JP5270789B1 - Application program, operating system, authentication method, computer program, and manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile communication technique capable of reducing a control signal is provided.
An application program is downloaded via a network to a mobile terminal in which a fast dormancy function is implemented, and is executed by the mobile terminal. The application program is managed by an operating system installed on the mobile terminal. Based on an instruction from the user of the mobile terminal, the application program periodically switches the packet via the network with a function that requests the operating system to start the packet exchange via the network and at a cycle determined by the network side. A function for requesting the operating system to start is implemented on the mobile terminal.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an application program, an operating system, an authentication method, a computer program, and a manufacturing method.

  Before the smartphone came out, carriers were thinking about how to deal with mobile PC traffic. In other words, telecommunications carriers have mainly built mobile PCs that generate large-capacity traffic flowing in mobile communication networks, and have built networks from the perspective of how to accommodate them in the network.

  On the other hand, the amount of data traffic generated by a smartphone is smaller than that of a mobile PC, and it was considered to be roughly 1/10. Therefore, the telecommunications carrier went on a strategy to aggressively deploy smartphones that are thought to have less load on the network than mobile PCs.

  In Europe and North America, where smartphones have begun to prevail before Japan, it has become clear that in recent years it has become difficult to communicate due to smartphones. There has been a phenomenon that voice calls and data communications that are not directly related to smartphones are difficult to connect. From the situation, it is thought that it is the influence of the smartphone. Therefore, as a result of thorough investigation of the communication behavior of smartphones, telecommunications carriers have found that smartphones behave differently from mobile PCs and feature phones.

  Basically, the feature phone is connected to the network only when the user is operating it. When a mobile PC is connected to a network using a USB dongle or the like, it continues to communicate as it is once connected. However, a smartphone basically has a plurality of applications operating simultaneously. Applications are often running in the background even when the user is not explicitly using them and the screen is black. Since it is connected to the network so that many sessions are established at the same time, the load is different from that of existing terminals.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose conventional mobile communication systems.

JP 2009-124505 A JP 2011-172258 A JP 2011-228805 A JP 2011-228804 A

  Regarding smartphones, there is another phenomenon that not only fundamentally differs from existing terminals in how to connect to the network, but also has a major impact on the network. That is the frequent occurrence of control signals (signaling).

  When smartphones appeared and users first complained that “the battery was quickly depleted”. This is because a plurality of applications are running on the smartphone, and each of them has a network connection on the premise of always-on (always on). A battery shouldn't have to keep communicating.

  Therefore, the terminal manufacturer thought of a unique idea to make the battery last longer. That is a technique called “Fast Dormancy” (see, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4). This is to disconnect the connection to the network every time the data communication by the application is completed by software control on the terminal side of the smartphone. Since the network connection state can be shortened, the battery power consumption can be reduced accordingly. It was effective as a countermeasure against the claim that the battery was quickly depleted.

  However, it has been found that fast dormancy is placing a heavy load on the network. A terminal compatible with fast dormancy disconnects the session with the network as soon as data communication is completed. However, since the app is based on a constant connection, it tries to keep connecting to the network by sending and receiving “keep alive” messages to confirm the connection every few minutes. Reconnection to the disconnected network is repeated frequently. In short, a terminal that has been forced to sleep to make the battery last longer reconnects at intervals of several minutes. If you have multiple apps, you will connect and disconnect as often as you like. Signals used to control the connection and disconnection of these networks are signaling, and a tremendous amount of signaling that is different in dimension from the feature phone is generated.

  Until actually establishing a communication connection, the smartphone exchanges about 30 types of signaling messages. This series of processing takes about 2 seconds. In order to send a very small amount of data, such as a response to a “keep alive” message for confirming that the terminal is connected, 30 signalings were skipped. Such signaling is generated from a plurality of applications running on the smartphone and flies every time data communication is resumed. This can have a significant impact on the device controlling the signaling. Even without affecting direct data traffic, control signaling could not be processed, making communication difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication technology capable of reducing control signals.

  One embodiment of the present invention relates to an application program. This application program is downloaded to a mobile terminal equipped with a Fast Dormancy function via a network and executed by the mobile terminal. The application program is installed in the mobile terminal. Managed by the operating system. Based on an instruction from the user of the mobile terminal, this application program is configured to request the operating system to start packet exchange via the network, and periodically send packets via the network at a period determined on the network side. A function for requesting the operating system to start replacement is realized in the portable terminal.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements, or the constituent elements and expressions of the present invention replaced with each other among methods, systems, computer programs, recording media storing computer programs, etc. are also aspects of the present invention. It is effective as

It is a figure which shows the state transition of the portable terminal which performs the application program which concerns on this Embodiment in time series. It is a flowchart which shows a series of processes in the portable terminal which performs the application program which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows a series of processes in the portable terminal which performs the operating system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, the same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description is appropriately omitted.

(First embodiment)
The application program according to the first embodiment is a computer program that is downloaded from a server to a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone via a network such as the Internet and executed by the mobile terminal. An operating system (OS, Operating System) such as Windows (registered trademark) Mobile, android, BlackBerry, or iOS is preinstalled in the mobile terminal. The operating system of the mobile terminal manages the application program according to the present embodiment.

  The portable terminal has a touch panel, a telephone call function, and a web communication function, and may have a web browser. The portable terminal is configured to be able to communicate with both the packet switching network and the circuit switching network wirelessly. In particular, mobile terminals are battery-powered, but the mobile terminals are equipped with a Fast Dormancy function, which reduces battery consumption even for application programs designed for always-on. It has been.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the state transition of the mobile terminal 10 that executes the application program according to the present embodiment in time series. The application program according to the present embodiment is a mailer (hereinafter referred to as the present mailer). Hereinafter, functions realized by the mobile terminal 10 executing this mailer will be described.

  This mailer periodically connects to the mail server to confirm the received mail, and connects to the mail server whenever there is a mail transmission / reception instruction from the user. When the transmission / reception of mail is completed, the mobile terminal 10 transitions to a non-connection state, that is, an idle state by the fast dormancy function.

The upper side of FIG. 1 shows a case where this mailer periodically checks received mails in the first connection period T1. When checking the received mail, this mailer requests the operating system to start packet exchange via the network. In response to the request, the operating system changes the state of the mobile terminal 10 from the idle state to the connected state 12 and starts packet exchange.
The packet exchange may be a series of packet exchanges following a control signal exchange with the network.

  When the packet exchange is started, the mailer generates a confirmation signal for confirming the received mail. The mailer causes the operating system to packetize the generated confirmation signal and send it to the mail server. When there is no new mail, the packet exchange with the mail server is interrupted, and the state of the portable terminal 10 is changed from the connected state 12 to the idle state by the fast dormancy function of the portable terminal 10. If new mail exists, this mailer downloads the new mail. Since the packet exchange with the mail server is interrupted after downloading, the state of the mobile terminal 10 transitions to the idle state.

  Further, when receiving a mail transmission / reception instruction from the user of the mobile terminal 10 via, for example, a touch panel, the mailer requests the operating system to start packet exchange via the network. In response to the request, the operating system changes the state of the mobile terminal 10 from the idle state to the connected state 14 and starts packet exchange.

  The connection cycle of this mailer is determined on the network side. For example, a network device (MSC (Mobile Switching Center), eNB (eNodeB), gateway, etc.) on the network side determines the connection cycle according to the amount of control signal processed by the network side. In particular, the network device sets the connection cycle longer as the amount of control signals processed per unit time increases. The network device notifies the mobile terminal 10 of the determined connection cycle. For example, the network device broadcasts the connection cycle via a broadcast channel (BCCH (Broadcast Control CHannel)).

  The operating system of the mobile terminal 10 acquires the connection cycle determined on the network side from the network. The operating system notifies the acquired connection cycle to an application program that can update the connection cycle including the mailer. For example, the mailer acquires a new connection cycle from the operating system, and rewrites or updates an existing connection cycle with the acquired new connection cycle.

  For example, with reference to FIG. 1, it is assumed that the amount of control signal processing on the network side increases, and accordingly, the second connection period T2 longer than the first connection period T1 is determined by the network side. The operating system obtains the second connection period T2, and the mailer obtains the second connection period T2 from the operating system. The mailer updates the connection cycle from the first connection cycle T1 to the second connection cycle T2. The lower side of FIG. 1 shows a case where the mailer periodically checks received mails in the second connection period T2.

  According to the application program according to the present embodiment, the connection frequency of the application program installed in the mobile terminal 10 to the network can be controlled according to the processing amount of the control signal on the network side. In particular, when the processing amount of the control signal is increasing, the frequency of connection of the application program to the network can be reduced. Thereby, a network can be stabilized more and the possibility that the congestion derived from a control signal will generate | occur | produce can be reduced. Moreover, since the fast dormancy function of the portable terminal 10 is maintained, the battery of the portable terminal 10 can be used more efficiently.

  In the present embodiment, the operating system is configured to notify the same connection cycle to a plurality of different application programs. The operating system acquires a connection cycle that is notified from a network device without specifying a terminal. Accordingly, since it is not necessary for the network side to set a connection cycle for each terminal and for each application, an increase in processing amount on the network side due to determination of the connection cycle on the network side can be suppressed.

(Second Embodiment)
The application program according to the second embodiment has a function of synchronizing such a request with another application program managed by the operating system when requesting the operating system to start packet exchange via the network. Realize on mobile devices.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a series of processes in the mobile terminal that executes the application program according to the second embodiment. In the execution process of the application program according to the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the present application), a transmission request for transmitting transmission data to the network is generated (S202). This application determines whether a transmission request has occurred in another application different from this application (hereinafter referred to as another application) (S204). This application may acquire information on other applications via the operating system. When it is determined that no transmission request has been issued by another application (N in S204), this application waits for a predetermined period, and then performs the determination in step S204 again. When it is determined that a transmission request has occurred in another application (Y in S204), the application captures transmission data of the other application (S206). This application combines the transmission data of the other captured application with its own transmission data (S208). The application requests the operating system to start packet exchange (S210). The application causes the operating system to packetize the transmission data combined in step S208 and transmit it to the network (S212).

  According to the application program according to the present embodiment, both a transmission request of this application and a transmission request of another application can be processed with a single packet exchange start request by this application. In other words, conventionally, a packet exchange start request is generated twice for the present application and once for the other applications, but in the present embodiment, it is only necessary once. Therefore, the frequency of occurrence of control signal exchange can be reduced.

(Third embodiment)
The operating system according to the third embodiment manages a plurality of application programs that are downloaded to a mobile terminal via a network and executed by the mobile terminal. This operating system is handled by a function for starting packet exchange via a network on the condition that a request for starting packet exchange via a network has been received from at least two application programs, and the started packet exchange. A function of including a packet related to each of at least two application programs in the packet is realized in the portable terminal.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a series of processes in the portable terminal that executes the operating system according to the third embodiment.
The operating system according to the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the present OS) receives a packet exchange start request from a managed first application program (hereinafter referred to as the first application) (S302). The OS determines whether a packet exchange start request has been received from a second application program under management (hereinafter referred to as a second application) different from the first application under management (S304). If it is determined that it has not been accepted (N in S304), the OS waits for a predetermined period, and then performs the determination in step S304 again. If it is determined that it has been accepted (Y in S304), the OS exchanges control signals with the network side (S306). The OS packetizes the transmission data of the first application (S308). The OS transmits a packet corresponding to the transmission data of the first application to the network (S310). The OS packetizes the transmission data of the second application (S312). The OS transmits a packet corresponding to the transmission data of the second application to the network (S314).

  According to the operating system according to the present embodiment, both the packet exchange start request from the first application and the packet exchange start request from the second application can be processed by a single exchange of control signals. In other words, conventionally, control signal exchange has occurred twice between the first application and the second application, but in the present embodiment, it is only once. Therefore, the frequency of occurrence of control signal exchange can be reduced.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the fourth embodiment, there is disclosed a technique for suppressing a control signal by “sieving” a created application program, not from the viewpoint of how to create individual application programs or operating systems.

  The application authentication method according to the fourth embodiment is a method for authenticating an application program downloaded to a mobile terminal via a network and executed by the mobile terminal. This authentication method includes the steps of inspecting the frequency at which the application program requests the operating system of the mobile terminal to start packet exchange over the network, and the step of making the application program that has passed the inspection an authenticated application program. Including. The step of inspecting includes a step of determining whether the frequency is equal to or lower than a predetermined upper limit value.

  According to the authentication method according to the present embodiment, such an application program can be further spread by setting an application program whose frequency of generating a control signal is equal to or lower than a reference as an authentication application program. Conversely, by not authenticating application programs that frequently generate control signals, it is possible to inhibit the spread of such application programs and reduce the frequency of control signal exchanges.

(Fifth embodiment)
In the fifth embodiment, the technical idea according to the fourth embodiment is applied to an environment for developing an application program. That is, the computer program according to the fifth embodiment causes the computer to realize an environment for developing an application program that is downloaded to the mobile terminal via the network and executed by the mobile terminal. This computer program causes the computer to realize a function of checking the frequency with which the application program requests the operating system of the mobile terminal to start packet exchange via the network.
According to the computer program which concerns on this Embodiment, there exists an effect similar to the effect show | played by the application authentication method which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

(Sixth embodiment)
An application program downloaded to a mobile terminal via a network and executed by the mobile terminal is often downloaded from a download site (download server) on the network. Here, the download server manufactures an application program and provides it to the mobile terminal. Therefore, the download server is a device for producing an application program that is downloaded to the mobile terminal via the network.

  The manufacturing method according to the sixth embodiment is a manufacturing method executed in such an application program manufacturing apparatus. This manufacturing method checks the step of receiving an application program uploaded from an upload source such as a company or an individual, and the frequency with which the received application program requests the operating system of the mobile terminal to start packet exchange via the network. And a step of allowing the application program to be downloaded from the server to the portable terminal only when the inspection is passed.

  According to the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the same operational effects as the operational effects achieved by the application authentication method according to the fourth embodiment are exhibited.

  The embodiment has been described above. These embodiments are exemplifications, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective constituent elements and processes, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. is there.

Claims (1)

An application program that is downloaded to a mobile terminal via a network and executed by the mobile terminal. The application program is managed by an operating system installed in the mobile terminal.
When requesting the operating system to start the packet exchange over the network, the mobile terminal realizes the function to synchronize such requests with other application programs ,
The synchronization function is
In the process of executing this application program, when a transmission request for transmitting transmission data to the network occurs, a function for determining whether a transmission request has occurred in another application program,
A function of fetching transmission data of another application program when it is determined that the error occurred in the determination function;
A function to combine the captured transmission data with its own transmission data;
A function for requesting an operating system to start a packet exchange for transmitting the combined transmission data .

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