KR101231608B1 - Apparatus and method for adaptively applying a policy for selecting a connected network among a plurality of heterogeneous networks - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An apparatus for adaptively applying a connection network selection policy in a plurality of heterogeneous networks and a method therefor are provided to adaptively apply a connection network selection policy to make a current status of a user data service to be connected with an optimum communication network. CONSTITUTION: A policy decision unit(11) decides one of a plurality of modes based on the amount of confirmed standard data, used data amount and an allocated time period in reference to the current time point. A network selection unit(112) confirms connection with a first communication network or second communication network according to a policy defined by the decided mode. The network selection unit confirms a designated condition in the decided mode according to connection. The network selection unit selects one communication network in a plurality of the heterogeneous networks based on the confirmed condition to connect a mobile communication terminal with a selected communication network.

Description

Apparatus and method for adaptively applying a policy for selecting a connected network among a plurality of heterogeneous networks}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for enabling the selective use of heterogeneous networks, in particular a plurality of heterogeneous networks with different numbers of users, service areas, or qualities of communication services.

As the mobile communication network develops, users can browse various information they need regardless of the place using not only mobile phones but also smart phones, tablet computers, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "mobile communication terminals"). You can check or receive the content you want.

A mobile communication terminal that provides a data use service regardless of a place is always connected to one communication network in a plurality of heterogeneous networks having different infrastructures that can be accessed through its own radio resources. It maintains the connected state, that is, the data communication is possible by assigning the access IP address.

For example, if a communication network providing high-speed wireless data service, such as a Wi-Fi WLAN network, is currently accessible, it will remain connected to that network. Otherwise, a mobile telephone network having a wide-area service area, for example, For example, a CDMA2000 or W-CDMA mobile telephone network is assigned an access IP address to maintain a connection state for data services. And, if both of the above-described communication networks are accessible, they are normally connected to a Wi-Fi wireless LAN network with a high speed in a state in which the use is not inhibited.

As such, a general mobile communication terminal which maintains a connection state for a communication network and a data service should always use resources for communicating with the mobile communication network in order to provide a basic use of a user's telephone. Since users can use it selectively, resources for communicating with a communication network for providing essentially data usage services such as a Wi-Fi wireless LAN network are selectively operated to maintain a limited power source called a battery as long as possible.

By the way, the use of data services on the mobile phone communication network is usually charged while the Wi-Fi wireless LAN network is provided free of charge. Under such communication usage environment, users tend to prefer data service using Wi-Fi wireless LAN. Therefore, even when using a mobile phone communication network, even though it is not disadvantageous to the user in view of the current use status, the Wi-Fi wireless LAN network is continuously used. However, the Wi-Fi wireless LAN has a scattered local service area, so it can only be used in a state where the homeostasis or continuity of the data service is not guaranteed.

In addition, when the user of the mobile communication terminal uses the data service mainly using the mobile phone communication network without using the Wi-Fi wireless LAN network to avoid the problem caused by the local service area and to suppress the additional use of the battery, Depending on the usage fee policy for each communication network, the user may be required to take unexpected costs.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for adaptively applying a network selection policy such that a communication network optimal for a user's use of data services is in a connected state in a plurality of heterogeneous networks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for ensuring the homeostasis or continuity of a data service in consideration of a user's cost burden.

The object of the present invention is not limited to the object explicitly stated above, and of course includes the purpose of achieving an effect that can be derived from the specific and exemplary description of the present invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a mobile communication terminal capable of accessing a plurality of heterogeneous networks may be configured such that at least the first communication network checks the data amount and the basic data amount using the communication network up to the present time in the allocation period. A decision unit configured to determine one of a plurality of modes including at least a first mode and a second mode based on the identified basic data amount and the usage data amount and a time period based on the current time point within the allocation period. And, according to the method determined by the determined mode, to confirm whether the connection to the first communication network or the second communication network and confirms the conditions specified in the determined mode in accordance with the connection, based on the confirmed conditions Selecting one communication network from the plurality of heterogeneous networks so that the mobile communication terminal is connected to the selected communication network; Selecting is configured to include portions. Here, the first mode is a connection condition to the second communication network that is relatively relaxed compared to the second mode is specified. The second communication network is a communication network in which there is no cost in using a data service or a cost excluding a fixed cost is lower than that of the first communication network. The fixed cost is a cost that has already been fixed or incrementally fixed at this time regardless of the additional use of the data service.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the time period is a time at which the present time has elapsed from the start of the allocation period. In the present embodiment, the determining unit is configured to determine one of the plurality of modes based on the ratio of the confirmed use data amount to the basic data amount and the ratio of the time period to the allocation period.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the time period is a time remaining from the current time to the expiration time of the allocation period, and the determination unit subtracts the checked use data amount from the basic data amount to subtract the remaining data amount. Calculate, and determine one of the plurality of modes based on the ratio of the calculated residual data amount to the basic data amount and the ratio of the time period to the allocation period.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the basic data amount and the usage data amount are data amounts corresponding to a condition belonging to the current time point among conditions of a predetermined day or time zone. In the present embodiment, the allocation period and the time period are time lengths in which the times corresponding to the condition to which the present time point belongs in the plan period of the mobile communication terminal are added up.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the first mode is a method and condition in which the cost incurred according to the use of the data service is suppressed, and the second mode is a method and condition in which the homeostasis of the user's data service is maintained. Is specified. In addition, the plurality of modes may further include a third mode in which a method and a condition in which the home service of the data service is higher than that of the first mode and the cost incurred are relatively reduced compared to the second mode. . In the present embodiment, the first mode is the upper limit criterion for signal strength from an arbitrary connection point on the second communication network for switching to the second communication network while the first communication network is connected. The second mode has a lower limit of an evaluation value of a communication state with respect to a random access point on the second communication network for switching to the first communication network while the second communication network is connected. It is designated higher than the third mode.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the second mode includes a first requirement of whether the mobile communication terminal is in a mobile state and a second requirement of an evaluation value of a communication state for a random access point on the second communication network. While the condition is specified, the first mode is specified as a relaxed condition excluding the first requirement or the second requirement.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the first mode is a method of performing a search for the second communication network in a shorter period than when connected to the second communication network when connected to the first communication network. Specify.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile communication terminal may select each of the menu items for individually selecting the plurality of modes, the checked usage data amount or the remaining data amount calculated therefrom, and time information on the time period. And a processing unit configured to display on the screen of the mobile communication terminal and to notify the selection unit of the mode corresponding to the menu item selected by the user in each menu item as the determined mode. In the present embodiment, the processing unit may be configured to further perform an operation of causing a specific menu item to be further displayed on the screen, and if the specific menu item is selected, causing the determination unit to determine one of the plurality of modes. In addition, it may be further configured to, upon the user's request, cause the current mode to be displayed on the screen to which the selection unit follows to select the communication network and the condition to confirm. And when the current mode is displayed on the screen, further performs an operation of displaying the information that enables the user to know whether the current mode has been automatically determined by the determination unit or manually determined by the user. It may be configured to.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the determining unit is further configured to perform an operation to cause the changed mode to be displayed on the screen of the mobile communication terminal when the determined mode is different from the previously determined mode.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the determining unit is configured to initiate an operation of determining one of the plurality of modes when a preset condition is met. The preset condition includes the release of the screen lock state of the mobile communication terminal, the activation of a predetermined application, the communication network connection request of an arbitrary application, or every cycle according to the designated period. In this embodiment, the determining unit may be further configured to shorten the specified period according to whether the mobile communication terminal is used or whether the connected communication network is the first communication network.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for providing information for selecting a connection network of a mobile communication terminal includes at least a first communication network, the mobile communication terminal including information on the amount of data used so far within an allocation period. Receiving usage status information of the mobile communication terminal, basic data amount identified for the mobile communication terminal, information on the usage data amount included in the received usage status information, and a specific time point within the allocation period. And determining one of a plurality of modes including at least a first mode and a second mode, and transmitting mode information indicating the determined mode to the mobile terminal based on the time period. . In the method, the first mode is a connection condition to the second communication network that is relatively relaxed compared to the second mode, and the second communication network has no or no fixed cost when using the data service of the mobile communication terminal. The cost excluding the cost is less than that of the first communication network.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the usage status information further includes at least basic data amount for the first communication network and information on the allocation period, and the usage status information is received from the mobile communication terminal.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the usage status information further includes at least basic data amount for the first communication network and information on the allocation period, and at least the communication network usage status for mobile communication terminals. It is received from a server managing the first communication network. In the present embodiment, the usage status information is received by requesting the server at every cycle according to a preset cycle. Also, in the present embodiment, the method includes receiving a mode information request from the mobile communication terminal, the mode information request including the identification information of the mobile communication terminal, and providing status information on the mobile communication terminal while providing the identification information. Requesting the server, the reception of the usage status information may be further included.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the usage status information further includes identification information for the mobile communication terminal, and the determining of the predetermined plan information based on the predetermined plan information is based on the identification information. Specifically, the basic data amount and the allocation period are confirmed or calculated from the specified plan information.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the mode information further includes guide information in which a method to be performed by the mobile communication terminal to select a connection network, a condition to check, and a reference value associated with the condition are designated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a program providing apparatus having a storage space for a program is executed in a communication means capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the outside through communication, and a mobile communication terminal transmitted through the communication means. It is configured to include a storage means that the application is recorded. When the application is executed in the mobile communication terminal, at least the first communication network checks the data amount and the basic data amount using the communication network to the present time within the allotted period, and confirms the identified basic data amount and the usage data amount, and the Based on the time period based on the current time point within the allocation period, one of a plurality of modes including at least a first mode and a second mode is determined, and in accordance with the manner determined by the determined mode, the first communication network or A program structure for confirming whether to connect to a second communication network and confirming a condition specified in the determined mode according to the connection, and for connecting the mobile communication terminal to one selected communication network based on the checked condition. . In addition, the first mode is a connection condition to the second communication network which is relatively relaxed compared to the second mode, and the second communication network has no cost or no fixed cost when using the data service of the mobile communication terminal. The communication network costs less than the first communication network.

At least one embodiment of the present invention described above, or described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the cost is suppressed according to the current use state in using a plurality of communication networks having different billing systems for data services. The communication network can be used in a manner that guarantees the homeostasis or continuity of the service. Therefore, the user can enjoy the data service while ensuring the homeostasis or the continuity under the environment where cost incurred is minimized, without the user having to worry about the use of the data service and manually switching the communication network.

In addition, since the network is selected in such a way that the burden is minimized even in the case where the cost is additionally generated according to the present invention, the user's use of the data service is suppressed to the maximum.

1A is an example of configuration of a mobile communication terminal in which a method for adaptively applying a connection network selection condition is implemented according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1B illustrates a logical configuration of an adaptive network selector for adaptively applying a connection network selection condition according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a relationship between neighboring components thereof,
2 illustrates a network environment to which a method for adaptively applying a connection network selection condition is applied according to embodiments of the present invention.
3A illustrates an example of a logical structure in which an application launched in a mobile communication terminal transmits and receives data to and from an external server through an operating system.
FIG. 3B schematically illustrates the operation of a local mediator that calculates the amount of data intervening between the two intervening between any application and the operating system in association with a communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention,
4 is an example of an information structure in which data amounts are divided and stored according to types of communication networks used and rate plans according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an example of a method performed to adaptively apply a network selection policy, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6A through 6C are examples of respective storage formats of information on a service plan according to a network, according to embodiments of the present invention.
7A to 7C illustrate examples of methods and conditions specified in the connection guides associated with the corresponding modes according to one embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an example of a menu screen displayed to confirm a remaining data amount and a remaining period so that a user can manually set a network selection mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a configuration of a mobile communication terminal in which a method for adaptively applying a connection network selection policy is implemented according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A illustrates two mobile communication networks having different infrastructures, for example. Cellular cellular telephone network (hereinafter referred to as "cellular network") and high-speed wireless data network, for example, Wi-Fi WLAN network (hereinafter referred to as "Wi-Fi network") It has a configuration that can be done. Hereinafter, the principle and concept of the present invention will be described in detail by taking the Wi-Fi network, which is a high-speed wireless LAN network, as a data communication network used together with the mobile telephone communication network 20 for data service. Since the concept can be applied to other types of data communication networks (Wibro, LTE communication network, etc.) other than the Wi-Fi network, the scope of the rights according to the claims cannot be excluded due to the different data communication networks.

In more detail, each component illustrated in FIG. 1A includes a cellular modem 1a (processing module for RF signal) which modulates or demodulates a signal according to a specified scheme of the cellular network 20 to transmit and receive a signal to and from the corresponding communication network. Component), a cellular codec 1b that encodes data or decodes encoded data according to a communication protocol adopted by the cellular network, and a signal according to a specified scheme of a Wi-Fi network. Data that is encoded or encoded according to a Wi-Fi modem 2a (a component including an RF signal processing module) that modulates or demodulates and transmits / receives data with a corresponding communication network, and a communication protocol adopted by the Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi codec 2b for frame decoding, GPS module 3 for calculating current position coordinate information from a GPS signal selectively activated by a control signal, and a device for displaying images, texts, and the like. A play panel 5, a display driver 4 for driving the display panel 5 so that arbitrary data is visually displayed on the display panel 5, and a touch sensor attached to the front of the display panel 5; 6a, a keypad 6b provided with keys and / or buttons, and user inputs and / or selections on the touch sensor 6a and keypad 6b and correspondingly detected And transmit or receive or control data appropriately to an input control unit 6 for outputting input information and a corresponding one of the components so that an operation according to the input information from the input control unit 6 is performed. The main control unit 10 for controlling the display driving unit 4 and the operation of the main control unit 10 or thereby to display a UI screen for displaying a result or selecting a desired operation by the user. For which a process, such as a memory unit (7) that provides data storage requirements.

The main control unit 10 executes command codes such as firmware to drive hardware resources of the mobile communication terminal 100 and to perform appropriate signal and / or information exchange with the corresponding resources. An adaptive network selector including a system 100a and adaptively determining a network selection policy according to a data service usage condition and a user's data service usage conditions, and selecting a network according to each condition defined by the determined policy. 110) (ANS: Adaptive Network Selector).

The adaptive network selector 110 is a process or application implemented in the mobile communication terminal 100, and has a structure of program codes executed based on the operating system 100a as illustrated in FIG. 1B. It may be provided in the form of software having a. When provided in software form, the adaptive network included in the mass storage means is provided through a general online on-line purchasing process from a specific server connected to the communication network through mass storage means and provided through the provided communication means. The selector may be downloaded to the mobile communication terminal 100 and executed. In some cases, the adaptive network selector 110 may be provided in the form of middleware or a platform on which applications are based. Alternatively, by including a hardware configuration, the hardware may perform some of the functions described in detail below. Therefore, in various embodiments according to the present invention, the adaptive network selector for which the configuration and operation method are described is not limited to the scope of the present invention by the type of resources to be implemented.

As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the adaptive network selector 110 includes a policy determination unit 111 that determines a network selection policy according to a data service usage condition of a user, and the selected network selector. And a network selector 112 for selecting a connection network by checking a state of each condition determined by a policy. The adaptive network selector 110 and the policy determiner 111 and the network selector 112 are selected. For some of the operations described in detail below, by calling the appropriate API (Application Program Interface) 100a-1 provided by the operating system 100a as illustrated in FIG. 1B (c101), FIG. The hardware components illustrated in 1a and the various functions provided by the operating system 100a (eg, input / output through a screen, communication with the outside based on a protocol, checking hardware status, and implementation timing) Use of a timer, timer, etc.), for example, to perform the necessary operations of the hardware, obtain the desired information, and also exchange the necessary data with a local process or a remote process.

In addition, the configuration of the mobile communication terminal 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A is just one example to specifically and exemplarily describe an embodiment to help understanding the concept and the subject matter of the present invention. Terminals embodying the concepts and themes may further include components of various functions not shown in FIG. 1A or may exclude some of the illustrated components.

1A and 1B illustrate the configuration of the mobile communication terminal 100 in response to a user's request in a state in which any one of a plurality of heterogeneous networks can be accessed as illustrated in FIG. 2. Therefore, it is possible to request and receive data from any server. In the example of FIG. 2, since the mobile communication terminal 100 is in a space accessible to both the cellular network 20 and the Wi-Fi network 21, 21 ₁ , according to a user's selection or the operating system 100a. ) Maintains the connection state (the state where the access IP is allocated from the communication network) to the communication network selected by default, and when the user requests the data service in this state, the data service is performed through the connected communication network.

3A illustrates a logical structure in which any application 30 started by the main controller 10 transmits and receives data to and from an external server through the operating system 100a. Referring to the structure illustrated in FIG. 3A, a data transmission / reception process will be described. First, the application 30 sources the access IP address currently assigned to the operating system 100a to transmit a URL of a selected target. A request is made to create a communication socket with a source address and a destination address of the host field of the URL. In response to this request, the operating system 100a creates a communication socket, establishes a session with an external server corresponding to the address of the host field, associates with the communication socket, and then identifies the identification of the communication socket. Return to the application 30. If the current access IP address is allocated from the cellular network 20, the communication socket is generated by the socket 31a using the cellular network 20, and is allocated from the Wi-Fi network 21. The communication socket is created as a socket 31b using the Wi-Fi network 21. In the drawings, only one communication socket is generated for each communication network, but this is merely for simplification of the drawings. Many sockets may be created and terminated between one application and the operating system 100a.

After the communication socket 31a or 31b is generated as described above, the arbitrary application 30 communicates to an external server through a corresponding communication socket specified by the received identifier, for example, communication according to the above-described URL. A request according to the protocol, for example, an HTTP request is transmitted, and accordingly an HTTP response, for example, data of a content file, is received through the communication socket. As such, when any application transmits and receives data to or from the connected communication network 20 or 21 through a communication socket, the operating system 100a divides the data amount by each communication network and accumulates the data.

As such, the data amount information that the operating system 100a classifies and accumulates for each communication network is provided at the request of the policy decision unit 111, and is reset according to the request of the policy decision unit 111. May be applied. For example, when the current date and time expires in the plan period for the cellular network 20, the operating system 100a may reset data amount information for the corresponding communication network. Alternatively, the operating system 100a may continuously accumulate the use data amount for each communication network until the power is turned off, and construct the data amount information by dividing the amount of the used data for each period desired by the policy decision unit 111. In other words, the policy determination unit 111 may accumulate the cumulative total data for each network at a necessary time (for example, the current date and time when the plan period is switched, the time when the power of the mobile communication terminal is turned off, etc.) or at regular intervals. The quantity information is read from the operating system 100a and is further divided and stored for each period as illustrated in FIG. 4. That is, if the current date and time is the time period of the plan period is switched, the difference between the amount of previously read data and the currently read data is recorded as the usage amount for the new plan period. In addition, when the mobile communication terminal is terminated due to power off or the like, the usage data amount is read and reflected in the usage data amount information for each period / communication network. In the case of restarting due to an unexpected failure or the like, a loss of usage information may occur. In order to minimize the loss, the policy determination unit 111 may shorten a period of reading the usage data amount information from the operating system 100a. Can also be set.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, an amount of data transmitted and received through each communication network while intervening data between the two intervening applications between the arbitrary application 30 and the operating system 100a. It provides the policy determination unit 111 with the data amount information for each period used by the local mediator 113 for calculating the communication network. In order that the arbitrary application 30 transmits to the outside and the local intermediary 113 can centralize and r30 the data received from the outside, it is an internal IP address in the local intermediary 113. Assign a specific IP address to point to, for example, “127.0.0.1” or “localhost” and a port number (hereinafter referred to as “internal IP address”), and set a proxy for the internal IP address. By the arbitrary application 30 to transmit and receive data to and from the local intermediary 113 through a local communication socket, the communication protocol transmitted by the arbitrary application 30 from the outside Request, for example, a method of redirecting an HTTP Request to the local mediation unit 113 of an internal IP address, or a communication protocol for which any application 30 sends the internal IP address to the outside. The method of inserting into the host field of the request may be applied. These methods are described in detail in the application No. 10-2011-0066981 filed on July 7, 2011, the applicant will be omitted here. Through any one of the presented methods, the request by the communication protocol sent by the arbitrary application 30 is received by the local mediator 113, the local mediator 113 is the operation One or more communication sockets _32k are requested to be created with the access IP address currently assigned to the system 100a as the local address and the destination address of the request according to the communication protocol as the remote address. A response to the local mediation section 113 as it is or suitably modify the request by the communications protocol over the communication socket (32 _k) generated according to the request by transmitting to the remote server, and the request that the communication socket Upon receiving through (32 _k) and delivers them to the arbitrary application 30.

During the mediation process of the data, the local intermediary 113 transmits and transmits the data to the outside, by the type of the communication network and the plan period, for example, monthly, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Separate and add. In the illustrated example, the current example is taken during July 2011. In the illustrated example, the plan period is summed in units of every month from the first day to the last day, but the input / output unit of the mobile communication terminal 100 (the display panel 5, the touch sensor 6a, and the keypad 6b). The user may change and set the plan period through an appropriate user interface (UI) provided by). For example, the plan period may be set from the 16th of every month to the 15th of the following month.

In order that the local mediation section 113 discriminates the type of the communication network, to identify the network access information, contact the current network connection information of the operating system (100a) before generation of the communication socket (32 _k), the Network connection information includes a connection IP address allocated from the connected communication network and a connection type (for example, 3G mobile telephone network, Wi-Fi wireless LAN network, etc.) with the communication network. After associating the identified connection type with the generated communication socket, the amount of data transmission and reception through the corresponding communication socket is added to the data amount using the cellular network 20 or the data amount using the Wi-Fi network 21.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the local intermediary 113 may be configured to be included in the adaptive network selector 110, and may be separately divided into middleware, or applications. The process may be a process that is provided and executed in a platform form. In this case, the information exchange with the adaptive network selector 110 or the policy decision unit 111 may be performed through an API provided by the local intermediary 113. Alternatively, it may be provided in the form of an application that is executed separately. At this time, the information exchange with the adaptive network selector 110 or the policy decision unit 111 may be shared with each other. May be made based on the proper name of a). The aforementioned plan period information set by the user is also shared with other processes in this manner.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the above-described function of the local mediation unit 113 may be implemented in the policy determination unit 111.

As described above, in a state where the amount of transmission / reception data for each allocation period, for example, a plan period, is accumulated and accumulated for each communication network, the network selection policy is determined to adaptively apply the connection selection policy according to an embodiment of the present invention. An example illustrated in FIG. 5 of a method of selecting a network according to a current condition based on the determined policy is started by the adaptive network selector 110. The condition in which the method illustrated in FIG. 5 is started may be a release of the screen lock state of the mobile communication terminal 100, activation of a predetermined application, or a request for access to a communication network of an arbitrary application. Such a condition may be recognized by the adaptive network selector 110 through an event method that is notified according to a pre-registration with the operating system 100a. Recognizing the above conditions, the adaptive network selector 110 may determine the policy decision unit (eg, by notifying the execution process through an appropriate method, for example, process initiation, subroutine call, global variable or shared memory). 111 requests the network selection policy to be determined. According to this request, the policy decision unit 111 according to one of the above-described embodiments, the local intermediary 113 implemented as the operating system 100a or a separate process or sub process therein. Check the amount of transmission and reception data per period and communication network being monitored in step (S51).

After confirming the amount of data used in this way, the policy decision unit 111 calculates the amount of remaining data that can be used at no additional cost within the allocation period. To this end, the policy determination unit 111, the adaptive network selector 110 inquires through the UI to obtain from the user, the plan of the data service for each communication network is stored and shared as illustrated in Figure 6a From the information on, check the basic data amount 61 which will be incurred when exceeding, and subtract the checked usage data amount (summing up the transmission and reception data amounts) from the data amount, thereby remaining data amount (RemDataAmount). In addition, by calculating the dynamic reference amount (DataRef) according to the current time point (S52), the residual ratio (cRatio) to the dynamic reference amount of the determined residual data amount (RemDataAmount) is calculated (S53). The dynamic reference amount DataRef is equal to the amount of DayBuget equal to the remaining days RemDays until the set expiration date of the set plan period. Divided by the total number of days according to. In the example of FIG. 6A, it is assumed that the basic data amount is not applied to the Wi-Fi network 21, but the residual data amount is not calculated. However, as the service operation policy of the operator for the Wi-Fi network 21 is changed, When a service usage fee occurs, the basic data amount may be set by the user, and in this case, the remaining data amount may be calculated as described above with respect to the corresponding communication network.

The policy determiner 111 determines a network selection policy according to the calculated residual ratio cRatio = RemDataAmount / DataRef. In one embodiment according to the present invention, the network selection policy is implemented in three modes, each of which is a "saving mode" to suppress costs, a "convenience mode" that prioritizes the user's convenience, and a cost generation. It is a "standard mode" that balances suppression and user convenience, and these modes are selected when the residual ratio (cRatio) is less than 0.5, more than 1.5, and more than 0.5 and less than 1.5 (S54-1, S54-2). , S54-3). In another embodiment according to the present invention, the remaining ratio may be implemented in two ways, such as "saving mode" and "convenience mode" based on 1. In the following description, only three modes and variations thereof and their numerical values are given as examples to aid understanding of the concepts and principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not excluded from the claims. The scope of rights is, of course, not limited to the number of modes exemplified in the specification, nor to examples of the variables and the numerical values as reference.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, instead of obtaining the dynamic reference amount DataRef first, the ratio rd_r of the amount of remaining data amount to the basic data amount and the time of the present remaining days to the days of the plan period The ratio rt_r may be obtained respectively to obtain the residual ratio cRatio from this ratio. The ratio (r = ud_r / rt_r) of the positive ratio rd_r to the time ratio rt_r becomes the residual ratio cRatio.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the ratio ud_r of the amount of data used to the basic data amount ud_r and the time ratio et_r of the current elapsed days to the days of the period You can also select one mode. “Economy mode” for a range of usage ratios (r = ud_r / et_r) that is the ratio of the quantity ratio ud_r to the time ratio et_r, eg, 1.5 or more, less than 0.5, and each interval therebetween. You can select the "Convenience Mode" and "Standard Mode" respectively.

In the above embodiments, the elapsed time or the remaining time in the plan period, which is the allotted period, was calculated in units of days, but in another embodiment according to the present invention, it is further subdivided into units of time and minutes. It can also be calculated in units or seconds. For example, the elapsed time or the remaining time at the present time may be calculated by converting the plan period into total hours or total minutes. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when determining the network selection policy on the basis of the remaining ratio c_ratio described above, instead of uniform distribution, average, minute, or super uniform The allocation amount will be used.

As in each embodiment described above, in the concrete implementation of the principles and concepts of the present invention, any one of 'day', 'hour', 'minute' and 'second' may be used as the remaining time or the elapsed time. As used herein, the terms "time" or "time period" for "residual" or "elapsed" and "time" for calculating them are intended to include the original hours, including hours, minutes, and seconds. In addition to the temporal meaning, it is used as including the meaning of the number of days or days in units of 'day'.

In the above-described embodiments, the basic data amount according to the data service plan is determined to be single, but in one embodiment according to the present invention, the basic data amount determined according to the data service plan may be divided by conditions. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, basic data amounts may be designated by being divided into “weekdays” and “weekend / holidays”, or may be designated by time zones as illustrated in FIG. 6C. Of course, the day and time zones are combined to divide the basic data amount. For example, it may be divided into 100 MBytes on weekdays, 200 MBytes on weekdays, and 200 MBytes on weekends / holidays. In addition, in this embodiment, the amount of transmission / reception data checked by the operating system 100a or the local intermediary 113 is also divided by the divided day / time and used for the calculation.

In this case, when the basic data amount is divided by conditions, the policy determination unit 111 determines where the current point belongs to the divided conditions in determining the network selection policy, and determines the basic data amount of the corresponding condition. It is used to calculate the remaining ratio or the usage ratio. In the present embodiment, the remaining time or the elapsed time mentioned above may be used as the remaining time or the elapsed time period according to the present time, with the allocation period being the whole time period according to the tariff period as in the above-described embodiment. The allocation period may use only the days or times of the day or time zone of the corresponding condition, and may calculate the remaining or elapsed time accordingly. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6B, assuming that the present time is the second Saturday (weekend) at 2:00 pm and there are 8 days of weekends / holidays in the plan period, the allocation period for calculating the remaining or elapsed time is 8 Days (or 192 (= 24 * 8) hours), and the remaining time is 5 or 6 days (or 130 (= 24 * 5 + 10) hours).

According to one of the above-described embodiments, if the policy determiner 111 determines a network policy, that is, one of the illustrated modes, the network selector 112 for that mode Notify The network selector 112 specifies a connection guide (for example, a program routine or a process for performing a procedure according to the mode) preset for the mode to be notified, and the method specified by the specified connection guide. Alternatively, according to the procedure, each condition presented in the guide or a reference value in the corresponding condition is checked, and the communication network is selected according to the checked condition for the condition, thereby maintaining the switched or current communication network (S55). If the current communication network is not in the connection state for the data service, the operating system 100a is requested to make the selected communication network in the connection state. If the connection with the currently connected communication network is terminated (S56), the network selector 112 notifies the policy decision unit 111 of the fact so that the method illustrated in FIG. 5 resumes. In another embodiment according to the present invention, when the connection state with the currently connected communication network is terminated, the network selection unit 112 still performs the connection network selection and connection operation according to the designated connection guide (S55) and the policy determination unit Does not notify 111 of the termination of the connection.

7A to 7C illustrate examples of connection guides that are preset according to the respective modes illustrated above. In the illustrated connection guide, each condition of selecting a network and the selection criteria for the conditions are merely examples to help understand that the selection of the network is appropriate for the mode and means that the conditions and the selection criteria must be used. will be. FIG. 7A is an illustration of a connection guide for the aforementioned "Eco-Mode", which guides a network that is as inexpensive (or inexpensive) as possible to minimize the additional burden of using the user's data services. It is written to be connected. The term “cost” in “less cost” is the exclusion of the fixed cost (hereinafter referred to as “determined cost”). The fixed cost means the cost charged after the fixed price is fixed at this time regardless of the additional use of data service. For example, if the data service plan is 45,000 won and 500MByte is the basic data, Confirmation cost ”is 45,000 won. The firm's current costs may change stepwise. For example, if the subscribed service plan is 10,000 won up to 100MByte, 30,000 won up to 300MByte, and 50,000 won up to 500MByte, the fixed cost is 10,000 won up to 100MByte, more than 30,000 won up to 300MByte and over 300MByte up to 500MByte. It is 50,000 won. The firm's current costs may also include costs for data already used, depending on the variable rate. If the user has used an additional 50 MByte according to the variable rate, for example, 2.5 won / 50 kByte in the state that the user has exceeded the basic data amount of 500 MByte, the 2,500 won according to the variable rate may also be included in the current fixed cost.

FIG. 7B is an example of a connection guide for the “convenience mode”, and is designed to select a connection network in such a manner that homeostasis of the data service is maintained regardless of user's convenience of using the data service, for example, a place. FIG. 7C is a connection guide in which the "saving mode" and the "convenience mode" are compromised, so that the user's cost burden and the homeostasis of the data service are properly maintained equally, that is, compared to the "saving mode". It is designed to improve homeostasis and to control the cost-committance more closely than the “convenience mode”.

Therefore, in the embodiment using the above-described residual ratio cRatio, if the previously calculated residual ratio cRatio is, for example, less than 0.5, it means that the residual data amount is 50% or less of the expected usage data amount during the remaining time. As a result, the possibility of exceeding the basic amount of data within the term of the plan (in this case, an additional cost may be incurred by the user) is high, so the “economization mode” that applies the connection guide that is more advantageous to the user from a cost point of view is mentioned above. The network selection unit 112 is selected by the policy decision unit 111 and notified to the network selection unit 112. For example, if it is 1.5 or more, the remaining data amount is more than 50% more than the expected amount of used data for the remaining time. Since it is unlikely to exceed the basic amount of data, the homeostasis of data services as far as possible without incurring additional costs The “convenience mode” to which the connection guide to guarantee is applied is determined and notified to the network selector 112. In addition, if the residual ratio is a median value of the above-described values, the "standard mode" to which the connection guide prepared to properly balance the cost advantages and the homeostasis of the service is determined and notified to the network selector 112.

Meanwhile, the illustrated guide of FIGS. 7A to 7C is an example created on the premise that no cost burden occurs when using the Wi-Fi network 21. If a fee is incurred in the use of the Wi-Fi network 21 or other communication networks, the information is recorded in the corresponding field 601 illustrated in FIG. 6A by a user's input, and the recorded information is The additional data rate information 602 for the cellular network 20 or other additional data rate information for other communication networks may be used to determine the network selection. For example, instead of unilaterally selecting a Wi-Fi network in the “economical mode,” the network is determined as the network that excludes fixed costs and costs less, ie, incurs lower costs for additional data. .

Hereinafter, it will be described in more detail that the connection network is selected based on the connection guide according to each mode described above.

The network selector 112 performs a procedure according to the connection guide illustrated in FIG. 7A when the notified mode is a “saving mode”. Check the communication network currently connected by the operating system (100a) (S701), if the Wi-Fi network (or if there is no connected network) a certain period, for example, every 30 seconds the Wi-Fi network 21 ) And attempt to connect to the AP having the highest signal strength (S702, S703, S704). The search for the Wi-Fi network 21 is made by requesting the operating system 100a, and in response to the request, the operating system 100a can physically transmit and receive a signal with the corresponding communication network. The network selector reads the value of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) provided by the Fi modem 2a when a valid signal is detected in the Wi-Fi signal band (r11 in FIG. Return to (112).

When currently connected to the cellular network 20, the network selector 112 is faster than the previous search period for the Wi-Fi network, for example, every 10 seconds (S710) the Wi-Fi network ( 21), when an AP having a minimum signal strength capable of transmitting and receiving a signal, for example, -80 dBm or more is found, the operating system 100a requests the AP to access the AP (S713). Shorter scan cycles for Wi-Fi networks when connected to a cellular network do not incur a cost burden as soon as possible, or relatively costly, in accordance with the reason that the "Eco Mode" has been selected. The reason is that the connection can be maintained in a small communication network, and the connection conditions are the same as the reason for the minimum signal strength. That is, in this mode, a relatively relaxed criterion is applied to the requirement to be connected to the Wi-Fi network as compared to the "convenience mode" described below. For example, in the "convenient mode", in order to connect to the Wi-Fi network, the requirement not to be moved and the requirement that certain quality requirements must be satisfied must be satisfied, but in the "saving mode", at least one requirement is excluded. Relatively relaxed criteria may apply.

When the "convenience mode" is notified by the policy determination unit 111, the network selection unit 112 performs a procedure according to the connection guide illustrated in FIG. 7B. Check the currently connected communication network (S721), and if the Wi-Fi network is connected, first checks whether the mobile communication terminal 100 is mobile (S722). Whether or not the mobility state is determined from the position coordinate information provided by the GPS module 3 obtained by requesting the operating system (100a). That is, if the position coordinate is changing, it is determined that the mobile communication terminal 100 is currently in a mobility state. Alternatively, the mobile communication terminal 100 and the AP may be moved relative to each other from the change in signal strength detected by the Wi-Fi modem 2a obtained as described above. It is used as a meaning that includes being in a moving state. If it is determined that the mobile station is currently in a mobile state, the network selector 112 requests the operating system 100a to switch to connect to the cellular network 20 (S729). In response to this request, the operating system 100a sets the IP address allocated from the cellular network 20 as a local IP address. If it is not in the mobility state, the network selector 112 measures the quality score which is an evaluation value of the communication state for the currently connected AP (S723). The quality score can be measured from various factors. For example, it is obtained by quantifying the signal strength of the currently connected AP, the data reception rate calculated from the amount of data received for a certain time, and the time when a request according to the communication protocol, for example, a response to an HTTP request, is received. The quality score can be obtained by multiplying and adding the respective weights appropriately given to each value. If the measured quality score is greater than or equal to the first predetermined threshold score (S724), the current Wi-Fi network connection is maintained as it is, otherwise other APs are searched (S725) to measure the quality score for each AP. After (S726), if there is still no AP exceeding the first threshold score request to switch to the cellular network 20 (S729), if there is an AP exceeding the first threshold score for the AP of the highest quality score Request a connection (S728). Accordingly, the quality of the AP is changed to a good AP, but the connection state to the Wi-Fi network 21 is maintained as it is.

If it is connected to the cellular network 20 (S721), the network selector 112 checks whether there is a special network selection from the user (S730), and if there is a network selection request, the selected communication network, eg For example, the operating system 100a requests the connection to the Wi-Fi network 21 (S731), otherwise maintains the current connection state to the cellular network 20. In one embodiment according to the present invention, the processes S730 and S731 may be performed even when there is no communication network currently connected. In this case, if there is no special communication network selection of the user, the cellular network 20 is requested to be connected.

In the "convenience mode" according to the above-described procedure, since it is unlikely that a cost burden will occur in the future at this time, as long as possible in an environment in which the Wi-Fi network 21 is safe to use (S722). Maintaining a connection state to the Wi-Fi network 21 through the AP having a high quality score (S723 ~ S728) and if the quality score is not high, the connection state to the cellular network 20 that can maintain the homeostasis of the data service Maintain or connect to the network.

When the "standard mode" is notified by the policy decision unit 111, the network selection unit 112 performs a procedure according to the connection guide illustrated in FIG. 7C. Check the currently connected communication network (S741), if the current Wi-Fi network is connected, and maintains the connection state for the AP having a quality score equal to or more than the second predetermined threshold (S742 ~ S747), the second threshold If there is no AP whose quality score is equal to or greater than the score, the cellular network 20 requests a connection conversion (S748). Since the "standard mode" is a mode that is notified when a future use of the data service is likely to incur a cost as compared to the "convenience mode" of FIG. 7B, the second threshold score is more than the aforementioned first threshold score. It is set as a low score. That is, even if the quality score is slightly lower than the “convenience mode” of FIG. 7B, when the Wi-Fi network is available, the cellular network 20 is not switched. In addition, when compared to the "convenience mode", if the Wi-Fi network can be used without checking whether the environment (Whether it is moving) whether or not the Wi-Fi network 21 is available to the Wi Try to connect to Wi-Fi network 21. Alternatively, even if it is determined whether the Wi-Fi network 21 can be used (whether it is moving or not), the reference value (e.g., mobility judgment) that is less stringent than the "convenient mode" is set. Range of the fluctuation value), i.e., through the relaxed reference value, even if the usage environment is not good in this "standard mode", for example, even if there is some movement or movement, the connection state to the Wi-Fi network 21 To keep.

If it is connected to the cellular network 20 (S741), the network selector 112 is only available when not in mobility (S751) every cycle, for example, every 30 seconds (S750). When the Wi-Fi network 21 is searched (S752) and one or more APs having a predetermined reference signal strength, for example, -70 dBm or more are detected (S753), the operating system 100a is connected to access the AP having the highest signal strength. request. In the "saving mode" of FIG. 7A, if the minimum signal strength, for example, -80 dBm, the connection to the Wi-Fi network 21 is made, the present "standard mode" is compared with the "saving mode" described above. Since the cost is more likely to occur due to additional use, the predetermined reference signal strength for switching to the Wi-Fi network 21 is set higher than the minimum signal strength. For the same reason, in the "saving mode", if the minimum signal strength is detected regardless of mobility, the connection is switched to the Wi-Fi network 21. In the "standard mode", as described above, the Wi-Fi In an environment in which the network 21 can be used (S751), a switch to the Wi-Fi network 21 is attempted. Of course, at this time, in determining whether or not under the available environment, it may be confirmed through a reference value set less strictly than the requirements in the "convenience mode" of FIG. 7B as described above.

Meanwhile, the connection guide for each mode illustrated in FIGS. 7A to 7C specifies that a subsequent procedure is selectively performed according to a currently connected communication network. As described above, the connection guide for each mode described above is performed. At present, the mobile communication terminal 100 may define conditions applicable to the case where the mobile communication terminal 100 is not connected to the communication network for data service and reference values for the conditions. Accordingly, when the mode notified from the policy decision unit 111 is the “saving mode”, the network selecting unit 112 searches the Wi-Fi network 21 first as described above according to the connection guide. When the AP with the minimum signal strength is found, the operating system 100a is requested to be connected to the corresponding AP, and if the "convenient mode", the request is made to connect to the cellular network 20 first by prioritizing the service homeostasis of the user. In the “standard mode”, the Wi-Fi network 21 may be searched first and then requested to connect to the AP when an AP having a reference signal strength higher than the minimum signal strength is found.

In the above-described embodiments, the policy determining unit 111 determines the connection network selection policy according to the usage status of the data service under the preset use condition of the data service of the user and notifies the network selection unit 112. Performed when the preset condition is met. The preset condition may be set by the user to the adaptive network selector 110 in addition to a condition (such as unlocking a screen lock state) in which the method illustrated in FIG. 5 starts to be executed. 111) a period shared by itself or a period set by itself, e.g. every cycle according to 1 hour, 6 hours or 12 hours or the like, or a designated time of day, e.g. PM 12:00 or AM 6:00, etc. Or a change in the amount of data used for a communication network, for example, the cellular network 20 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 hour) depending on the use, may be a constant ratio of the basic amount of data 61, For example, it may be greater than 1%. That is, if any one of the predetermined conditions is met, the network selection unit 112 may be sent to the policy determination unit 111 while performing the continuous process (S55) for the network selection / connection according to the determined mode. The mode is newly determined (S51 to S53 and S54-1, S54-2, or S54-3) and notified to the network selection unit 112.

In one embodiment according to the present invention, the policy determination unit 111 may adaptively change the period set for itself for determining / notifying the network selection policy according to the usage state of the mobile communication terminal. For example, if the user is currently using a mobile communication terminal (for example, a screen lock is released) or at least one of a state in which the currently connected communication network is the cellular network 20, the set Shorten the cycle. In the two states at the same time, the set period may be shorter.

Meanwhile, the mode notified from the policy decision unit 111 may be set and used continuously in the network selection unit 112 until another notification thereafter. The policy decision unit 111 may also notify the adaptive network selector 110 to display the mode according to the network selection policy so that the user can know.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the above-described method of determining the connection network selection policy according to the amount of data used by the policy determination unit 111 may be performed by an external server to notify the adaptive network selector 110. . In the diagram illustrated in FIG. 2, the access control server 200 capable of communicating with the cellular network 20 and the Wi-Fi network 21 determines the above-described connection network selection policy and thus the mobile communication terminal 100. Notify the adaptive network selector 110 in the network. To this end, the access control server 200 receives and stores information on the data plan of the data service for each communication network as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, or 6C for each terminal (or user). For information on the data service plan for each terminal (or user), enter a numerical value through a web page provided by the access control server 200 while connected through the mobile communication terminal 100 or a separate terminal, or It can set suitably by selecting an item, a value, etc.

In addition, in order to determine a connection network selection policy from the outside, the local intermediary 113 reports usage status information including the data amount information for each period used for each communication network to the access control server 200. In one embodiment according to the present invention, the usage status information may include information such as plan information, for example, plan period, basic data amount, and the like. When the usage status information is reported, together with or separately from the request for determination of a network selection policy.

In the case of the embodiment for separately requesting the network selection policy decision, the terminal identification information (or user identification information) is included in the request, and the terminal is also used in the usage status information previously received to construct response information for the request. Identification information (or user identification information) is included. The separate request at this time may be sent from the policy determination unit 111. For the above report or request, the local intermediary 113 has information, for example, a URL, that can access the access control server 200. As described above, the local intermediary 113 generates a communication socket to request the use status information such as period data amount information used for each communication network or to determine a separate connection network selection policy through the communication socket. 200). When the terminal identification information (or user identification information) is also transmitted, the adaptive network selector 110 checks the terminal identification information through an API provided by the operating system 100a and the local mediation unit 113. Or shared by the local intermediary 113, if necessary, through an API. When the local mediator 113 uses data amount information for each period used for each communication network under a preset condition, for example, the local mediator 113 sets the adaptive network selector 110 to share the data information by the local mediator 113. Every cycle according to one hour, six hours, or twelve hours, or at a designated time of day, such as PM 12:00 or AM 6:00, or depending on the use. Communication network, for example, when the amount of data used by the cellular network 20 for a predetermined time (for example, 1 hour) exceeds a predetermined amount.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, when the policy determination unit 111 becomes the illustrated setting condition, the data amount information for each period used by the communication network is checked from the local mediation unit 113 and the terminal together with the terminal identification information. It may be provided to the access control server 200.

The access control server 200 receives data amount information for each period used for each communication network reported from the local mediation unit 113 (or the policy determination unit 111) of the mobile communication terminal 100 together with terminal identification information. If so, the data amount information or the like is first stored or updated with respect to the terminal identification information. Upon receiving the request for determination of the network selection policy together with the reporting of the usage status information, or separately, data as illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, or 6C previously stored by the terminal identification information, or a combination of the day and the time zone On the basis of the information on the service plan, calculation of the dynamic reference amount according to the current time point (or the time point specified in the request for determination of the network selection policy) as described above, confirmation of the residual ratio according to the dynamic reference amount, and It performs the actions such as determining the network selection policy based on the identified residual ratio. Of course, the access control server 200 may perform an operation such as determining a network selection policy according to the above-described other embodiments. When the network selection policy is determined for the terminal, the local relay unit 113 (or the policy determination unit 111) is notified in response to the previously received connection network decision policy decision request. This notification may contain only information about the mode informing the determined policy, or may include a connection guide associated with each network selection policy. The connection guide at this time may be written as a markup language such as XML. In addition, a plurality of connection guides for the same mode may exist in a scheme for selecting a communication network, a condition, or a reference value associated with the condition. For example, even if a policy of “Eco mode” is determined for a plurality of mobile communication terminals, if each terminal uses a different service fee system, Wi-Fi network and Wibro network, Standards of signal strength or conditions such as mobility check may vary. Accordingly, in the case of providing the connection guide, the connection guide provided may be different even if the mobile communication terminal is in the same mode according to the use condition of the data service to which the mobile communication terminal is subscribed.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the reception of the usage status information may be regarded as a request for determining a network selection policy. In addition, the usage status information at this time may include information such as basic data amount for each communication network and a plan period, in addition to data amount information for each allocation period used for each communication network. In the present embodiment, the access control server 200 determines the network selection policy as described above based on the information when the usage status information is received without a pre-establishment process of information such as plan information for each user or terminal. The mobile communication terminal reporting the status information is notified.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, the mobile communication terminal requesting the determination of the network selection policy may not report usage status information on the communication network. In the present embodiment, when the policy determination unit 111 requests the determination of the network selection policy including the terminal identification information, the access control server 200 provides the identification information of the corresponding terminal while using the terminal. Request and receive the status information from the network management server 210. The network management server 210 is a server normally operated by a mobile communication service provider, and corresponds to a data usage status of each mobile communication terminal for the cellular network 20 (or for the Wi-Fi network 21). It identifies each allocation period according to the plan, and provides the usage status information including the plan information for the requested terminal when the access control server 200 requests it. Of course, in the case of the basic data amount according to the day of the week or time zone as in the embodiment of Figure 6b or 6c, the access control server 200 by grasping the allocation period according to the request time and the usage data amount in the allocation period To provide. The access control server 200 determines the connection network selection policy using the information provided as described above, and notifies the mobile communication terminal requesting the connection network selection policy as a response.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, even when the mobile communication terminal does not request the determination of the network selection policy, the access control server 200 may periodically determine and notify the network selection policy. Of course, the mobile communication terminal for receiving such automatic notification is registered in advance in the access control server 200 through a separate process. The access control server 200 requests and receives the usage status information and the like from the network management server 210 while providing the identification information on the corresponding terminal every cycle for any registered mobile communication terminal. The network selection policy is determined based on the information and the corresponding terminal is notified. In the present embodiment, since the connection IP of the mobile communication terminal is usually fluid and may be in an unassigned state, the control channel in the signaling scheme of the cellular network 20, for example, a paging channel, is preferably used. Notify the network selection policy determined through In another embodiment, the network selection policy decision may be initiated at the request of the network management server 210 without depending on the cycle of the access control server 200. The network management server 210 when the use status of the arbitrary mobile communication terminal corresponds to a specific requirement, for example, when it is determined that the possibility of additional costs other than the fixed cost is high, the use status information for the mobile communication terminal Etc. may be provided to the access control server 200 to request determination of a network selection policy. According to the request, as described above, the access network selection policy is determined by the access control server 200 and notified to the mobile communication terminal.

The network selection policy notified according to any one of the above-described embodiments is received by the local intermediary 113 (or the policy decision unit 111), and the notification of the received network selection policy is received by the network. Transfer to selector 112. If there is only a network selection mode in the transmitted contents, the network selection unit 112 specifies a connection guide previously stored for the mode, and uses the connection guide to determine the network. It is set and used to determine the network.

In one embodiment according to the invention, the network selection policy may be determined manually by the user. In this case, when the manual decision is made by the user, the automatic determination operation of the network selection policy of the policy determination unit 111 is performed for a predetermined time, when the manual mode is released, or a specific requirement (for example, the amount of remaining data) is determined. 0) until it stops. In the present embodiment, when the current state of the mobile communication terminal 100 corresponds to a preset condition, the time period used by the adaptive network selector 110 for each communication network monitored by the local intermediary 113 Remaining amount of data available for checking the amount of data and using any one of the data service plans illustrated in FIGS. 6A to 6C or information about the data service plan in a combined manner at no additional cost within the allotted time period. 8, the remaining amount of data 81 and the date 82 remaining until the expiration date of the plan period are displayed, and the buttons 83 for each mode corresponding to the network selection policy. ) Together with the display panel 5. For display as illustrated in FIG. 8, the adaptive network selector 110 provides menu items provided by the operating system 100a, eg, menu titles, icons, windows, panels, buttons. API can be used to properly utilize graphic elements such as text and text. Examples of the preset conditions include a state in which the mobile network terminal 20 releases the locked state, the adaptive network selector 110 is executed, or the current network is the cellular network 20 charged according to the amount of data used. It may be the case that the transmission speed of the data to be received, which is detected from the start of a predetermined application (eg, a player requesting content streaming, etc.) or a response according to a request by the communication protocol, requires a high bandwidth or more than a certain level. .

In one embodiment according to the present invention, when the adaptive network selector 110 provides a screen as shown in FIG. 8 to allow a user to set a network selection policy, the mode for the network selection policy is set to “automatic”. The button 85 to designate can also be displayed. In the present embodiment, when the "auto" designation button 85 is selected by the user instead of the buttons 83 for manually designating the mode, the adaptive network selector 110 is configured to execute the policy decision unit ( 111 requests, instructs or calls to perform automatic determination of the network selection policy described above.

The type of display information illustrated in FIG. 8 is merely a mere example, and various pieces of information not illustrated in the drawing may be visually presented for the user to select an appropriate mode. For example, the adaptive network selector 110 may include the amount of data used so far in the plan period (in this case, the basic data amount as well), the average daily usage data amount, and the basic data amount 61 of the usage data amount. It can also display more ratios, or daily usage trend graphs. In the selection screen illustrated in FIG. 8, when the user selects one mode button through the touch sensor 6a or the keypad 6b, the adaptive network selector 110 displays the selection information in the operating system 100a. And the mode according to the received information are notified to the network selection unit 112 via the policy decision unit 111 or directly. In response to the notified mode, the network selection unit 112 specifies a connection guide that is set in advance, and selects and connects a communication network or switches or maintains a connection state to a selected communication network by the specified connection guide. do.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adaptive network selector 110, when the user requests through the appropriately provided UI to confirm the currently set mode for network selection, the currently set mode (or currently automatically Information indicating whether the mode is being set or set manually by the user, for example, along with a string of "auto" or "manual" is displayed via the display panel 5. In addition, as in the above-described embodiment, when the policy determination unit 111 automatically determines a network selection policy according to the amount of data used, or when the access control server 200 automatically determines and notifies the network, If the current notification mode is different from the previously informed mode, the selector 112 notifies the adaptive network selector 110 of the newly informed mode through an event or the like. In this case, the adaptive network selector 110 displays the changed mode at an appropriate position on the display panel 5 so that the user can know the mode change fact and the changed mode.

As mentioned above, preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, and those skilled in the art can improve other various embodiments within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention disclosed in the appended claims below. Changes, substitutions or additions will be possible.

1a: cellular modem 1b: cellular codec
2a: Wi-Fi modem 2b: Wi-Fi codec
4: Display driver 5: Display panel
6: Input control unit 6a: Touch sensor
6b: Keypad 7: Memory
10: main control unit 20: cellular network
21: Wi-Fi network 30: Application
31a, 31b, 31 _k : communication socket 100: mobile communication terminal
100a: operating system (O / S) 110: adaptive network selector
111: policy decision section 112: network selection section
113: local mediation 200: access control server
210: network management server

Claims (24)

A mobile communication terminal capable of accessing a plurality of heterogeneous networks including a first communication network and a second communication network,
Check the data amount and basic data amount using the communication network to the present time in the allocation period based on at least the first communication network, based on the identified basic data amount and the usage data amount, and the time period based on the current point in the allocation period. A decision unit configured to determine one of a plurality of modes including at least a first mode and a second mode,
In accordance with the method determined by the determined mode, to confirm whether the connection to the first communication network or the second communication network, the condition specified in the determined mode in accordance with the connection status is confirmed, based on the confirmed condition And a selecting unit having a configuration for selecting one communication network from the plurality of heterogeneous networks to connect the mobile communication terminal to the selected communication network,
In the first mode, a connection condition to the second communication network, which is relatively relaxed compared to the second mode, is designated, and the second communication network has no cost when using a data service, or a cost excluding a fixed cost is the first cost. This is a less expensive network.
The determining unit may be configured to initiate an operation of determining one of the plurality of modes when a preset condition is met, wherein the preset condition includes: releasing a screen lock state of the mobile communication terminal and activating a predetermined application. And, a mobile communication terminal that includes a communication network connection request of any application or every cycle according to a specified period. The method of claim 1,
The time period is a time when the present time has elapsed since the start of the allocation period,
And the determining unit is configured to determine one of the plurality of modes based on the ratio of the confirmed usage data amount to the basic data amount and the ratio of the time period to the allocation period. The method of claim 1,
The time period is a time remaining from the current time until the expiration of the allocation period,
The determination unit calculates a residual data amount by subtracting the identified used data amount from the basic data amount, and calculates a residual data amount to a ratio of the calculated residual data amount to the basic data amount and the ratio of the time period to the allocation period. And determine one of the plurality of modes based on the determination. The method of claim 1,
And the basic data amount and the usage data amount are data amounts corresponding to a condition belonging to the current time point among conditions of a predetermined day or time zone. 5. The method of claim 4,
The allocation period and the time period is a time length that is the sum of the times corresponding to the condition that the current time point in the rate plan period of the mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 1,
In the first mode, a method and a condition in which cost incurred due to the use of the data service is suppressed are specified, and in the second mode, a method and a condition in which the homeostasis of the user's data service is maintained are designated.
The plurality of modes further include a third mode in which a method and a condition are set such that the home service of the data service is higher than that of the first mode, and the cost is suppressed relative to the second mode. Communication terminal. The method according to claim 6,
In the first mode, an upper limit criterion for signal strength from an arbitrary access point on the second communication network for switching to the second communication network when the first communication network is connected is specified lower than that of the third mode. It is,
In the second mode, a lower limit criterion of an evaluation value of a communication state for a random access point on the second communication network for switching to the first communication network when the second communication network is connected is higher than that of the third mode. A mobile communication terminal that is specified. The method of claim 1,
In the second mode, a condition including a first requirement of whether the mobile communication terminal is in a mobile state and a second requirement for an evaluation value of a communication state with respect to a random access point on the second communication network is specified. In the first mode, the mobile communication terminal is designated as a relaxed condition excluding the first requirement or the second requirement. The method of claim 1,
The first mode specifies a method of performing a search for the second communication network in a shorter period than when connected to the first communication network when connected to the first communication network. The method of claim 1,
Each menu item for individually selecting the plurality of modes, the checked usage data amount or the remaining data amount calculated therefrom, and time information on the time period are displayed on the screen of the mobile communication terminal. And a processing unit configured to notify the selection unit of the mode corresponding to the menu item selected by the user in the menu item as the determined mode. The method of claim 10,
And the processing unit is further configured to further display a specific menu item on the screen and to cause the determination unit to determine one of the plurality of modes when the specific menu item is selected. The method of claim 10,
And the processing unit is further configured to, when requested by the user, perform an operation of causing the current mode to be displayed on the screen, in which the selection unit follows to select a communication network and a condition to confirm. . 13. The method of claim 12,
When the current mode is displayed on the screen, the processing unit performs an operation of displaying the information together so that the current mode is automatically determined by the determining unit or manually determined by the user. And configured to perform further. The method of claim 1,
And the determining unit is configured to perform an operation of causing the changed mode to be displayed on the screen of the mobile communication terminal when the determined mode is different from a previously determined mode. delete The method of claim 1,
And the determining unit is further configured to shorten the designated period according to whether the mobile communication terminal is used or whether the connected communication network is the first communication network. In the method for providing information for selecting a network connection of the mobile communication terminal,
Receiving usage status information of the mobile communication terminal, including at least a first communication network, information of the amount of data used up to now within an allocating period;
On the basis of the basic data amount confirmed for the mobile communication terminal, the information of the usage data amount included in the received usage status information, and the elapsed period or the remaining period based on the current time point within the allocation period, Determining one of a plurality of modes including at least a first mode and a second mode,
Transmitting mode information indicating the determined mode to the mobile communication terminal,
In the first mode, a connection condition to the second communication network, which is relatively relaxed compared to the second mode, is designated, and the second communication network is a cost in which there is no cost or a fixed cost in using the data service of the mobile communication terminal. This communication network costs less than the first communication network,
The determining may include determining one of the plurality of modes based on the relative magnitude of the identified usage data amount relative to the basic data amount and the relative magnitude of the elapsed period relative to the allocation period, or The remaining data amount is calculated by subtracting the identified used data amount from the data amount, and based on the relative size of the calculated residual data amount relative to the basic data amount and the relative size of the remaining period relative to the allocation period. A method for providing information for network selection that determines one of a number of modes. 18. The method of claim 17,
The usage status information further includes at least basic data amount for the first communication network and information on the allocation period,
And the usage status information is received from the mobile communication terminal. 18. The method of claim 17,
The usage status information further includes at least basic data amount for the first communication network and information on the allocation period, and receives from the server managing at least the first communication network, the network usage status for mobile communication terminals. Providing information for selecting a network. 20. The method of claim 19,
The reception of the usage status information is provided by requesting the server at every cycle according to a preset period. 20. The method of claim 19,
Receiving a mode information request including the identification information of the mobile communication terminal from the mobile communication terminal;
And requesting the server for usage status information of the mobile communication terminal while providing the identification information, thereby allowing the reception of the usage status information to be made. 18. The method of claim 17,
The use status information further includes identification information for the mobile communication terminal,
The determining may include specifying one piece of plan information already established based on the identification information, and identifying or calculating the basic data amount and the allocation period from the specified plan information. How to give it. 18. The method of claim 17,
The mode information may further include guide information in which a method to be performed by the mobile communication terminal to select a connection network, a condition to be checked, and guide information in which reference values are associated with the condition are specified. . In the program providing apparatus having a storage space for a program,
Communication means for transmitting and receiving data with the outside through communication,
It is configured to include a storage means for storing the application to be executed in the mobile communication terminal, transmitted through the communication means,
The application comprises:
When executed in the mobile communication terminal, at least the first communication network checks the data amount and the basic data amount using the communication network to the present time in the allocation period, and confirms the identified basic data amount and the usage data amount, and Based on the time period on the basis of the present point of time, one of a plurality of modes including at least a first mode and a second mode is determined, and the first communication network or the second communication network is determined in a manner determined by the determined mode. And a program structure for confirming whether or not the connection of the mobile communication terminal is connected to one selected communication network based on the determined condition, and checking the condition specified in the determined mode according to the connection.
The determination of one of the plurality of modes is initiated when a preset condition is met, and the preset condition includes: releasing the screen lock state of the mobile communication terminal, and the mobile communication terminal of a predetermined application. Activation, a network connection request from the mobile communication terminal of an arbitrary application, or every cycle according to a specified cycle,
In the first mode, a connection condition to the second communication network, which is relatively relaxed compared to the second mode, is designated.
And said second communication network is a communication network in which there is no cost in using a data service of said mobile communication terminal or a cost excluding a fixed cost is less than that of said first communication network.

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