Patent ID: 9220057
Filing Date: 2015-12-22
Classification: H04L,H04M,H04W

Abstract:
1. An operator selecting apparatus for selecting, for each communication device in a group, a home operator out of a plurality of candidate operators, wherein each candidate operator has a billing system regarding a service as a home operator and wherein the billing system of at least one of the candidate operators is configured to provide a discount in accordance with an increase of communication devices in the group for which the candidate operator is selected, the operator selecting apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives group information that defines the group and class information of said each communication device in the group, the class information specifying whether the communication device is a quality-oriented communication device that prioritizes quality of service over cost or a cost-oriented communication device that prioritizes cost over quality of service; a billing system obtaining unit that obtains information representing the billing system of said each candidate operator; a quality information obtaining unit that obtains quality information that specifies quality of service provided to said each communication device by said each candidate operator; a first selecting unit that selects, for each quality-oriented communication device in the group, a candidate operator out of the plurality of the candidate operators that is determined based on the quality information to provide the best quality of service to the communication device; and a second selecting unit that selects, for each cost-oriented communication device in the group, based on the billing system and a number of quality-oriented communication devices assigned to said each candidate operator as a result of the selection by the first selecting unit, a candidate operator out of the plurality of the candidate operators such that a total cost for all the communication devices in the group becomes lowest, wherein: the quality information obtaining unit obtains, as the quality information, signal strength information of said each candidate operator from said each communication device, the signal strength information indicating signal strength of a radio signal received by the communication device; and the first selecting unit determines, for said each quality-oriented communication device in the group, based on the signal strength information, that a candidate operator out of the plurality of the candidate operators, whose signal strength of a radio signal received by the communication device is strongest, provides the best quality of service to the communication device.