Communication device, communication system, connection destination control method, and transmission rate control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10999775-B2
Application number	US-201816631730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 18, 2017
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

A communication device is provided and includes: a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a base station used as a connection destination; a location information acquisition device configured to acquire location information on a location of the communication device; a storage configured to store historical obstruction information for an obstructed location where decrease in communication quality due to obstruction has occurred before; a controller configured to determine, based on the historical obstruction information and the location information, a degree of risk of occurrence of decrease in communication quality due to obstruction for at least one of a current connection destination that is currently used by the communication device and a future connection destination that is expected to be used by the communication device, and control the connection destination based on a result of determination of the degree of risk.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication device for communicating data via a base station used as a connection destination, the communication device comprising:
a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station used as the connection destination;
a location information acquisition device configured to acquire location information on a location of the communication device;
a storage configured to store historical obstruction information for an obstructed location where decrease in communication quality due to obstruction has occurred before;
a controller configured to:
determine a degree of risk of occurrence of decrease in communication quality due to obstruction based on the historical obstruction information and the location information, the degree of risk being determined for at least one of a current connection destination that is currently used by the communication device and a future connection destination that is expected to be used by the communication device; and
control the connection destination based on a result of determination of the degree of risk.

2. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a cell of the connection destination.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a beam of the connection destination.

4. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that, when there is a risk of occurrence of decrease in communication quality due to obstruction associated with the current connection destination, the controller changes the connection destination from the current connection destination to a different connection destination.

5. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that, when there is a risk of occurrence of decrease in communication quality due to obstruction associated with the future connection destination as a connection destination candidate, the controller control the connection destination in such a manner as to avoid selecting the future connection destination as a connection destination.

6. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to define a risky area around the obstructed location, and to determine the degree of risk based on whether or not the communication device is present in the risky area.

7. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the degree of risk based on an accession time required for the communication device to reach the obstructed location.

8. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the degree of risk based on moving status of the communication device.

9. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the degree of risk based on a type of application currently performing communication.

10. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the degree of risk based on a type of the communication device.

11. A communication system in which a communication device communicates data via a base station used as a connection destination, wherein the communication device comprises:
a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with the base station used as the connection destination;
a location information acquisition device configured to acquire location information on a location of the communication device;
a storage configured to store historical obstruction information for an obstructed location where decrease in communication quality due to obstruction has occurred before;
a controller configured to:
determine a degree of risk of occurrence of decrease in communication quality due to obstruction based on the historical obstruction information and the location information, the degree of risk being determined for at least one of a current connection destination that is currently used by the communication device and a future connection destination that is expected to be used by the communication device; and
control the connection destination based on a result of determination of the degree of risk.

12. A connection destination control method for controlling a connection destination for a communication device to communicate data via a base station used as the connection destination, the method comprising:
the communication device determining a degree of risk of occurrence of decrease in communication quality due to obstruction based on historical obstruction information and location information on a location of the communication device, the historical obstruction information being information on one or more obstructed locations where decrease in communication quality due to obstruction has occurred before, and the degree of risk being determined for at least one of a current connection destination that is currently used by the communication device and a future connection destination that is expected to be used by the communication device; and
the communication device controlling the connection destination based on a result of determination of the degree of risk.

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp

Inventors

• Shimizu Noriyuki
• Asano Hiroaki
• Shingu Hideki

Classifications

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W36/322

  by location data · CPC title

• H04W36/00835

  Determination of neighbour cell lists · CPC title

• H04W36/36 Primary

  by user or terminal equipment · CPC title

• H04W36/304

  due to measured or perceived resources with higher communication quality · CPC title