Mobile device and communication control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9750072-B2
Application number	US-201414340677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 8, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Determining an initial number of TCP connections, dynamically determining increases and decreases in the number of TCP connections, and so on depending on a wireless communication method that is used enables a plurality of TCP connections to be used for wireless communication methods having higher communication bandwidths, and can thus improve communication speeds. Meanwhile, a drop in communication speed can be suppressed when using wireless communication methods having lower communication bandwidths.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile device having a phone function that establishes communication with a partner apparatus by carrying out wireless communication with a base station using one of a plurality of wireless communication standards, the device comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the mobile device to:
hold a correspondence table in which the plurality of wireless communication standards that can be used by the mobile device are associated with corresponding numbers of connections with the partner apparatus;
specify a current wireless communication standard of the mobile device;
determine the number of connections corresponding to the specified wireless communication standard, based on the correspondence table;
provide a screen for inputting an instruction as to whether or not to use the number of connections corresponding to the determined wireless communication standard;
carry out communication with the partner apparatus using the determined number of connections when an instruction to use the number of connections is input via the screen; and
carry out communication with the partner apparatus using a predetermined number of connections when an instruction not to use the number of connections is input via the screen.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein if the specified wireless communication standard is a mobile telephone communication standard, the number of connections is determined to be a number determined in advance for each communication standard.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein if the specified wireless communication standard is not a mobile telephone communication standard, the number of connections is determined to be a number determined in advance based on a connection speed.

4. The mobile device according to claim 3 , wherein the connection speed is a connection speed in a direction in which data is transferred.

5. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor further causes the mobile device to determine whether or not the mobile device is moving at a speed, and if the mobile device is moving at a speed, the number of connections is determined to be a number that is lower than the number corresponding to the specified wireless communication standard.

6. The mobile device according to claim 5 , wherein the mobile device is determined to be moving at a speed if a number of handovers occurring in a predetermined amount of time is greater than a predetermined number.

7. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor further causes the mobile device to determine whether or not a network being connected to is a low-speed communication network, and if the network is a low-speed communication network, the number of connections is determined to be a number that is lower than the number corresponding to the specified communication standard.

8. The mobile device according to claim 7 , wherein whether or not the network being connected to is a low-speed communication network is determined based on speed information associated with setting information specifying a connection destination leading to the partner apparatus.

9. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor further causes the mobile device to obtain contract information indicating a contract mode for a fee charged to the mobile device, and if the contract mode is pay-for-use, determine the number of connections to be a number that is lower than the number corresponding to the specified wireless communication standard.

10. The mobile device according to claim 5 , wherein the number that is lower than the number corresponding to the specified wireless communication standard is 1.

11. The mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor further causes the mobile device to periodically determine the number of connections.

12. The mobile device according to claim 1 ,
wherein inputting further instructions includes at least one of an instruction to determine the number of connections, an instruction to periodically determine the number of connections, an instruction to determine the number of connections in accordance with a contract mode, an instruction to determine the number of connections in accordance with whether or not the mobile device is moving at a speed, and an instruction to determine the number of connections in accordance with whether or not a network being connected to is a low-speed communication network are allowed via the screen.

13. A communication control method carried out by a mobile device having a phone function that establishes communication with a partner apparatus by carrying out wireless communication with a base station using one of a plurality of wireless communication standards, the method comprising:
holding a correspondence table in which the plurality of wireless communication standards that can be used by the mobile device are associated with corresponding numbers of connections with the partner apparatus;
specifying a current wireless communication standard of the mobile device;
determining a number of connections corresponding to the wireless communication standard that has been specified, based on the correspondence table;
providing a screen for inputting an instruction as to whether or not to use the number of connections corresponding to the determined wireless communication standard;
carrying out communication with the partner apparatus using the determined number of connections when an instruction to use the number of connections is input via the screen; and
carrying out communication with the partner apparatus using a predetermined number of connections when an instruction not to use the number of connections is input via the screen.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded therein a program for causing a computer to act as a mobile device having a phone function that establishes communication with a partner apparatus by carrying out wireless communication with a base station using one of a plurality of wireless communication standards, the program causing the computer to:
hold a correspondence table in which the plurality of wireless communication standards that can be used by the mobile device are associated with corresponding numbers of connections with the partner apparatus;
specify a current wireless communication standard of the mobile device;
determine the number of connections corresponding to the specified wireless communication standard, based on the correspondence table;
provide a screen for inputting an instruction as to whether or not to use the number of connections corresponding to the determined wireless communication standard;
carry out communication with the partner apparatus using the determined number of connections when an instruction to use the number of connections is input via the screen; and
carry out communication with the partner apparatus using a predetermined number of connections when an instruction not to use the number of connections is input via the screen.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Okubo Yuzuru

Classifications

• H04L12/1432

  Metric aspects · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W4/24

  Accounting or billing · CPC title

• H04M15/55

  for hybrid networks · CPC title

• H04W76/16 Primary

  Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer · CPC title