This application is related to and claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2005-356275 filed Dec. 9, 2005 in the Japanese Patent Office, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication apparatus and a channel switching method of ad-hoc communication and more specifically to a mobile communication apparatus which can perform communications in an infrastructure communication mode and in an ad-hoc communication mode while the apparatus such as a portable phone terminal, a PHS (Personal Handy phone System) terminal, portable personal computer, and a vehicle-installed communication apparatus is moving and to a channel switching method of ad-hoc communications of such mobile communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, for an ordinary wireless LAN system, there have been proposed an infrastructure communication mode in which a portable station (i.e., a personal computer or the like) can conduct communications via a fixed base station (radio access point) and in an ad-hoc communication mode in which direct radio communications can be made among the stations at close range.
The infrastructure communication mode and ad-hoc communication mode of a mobile communication apparatus, in an ordinary wireless LAN system, are not aimed for communication within a vehicle, such as an automobile, while moving at higher speeds. Sufficient research has not been conducted for realization of infrastructure communication and ad-hoc communication in a mobile communication apparatus while moving at higher speeds.
As the prior art relevant to the present invention, the Japanese published patent application JP-A No. 2004-248180 describes a method for accurately collecting the communication condition information of wireless communication media and then switching such communication media to an optimum wireless communication medium by determining the communication mode to be used, either the infrastructure mode or the ad-hoc mode, in accordance with the collected communication condition information.
Moreover, the Japanese published patent application JP-A No. 2004-128785 describes a wireless LAN communication system which is capable of automatically switching between the infrastructure mode and ad-hoc mode under predetermined conditions. Moreover, the Japanese published patent application JP-A No. 1999-55318 describes a mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same, in which the same mobile terminal is capable of connecting with both networks of an infra-NW as a permanent network and an ad-hoc NW as a temporary network formed by a plurality of terminals while the mobile terminal is moving.
There is a need to increase the number of channels which may be used for ad-hoc communications. However, preferably, interference, due to using same channel, between infrastructure communications and ad-hoc communications, needs to be prevented even though the number of channels which may be used for ad-hoc communications is increased.
The present invention effectively utilizes an infrastructure communication channel to increase the number of channels which may be used for ad-hoc communications while preventing deterioration in communication quality of the infrastructure communication channel, influenced by the transmitting signal of ad-hoc communication.
(1) The present invention utilizes a mobile communication apparatus enabling communication in an infrastructure communication mode for radio communication via a base station and in an ad-hoc communication mode for direct radio communication with another mobile communication apparatus, the mobile communication apparatus comprising a communication channel recognizing means for recognizing an infrastructure communication channel which does not interfere with an infrastructure communication within a radio service area of a base station, among the infrastructure communication channels assigned for the infrastructure communication, and a communication channel diversion control means for utilizing a infrastructure communication channel, recognized by the communication channel recognizing means, as a channel for the ad-hoc communication mode.
(2) Preferably, the communication channel recognizing means recognizes the infrastructure communication channel which can be diverted to the ad-hoc communication on the basis of a receiving state of the common control channel signal transmitted from a base station or of channel identification information of the infrastructure communication channel, notified from the base station via the common control channel.
(3) Preferably, the communication channel recognizing means recognizes the divertible infrastructure communication channel based upon notified information indicating that the infrastructure communication is conducted or notified information indicating which infrastructure channel is used, wherein the notified information is from by another mobile communication apparatus via the ad-hoc communication channel.
(4) Preferably, the communication channel recognizing means recognizes the infrastructure communication channel which may be diverted for the ad-hoc communication on the basis of position information of each base station previously stored in the mobile communication apparatus, channel identification information of the infrastructure communication channel used in each base station, and present position information of the mobile communication apparatus.
(5) The present invention utilizes a channel switching method of ad-hoc communication in a mobile communication apparatus, which is capable of wirelessly communicating in an infrastructure communication mode for radio communication via a base station and an ad-hoc communication mode for direct radio communication with another mobile communication apparatus, by recognizing an infrastructure communication channel which does not interfere with infrastructure communications conducted within a radio area of the base station among infrastructure communication channels assigned for infrastructure communications, and controlling diversion of a communication channel for providing ad-hoc communication using the infrastructure communication channel by switching the ad-hoc communication channel to the infrastructure communication channel.
(6) The present invention utilizes a mobile communication apparatus comprising a communication channel diverter to communicate with another mobile apparatus directly via a infrastructure communication channel usable to communicate with a base station, when the mobile communication is in a radio area of the base station.
(7) Preferably, the channel diverter stops to use the base station channel, when the apparatus approach to the base station is detected.
(8) Preferably, the channel diverter stops to use the infrastructure communication channel when said infrastructure communication channel is utilized by another communication with a base station approached by the mobile communication apparatus.
The mobile communication apparatus of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as a “terminal”) recognizes that there is an infrastructure communication channel which may be diverted for ad-hoc communication when communication is conducted at an area isolated from the radio area of the base station (situation A) or when an unused infrastructure communication channel exists (for example, in FIGS. 1(b), INFRA Channel #2) even if the mobile communication apparatus is in the radio area of the base station (situation B), and notifies the divertible infrastructure communication channel to the communication channel diversion control unit 1-4.
The communication channel diversion control unit 1-4 switches the communication mode to the ad-hoc communication mode with the change-over switch 1-3 for enabling the ad-hoc communication mode unit 1-2 to conduct the ad-hoc communication using the divertible infrastructure communication channel (in FIGS. 1(b) and 2, INFRA channels #1 or #2 in situation A, and/or only INFRA channel #1 in situation B), when the divertible infrastructure communication channel is notified by the communication channel recognizing unit 1-5.
Accordingly, as illustrated in
Here, initial infrastructure communication channel and ad-hoc communication channel can be used as channels to be time-division multiplexed on the same frequency or as channels to use different frequency bands. Moreover, the initial infrastructure communication channel and ad-hoc communication channel can have a plurality of channels respectively by using time-division multiplex or by using an access system, such as CSMA or the like. As a result, it is possible to introduce a structure which is used by a plurality of mobile communication apparatuses.
Recognition of the divertible infrastructure communication channel explained above will be explained below. The first embodiment will be explained with reference to
In the radio communication system of the first embodiment, all terminals are using recognizable common control channels and the base station transmits notifying information to control the terminals to recognize the existence of the base station at a transmitting power higher than transmitting power in ad-hoc communications among the terminals. Here, the terminal #2 does not receive the notifying information via a common control channel from the base station, because terminal #2 is located, at the beginning, in an area far from the infrastructure communication area, and thus the terminal #2 recognizes that the infrastructure communication is not influenced or not influenceable even when the infrastructure communication channels CH1, CH2 are diverted for the ad-hoc communication. Accordingly, the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2 is determined to be divertible for the ad-hoc communication and thereby the channels CH1 to CH4 may be used for the ad-hoc communication.
The terminal #3 also does not receive the notifying information via the common control channel from the base station and also recognizes that terminal #3 is far from the infrastructure communication area. Like the terminal #2, in terminal #3 the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2 is diverted or divertible for the ad-hoc communication and thereby the ad-hoc communication can be realized with, for example, the terminal #2 by also using the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2.
However, when the terminal #2 enters the radio area range of the notifying information via the common control channel from the base station during diversion of the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2 to the ad-hoc communication, the terminal #2 recognizes that the ad-hoc communication diversion of CH1 or CH2 will interfere with the infrastructure communication, based on the receiving conditions of the common control channel from the base station, stops transmission of the ad-hoc communication on the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2, and conducts the ad-hoc communication using the ad-hoc communication channel CH3 or CH4. According to an aspect of the embodiments, the terminal #2's reception on CH1 or CH2 might not be stopped, and reception of terminal #3's diverted ad hoc communication continues on CH1 or CH2.
Therefore, since the terminal #3 is capable of continuing the diverted ad-hoc communication with the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2, the terminal #2 may continue reception of the diverted ad hoc communication on CH1 or CH2 from the terminal #3 because #3 is still far from the base station. In this case terminal #2 can use CH3 or CH4 as transmission channel(s) and can continue to use CH1 or CH2 as reception channel(s) for diverted ad-hoc communication with the terminal #3.
The principal function units of a first embodiment terminal in the first embodiment wireless network of the present invention are illustrated in
Next, a second embodiment terminal of the present invention will be explained with reference to
Typically according to the embodiment, a terminal always supervises the common control channel and diverts an infrastructure communication channel other than the channels notified via the common control channel by the base station. If, based upon a specific common control channel identified by the common control channel reception recognizing unit 1-3, the channel identifying information of a diverted infrastructure communication channel which is currently used for ad-hoc communication is received from the base station, the ad-hoc communication on the infrastructure communication channel is suspended, and the ad-hoc communications are continued using the ad-hoc communication channel or another infrastructure communication channel which may be diverted for the ad-hoc communication.
The principal function units of the second embodiment terminal in the first embodiment wireless network of the present invention are illustrated in
Next, the second embodiment wireless network of the present invention will be explained with reference to
The terminals #3 and #4 are not notified from the base station or another terminal and divert the infrastructure communication channels CH1 and CH2 for the ad-hoc communications. Here, when the terminal #2 starts the infrastructure communication with the base station using the infrastructure communication channel, the terminal #2 notifies the ambient terminal #3 (terminal which exists within a direct communication area with terminal #2) of an infrastructure communication channel currently used by the terminal #2 to conduct the infrastructure communication. According to an aspect of the embodiment, this notification of the infrastructure communication channel currently used by the terminal #2 can be transmitted to terminal #3 in a transmission power higher than that of the ordinary ad-hoc communication.
The terminal #3 having received this notifying information, stops diversion of the infrastructure communication channels CH1, CH2 for the ad-hoc communications and executes transmission of ad-hoc communications using the ad-hoc communication channel CH3 or CH4. According to an aspect of the embodiments, the terminal #3's reception on CH1 or CH2 might not be stopped, and reception of terminal #3's diverted ad hoc communication can continue on CH1 or CH2. Therefore, since the terminal #4 is capable of continuing the diverted ad-hoc communications on the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2, the terminal #3 may continue receiving terminal #4's diverted ad hoc communication on CH1 or CH2. In this case terminal #2 can use CH3 or CH4 as transmission channel(s) and can continue to use CH1 or CH2 as reception channel(s) for diverted ad-hoc communication with the terminal #3.
The principal function units in a third embodiment terminal in the second embodiment wireless network of the present invention is illustrated in
Moreover, the recognizing unit 6-2 recognizes that the infrastructure communication is being performed or conductible by receiving information which indicates that the infrastructure channel is being performed from the other terminal via the ad-hoc communication mode unit 1-2 and notifies the same information to the communication channel recognizing unit 1-5. This communication channel recognizing unit 1-5 stops diversion of the infrastructure communication channel to the ad-hoc communication based on the same information and executes transmission for ad-hoc communication on an ad-hoc communication channel. More particularly the unit 1-2, 6-1 and 6-2 provide means for managing the divertible infrastructure communication channel(s).
Next, the fourth embodiment terminal of the present invention will be explained with reference to
The terminal #3 having received this notifying information stops diversion of the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2 for the ad-hoc communication and executes transmission of the ad-hoc communications using the ad-hoc communication channels CH3, CH4 or another available infrastructure communication channel ( as the case may be). However, since the terminal #4 is capable of continuing the diverted ad-hoc communication with the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2, the terminal #3 can continue reception of terminal #4's diverted infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2. In this case terminal #2 can use CH3 or CH4 as transmission channel(s) and can continue to use CH1 or CH2 as reception channel(s) for ad-hoc communication with the terminal #3.
The principal function units in the fourth embodiment terminal of the present invention are illustrated in
The channel identifying information notifying unit 7-1 of the infrastructure communication channel being used for diversion notifies, when the infrastructure communication is started, the channel identifying information of the infrastructure communication channel being used, to the ad-hoc communication mode unit 1-2. This ad-hoc communication mode unit 1-2 notifies, in turn, the same information to another ambient terminal with the ad-hoc communication.
The channel identifying information recognizing unit 7-2 recognizes the identifying information of a usable infrastructure communication channel notified from other terminal(s) via the ad-hoc communication mode unit 1-2 and notifies the same information to the communication channel recognizing unit 1-5. This communication channel recognizing unit 1-5 stops, based on the same information, diversion of the infrastructure communication channel being used by other terminal(s) to the ad-hoc communication and executes the transmission of ad-hoc communications with the other communication channels.
Next, a third embodiment of a wireless network of the present invention will be explained with reference to
Each terminal #1 to #3 stores the position of each base station and the identifying information of the infrastructure communication channel used in each base station and also recognizes the positional relationship between the terminal and the base station with a position measuring apparatus of a global positioning system (GPS). When a terminal recognizes that the terminal is far enough from the base station to execute the ad-hoc communication by diverting the infrastructure communication channel without interfering with the infrastructure communication, the terminal transmits by diverting the infrastructure communication channel used for the base station for the ad-hoc communication.
However, when the terminal recognizes that the terminal is coming close to the base station, which can interfere with the infrastructure communication, the terminal stops diversion of the infrastructure communication channel to the ad-hoc transmission. In the case of an example of
However, when the terminal #2 recognizes that the terminal is coming close to the infrastructure communication area in the midst of diversion of the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2 to the ad-hoc communications, this terminal #2 stops transmission of the ad-hoc communications with the infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2 and conducts transmission of ad-hoc communications using the ad-hoc communication channel CH3 or CH4. However, since the terminal #3 is capable of continuing the ad-hoc communications with the diverted infrastructure communication channel CH1 or CH2, the terminal #2 can continue reception of terminal #3's diverted infrastructure communication on channel CH1 or CH2. For example, in this case terminal #2 can use CH3 or CH4 as transmission channel(s) and can continue to use CH1 or CH2 as reception channel(s) for ad-hoc communication with the terminal #3.
The principal function units in a fifth embodiment terminal of the present invention are illustrated in
The position measuring apparatus 9-2 acquires the present position information of the terminal with the global positioning system (GPS) and transmits the same information to the channel recognizing unit 1-5. The channel recognizing unit 1-5 recognizes, on the basis of such information, whether the terminal is in a positional relationship with the base station to interfere with infrastructure communication, because of diverting the infrastructure communication channel for the ad-hoc communication. When such diverted ad-hoc communication interferes with the infrastructure communication, the channel recognizing unit 1-5 stops diversion of the infrastructure communication channel to the ad-hoc communication and transmits the ad-hoc communication on other ad-hoc communication channels.
According to the embodiments, the infrastructure communication channel can be used effectively for ad-hoc communication and the number of available channels of ad-hoc communication can be increased, preferably, without the diverted ad-hoc communication adversely affecting the infrastructure communication by employing a structure that recognizes the infrastructure communication channels not interfering with the infrastructure communication from among the infrastructure communication channels assigned for infrastructure communications, and for conducting the ad-hoc communication through diversion of the infrastructure communications channel.
A mobile wireless communication apparatus is provided that communicates in an infrastructure communication mode for radio communication via a base station and in an ad-hoc communication mode for direct radio communication with other mobile wireless communication apparatus, comprising: a controller to control the apparatus according to a process comprising: increasing a number of infrastructure communication channels assigned for the infrastructure communication mode by recognizing, from among the infrastructure communication channels, an infrastructure communication channel available for ad hoc communication with the other mobile wireless communication apparatus; and diverting the recognized infrastructure communication channel for an ad-hoc communication mode channel to perform the ad hoc communication with the other mobile wireless communication apparatus. The process of the controller further comprises recognizing the availability of the infrastructure communication channel for the ad hoc communication by determining an infrastructure communication status depending upon the mobile wireless communication apparatus approaching or nearing an infrastructure communication area (for example, whether signal can reach or about (based upon time and/or distance) to reach infrastructure communication area), within the infrastructure communication area, or any combinations thereof.
According to an aspect of the embodiments, the infrastructure communication status is determined based upon a receiving state of an infrastructure communication channel common control channel signal transmitted from the base station, or recognizing a channel identification information of the infrastructure communication channel notified from the base station via a common control channel, or receiving a notification from another mobile communication apparatus via an ad-hoc communication channel indicating active infrastructure communication or which infrastructure channel is used, or determining position information of each base station and channel identification information of the infrastructure communication channel used in each base station, and present position information of the mobile communication apparatus with respect to each base station, or any combinations thereof.
The many features and advantages of the embodiments are apparent from the detailed specification and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the embodiments that fall within the true spirit and scope thereof. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the inventive embodiments to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope thereof.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2005-356275 | Dec 2005 | JP | national |