JP2014120983A - Communication terminal, communication management device, and method for controlling these - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily configure communication means of a mobile terminal to be adequate for the conditions where the terminal is used.SOLUTION: A communication terminal comprises communication means and control means. The control means transmits an inquiry about communication configuration for operating the communication means to a communication management device together with its location information. If a notification is received from the communication management device telling that the inquired communication configuration does not exist, the control means transmits communication configuration that is set, to the communication management device together with the location information. If the control means is notified of communication configuration matching the inquiry by the communication management device, the control means sets the communication configuration contained in the notification.

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal, a communication management apparatus, and control methods thereof, and more particularly, to a technique for setting communication means in a communication terminal.

  Recent communication terminals (hereinafter referred to as “terminals”) such as personal computers (PCs), portable information terminals, and mobile routers are provided with a plurality of communication means, and one or more of these communication means are used. The number that can communicate is increasing. The communication means provided in the terminal includes a wired LAN (local area network), a wireless LAN, 3G (3rd generation mobile communication), WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access), specific low power wireless communication, and the like.

  On the other hand, as a result of the reduction in size and weight of recent terminals, it is easy to carry and move around, and it is possible to communicate by connecting to a network using the terminal regardless of time and place. It is.

  In relation to the present application, Patent Document 1 describes a wireless LAN system that includes a server and that notifies the local wireless LAN access point and setting information by transmitting terminal location information to the server.

JP 2004-350054 A

  However, for example, when a user of a terminal uses a wired LAN at work, and communicates using a wireless LAN at a travel destination such as a business trip destination, the user sets the communication means of the terminal ( Hereinafter, it is necessary to switch “communication setting”), and the user's operation becomes complicated. On the other hand, in the network connection system described in Patent Document 1, since the setting information stored in the server is notified to the terminal, the communication means of the terminal can be easily set.

  However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, the communication settings transmitted from the server to the terminal are settings registered in advance in the server. That is, the communication settings received by the terminal from the server do not reflect the contents set or changed by the user of the terminal at the destination. For this reason, in the system described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the communication setting of the terminal is fixed and may not be a setting suitable for actual use.

(Object of invention)
An object of this invention is to provide the technique for performing the setting of the communication means of a communication terminal easily and in a more suitable state.

  The communication terminal of the present invention transmits a communication unit and a communication setting inquiry for operating the communication unit together with location information to a communication management device, and notifies the communication management that the communication setting for the inquiry does not exist. When received from the device, the set communication setting is transmitted to the communication management device together with the location information, and when the communication setting for the inquiry is notified from the communication management device, the notified communication setting And control means for setting.

  The communication management device of the present invention includes a communication unit for communicating with a communication terminal, a communication setting table that stores communication settings received from the communication terminal and position information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication settings, and the communication Management means for extracting a communication setting corresponding to the position information from the communication setting table and transmitting the communication setting to the communication terminal using the communication means when a communication setting inquiry including the position information is received from the terminal And comprising.

  In the communication terminal control method of the present invention, a communication setting inquiry for operating communication means included in the communication terminal is transmitted to the communication management apparatus together with the position information, and a notification that the communication setting for the inquiry does not exist is transmitted. When received from the communication management device, the set communication setting is transmitted to the communication management device together with the location information. When the communication setting for the inquiry is notified from the communication management device, the notification is received. The communication setting is set.

  The communication management apparatus control method of the present invention stores the communication setting received from a communication terminal and the position information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication setting in a communication setting table, and includes the communication setting including the position information from the communication terminal. When the inquiry is received, the communication setting corresponding to the position information is extracted from the communication setting table and transmitted to the communication terminal.

  The present invention makes it possible to easily and more appropriately set communication means of a terminal.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the communication system of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the terminal of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the terminal in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the terminal in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the center server in 1st Embodiment. It is an example of the communication setting table which a center server holds | maintains in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication system of 2nd Embodiment. In 2nd Embodiment, it is a flowchart which shows operation | movement when a terminal moves to the area B from the area A. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication system of 3rd Embodiment. It is an example of the communication setting table which a center server holds | maintains in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication system of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication system of 5th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the communication terminal of 6th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the communication management apparatus of 7th Embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system 300 according to the first embodiment of this invention. The terminal 100 is a communication terminal such as a PC or a portable information terminal. The terminal 100 moves from the area where the position information is A (hereinafter referred to as “area A”) to the area where the position information is B (hereinafter referred to as “area B”) and then the area where the position information is C (hereinafter referred to as “region A”). It moves to "region C" in order) and communicates with the Internet 400 in regions A to C. In FIG. 1, dashed arrows indicate communication between the terminal 100 and the center server 200. In communication between the terminal 100 and the center server 200, communication settings and position information of the terminal 100 are transmitted and received. A thick solid line arrow indicates communication between the terminal 100 and the Internet 400. Furthermore, a white arrow indicates the moving direction of the terminal 100.

  Area A is an area where the terminal 100 has never communicated in the past. The region B is a region where the terminal 100 has performed network communication in the past using communication via the 3G mobile phone network (hereinafter referred to as “3G communication”). Area C is an area where the terminal 100 has performed wireless LAN communication via the wireless LAN access point 410 in the past.

  The center server 200 is a communication management device that allows the terminal 100 to communicate from its destination by some communication means such as wired or wireless. The center server 200 stores the correspondence between the position of the terminal 100 and the communication setting of the terminal 100 at that position. When the center server 200 receives the position information from the terminal 100, the center server 200 searches for a communication setting corresponding to the position information and notifies the terminal of the communication setting. The communication settings include the communication means selected by the terminal 100 at that position in the past and the setting information of the communication means. Here, the communication means means means for performing communication, such as wired LAN, wireless LAN, and 3G communication. The setting information includes information necessary for setting each communication means, such as an IP address, account registration information, and a wireless LAN access point.

  The areas A to C may be narrow areas limited by longitude and latitude, or may be areas having a certain size. Note that the position of the terminal 100 can be represented by longitude and latitude acquired by a GPS (global positioning system) unit included in the terminal 100. The configuration of the terminal 100 will be separately described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 1, a case will be described in which communication is started in a region A where the terminal has not communicated in the past. The terminal 100 in the area A is connected to the center server 200 by a predetermined communication means (for example, a wired LAN), and transmits the position information of the area A to the center server 200. This is a communication setting inquiry from the terminal 100 to the center server 200. The center server 200 knows that the terminal 100 is in the region A based on the acquired position information, and searches for past communication settings in the region A of the terminal 100 using the information transmitted from the terminal 100 as a key. However, since the terminal 100 has not communicated in the past in the area A, the center server 200 notifies the terminal 100 that the communication settings of the terminal 100 in the area A are not saved. When it is known in advance that the terminal 100 has not communicated in the past in the area A, the inquiry about the communication setting from the terminal 100 in the area A to the center server 200 can be omitted.

  When the terminal 100 receives a notification that there is no communication setting from the center server 200, the terminal 100 displays that fact on a screen display or a lamp, and prompts the user to set communication means. After the setting of the communication means by the user is completed, the terminal 100 can communicate with the Internet 400. Further, the terminal 100 transmits the communication setting set in the area A to the center server 200. The center server 200 stores the communication settings received from the terminal 100 in association with the location information of the area A.

  The terminal 100 that has moved from the region A to the region B reconnects to the center server 200 and transmits location information of the region B to the server. Based on the acquired position information, the server 200 determines that the terminal 100 is in the region B, and searches for past communication settings in the region B of the terminal 100. Since the area B is an area where the terminal 100 has performed network communication using 3G communication in the past, the communication settings of the terminal 100 at that time are stored in the center server 200. Accordingly, the center server 200 extracts the past 3G communication settings of the terminal 100. Hereinafter, the communication setting when the communication means is 3G communication is referred to as “communication setting (3G)”, and the communication settings of other communication means are also described in the same manner.

  Then, the center server 200 transmits the extracted communication setting (3G) to the terminal 100. The terminal 100 performs settings for 3G communication based on the acquired communication settings, and performs communication with the Internet 400 via 3G communication.

  The terminal 100 that has moved to the region C transmits the position information of the region C acquired by GPS to the center server 200 in the same manner as when moving to the region B.

  The center server 200 determines that the terminal 100 is in the region C based on the acquired position information, searches for past communication settings, and transmits it to the terminal 100. Since the area C is an area where the terminal 100 has previously performed wireless LAN communication via a wireless LAN access point, the center server 200 sets the wireless LAN communication setting (communication setting (wireless LAN) in the area C of the terminal 100. )) Is extracted. Then, the center server 200 transmits the extracted communication setting (wireless LAN) to the terminal 100.

  When the past communication setting indicates that communication has been performed via an access point over a wireless LAN, the center server 200 provides information necessary for wireless LAN communication such as an access point address and an encryption key. It is included in the communication settings (wireless LAN) and transmitted to the terminal 100. The terminal 100 that has received the communication setting (wireless LAN) sets the terminal 100 based on the setting and communicates with the Internet 400. In the area C, when the wireless LAN is selected as the communication means, the terminal 100 wirelessly connects to the wireless LAN access point 410 specified by the communication setting. The wireless LAN access point 410 is connected to the Internet 400 via a backbone line.

  In addition, when the terminal moves from a certain area to a different area, the opportunity that the terminal 100 transmits the position information is, for example, an instruction by the user's operation of the terminal 100. Alternatively, the terminal 100 may periodically acquire position information by GPS and transmit the position information to the center server 200 using a communication unit that can be used at that time. Further, the terminal 100 may transmit the position information to the center server 200, for example, when the terminal 100 moves a predetermined distance or more based on the current position and the moving distance obtained from the acquired position information.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the terminal 100 is a communication terminal such as a PC, a portable information terminal, or a mobile router. The terminal 100 includes a control unit 101, a memory 102, a GPS unit 103, a wireless LAN unit 104, a wireless LAN antenna unit 105, a wireless unit 106, a wireless antenna unit 107, a wired LAN unit 108, and a connector 109.

  The control unit 101 may include a central processing unit (CPU) that executes a control program. The CPU may control the terminal 100 by a control program. The memory unit 102 stores control programs and communication settings.

  The GPS unit 103 acquires the position information of the terminal 100 using GPS. The wireless LAN unit 104 and the wireless LAN antenna unit 105 perform wireless LAN communication with the wireless LAN access point 410. The wireless unit 106 and the wireless antenna unit 107 perform 3G communication. The wired LAN unit 108 performs wired LAN communication via a network cable connected to the connector 109. The wired LAN unit 108 includes a PHY (physical layer) and a MAC (media access control) unit for wired LAN communication. The connector 109 is connected with a cable for performing wired LAN communication. Note that the configuration of FIG. 2 is merely an example, and the terminal 100 does not have to include all communication means. Further, the communication means included in the terminal 100 is not limited to wired LAN, wireless LAN, and 3G communication.

  3 and 4 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the terminal 100 in the communication system according to the first embodiment. The operation of terminal 100 will be described using FIG. 3 and FIG.

  The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 shows a procedure for notifying the communication setting at the new location from the terminal 100 to the center server 200 when the terminal 100 moves to a location (new location) where communication has not been performed in the past. The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 shows a procedure for starting communication when the user moves to a certain point.

  Since the communication setting of the terminal 100 is not stored in the center server 200 at the new location, the user selects and sets the communication means of the terminal (S201 in FIG. 3). In FIG. 3, the communication setting inquiry procedure from the terminal 100 to the center server 200 is omitted.

  The terminal 100 collects communication settings including communication means selected by the user and setting information necessary for the communication (S202). And the communication terminal 100 acquires the information (position information) of the position where the terminal 100 is currently communicating using the GPS unit 103 (S203).

  After collecting these pieces of information, the terminal 100 transmits communication settings including position information at the point to the center server 200 (S204).

  The communication means for the terminal 100 to transmit information to the center server 200 is not particularly limited. For example, a dedicated wired LAN interface for connecting to the center server 200 may be prepared at a site where the terminal 100 is used. Alternatively, a plurality of communication means for connecting the terminal 100 and the center server 200 may be prepared in advance, and the user may appropriately select the communication means with the center server 200 according to the position of the terminal.

  Further, the terminal 100 may transmit information related to the terminal 100 (hereinafter referred to as “terminal information”) to the center server together with the position information and communication settings. The terminal information is, for example, a terminal ID (identifier) unique to each terminal that can identify each terminal or a model name of the terminal 100. When the center server 200 receives the terminal information from the terminal 100, the center server 200 stores the terminal information in association with the position information and the communication setting.

  Next, the operation when the terminal 100 moves to a place different from the place where the communication is started will be described with reference to FIG. At the point after movement, the terminal 100 uses the GPS unit 103 to acquire position information of the point where communication is started (S301). The terminal 100 transmits a communication setting inquiry together with position information to the center server 200 by a predetermined communication means (S302). As in the case of FIG. 3, the communication means between the terminal 100 and the center server 200 can be predetermined for communication with the center server 200.

  When a past communication setting corresponding to the terminal 100 is searched, the center server 200 notifies the terminal 100 of the communication setting. When the past communication setting corresponding to the terminal 100 is not searched, the center server 200 notifies the terminal 100 that the communication setting does not exist. Details of the operation procedure of the center server 200 that has received the inquiry about the communication setting will be described later.

  The terminal 100 receives the notification from the center server (S303), and checks whether the notification indicates the presence of communication settings (S304). When the terminal 100 receives a notification that the communication setting does not exist from the center server (S304: No), the user performs the communication setting of the terminal 100 and the communication setting of the terminal 100 as described with reference to FIG. Is sent to the center server (S305). The center server stores the communication settings received from the terminal 100 in association with the position information.

  When the terminal 100 receives the retrieved communication setting from the center server (S304: Yes), the terminal 100 confirms the communication means of the received communication setting (S306) and sets the communication means (S306 to S306). S309).

  When the communication setting obtained from the center server indicates that the terminal 100 has used a wired LAN in the past (S306: wired LAN), the terminal 100 obtains the setting information of the wired LAN communication from the communication setting. Extraction is performed and the wired LAN is set in the terminal 100 (S307).

  When the communication information obtained from the center server indicates that the terminal 100 has used 3G communication in the past (S306: 3G), the terminal 100 performs settings for performing 3G communication (S308). ).

  When past communication has been performed by a wireless LAN (S306: wireless LAN), the terminal 100 extracts information on the access points of the surrounding wireless LAN from the communication settings, and the terminal 100 performs wireless LAN communication. Setting is performed (S309). Through the above procedure, the communication means of the terminal 100 is set at the destination.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the center server 200 in the first embodiment. When the center server 200 receives a communication setting inquiry from the terminal 100 (step S501 in FIG. 5), the center server 200 searches the stored communication setting using the received position information as a key, and corresponds to the communication base of the terminal. It is determined whether communication settings exist (S502). When the communication setting is stored together with the terminal information and the terminal information is received from the terminal 100, the center server 200 further searches the communication setting table as a terminal information key. When the center server 200 receives the communication setting together with the position information from the terminal 100, the center server 200 stores the received communication setting and the position information in association with each other.

  When there is a past communication setting corresponding to the terminal 100 (S502: Yes), the center server 200 extracts the searched setting information from the communication setting table and notifies the terminal 100 as the communication setting ( S503). If past setting information corresponding to the terminal 100 does not exist (S502: No), the center server 200 notifies the terminal 100 that the communication setting does not exist (S504).

  FIG. 6 is an example of a communication setting table held by the center server 200. The communication setting table includes a range of position information corresponding to areas A to C, terminal communication means in each area, and information necessary for setting the communication means. When communication settings in an unregistered area are notified from the terminal 100 to the center server 200, information is added to the communication setting table. Here, the range of each area does not need to be exclusive, and may overlap.

  The communication setting table may be created in association with the terminal information. In this case, since different communication settings can be stored for each terminal information of the terminal 100, the center server 200 can transmit communication settings more suitable for each terminal to the terminal 100.

  As described above, in the communication system 300 according to the first embodiment, the center server 200 manages the positional information of the terminal 100 and the communication setting received from the terminal 100 in association with each other. Further, when the terminal 100 is the destination, the terminal 100 sends the location information of the moved point to the center server 200 and inquires about the stored communication settings. When the terminal 100 receives the communication setting corresponding to the position information from the center server 200, the terminal 100 sets the setting in the communication unit.

  As described above, in the communication system 300 according to the first embodiment, communication settings used in the past by the terminal 100 are stored in the center server 200 in association with the position information of the terminal 100. Then, the communication settings notified from the terminal 100 and stored in the center server 200 are notified to the terminal 100. As a result, the communication system 300 according to the first embodiment can use communication settings used in the past by the terminal 100 at the same destination. For this reason, the communication system 300 according to the first embodiment has an effect that it is possible to easily and more appropriately set the communication means of the terminal 100 that is used by moving.

  Furthermore, since the communication system 300 according to the first embodiment is associated with the position information obtained by the GPS unit 103 and the communication setting, there is an effect that the communication setting for each region is easily managed. For example, when a wireless LAN access point is added in a certain area, the information of the added access point can be reflected in the communication setting table of the area at once.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, the terminal 100 acquires the communication setting from the center server by communication means that is predetermined in each region. In the second embodiment, the terminal 100 is connected to the center server using a network connection in the communication means during communication.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the communication system 301 according to the second embodiment. Henceforth, the same reference number is attached | subjected to the element similar to 1st Embodiment, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In FIG. 7, terminal 100 communicates by wireless LAN in area A, and communicates by 3G communication in area B. Between area A and area B, an intermediate area AB belonging to both areas A and B is set. While staying in the area A, the terminal 100 communicates with the center server 200 and the Internet 400 via a wireless LAN. When the terminal 100 moves to the intermediate area AB, the terminal 100 communicates with the center server 200 via the wireless LAN, and acquires the communication setting (3G) of the area B. When the terminal 100 moves to the area B, the terminal 100 switches the communication setting (wireless LAN) so far to the communication setting (3G) acquired in the intermediate area AB, thereby performing the center server 200 and the Internet 400 by 3G communication. Start communication with. In the region B, the terminal 100 transmits and receives position information and communication settings to and from the center server 200 by 3G communication.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation when the terminal 100 moves from the region A to the region B in the second embodiment. In the flowchart of FIG. 8, when the terminal 100 moves to the area A (S601), the terminal 100 transmits the position information of the area A to the center server 200. The terminal 100 receives the communication setting (wireless LAN) in the area A from the center server 200 (S602), and performs communication based on the communication setting (S603).

  Thereafter, when the terminal 100 reaches the intermediate area AB (S604), the terminal 100 connects to the center server 200 via the wireless LAN while maintaining the communication setting (wireless LAN) in the area A, and The position information is transmitted to the center server 200 (S605).

  Here, when the terminal 100 periodically transmits the position information to the center server 200, the center server 200 can know the position of the terminal 100 during movement. When the position information of the terminal 100 indicates that the area 100 has moved from the area A to the area AB, the center server 200 estimates that the terminal 100 will move from the area A to the area B in the future. Then, the center server 200 transmits the communication setting (3G) of the region B estimated to be the next destination of the terminal 100 to the terminal 100. As a result, the terminal 100 receives the communication setting (3G) for the region B (S606).

  While the terminal 100 is staying in the intermediate area AB, the terminal 100 performs communication using the wireless LAN which is the communication setting of the area A. Further, the terminal 100 stores the setting of the region B in the memory 102 of the terminal 100. When the terminal moves to the region B, the terminal reads the communication setting (3G) stored in the memory, and performs communication by replacing the communication setting with 3G from the wireless LAN (S607).

  The communication system 301 of the second embodiment having such a configuration is easy and more suitable for setting the communication means of the terminal 100 that is used by moving, like the communication system 300 of the first embodiment. There is an effect that it can be performed in a state.

  Furthermore, when the terminal moves to a different area, the communication system 301 of the second embodiment can receive the estimated communication setting of the moving destination from the center server 200 using the communicating communication means. At this time, since the terminal 100 does not need to separately set communication means to the center server 200 for connection to the center server in the destination area, there is an effect that it becomes easier to obtain the destination communication setting. .

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system 302 according to the third embodiment of this invention. The terminal 100 described in the first and second embodiments may be used indoors or outdoors depending on the time zone even in the same region. In such a case, different communication means may be used depending on whether the terminal is indoors or outdoors even in the same region.

  In the communication system 302 of the third embodiment, the communication setting of the terminal 100 is changed for each time by associating the position information included in the communication setting with the time. In the communication system 302 shown in FIG. 8, communication settings set in the terminal 100 are different for each time even at the same position.

  FIG. 10 is an example of a communication setting table held by the center server 200 in the communication system 302 shown in FIG. In the communication setting table shown in FIG. 10, the communication means in the region A is a wireless LAN from 9:30 to 12:00, 3G communication from 12:00 to 17:00, and a wired LAN in other time zones. It is shown that. In the communication system 302 shown in FIG. 9, the description of the connection configuration of the terminal 100 in the time zone in which the communication means in the area A is a wired LAN is omitted.

  The terminal 100 notified from the center server 200 of the communication settings for the area A shown in FIG. 10 uses the communication means for the wireless LAN, 3G communication, and wired LAN for each time zone defined by the communication settings.

  Note that the center server 200 may notify the terminal 100 of different communication settings for each time. Alternatively, the center server 200 may notify the terminal 100 of a plurality of communication settings that differ from time to time, and the terminal 100 may switch the notified communication settings for each time based on its own clock.

  Further, when different communication means are set for each time zone, the terminal 100 may transmit the communication setting for each time to the center server 200.

  Further, as a reference for selecting the communication means, a terminal other than the terminal position and time may be used. For example, the communication setting is performed so that the communication means of the terminal 100 is switched depending on the strength of radio waves that can be used for communication in the area, the frequency of use of the user's terminal 100, the frequency of use history in each communication means in the area, and the like. A table may be created.

  The communication system 302 according to the third embodiment having such a configuration can easily and more appropriately set the communication means of the terminal 100 that is used by moving, as in the first and second embodiments. There is an effect that can be performed in.

  Furthermore, the communication system 302 of the third embodiment enables different communication settings for each time. As a result, the communication system 302 has an effect that the communication settings of the terminal 100 can be set more finely.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system 303 according to the fourth embodiment of this invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining switching of communication means when the terminal cannot communicate, for example, when entering a region outside the communication area such as a tunnel.

  In FIG. 11, a terminal 110 and a terminal 120 are terminals belonging to the same network, and further have a function of performing ad hoc communication (direct communication between terminals) to the terminal 100 described in the first to third embodiments. . The terminal 110 and the terminal 120 can normally communicate with the Internet 400 independently. The center server 200 grasps the position of each terminal based on position information transmitted from the terminal 110 and the terminal 120 to the center server 200.

  In FIG. 11, when the terminal 110 enters an area outside the communication area such as the tunnel 130, the center server 200 cannot receive position information from the terminal 110, and therefore determines that the terminal 110 is in a position outside the communication area. On the other hand, since the center server 200 can obtain location information from the terminal 120, the center server 200 determines that the terminal 120 exists in an area where the terminal 120 can communicate (eg, outside the tunnel). In such a case, the center server 200 transmits a communication setting for performing ad hoc communication between the terminal 110 and the terminal 120 to the terminal 120. The terminal 110 obtains communication settings for ad hoc communication via the terminal 120. With such a procedure, the terminal 110 can connect to the Internet 400 via the terminal 120, so that the terminal 110 can perform data communication via the terminal 120 even when the terminal 110 moves to an area outside the communication range. Become.

  Here, the center server 200 may inquire of the terminal 120 in advance whether or not communication with the terminal 110 is possible by ad hoc communication. Then, the center server 200 may transmit a communication setting for performing ad hoc communication to the terminal 120 after receiving a notification from the terminal 120 that ad hoc communication with the terminal 110 is possible.

  The communication system 303 according to the fourth embodiment having such a configuration can easily and more appropriately set the communication means of the terminal 110 that is used by moving, as in the first to third embodiments. There is an effect that can be performed in.

  Furthermore, the communication system 303 of the fourth embodiment can receive the communication setting via the other terminal 120 by ad hoc communication even when the terminal 110 exists at a position where it cannot communicate with the center server 200. Play.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system 304 according to the fifth embodiment of this invention. In FIG. 12, the terminal 100 moves in the order of positions 1001a → 1001b → 1001c → 1001d. The low radio field intensity region 1006 has a low radio field intensity of 3G communication, and although 3G communication is possible, it is not suitable for large capacity data communication. However, a communication base 1002 capable of performing higher-speed communication than 3G communication, such as a wireless LAN access point, is provided inside the area 1006. The base 1002 is connected to the Internet via a large-capacity base network. For this reason, the base area 1005 covered by the base 1002 is suitable for large-capacity data communication.

  While the terminal exists at the position 1001a, the terminal 100 can use only 3G communication. For this reason, the terminal 100 transmits position information to the center server 200 to obtain a communication setting (3G), and directly performs wireless communication with the Internet 400 through 3G communication.

  Thereafter, the terminal 100 moves from the position 1001a to the position 1001b. At the position 1001b, the terminal 100 transmits the position information to the center server 200 again. The center server determines that the terminal 100 is in the communication coverage area of the base 1002, and notifies the terminal 100 of communication settings (wireless LAN) for connecting the terminal 100 to the base 1002 via the wireless LAN. The terminal 100 switches the communication means from 3G to a wireless LAN based on the communication setting received from the center server 200.

  When the terminal 100 moves from the position 1001b to the position 1001c, the center server 200 knows that the terminal 100 continues to exist in the base coverage area 1005 from the position information received from the terminal 100. For this reason, the center server 200 notifies the terminal 100 of the communication setting (wireless LAN) notified at the position 1001b again. The terminal 100 continues to communicate with the wireless LAN via the base 1002.

  If the communication setting to be notified to the terminal 100 is the same as the communication setting notified immediately before, the center server does not notify the terminal of the communication setting and instructs to continue using the current communication setting. May be. The terminal 100 that has received an instruction to continue using the current communication setting uses the current communication setting without changing it.

  When the position 1001d is notified as the position of the terminal 100, the center server 200 determines that the terminal 100 has gone out of the base coverage area 1005, and changes the communication setting notified to the terminal 100. Specifically, the center server 200 switches the communication means of the terminal 100 from wireless LAN to 3G, and selects and notifies the communication setting (3G) so that the terminal 100 is directly connected to the Internet through 3G communication.

  In addition, when the terminal passes through the base cover area 1005 while the terminal 100 is moving in the area 1006, the terminal 100 may notify the user to that effect. In addition, when the terminal 100 is about to leave the base cover area 1006 even during communication, the terminal 100 may notify the user that communication is being performed in the communication setting of the base cover area 1005.

  Furthermore, the center server 200 may not only store the communication setting history used in the terminal, but may also manage and store setting information corresponding to each region in advance. For example, for communication settings in which the communication means is a wireless LAN, the center server 200 may store access point information for each region. Then, the center server 200 may select an optimal access point according to the traffic information of the area and the network, and may transmit the information to the terminal side as necessary.

  Furthermore, the center server may prepare a plurality of communication settings for each region as connection candidates for each region. The center server collects traffic information of a plurality of communication means that can be connected to the terminal, and selects a communication setting that maximizes the communication bandwidth of the terminal according to the traffic status of each communication means. May be sent to.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the communication settings are managed on the center server side. However, the communication settings may be stored in the memory unit of the terminal without using the center server.

  The communication system 304 according to the fifth embodiment having such a configuration is in a state where it is easy and more suitable for setting the communication means of the terminal 100 that is used by moving, as in the first to fourth embodiments. There is an effect that can be performed in.

  Furthermore, the communication system 304 of the fifth embodiment can switch communication settings so that a larger capacity communication means can be used even in a region where a certain communication means is available. As a result, the communication system 304 of the fifth embodiment enables the terminal 100 to communicate with a more preferable communication setting when the amount of communication data is large or when the radio field intensity is poor.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication terminal according to the sixth embodiment of this invention. The communication terminal 600 includes a communication unit 601 and a control unit 602.

  The control unit 602 transmits a communication setting inquiry for operating the communication unit 602 to a communication management apparatus (not shown) together with position information indicating the position of the communication terminal 600. In addition, when receiving a notification that there is no communication setting from the communication management device, the control unit 602 transmits the communication setting set in the communication terminal 600 to the communication management device together with the position information.

  Here, the acquisition means of the positional information which shows the position of the communication terminal 600 is not specifically limited. For example, the communication terminal 600 may acquire position information using GPS. Alternatively, the communication terminal 600 may obtain position information from the outside.

  Further, when the communication setting is notified from the communication management device, the control unit 602 sets the notified communication setting in the communication terminal.

  As described above, the communication terminal 600 according to the sixth embodiment transmits the set communication setting to the communication management apparatus in association with the position information of the communication terminal 600. Then, the communication terminal 600 operates according to the communication setting corresponding to the position information notified from the communication management device. As a result, the communication terminal 600 of the sixth embodiment has an effect that it is possible to easily and more appropriately set the communication means of the communication terminal 600 that is used by moving.

(Seventh embodiment)
FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication management apparatus 700 according to the seventh embodiment of this invention. The communication management apparatus 700 includes a communication unit 701 for communicating with a communication terminal (not shown) and a management unit 702.

  The management unit 702 receives the communication setting and the location information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication setting from the communication terminal, and stores them in the communication setting table. When the management unit 702 receives a communication setting inquiry including position information from the communication terminal, the management unit 702 extracts the communication setting corresponding to the position information from the communication setting table and transmits the communication setting table to the communication terminal.

  The communication management apparatus 700 having the above configuration stores communication settings associated with position information from a communication terminal, extracts communication settings corresponding to position information in response to an inquiry from the communication terminal, and transmits the communication settings to the communication terminal. To do. Therefore, the communication management apparatus 700 has an effect that the communication means of the communication terminal can be easily set in a more suitable state.

  While the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

  In addition, although embodiment of this invention can be described also as the following additional remarks, it is not limited to these.

(Appendix 1)
Communication means;
The communication setting inquiry for operating the communication means is transmitted to the communication management apparatus together with the position information, and when the notification that the communication setting for the inquiry does not exist is received from the communication management apparatus, the communication setting inquiry is set. A communication unit configured to transmit the communication setting to the communication management apparatus together with the position information, and when the communication setting for the inquiry is notified from the communication management apparatus;
A communication terminal comprising:

(Appendix 2)
The communication terminal according to appendix 1, wherein when the position information is transmitted to the communication management device, information related to the communication terminal is further transmitted to the communication management device.

(Appendix 3)
The communication terminal according to appendix 1 or 2, wherein the position information is periodically transmitted to the communication management device.

(Appendix 4)
The communication terminal according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the position information is transmitted to the communication management device by the communication unit set by the notified communication setting.

(Appendix 5)
The communication terminal according to any one of appendices 1 to 4, wherein the communication setting includes a setting for the communication unit that varies depending on time.

(Appendix 6)
The communication terminal according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, further comprising a communication function for performing direct communication with another communication terminal, wherein the communication unit is set according to a communication setting notified by the communication function.

(Appendix 7)
The communication terminal according to appendices 1 to 6, further comprising a GPS unit that generates the position information by a GPS (global positioning system).

(Appendix 8)
A communication means for communicating with the communication terminal;
A communication setting table for storing communication settings received from the communication terminal and position information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication settings;
When a communication setting inquiry including position information is received from the communication terminal, the communication setting corresponding to the position information is extracted from the communication setting table and transmitted to the communication terminal using the communication means. Management means;
A communication management device comprising:

(Appendix 9)
The communication management device according to appendix 8, wherein the management unit further extracts the communication setting from the communication setting table based on information on a communication terminal.

(Appendix 10)
The communication management device according to appendix 8 or 9, wherein the management unit further collects traffic information of a communication unit included in the communication terminal and extracts the communication setting from the communication setting table based on the traffic information. .

(Appendix 11)
The communication management apparatus according to any one of appendices 8 to 10, wherein the management unit includes communication settings corresponding to position information in advance.

(Appendix 12)
A communication terminal described in Appendix 1, and a communication management device described in Appendix 8.
The communication terminal transmits a communication setting inquiry for operating the communication means to the communication management apparatus together with position information indicating the position of the communication terminal,
When the communication management device receives a communication setting inquiry including position information from the communication terminal, the communication management apparatus extracts the communication setting corresponding to the position information from the communication setting table and transmits the communication setting to the communication terminal.
Communications system.

(Appendix 13)
An inquiry of communication setting for operating the communication means provided in the communication terminal is transmitted to the communication management apparatus together with the position information,
When a notification that there is no communication setting for the inquiry is received from the communication management apparatus, the set communication setting is transmitted to the communication management apparatus together with the position information,
When the communication setting for the inquiry is notified from the communication management device, the notified communication setting is set,
A method for controlling a communication terminal.

(Appendix 14)
The communication setting received from the communication terminal and the location information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication setting are stored in the communication setting table,
When a communication setting inquiry including position information is received from the communication terminal, the communication setting corresponding to the position information is extracted from the communication setting table and transmitted to the communication terminal.
Control method of communication management device.

(Appendix 15)
A procedure for transmitting a communication setting inquiry for operating communication means included in the communication terminal to the communication management apparatus together with position information indicating the position of the communication terminal;
A procedure for transmitting the communication setting set in the communication terminal to the communication management apparatus together with the position information when a notification that the communication setting for the inquiry does not exist is received from the communication management apparatus;
When the communication setting for the inquiry is notified from the communication management device, a procedure for setting the notified communication setting in the communication terminal;
A communication terminal control program for causing a computer to execute.

(Appendix 16)
A procedure for storing the communication setting received from the communication terminal and the location information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication setting in a communication setting table;
A procedure for extracting a communication setting corresponding to the position information from the communication setting table and transmitting the communication setting to the communication terminal when a communication setting inquiry including the position information is received from the communication terminal;
A control program for a communication management apparatus for causing a computer to execute.

100, 110, 120 Terminal 101 Control unit 102 Memory 103 GPS unit 104 Wireless LAN unit 105 Wireless LAN antenna unit 106 Wireless unit 107 Wireless antenna unit 108 Wired LAN unit 109 Connector 130 Tunnel 1001a to 1001d Location 1002 Base 1005 Base cover area 1006 Low signal strength area 200 Center server 300 to 304 Communication system 400 Internet 410 Wireless LAN access point 600 Communication terminal 601 Communication means 602 Control means 700 Communication management device 701 Communication means 702 Management means

Claims (10)

Communication means;
The communication setting inquiry for operating the communication means is transmitted to the communication management apparatus together with the position information, and when the notification that the communication setting for the inquiry does not exist is received from the communication management apparatus, the communication setting inquiry is set. A communication unit configured to transmit the communication setting to the communication management apparatus together with the position information, and when the communication setting for the inquiry is notified from the communication management apparatus;
A communication terminal comprising:   The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when transmitting the position information to the communication management device, further transmits information related to the communication terminal to the communication management device.   The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the communication setting includes a setting for the communication unit that varies depending on time.   The communication terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a communication function for performing direct communication with another communication terminal, wherein the communication unit is set by a communication setting notified by the communication function. . A communication means for communicating with the communication terminal;
A communication setting table for storing communication settings received from the communication terminal and position information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication settings;
When a communication setting inquiry including position information is received from the communication terminal, the communication setting corresponding to the position information is extracted from the communication setting table and transmitted to the communication terminal using the communication means. Management means;
A communication management device comprising:   The communication management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the management unit further extracts the communication setting from the communication setting table based on information on a communication terminal.   The communication management according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the management unit further collects traffic information of a communication unit included in the communication terminal and extracts the communication setting from the communication setting table based on the traffic information. apparatus. A communication terminal according to claim 1; and a communication management device according to claim 5;
The communication terminal transmits a communication setting inquiry for operating the communication means to the communication management apparatus together with position information indicating the position of the communication terminal,
When the communication management device receives a communication setting inquiry including position information from the communication terminal, the communication management apparatus extracts the communication setting corresponding to the position information from the communication setting table and transmits the communication setting to the communication terminal.
Communications system. An inquiry of communication setting for operating the communication means provided in the communication terminal is transmitted to the communication management apparatus together with the position information,
When a notification that there is no communication setting for the inquiry is received from the communication management apparatus, the set communication setting is transmitted to the communication management apparatus together with the position information,
When the communication setting for the inquiry is notified from the communication management device, the notified communication setting is set.
A communication terminal control method. The communication setting received from the communication terminal and the location information of the communication terminal corresponding to the communication setting are stored in the communication setting table,
When a communication setting inquiry including position information is received from the communication terminal, the communication setting corresponding to the position information is extracted from the communication setting table and transmitted to the communication terminal.
A control method for a communication management apparatus.