Communication system and server apparatus and terminal apparatus

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a communication system includes a first terminal to be connected to a first communication network, assigned a terminal ID and driven by power supplied from a battery, a server apparatus to be connected to a second communication network differing from the first network, to periodically confirm presences of the first terminal and a second terminal to be connected to the second communication network, and to communication-connect between the first and the second terminals in the case of presences thereof, and a controller which makes the server apparatus monitor that the first terminal is present on the first communication network by a second period longer than a first period monitoring that the second terminal is present on the second communication network.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various feature of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic configuration view illustrating a communication system regarding a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a communication server shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary view illustrating one example of stored contents in a first table shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary view illustrating one example of stored contents in a second table shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary sequence view of transmitting/receiving keep-alive signals between the communication server and the terminals in a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a control processing procedure of the communication server in the firs embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a control processing procedure of the terminal in the first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a terminal regarding a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a communication server regarding the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a control processing procedure of the terminal in the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a control processing procedure of the communication server in the second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 13 is an exemplary schematic configuration view illustrating a communication system regarding a third embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising: a first terminal to be connected to a first communication network, assigned a terminal ID and driven by power supplied from a battery;a server apparatus to be connected to a second communication network differing from the first network, to periodically confirm presences of the first terminal and a second terminal to be connected to the second communication network, and to communication-connect between the first and the second terminals in the case of presences thereof; anda controller which makes the server apparatus monitor that the first terminal is present on the first communication network by a second period longer than a first period monitoring that the second terminal is present on the second communication network.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the controller transmits signals to the first terminal at each of the second period to make the first terminal send back its response signal, and determines the fact of the presence of the first terminal on the first communication network when the response signal is sent back.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the controller transmits signals to the first terminal at each of the second period, and determines the fact that the first terminal is present on the first communication network when the signals are received.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the controller makes the first terminal detect the remaining amount of the battery, inserts remaining amount information of the battery into a transmission signal to the server apparatus and transmit the information, and changes the second period in response to the remaining amount information, if the remaining amount information of the battery is inserted in the transmission signal when the server apparatus receives the signal from the first terminal.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, further comprising: a memory which stores a table in which a terminal ID of the first terminal and information showing the second period are associated with each other, whereinthe controller refers to the table, monitors the presence of the first terminal on the first communication network based on the reference result, and updates information showing the corresponding second period in the table based on the remaining amount information when a signal with the remaining amount information of the battery inserted therein is transmitted from the first terminal.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, when the first communication network is a mobile communication network, wherein the server apparatus receives a signal from the first terminal via the mobile communication network.

7. A server apparatus which periodically confirms presences of a first terminal to be connected to a first communication network, assigned a terminal ID and driven by power supplied from a battery, and of a second terminal to be connected to a second communication network differing from the first network, and communication-connects between the first and the second terminals in the case of presences thereof, the server apparatus comprising: a controller which monitors that the first terminal is present on the first communication network by a second period longer than a first period monitoring that the second terminal is present on the second communication network.

8. A terminal apparatus as a first terminal connected to a server apparatus which periodically confirms presences of a first terminal to be connected to a first communication network, assigned a terminal ID and driven by power supplied from a battery, and of a second terminal to be connected to a second communication network differing from the first network, and communication-connects between the first and the second terminals in the case of presences thereof, the terminal apparatus comprising: a detector which detects a remaining amount of the battery; anda transmitter which inserts remaining amount information of the battery into a signal to be transmitted to the server apparatus and transmits the information, when the server apparatus periodically confirms presences of the first terminal and the second terminal.