquid crystal monitor. And a hardware configuration including an input unit configured with input keys and the like. A predetermined program stored in the storage unit and data necessary for the processing of the program are read into a RAM or the like as necessary, and are interpreted and executed / processed by the CPU. As a result, the CPU performs a predetermined function (detection unit, Control part). The operation of the notification unit and the reception unit is controlled under the control of the CPU.

<Appendix>
There is no particular limitation on the communication network 150 or the mobile communication network 250, and the case where the communication network 150 is the same as the mobile communication network 250 is not excluded. Examples of the communication terminal 100 and the mobile communication device 200 include a mobile phone, a portable information terminal, a portable music player, and a portable game machine, but there are no particular limitations.

Claims (4)

A communication terminal and a mobile communication device capable of communicating with a mobile communication network, and the mobile communication network by the mobile communication device while communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established. A communication cooperation system configured such that the communication terminal can send and receive information via the communication of
The communication terminal
Detecting means for detecting whether communication with a communication network available for the communication terminal is possible while communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established;
Notification means for notifying the mobile communication device of the detection result by the detection means,
The mobile communication device is
Receiving means for receiving the detection result;
Control means for terminating communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device when the detection result indicates that communication with the communication network available to the communication terminal is possible Communication linkage system. A communication terminal and a mobile communication device capable of communicating with a mobile communication network, and the mobile communication network by the mobile communication device while communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established. A communication cooperation method in a communication cooperation system configured such that the communication terminal can send and receive information via the communication of:
A detecting step for detecting whether the communication terminal is capable of communicating with a communication network available to the communication terminal while communication between the communication terminal and the mobile communication device is established; ,
A notification step in which the notification means of the communication terminal notifies the mobile communication device of the detection result obtained in the detection step;
A receiving step in which the receiving means of the mobile communication device receives the detection result;
When the detection result indicates that the communication result can be communicated with the communication network that the communication terminal can use, the control means of the mobile communication device can connect the communication terminal and the mobile communication device. A communication cooperation method comprising a control step of terminating communication. In the communication cooperation method according to claim 2,
In the detection step, the detection is performed regularly or irregularly,
The communication cooperation method, wherein the notification step is executed every time the detection step is executed. In the communication cooperation method according to claim 2,
The notification step is executed when the detection result obtained in the detection step indicates that communication with the communication network that can be used by the communication terminal is possible. Communication linkage method.

Images