JP3800531B2 - State information sharing / processing method and system for communication applications - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an application that is connected to a communication network and in which a user shares information such as characters, sounds, moving images, or other files with a communication partner, and an information processing method and system in an application execution environment. In particular, users can connect to multiple types of networks and move with the terminal so that when switching the connection status to these networks frequently, applications that meet the connection status and user requests The present invention relates to a state information sharing / processing method and system between communication applications for automating the setting process and improving user convenience.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, an instant message (IM) that transmits a short message directly to a partner computer without using a server like an e-mail has been used. In this case, since no server is used, the transmitting and receiving terminals that exchange messages must be simultaneously connected to the network.
In an application program (denoted as an application) that transmits and receives information between a plurality of users using a communication network including such an IM, whether or not the communication partner uses a specific application, Alternatively, by sharing information such as whether or not connected to a communication network, there is a growing tendency to know the situation of the other party and to transmit and receive information to and from the other party.
[0003]
In this way, presence information sharing technology is also provided to the market so that users can share information (presence information) indicating the user's status and the application being used, and users can communicate accordingly. Is being used.
On the other hand, with the spread of the Internet network in recent years, in addition to a method for connecting to a wired communication network such as a public telephone network or a LAN, a communication network can be used by a method suitable for the current situation when a user moves. Various wireless communication services such as Bluetooth communication, wireless LAN communication based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, infrared communication, digital cellular phone communication, and PHS data communication are used in response to the need to connect to the Internet.
[0004]
The user's terminal has a plurality of communication devices on the terminal for connecting to each network in order to properly use the communication network according to the user's situation and communication cost. It is also done differently.
In such a situation, the user is not always connected to the network, and the information route between the users and the available network quality frequently change. A roaming technique is used as a technique for maintaining a communication session with a communication partner even when a network to which a user connects changes.
[0005]
In roaming technology, for example, mobile phone operators belong to different companies by region, but each user roams with the same group of operators in other regions, so the user is the operator with whom he has a contract. Mobile phone service can be used outside the service area. In this case, since the charge system varies depending on the provider, the charge system differs when the service is used at the roaming destination. Also, when the user travels abroad, the roaming service can be provided as it is, but the usage fee is billed in a lump sum from the party with whom the user has contracted in Japan.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, in the situation where the connection to the wireless communication service for connecting to the communication network is frequently switched, the optimum application behavior differs depending on the connection state of each communication network. As an example, if the available bandwidth is drastically reduced due to switching from the wireless LAN communication service to the PHS data communication service, the application loses information unless the transfer rate is reduced by reducing the data to be transmitted and received. Therefore, a desired operation cannot be expected. In addition, when the available bandwidth of the communication network decreases while using a mobile terminal, manual settings such as re-setting to receive information on another terminal are required to prevent the transfer time from extending for a long time. Necessary.
[0007]
In the conventional presence information sharing technology, it is possible to share the connection status to the communication network between users. However, there is no technology that reflects information such as the usage status and available bandwidth of the communication network, and the user needs to manually change the application settings based on the obtained presence information. If the connection status changes frequently, the operation becomes complicated.
Therefore, if it is possible to provide a technology for reflecting information such as the use status of the communication network and the available bandwidth in the presence information and automating the application setting change based on the presence information, the convenience of the application user can be improved. it can.
[0008]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, when the user selects another preference information, when the type of communication device to be used is changed, when the communication quality of the network changes, or when sharing When the type of information to be changed changes, different application setting information and presence information are output in accordance with them, and are shared with other users by the presence information generation function, thereby making the application convenient It is an object of the present invention to provide a state information sharing / processing method and system between communication applications capable of improving the performance.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the state information sharing / processing method between communication applications of the present invention can be used in an application connected to a communication network and sharing information with a communication partner and its execution environment. Network communication quality, the type of communication device being used, the type and size of information to be shared, and the functions that can be obtained from the network, user terminal, and application connected to each other, the communication quality of the available network, and the usage Information (preference information) that describes communication status conditions based on the communication device type, shared information type and size, and the corresponding application setting information pair. By selecting one of multiple preferences information, the user status Based on the selected preference information and the function that provides the means to reflect the application settings corresponding to conditions such as available network communication quality, the type of communication device being used, the type and size of information to be shared Extract information, generate information (presence information) that represents the user's status and the application in use based on this information, share it between applications on the user terminal, share presence information, and use And a function of automatically performing application setting processing based on preference information selected by the user.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Functional structure and prerequisites)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an access network selection system showing an embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numerals 101 and 102 denote a user terminal 1 and user terminals 2, 113 and 114, respectively, directions of application data transmission / reception, 109 a presence information sharing function, and 112 a communication network. Applications 103 and 104 are built in the user terminals 101 and 102, and presence information processing functions 105 and 106 are included in these applications 103 and 104. Also, in each of the terminals 101 and 102, presence information generation functions 107 and 108 and communication device state detection functions 110 and 111 are stored.
[0011]
The state information sharing / processing method between communication applications according to the present invention is realized by an access network selection system mounted on the user terminal 1. The access network selection system is realized by configuring each function in FIG. FIG. 1 schematically shows communication between a pair of user terminals 101 and 102.
The access network selection system includes communication device state detection functions 110 and 111, presence information generation functions 107 and 108, presence information sharing function 109, and presence information processing functions 105 and 106. Realized as software that runs on
[0012]
Examples of the user terminals 101 and 102 include general-purpose mobile terminals such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), mobile phones, and notebook personal computers. Examples of communication devices include Bluetooth communication devices, wireless LAN devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, infrared communication devices, digital mobile phone connection communication devices, PHS data communication devices, and the like for connecting user terminals to the Internet. A hardware device.
[0013]
The presence information generation functions 107 and 108 are based on the user status of “moving”, “waiting”, “busy”, and “free”, and the communication device connection status obtained through the communication device status detection function. In addition, presence information is generated and shared with other users using the presence information sharing function 109. The presence information is information describing an application that can be used at present and a means for transmitting information to the application. When the communication partner terminal receives the presence information, the presence information processing functions 105 and 106 perform selection processing of information transmission destinations and access networks for each application based on the presence information, thereby performing application setting processing reflecting the presence information. Realize. By transmitting different presence information according to the usage environment, fee, communication band, communication quality, etc., the user can change the application settings based on these conditions.
[0014]
Examples of applications 103 and 104 that are used by a user to exchange information with a communication partner via arrows 113 and 114 include IM (instance message), e-mail, and terminals that exchange character information immediately. Examples include voice communication, image communication between terminals, groupware application, file sharing between users, and location information sharing application.
[0015]
Among the user terminals that use the access network selection system according to the present invention, a common application type is defined for each application. The application type is represented by a character string such as “Instant Message”, “File Sharing”, “Location AP” (location information sharing application) or the like.
User identification information is used as information for each application of the user to refer to each other. The user identification information can be described by writing the application type, user name, and unique domain name using a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) or the like.
[0016]
(Communication device status detection function)
Obtaining the communication device type being used from the user terminal is realized by the communication device state detection function.
The communication device status detection functions 110 and 111 acquire information on communication devices attached to the user terminals 101 and 102, and manage the availability and status information of each communication device.
As an example, in the case of a communication device using wireless, such as Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11 standard wireless LAN, the communication device accesses the communication device by inquiring information about the radio wave strength of the access point and the connection possibility. It is possible to detect whether it is available through the point. Further, by operating the activation state of the layer 2 interface through the OS of the user terminals 101 and 102, it is possible to acquire the communication device type and to activate / deactivate according to the connection possibility of the communication device. .
[0017]
(Presence information generation function)
In the state information sharing / processing method between communication applications of the present invention, information for representing an application currently used by each user is called presence information.
Presence information can be described using a standard presence information description method such as IMPP (Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol) specification which is an IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) draft specification. The description of presence information by IMPP is information description using the XML (extensible Markup Language) standard, and for available applications, one or more pairs of application types and user identification information are linked. ing. It is also possible to additionally define additional information about the application by using the XML standard.
[0018]
(Preference information)
In the state information sharing / processing method between communication applications of the present invention, it is assumed that the user presets preference information as user setting information for generating presence information. Presence information is generated by presence information generation functions 107 and 108 of the terminals 101 and 102 according to conditions such as available communication devices, user status, application types, and types and sizes of data to be shared. A set of processing logic necessary for automatically setting the communication environment, and is managed as internal information of the terminals 101 and 102.
[0019]
The preference information can be described as a correspondence table between “conditions” and “processing”. As information indicating the “condition” in the preference information, (1) the application type such as “IM”, “File Sharing”, “Location AP”, etc. is expressed by a text string, (2) “text-message”, A type of content data such as “video”, “audio”, “presence info”, “location info”, etc., expressed as a text string, (3) data transferred in units such as “kilobytes” Describe the size, (4) communication devices currently available on the terminal, etc. As information indicating “processing” in the preference information, user identification information as a destination is described.
[0020]
The preference information is used in the process of generating presence information and receiving general-purpose messages. Based on the order (number order) of the “conditions” described in the preference information, the corresponding “process” is selected. Therefore, when a message or data meets a plurality of “conditions”, a message or data having a lower order is preferentially applicable.
[0021]
Next, description examples of preference information will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the figure, preference information is marked in a table composed of “condition” and “processing”.
The preference information in FIGS. 2 to 4 uses both a portable terminal carried by the user and a fixed terminal at home, and automatically sets the destination of received data according to the user status, available communication device / data size, etc. Is assumed to be used in a situation where switching is performed automatically.
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a description example (1) of the preference information table in the present invention.
The preference information is used in situations where the destination of received data is automatically switched according to the user status, available communication device, data size, etc., using both the mobile terminal carried by the user and the fixed terminal at home. It is assumed to be used.
The preference information 201 in FIG. 2 is described as ID = “P01”, Name = “NotBusy, Accept Files”. “Since the mobile terminal is being used, there is a limitation, but the file is not received because it is not busy. Represents the state of being "made." The first line is a description of “IM”, −, −, “WLAN, PHS”. For IM (instant message), if it is a text message, the communication device is used in the priority order of wireless LAN, PHS, Indicates that you want to receive it on your mobile device.
[0023]
In the second line of FIG. 2, the description of “File Sharing”, “mp3, audio”, “300”, “WLAN, PHS” can be used even if the wireless LAN cannot be used if the file is 300 KBytes or less. If there is, it means that it is preferable to receive it on a portable terminal without transferring it to a fixed terminal.
The third line indicates that if the file is 5000 KByte or less (for reasons such as the storage capacity of the mobile terminal), the file is received by the mobile terminal if the wireless LAN is usable.
In the second to fourth lines, this portable terminal means that it wants to receive an MP3-audio format file (for example, video display is impossible due to terminal capability but audio playback is possible).
The fifth line indicates that a file that does not satisfy the above condition is desired to be transferred to a fixed terminal. The “Location AP” information indicates that it is not received by the mobile terminal or the fixed terminal.
[0024]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a description example (2) of the preference information table in the present invention.
The preference information 301 shown in FIG. 3 is a description of ID = “PO3”, Name = “Busy, Do not Disturb!”, “Because I am busy, I do not receive a file on a mobile terminal, but I can receive it if it is a text message. Represents a state. In the first line, the instant message is received by the portable terminal, and the other messages are transferred to the fixed terminal.
In the second line, “File Sharing” −, −, − indicates that the file is not received by the mobile phone, so that it is desired to be transferred to “Home PC”, that is, a fixed terminal.
[0025]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a description example (3) of the preference information table in the present invention.
The preference information 401 shown in FIG. 4 is a description of ID = “PO3”, Name = “Busy, Do not Disturb!”, And represents a state where “the mobile terminal does not receive information because it is busy”. The first and second lines indicate that all the data “IM” and “File Sharing” are to be transferred to the fixed terminal. The “Location AP” information indicates that it is not received by the mobile terminal or the fixed terminal.
[0026]
(Selection of preference information)
A plurality of preference information is prepared, and the user selects one of the plurality of preference information to reflect the processing logic desired by the user.
In the case of contract contents where the fee setting changes depending on the time zone, the presence information generation functions 107 and 108 can switch the preference information selected according to the time zone to reflect different processing logic for each time zone. It is.
[0027]
(Conversion processing from preference information to presence information)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for converting preference information to presence information according to the present invention.
Presence information generation functions 107 and 108 generate presence information by repeating the following procedure for each element (row) of the selected preference information table.
(Procedure 1) If the corresponding application is not capable of responding to the element of the selected preference information table, the process proceeds to the next element of the table (step 501).
(Procedure 2) A list of available communication devices is acquired from the communication device state detection functions 110 and 111. If the device specified in the “available communication device” column of the selected preference information table is not available, the process proceeds to the next element of the table (step 502).
[0028]
(Procedure 3) If there is no information element corresponding to the corresponding application in the presence information, it is generated and added to the presence information (step 503).
(Procedure 4) If there is an information element corresponding to the corresponding application in the presence information already generated, information on the content type and the maximum data size is added to this information element (step 504).
(Procedure 5) If the next element of the table does not exist, the preference information is described using the XML tag, outputted, and the process ends (step 505).
[0029]
(Presence information sharing function)
Presence information created by the presence information generation functions 107 and 108 is shared among users by the presence sharing function 109.
The presence sharing function 109 is realized by generating a communication session for transmitting / receiving presence information between users in advance and transmitting / receiving presence information using the communication session. The communication session can be realized by a multicast session on the Internet or an inter-group communication using a message distribution server.
In addition, sharing of presence information is realized by transmitting and receiving presence information between users when a change occurs in a predetermined time interval or selected presence information.
[0030]
(Presence information processing function)
FIG. 6 is a diagram of a selection operation screen presented to the user when receiving meta-information at the time of file transfer.
Presence information processing is realized by presence information processing functions 105 and 106 in the applications 103 and 104.
In the presence information processing functions 105 and 106, processing for determining the destination of information is performed in accordance with the presence information of the communication partner obtained in advance and the preference information of the terminal itself. Thereby, an application setting process is executed.
Applications operating on the user terminals 101 and 102 share information such as text message, session start request such as voice communication, meta information at the time of file transfer, location information, etc. between the sender and the receiver. .
[0031]
From the application 103 operating on the terminal 101 of the user who is the sender of information, the presence information of the communication partner obtained through the presence information sharing function 109, the destination of the file transmission message, the content type condition, the maximum data size, etc. Get information about conditions. Regarding conditions such as the type and size of information, it is checked whether or not the file to be transmitted meets the conditions. If the other party has announced that he / she will refuse (by presence information), a warning message indicating that the file cannot be transferred is displayed to the user who intends to send the file. If the condition is met, a file transmission message is transmitted to the destination (user identification information) specified in the presence information.
[0032]
The application 104 operating on the terminal 102 of the user who is the information receiver receives information such as a text message, a session start request such as voice communication, meta information at the time of file transfer, position information, and the like. In this case, when receiving the meta information at the time of file transfer, the content type / data size and information of the communication device in use are acquired from this meta information, and if the “condition” of the profile information is met, Receive a file. At this time, a prompt (prompt: input prompting symbol) such as 601 in FIG. 6 is displayed to the user, and the user is asked whether to receive the file, not receive it, or redirect to another terminal. It is also possible to select.
[0033]
In 601 of FIG. 6, there are description fields for the name, content type, date and file size below the file transmission message, and below that, receive, ignore, proceed and execute ˜ later. There is a button for selecting one of “Receive” and pressing OK.
As described above, the presence information processing functions 105 and 106 select the information transmission destination for each application type and user status, thereby realizing application setting processing reflecting presence information.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the present invention, the communication device status detection function obtains the communication device type being used, and the presence information generation function uses the communication device type, network communication quality, and shared information meta information. And corresponding application setting information and presence information are generated.
[0035]
As a result, according to the present invention, (1) when the user selects different preference information, (2) when the type of communication device to be used is changed, or (3) when the communication quality of the network changes Or (4) When the type of information to be shared changes, different application setting information and presence information are output according to this, and shared with other users by the presence information generation function .
[0036]
If different user identification information is defined for each communication device type, different information transfer destinations can be specified according to the connection method to the communication network, and application settings in the presence information processing function The change of setting is automatically reflected by the process. Therefore, the user does not need to change the application setting accompanying the movement of the terminal, and the convenience of the application is improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an access network selection system showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a description example (1) of a preference information table according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a description example (2) of the preference information table of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a description example (3) of the preference information table of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for converting preference information into presence information according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a selection operation screen presented to the user when receiving meta information during file transfer according to the present invention.
FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
101, 102 ... user terminal, 103, 104 ... application,
105, 106 ... presence information processing function,
107, 108 ... presence information generation function,
109 ... presence information sharing function,
110, 111 ... communication device state detection function, 112 ... communication network,
113, 114 ... Application data transmission / reception direction,
115, 116 ... delivery of presence information,
117, 118 ... sending presence information,
119, 120 ... Delivery of communication device status information,
201, 301, 401 ... preference information table,
501 to 505... Procedures 1 to 5, 601... Selection operation screen presented to the user.

Claims (7)

In a state information sharing / processing method between applications that connect to a communication network and share information between user terminals,
Obtain meta information including available network communication quality, type of communication device in use, type and size of information to be shared from the connected network, user terminal or application,
Manages preference information describing communication condition conditions based on the meta information and a pair of application setting information corresponding to the conditions. When one of the preference information is selected, the selected information is stored in the presence information. Describe in the information ,
Extracting application setting information corresponding to the condition of the communication state, generating presence information representing the user state and the application in use based on the setting information,
Share the presence information between applications on user terminals,
A state information sharing / processing method between communication applications, wherein application setting processing is performed based on shared presence information and selected preference information. The state information sharing / processing method between communication applications according to claim 1,
The user terminal is one or all of a PDA, a mobile phone, and a notebook computer,
The communication device may be any one or all of hardware devices for connecting to the Internet, such as Bluetooth communication devices, wireless LAN devices based on IEEE 802, 11 standards, infrared communication devices, digital mobile phone communication devices, PHS data communication devices, and the like. A state information sharing / processing method between communication applications. The state information sharing / processing method between communication applications according to claim 1,
In the presence information generation, the presence information is based on the state of the user indicating any of “moving”, “waiting”, “busy”, “free”, and the connection status of the communication device. A state information sharing / processing method between communication applications, characterized in that: The state information sharing / processing method between communication applications according to claim 1,
A state information sharing / processing method between communication applications, wherein the type of the application is represented by a character string. The state information sharing / processing method between communication applications according to claim 1,
The preference information includes a “condition” in which the application type is displayed as a text string, the content data type is displayed as a text string, the size of the transfer data, and all or one of the communication devices available on the terminal. A state information sharing / processing method between communication applications, which is represented as a correspondence table with “processing” describing user identification information as a destination. The state information sharing / processing method between communication applications according to claim 1,
The presence information generated generates a communication session for mutually transmitting and receiving the presence information in advance between the user terminal,
Presence information is transmitted / received by using the communication session, or by transmitting / receiving presence information between user terminals when a change occurs in a predetermined time interval or selected presence information. A state information sharing / processing method between communication applications, which is characterized by sharing between applications of each user terminal. An access network selection system having an application connected to a communication network and sharing information between user terminals,
The communication quality of the available network, the type of the communication device being used, the type of information to be shared, and the size of the information are acquired, and the condition of the communication state based on any of the above information, and the condition Communication device state that manages preference information describing a pair of application setting information corresponding to, and reflects the user's situation when the user terminal using the application selects one of the plurality of preference information Detection means;
Based on the selected preference information, extract application setting information corresponding to any of the communication quality of the available network, the type of communication device being used, the type of information to be shared, and the size of the information, Presence information generating means for generating presence information representing a user status and an application in use based on the setting information;
Presence information sharing means for sharing generated presence information among applications on user terminals;
An access network selection system comprising presence information processing means for automatically performing application setting processing based on shared presence information and preference information selected by a user terminal.

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