JP7481016B2 - Wireless communication terminal, wireless communication method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wireless communication terminal, a wireless communication method, and a program.

Generally, when a terminal capable of WAN communication such as a mobile router or smartphone connects to a base station, the terminal first scans base stations in an order determined by the telecommunications company, and connects to the base station if it determines that a connection is possible. If a connection is not possible with the base station that the telecommunications company has determined to be the preferred base station for scanning, the terminal establishes a connection with the base station using a method that complies with 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project). In addition, if the terminal wishes to switch the connection to another base station while connected to a specific base station (called a handover), the terminal measures the strength of a signal called RS (Reference Signal) and compares multiple RS signals to hand over to a base station with better reception quality.

There are many examples of selecting a connection to a base station based on factors other than reception quality (e.g., Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-102951 A

However, it cannot be said that high reception quality is necessarily the best choice for a terminal. For example, suppose there are base stations A and B. If at a certain moment the reception quality of base station A is better than that of base station B, then the terminal will basically connect to base station A. However, if the terminal uses another wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth at the same time, the reception quality of the frequency of base station A will deteriorate, but the reception quality of the frequency of base station B will not deteriorate, then base station A should not be selected as the best choice for the terminal (i.e., base station B should be selected). Similarly, suppose there are base stations A and B, and the reception quality of base station A is better than that of base station B. At this time, if the terminal's battery level is low and the terminal's power consumption is higher for the frequency of base station A, the terminal should still select base station B as the best choice.

As such, simply selecting a base station based on reception quality ignores the overall product performance of the device, and in many cases results in a selection that is not necessarily the best choice. In order for users to use their devices comfortably, we believe that communications should always be ensured through the best selection for each device.

In Patent Document 1, as a means for connecting to a base station with more stable wireless communication, the terminal device measures the wireless quality for each beam transmitted from the base station device, calculates the number of connectable beams that satisfy a specified wireless quality for each base station device, generates a base station selection index for each base station device that indicates the degree of the number of connectable beams, and wirelessly connects to the base station device selected as the connection destination of the terminal device from among multiple base station devices based on the base station selection index. However, even in Patent Document 1, simply increasing the number of signals used for reception quality is difficult to say that this is the best base station selection for the terminal.

The present disclosure has been made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a wireless communication terminal, a wireless communication method, a program, etc., that can select a base station depending on the device's circumstances, such as interference between different wireless communication standards.

A wireless communication terminal according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication terminal having a first wireless unit and a second wireless unit having a wireless communication standard different from that of the first wireless unit,
When the wireless communication terminal moves from a communication range of a first base station to a communication range of a second base station,
When the reception quality between the first radio unit and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level,
When the second radio unit is enabled, a base station to connect to is selected based on a comparison result between interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and the band of the first base station and interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and the band of the second base station.

A wireless communication method according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication method using a wireless communication terminal having a first wireless unit and a second wireless unit having a wireless communication standard different from that of the first wireless unit,
When the wireless communication terminal moves from a communication range of a first base station to a communication range of a second base station,
When the reception quality between the first radio unit and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level,
When the second radio unit is enabled, a base station to connect to is selected based on a comparison result between interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and the band of the first base station and interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and the band of the second base station.

A program according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute a wireless communication method using a wireless communication terminal having a first wireless unit and a second wireless unit having a wireless communication standard different from that of the first wireless unit, the wireless communication method including:
When the wireless communication terminal moves from a communication range of a first base station to a communication range of a second base station,
When the reception quality between the first radio unit and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level,
When the second radio unit is enabled, a base station to connect to is selected based on a comparison result between interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and the band of the first base station and interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and the band of the second base station.

The present disclosure provides a wireless communication terminal, a wireless communication method, a program, and the like that can select a base station depending on the device's circumstances, such as interference between different wireless communication standards.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless communication terminal according to a first embodiment; 3 is a flowchart showing a wireless communication method according to the first embodiment; 10 is a flowchart showing a wireless communication method according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile wireless communication terminal according to a second embodiment. 11 is a simplified diagram showing a first communication environment in which a mobile radio communication terminal according to a second embodiment operates; 11 is a simplified diagram showing a second communication environment in which a mobile radio communication terminal according to a second embodiment operates; FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile radio communication terminal according to the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile communication terminal according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a simplified diagram showing a communication environment in which a mobile communication terminal according to a third embodiment operates. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile radio communication terminal according to the fourth embodiment; FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile wireless communication terminal according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a list of channels available to a mobile radio communication terminal according to the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile radio communication terminal according to the fifth embodiment; FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile wireless communication terminal according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a simplified diagram showing a first communication environment in which a mobile wireless communication terminal according to a fifth embodiment operates. FIG. 13 is a simplified diagram showing a second communication environment in which a mobile wireless communication terminal according to a fifth embodiment operates.

Specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation.

<First embodiment>
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless communication terminal according to a first embodiment.
The wireless communication terminal 1 may be a device capable of communicating according to two or more different wireless communication standards. The wireless communication terminal 1 may be realized by a computer having a control unit 16 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit 13 such as a memory. As shown in Fig. 1, the wireless communication terminal 1 has a first wireless unit 11, a second wireless unit 12, the control unit 16, a data comparison processing unit 14, and a storage unit 13. The storage unit 13 stores interference characteristic data.

The wireless communication terminal 1 has a first wireless unit 11 and a second wireless unit 12 that has a different wireless communication standard from that of the first wireless unit 11. When the wireless communication terminal 1 moves from the communication range of the first base station to the communication range of the second base station, if the reception quality between the first wireless unit 11 and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level and if the second wireless unit 12 is enabled, the wireless communication terminal 1 is configured to select a base station to connect to according to a comparison result between interference characteristic data between the second wireless unit 12 and the band of the first base station and interference characteristic data between the second wireless unit 12 and the band of the second base station.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the wireless communication method according to the first embodiment.
The wireless communication terminal 1 moves from the communication range of the first base station to the communication range of the second base station (step S101). The control unit 16 of the wireless communication terminal 1 determines that the reception quality between the first wireless unit 11 and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level (step S102). The control unit 16 of the wireless communication terminal 1 determines that the second wireless unit 12 is valid (step S103). Next, the data comparison processing unit 14 compares the interference characteristic data between the second wireless unit 12 and the band of the first base station with the interference characteristic data between the second wireless unit 12 and the band of the second base station (step S104). The control unit 16 of the wireless communication terminal 1 selects a base station to connect to depending on the comparison result.

The wireless communication device and method according to the first embodiment described above can select a suitable base station depending on the device's conditions, such as interference between different wireless communication standards.

<Embodiment 2>
The communication system according to the present disclosure may be composed of one mobile wireless communication terminal (hereinafter referred to as a terminal) capable of WAN communication (WCDMA (registered trademark), LTE, 5G-NR, etc.) and a plurality of base stations (A, B, C, etc.) to which the terminal can connect. When the terminal is in a condition in which it can communicate with a plurality of base stations, the terminal reads the terminal's evaluation data (which may be referred to as wireless characteristic data in this specification) stored in the terminal itself, and establishes a connection with the base station that is most convenient for the terminal. The wireless characteristic data may be, for example, performance evaluation data in wireless testing or wireless data inspected in the production stage. This aims to stabilize communication quality and improve product life.

In this disclosure, the most suitable base station is selected for stable wireless communication from the perspective of both the wireless characteristic data held by the terminal itself and the terminal environment. The wireless characteristic data referred to here is not the calibration data (also called calibration data) that is stored in general terminals. Calibration data is data for outputting transmission data at an appropriate level, controlling the transmission level, and receiving signals stably. This calibration data is essential for functioning as a wireless communication terminal, so the data is always stored in every terminal.

Meanwhile, the wireless characteristic data used in this invention is data that is not originally stored in the terminal, but is measured in product performance tests and pre-shipment inspections, such as 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) standards, Radio Law standards, interference characteristics with other radio waves, and power consumption during communication. These wireless characteristic data indicate the actual capabilities of the wireless characteristics of the terminal itself, so by referring to them, it is possible to instantly determine which frequencies are stable and which are unstable for the terminal. In addition, by taking into account the actual usage status of the terminal, base station selection can be approached from both theoretical values and actual values, making it possible to select a more optimal base station.

Here, referring to the flowchart in FIG. 3, the block diagram in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in which, when a terminal is connected to a specific base station and is able to connect to other base stations, the operation of selecting the best base station to communicate with is performed based on the terminal's status and the terminal's wireless performance data.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a series of operations for terminal 1 to use wireless characteristic data held by terminal 1 to select the best base station for terminal 1 and communicate when terminal 1, connected to a specific base station, enters a range in which it can communicate with another base station. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the functions that constitute the operation of mobile wireless communication terminal 1. Figures 5 and 6 are simplified diagrams showing a first communication environment 31 and a second communication environment 32 in which mobile wireless communication terminal 1 operates.

As shown in FIG. 4, the wireless communication terminal 1 has a wireless unit 21, another wireless unit 22, a memory unit 23, a data comparison and processing unit 24, a battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 25, and a control unit 26. The memory unit 23 stores an interference characteristic data block 231, a power consumption data block 232, a transmission characteristic data block 233, a reception characteristic data block 234, and the like.

As shown in the first communication environment 31 of FIG. 5, the terminal 1 is assumed to be present in the communication range CR1 of the base station A (S301 in FIG. 3). When the terminal 1 moves and enters the communication range CR2 of the base station B (i.e., the overlapping area of the communication range CR1 and the communication range CR2) as shown in the second communication environment 32 of FIG. 6 (S302), the terminal 1 checks the reception quality with the base station B with the wireless unit 21 (which may be referred to as the first wireless unit in this specification) (S303). When the control unit 26 determines that the reception quality between the wireless unit 21 and the base station B is at a minimum quality required for communication (above the quality threshold) (YES in S303), the control unit 26 starts sorting according to the terminal's status (a series of processes described later). The quality level (or threshold) of reception between the wireless unit 21 and the base station may be set arbitrarily. If the reception quality between the wireless unit 21 and base station B is below a certain level (NO in S303), the terminal 1 continues the connection with base station A (S304).

First, if the reception quality level of base station B is equal to or higher than a certain level (YES in S303), the terminal 1 determines whether a wireless standard (e.g., Wi-fi, Bluetooth, etc.) other than the wireless standard currently communicating with the base station is valid or invalid based on the validity/invalidity of the other wireless unit 22 (also referred to as the second wireless unit in this specification) (S305). If the other wireless unit 22 is valid (YES in S305), the data comparison/processing unit 24 of the terminal 1 compares the interference characteristic data between the communication band (Band A) corresponding to base station A and the other wireless standard stored in the memory unit 23 with the interference characteristic data between the communication band (Band B) corresponding to base station B and the other wireless standard (S316). These interference characteristic data are stored in the interference characteristic data block 231 in the memory unit 23 of the terminal 1. The data comparison/processing unit 24 extracts and compares the data. If it is determined that the interference characteristics between the other radio unit 22 and the band of base station A (Band A) are better (less interference) than the interference characteristics between the other radio unit 22 and the band of base station B (Band B) as a result of comparing the data (YES in S317), the terminal 1 continues the connection to base station A. Conversely, if it is determined that the interference characteristics between the other radio unit 22 and the band of base station B are better than the interference characteristics between the other radio unit 22 and the band of base station A (NO in S317), the terminal 1 executes handover processing from base station A to base station B (S318).

An exemplary method for measuring interference characteristics is as follows. First, in order to obtain accurate interference characteristic data, the evaluation environment is a special room called an anechoic chamber, where surrounding radio waves are completely blocked. After that, the other radio unit 22 of terminal 1 is set to a transmitting state and the reception quality of Band A and Band B is measured, or vice versa, Band A and Band B are set to a transmitting state and the reception quality of the other radio unit is measured. After that, an evaluation is performed in which the reception quality is compared with that when the other radio unit 22 is disabled to determine whether there is any degradation and whether Band A and Band B affect the other radio unit 22.

If it is determined that the other radio unit 22 is not valid (NO in S305), then the terminal 1 checks the remaining battery level with the battery remaining level monitoring unit 25 (S309). If the remaining battery level is below a certain level (YES in S309), the terminal 1 first checks the current transmission output level for both base station A and base station B (S310). Next, just like with transmission, the terminal 1 checks the electric field strength of reception for both base station A and base station B (S311). Once the current status of both transmission and reception has been confirmed, the corresponding power values for transmission and reception are extracted from the current consumption data block 232 of the storage unit 23 (S312). After that, the data comparison and processing unit 24 compares the extracted results, i.e., the power consumption value for transmission and reception to base station A and the power consumption value for transmission and reception to base station B (S313). If the comparison result shows that the power consumption value for transmission and reception to base station A is better (i.e., less) than the power consumption value for transmission and reception to base station B, the terminal 1 continues communication with base station A. On the other hand, if the current consumption value for transmission and reception to base station B is better (i.e., less) than the power consumption value for transmission and reception to base station B, terminal 1 transitions to handover processing from base station A to base station B.

When it is determined that the remaining battery charge exceeds a certain value (NO in S309), the reception quality level between the wireless unit 21 and base station A is compared with the reception quality level between the wireless unit 21 and base station B as usual (S314), and if the reception quality level between the wireless unit 21 and base station A is better than the reception quality level between the wireless unit 21 and base station B (YES in S317), the terminal 1 continues the connection between the wireless unit 21 and base station A (S304). On the other hand, if the reception quality level between the wireless unit 21 and base station B is better than the reception quality level between the wireless unit 21 and base station A (NO in S317), the terminal 1 transitions to handover processing from base station A to base station B (S318).

The control of the radio section, comparison control of data stored in the memory section, and monitoring control of remaining battery power are all performed by the control section 26. The order of S305 and S309 in the flowchart of FIG. 3 may be reversed depending on the device's status, and if there is other usable data stored in the memory section, options may be added. A wide range of information can be stored in the memory section, and not only can data acquired by the terminal itself be stored and used for base station selection, but data acquired on behalf of the terminal itself can also be stored and used as wireless characteristics common to all terminal models.

Although the flowchart of FIG. 3 shows a specific order of execution, the order of execution may differ from that depicted. For example, the order of execution of two or more steps may be swapped relative to the order shown. Also, two or more steps shown as successive in FIG. 3 may be performed simultaneously or with partial concurrence. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more steps shown in FIG. 3 may be skipped or omitted.

According to the present embodiment described above, the wireless characteristics data can be used to select the optimal base station, and the base station capable of more stable wireless communication can be selected.

<Third embodiment>
In the third embodiment of the present invention, the basic flow is the same as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but the storage location and management method of the radio characteristic data are devised to be performed by the management server. The operation of the third embodiment will be explained using the flow chart of FIG. 7, the block diagram of FIG. 8, and the simplified diagram of FIG. 9. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a series of operations for selecting the best base station for a terminal to communicate with by utilizing the radio characteristic data held by the terminal when the terminal, connected to a specific base station, enters a range in which it can communicate with another base station. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing functions constituting the operation of the mobile radio communication terminal 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a simplified diagram showing the communication environment in which the mobile radio communication terminal 1 according to this embodiment operates.

As shown in FIG. 8, the wireless communication terminal 1 includes a wireless unit 51, another wireless unit 52, a first memory unit 531, a second memory unit 532, a data comparison and processing unit 54, a battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 55, and a control unit 56.

The wireless communication terminal 1 can be connected to the management server 6 via a wired or wireless network as shown in FIG. 9.

The terminal 1 moves from within the wireless communication range of base station A to a range where it can also communicate with base station B (S402), checks the reception quality level of the wireless unit 51 and base station B, and if the reception quality level is below a certain level (NO in S403), continues the connection with base station A (S404). Up to this point, the flow is the same as in embodiment 2, so details will be omitted.

In this embodiment 3, when the reception quality level between the wireless unit 51 and the base station B is equal to or higher than a certain level (YES in S403), the terminal 1 first inquires of the management server 6 to determine whether the terminal 1 should connect to the base station B. The management server 6 stores, saves, and manages wireless characteristic data for each terminal. As in the communication environment 61 of FIG. 9, when the terminal 1 enters the wireless communication connectable range CR1 of the base station A into the wireless communication connectable range CR2 of the base station B, the terminal 1 transmits the terminal information managed in the first storage unit 531 (FIG. 8) to the management server 6 (S405). The information stored in the first storage unit 531 may be, for example, an identification number that uniquely identifies the terminal, a remaining battery level, whether the other wireless unit is enabled or disabled, information on connectable base stations, past connection information, etc. The management server 6 that receives the terminal information from the terminal 1 grasps the current situation of the terminal 1 and sends back the necessary information to the terminal 1 depending on the content of the information. For example, if the server receives information that terminal 1 can communicate with base station A and base station B, it can return wireless characteristic data for the bands corresponding to each base station to terminal 1. Data from wireless inspections of terminal 1 is stored in management server 6.

The terminal 1 receives the data from the management server 6 (S406), then stores the data in the second storage unit 532, and the data is compared by the data comparison and processing unit 54 (S407). If the comparison shows that the data from base station A is better than the data from base station B (YES in S408), the connection with base station A is continued (S404). On the other hand, if the data from base station B is better than the data from base station A (NO in S408), the terminal 1 performs over processing from base station A to base station B (S409).

Although the flowchart of FIG. 7 shows a specific order of execution, the order of execution may differ from that depicted. For example, the order of execution of two or more steps may be swapped relative to the order shown. Also, two or more steps shown as successive in FIG. 7 may be performed simultaneously or with partial concurrence. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more steps shown in FIG. 7 may be skipped or omitted.

In this way, terminal 1 refers to the terminal data managed by management server 6 to select a base station. This makes it difficult to manage the wireless characteristic data stored in the terminal itself, as it cannot be accessed by the management side, but it makes it easy to centrally manage and operate the data of many terminals in the management server. Furthermore, terminal 1 periodically attempts to access management server 6 to select the best base station, and if this access history is stored in management server 6, it becomes possible to know the distribution of which terminal 1 is mainly used in what environment, which can be useful for the development of successor products.

<Fourth embodiment>
In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the basic flow is the same as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but the comparison of radio characteristic data is not limited to only between base station A and base station B with different frequencies. The optimum frequency selection for the terminal should be performed even for different frequencies in the same band of base station A. The operation will be explained using the flow chart of FIG. 10, the block diagram of FIG. 11, and FIG. 12. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a series of operations for selecting the best base station for the terminal to communicate by utilizing the radio characteristic data held by the terminal when the terminal enters a range in which it can communicate with another base station from a state in which the terminal is connected to a specific base station. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing functions constituting the operation of the mobile radio communication terminal according to this embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a list of channels available to the mobile radio communication terminal according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the wireless communication terminal 1 includes a wireless unit 81, another wireless unit 82, a memory unit 83, a data processing unit 84, a battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 85, and a control unit 86. The memory unit 83 stores an interference characteristic data block 831, a power consumption data block 832, a transmission characteristic data block 833, a reception characteristic data block 834, and the like.

The frequency band for WAN communications such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) is narrower than that for Wi-Fi and other networks, so it is thought that there is no significant difference in wireless characteristics due to frequency. However, depending on the device, a deviation of a few MHz can result in a significant difference in performance. It is possible that communication will continue on a frequency with poor characteristics even when a frequency with good characteristics is available. To solve this problem, the wireless characteristics data described above is also used when selecting frequencies.

Suppose that terminal 1 is communicating at a certain frequency (hereafter referred to as CH) of base station A (S701). Terminal 1 receives the reception quality level of CH within base station A from base station A at regular intervals using wireless unit 81 (S702). If the reception quality level of other CH is below a certain level (NO in S703), the connection with CH1 is continued (S704).

On the other hand, if there is another CH whose reception quality level is above a certain level (YES in S703), it is necessary to verify whether to move to that other CH. First, the terminal 1 has its own wireless characteristic data in the memory unit 83, as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows a list of available CHs for each band. In FIG. 12, the wireless characteristic data is divided for each band (Band A, B, C), and the data is further divided for each characteristic item (e.g., transmission characteristics and reception characteristics). The data is the evaluation result for each CH, and is arranged in order of best characteristics. Since this data is the terminal's own data, it is immutable, and the data will not be modified or the order changed due to any influence. However, it is possible to add new items or change the sorting.

Next, terminal 1 checks whether its own other radio unit 82 is valid (S705), and if it is valid (YES in S705), it refers to the interference data list 831 in the memory unit 83 (S706). In the interference data list 831, the evaluation results are ranked for each CH. Next, the data processing unit 84 extracts an available CH from the list. If CH1 is at the top of the ranked list (i.e., has the best characteristics) among the extracted CHs (S707), it continues communication with CH1, and if the other CH is at the top of the ranked list, it switches the connection to the other CH (S708).

If the other radio unit 82 is disabled (NO in S705), the battery remaining amount is checked by the battery remaining amount monitoring unit 85 (S709), and if it is below a certain value, the power consumption list 832 in the memory unit 83 is referred to (S710). The power consumption list 832 ranks the evaluation results for each CH. Next, an available CH is extracted from the list. After that, as with the interference data list check, if CH1 is at the top of the ranked list, communication with CH1 is continued, and if another CH is at the top of the ranked list, connection is switched to the other CH. Finally, if the battery remaining amount also exceeds a certain value, the reception quality level is checked (S711), and if CH1 has the best quality, connection with CH1 is continued (S704). On the other hand, if the quality of the other CH is good (NO in S707), connection is switched to the other CH (S708). This series of systems is all controlled by the control unit 86.

Although the flowchart of FIG. 10 shows a specific order of execution, the order of execution may differ from that depicted. For example, the order of execution of two or more steps may be swapped relative to the order shown. Also, two or more steps shown as successive in FIG. 10 may be performed simultaneously or with partial concurrence. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more steps shown in FIG. 10 may be skipped or omitted.

In this way, referring to the terminal's radio characteristic data is useful for selecting the best channel not only when switching a connection to a different base station, but also when switching to a different channel within the same base station.

<Fifth embodiment>
In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the basic flow is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment, but even during CA (Carrier Aggregation), it is possible to select the best CA combination using radio characteristic data. The operation will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 13, the block diagram of FIG. 14, and FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing a series of operations in which, when a terminal is connected to a specific base station and enters a range in which it can communicate with another base station, the terminal uses radio characteristic data held by the terminal to select the best base station for the terminal and communicate with it. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing functions constituting the operation of a mobile radio communication terminal. FIGS. 15 and 16 are simplified diagrams showing a first communication environment 121 and a second communication environment 122 in which a mobile radio communication terminal operates.

As shown in FIG. 14, the wireless communication terminal 1 includes a wireless unit 111, another wireless unit 112, a memory unit 113, a data comparison and processing unit 114, a battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 115, and a control unit 116. The memory unit 113 stores an interference characteristic data block 1131, a power consumption data block 1132, a transmission characteristic data block 1133, a reception characteristic data block 1134, and a CA characteristic data block 1135.

CA refers to communication using multiple LTE bands. For example, as shown in the first communication environment 121 of FIG. 15, when the terminal 1 is present in the ranges CR1 and CR2 in which both base station A and base station B can communicate, the terminal 1 communicates with both base stations A and B, rather than communicating with only one of the base stations. There are two types of CA: ULCA (UpLink Carrier Aggregation) and DLCA (DownLink Carrier Aggregation), and the CA in this invention refers to DLCA. Furthermore, there are different carriers for CA: PCC (Primary Component Carrier) and SCC (Secondary Component Carrier), and generally, PCC is a carrier that transmits and receives, and SCC can be a carrier that only receives.

As an example, this invention will explain the operation of CA selection when base station A and base station B are in CA communication (PCC is base station A) and the user enters a range where communication is possible not only with base station A and base station B but also with base station C.

As shown in the first communication environment 121 of FIG. 15, when the terminal 1 is in a state of CA communication with base station A and base station B (PCC is base station A) (S1001), as shown in the second communication environment 122 of FIG. 16, when the terminal 1 enters a range where it can communicate with not only base station A and base station B but also base station C (S1002), the terminal 1 checks with the wireless unit 111 whether base station C has a reception quality level that allows CA (S1003). If the reception quality level of base station C does not meet the level that allows CA (NO in S1003), the terminal 1 continues CA communication with base stations A and B (S1004). On the other hand, if the reception quality level of base station C meets the level that allows CA (YES in S1003), the terminal 1 verifies which base station is best to use as the PCC for CA communication, taking into account the characteristics of the terminal and the current situation. First, the terminal 1 checks the battery remaining amount from the battery remaining amount monitoring unit 115 (S1005), and checks whether other wireless is enabled or disabled from the other wireless unit 112 (S1006). The information that terminal 1 refers to will differ depending on the combination of these two pieces of information.

First, if the remaining battery charge exceeds a specified value and the other radio unit 112 is disabled (S1007), the terminal 1 refers to the CA characteristic data 1135 in the memory unit 113, and compares the characteristic data for each base station A, B, and C when they are in PCC in the data comparison and processing unit 114 (S1008). After that, CA communication is performed with the combination of characteristics that is the best among the compared data (S1009). The best characteristics are basically determined by the maximum communication speed. If the communication speeds are the same, a comprehensive judgment is made by comparing transmission characteristics, reception characteristics, noise resistance, etc. These judgment criteria can be set arbitrarily by the designer.

Next, if the remaining battery charge is below a specified value and the other radio unit 112 is disabled (S1010), the terminal 1 obtains the transmission output value from each base station (S1011), calculates the terminal's transmission power value from the transmission output value using the power consumption data 1132 in the memory unit 113 (S1012), and compares the power consumption values (S1013). The base station with the lowest power consumption value among them is used as the PCC to perform CA communication (S1014).

Furthermore, if the remaining battery charge exceeds a specified value and the other radio unit 112 is active (S1015), interference data with the other radio unit 112 is checked in the interference characteristic data 1141 in the storage unit (S1016). After that, CA communication is performed with the base station that has the best interference result with the other radio unit 112 among base stations A, B, and C as the PCC (S1017).

Finally, if the remaining battery level is below a specified value and the other radio units are also active (S1018), all data that has been referenced for each terminal status is referenced. CA characteristic data is compared (S1019), power consumption is compared (S1020), and interference data is compared (S1021) to determine ranking. Ranking can be in order of best or worst. In the case of a good ranking, a score of 1, 2, or 3 is assigned from top to bottom, and the base station with the lowest overall score is used as the PCC for CA communication (S1022). Conversely, if the scores are 3, 2, or 1 from top to bottom, the base station with the highest score is the PCC. The operation of each block of these terminals is all controlled by the control unit 116.

Although the flowchart of FIG. 13 shows a specific order of execution, the order of execution may differ from that depicted. For example, the order of execution of two or more steps may be swapped relative to the order shown. Also, two or more steps shown as successive in FIG. 13 may be performed simultaneously or with partial concurrence. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more steps shown in FIG. 13 may be skipped or omitted.

In this way, by applying the radio characteristic data to the CA combination, it is possible to select the best CA combination depending on the terminal situation. In this embodiment, 3CA is used as an example with three carriers, but the same mechanism can be used to select the optimal combination regardless of the number of carriers.

Each of the above-described embodiments provides the following advantages.
The first effect is that the terminal utilizes its own radio characteristic data when selecting a base station. The second effect is that the terminal changes the radio characteristic data to be compared according to the terminal's situation when selecting a base station. The third effect is that if the other radio unit of the terminal is valid, the data of radio interference is compared to select the optimal base station. The fourth effect is that if the battery remaining amount of the terminal is equal to or less than a certain amount, the power consumption data of the terminal is compared to select the optimal base station. The fifth effect is that the data operation of the terminal is made easier by managing the radio characteristic data of the terminal on the server. The sixth effect is that the radio characteristic data can be utilized not only when selecting a base station but also when switching the CH of the same base station. The seventh effect is that the radio characteristic data is listed and ranked by CH, so that communication can always be performed on the best CH according to the terminal's situation. The eighth effect is that the radio characteristic data can be utilized not only when selecting a base station but also when selecting a combination of CA (Carrier Aggregation).

In the above embodiment, a hardware configuration has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Any processing of the present disclosure can also be realized by causing a processor to execute a computer program.

In the above examples, the program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, the transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The above-described examples can also be implemented in combination as appropriate.

A, B, C Base station 1 Wireless communication terminal 6 Management server 11 First wireless unit 12 Second wireless unit 13 Memory unit 131 Interference characteristic data 14 Data comparison and processing unit 16 Control unit 21 Wireless unit 22 Other wireless unit 23 Memory unit 231 Interference characteristic data block 232 Power consumption data block 233 Transmission characteristic data block 234 Reception characteristic data block 24 Data comparison and processing unit 25 Battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 26 Control unit 31 First communication environment 32 Second communication environment 51 Wireless unit 52 Other wireless unit 531 First memory unit 532 Second memory unit 54 Data comparison and processing unit 55 Battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 56 Control unit 81 Wireless unit 82 Other wireless unit 83 Memory unit 831 Interference characteristic data block 832 Power consumption data block 833 Transmission characteristic data block 834 Reception characteristic data block 84 Data processing unit 85 Battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 86 Control unit 111 Radio unit 112 Other radio units 113 Storage unit 1131 Interference characteristic data block 1132 Power consumption data block 1133 Transmission characteristic data block 1134 Reception characteristic data block 1135 CA characteristic data block 114 Data comparison and processing unit 115 Battery remaining capacity monitoring unit 116 Control unit

Claims (10)

A wireless communication terminal having a first wireless unit of a type conforming to 3GPP (registered trademark) and a second wireless unit of a type other than 3GPP (registered trademark) that is a different wireless communication standard from that of the first wireless unit,
When the wireless communication terminal moves from a communication range of a first base station to a communication range of a second base station,
When the reception quality between the first radio unit and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level,
When the second radio unit is enabled, selecting a base station to be connected from among the first base station and the second base station according to a comparison result between interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and a band of the first base station and interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and a band of the second base station ,
when the second wireless unit is not valid and when the remaining battery charge of the wireless communication terminal is equal to or lower than a certain level, select a base station to connect to from among the first base station and the second base station according to power consumption data related to transmission and reception of the wireless communication terminal;
when the second radio unit is not valid and when the remaining battery charge of the wireless communication terminal is not equal to or lower than a certain level, select a base station to connect to from among the first base station and the second base station according to a comparison result between a reception quality level between the first radio unit and the first base station and a reception quality level between the first radio unit and the second base station;
Wireless communication terminal. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the reception quality and the interference characteristic data between the first wireless unit and the second base station are ranked by frequency band for the selection of a base station to connect to. When the wireless communication terminal moves from a communication range of the first base station and a communication range of the second base station to a communication range of the first base station, a communication range of the second base station, and a communication range of a third base station,
3. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the reception quality between the first wireless unit and the third base station is at a level where carrier aggregation (CA) is possible, the base station having the best interference result with the second wireless unit among the first base station, the second base station, and the third base station is used as a PCC (Primary Component Carrier) to perform CA communication. The second wireless unit includes at least one of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The wireless communication terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein the power consumption data for transmission and reception is ranked by frequency band for the purpose of selecting a base station to connect to. A wireless communication terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a storage unit that stores at least one of the interference characteristic data, CA characteristic data, transmission characteristic data, reception characteristic data, and power consumption data related to transmission and reception of the wireless communication terminal. The wireless communication terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5, configured to receive at least one of the interference characteristic data, CA characteristic data, transmission characteristic data, reception characteristic data, and power consumption data related to transmission and reception of the wireless communication terminal from a management server. The wireless communication terminal transmits information about the terminal managed in the first storage unit to the management server,
The wireless communication terminal according to claim 7 , further comprising: a second storage unit that stores data received from the management server; A wireless communication method using a wireless communication terminal having a first wireless unit of a system conforming to 3GPP (registered trademark) and a second wireless unit of a system other than 3GPP (registered trademark) that is a wireless communication standard different from that of the first wireless unit,
When the wireless communication terminal moves from a communication range of a first base station to a communication range of a second base station,
When the reception quality between the first radio unit and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level,
When the second radio unit is enabled, selecting a base station to be connected from among the first base station and the second base station according to a comparison result between interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and a band of the first base station and interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and a band of the second base station ,
when the second wireless unit is not valid and when the remaining battery charge of the wireless communication terminal is equal to or lower than a certain level, select a base station to connect to from among the first base station and the second base station according to power consumption data related to transmission and reception of the wireless communication terminal;
when the second radio unit is not valid and when the remaining battery charge of the wireless communication terminal is not equal to or lower than a certain level, select a base station to connect to from among the first base station and the second base station according to a comparison result between a reception quality level between the first radio unit and the first base station and a reception quality level between the first radio unit and the second base station;
A wireless communication method. A program for causing a computer to execute a wireless communication method using a wireless communication terminal having a first wireless unit that is compliant with 3GPP (registered trademark ) and a second wireless unit that is a wireless communication standard other than 3GPP (registered trademark) that is different from that of the first wireless unit, the wireless communication method comprising:
When the wireless communication terminal moves from a communication range of a first base station to a communication range of a second base station,
When the reception quality between the first radio unit and the second base station is equal to or higher than a certain level,
When the second radio unit is enabled, selecting a base station to be connected from among the first base station and the second base station according to a comparison result between interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and a band of the first base station and interference characteristic data between the second radio unit and a band of the second base station ,
when the second wireless unit is not valid and when the remaining battery charge of the wireless communication terminal is equal to or lower than a certain level, select a base station to connect to from among the first base station and the second base station according to power consumption data related to transmission and reception of the wireless communication terminal;
A program that, when the second wireless unit is not valid and when the remaining battery charge of the wireless communication terminal is not below a certain level, selects a base station to connect to from among the first base station and the second base station depending on a comparison result between a reception quality level between the first wireless unit and the first base station and a reception quality level between the first wireless unit and the second base station .

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