Patent Publication Number: US-2010118847-A1

Title: Wireless communication terminal, access point equipment, wireless communication system, and method for providing and extracting data

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a wireless communication terminal, an access point equipment, a wireless communication system, and a method for extracting and providing data. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Wireless LAN service has widely spread. Several providers started providing wireless LAN service in commercial use. Wireless LAN access point equipments have been installed in hotels, cafeterias, stations and other places to provide high-speed wireless communication service. IEEE802.11b has been widely applied as the wireless LAN standard and a service by standards such as IEE802.11g which supports communication at higher speed has started. 
     Meanwhile, a cellular network at present is been shifting from a PDC (Personal Digital Cellular) system and a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) system in a second generation to WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) system in a third generation. The above wireless LAN service and the third-generation cellular system, both of which provide high-speed communication, are different from each other in service. That is, the wireless LAN service provides high-speed data communication in a narrow service area (or coverage). The third-generation cellular system provides service in a wide coverage almost anywhere in the nation at a communication speed, which is not as fast as that of the wireless LAN service. 
     In this way, a user can receive high-speed wireless communication service at anytime and anywhere by selecting a suitable communication system from the data communication service and the wireless LAN service and the cellular system based on a user state such as a moving speed. 
     The user who receives the wireless LAN service sets to a wireless LAN unit (or a terminal) of the user, data required to receive the service such as SSID (Service Set Identifier) of an access point equipment notified by a wireless LAN service provider in advance, a user ID and a password. Various combinations are present for the data required to receive the service. For example, there is a case that a connection is permitted by acquiring SSID from a searched access point equipment, even if not knowing the SSID of the access point equipment. Then, the user investigates data of the access point equipment located nearest to a current position of the user and moves to a place close to the access point equipment to receive communication service. The position data of the access point equipment is distributed in the form of access point equipment map data from a wireless LAN service provider to the user. The position data of the access point equipment is also supplied on WEB. This method, however, requires the user to investigate the position data of the access point equipment on WEB. In this case, such investigation of the position data of the access point equipment is accompanied by following problems. 
     Firstly, preliminary investigation of the position data of the access point equipment imposes excessive time and effort on the user. If the user changes a movement destination on the way of the investigation, the preliminary investigation needs to be performed again, resulting in restriction of service usage. Secondly, when the user receives services from a plurality of wireless LAN service providers, the position data of the access point equipment for each of the wireless LAN service providers needs to be investigated to select an optimal access point equipment, which increases a burden to the user. 
     An access point equipment detecting apparatus for investigating the state of radio waves outputted from neighbor access point equipment is available commercially. Such an apparatus searches access point equipments which are present in the periphery of the current position of the user and supplies data required to receive a wireless LAN service such as the number of detected access point equipments, radio wave intensity and SSID. The user may simply select one of the detected access point equipments which is desired to be connected. By using such an apparatus, it is possible to acquire the position data more easily than a case of investigating an access point equipment position by using the above access point equipment map and/or the position data of the access point equipments on WEB. However, such an access point detection apparatus cannot acquire data without detecting radio waves from a wireless LAN access point equipment and it is uncertain where the user can receive the wireless LAN service. 
     Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-P2003-259457A) discloses a technique related to a multi-service wireless communication system. This multi-service wireless communication system includes a plurality of wireless systems, a common signal wireless network base station, a management server, a network to connect these respective units, and a multi-service terminal to receive the service from these respective units. The common signal wireless network base station uses a common signal wireless zone to overlay a plurality of service zones in which services are provided from the plurality of the wireless systems. The management server holds a database which includes data of a usable wireless system in each position within the common signal wireless zone. The multi-service terminal has a position detecting section, a usable wireless system data obtaining section and a network selection switching section. The position detecting section in the multi-service terminal detects a position of its own station. The usable wireless system data obtaining section transmits data indicating the position detected by the position detecting section to the management server via the common signal wireless network base station, and obtains data regarding the usable wireless system in the detected position from the management server via the common signal wireless network base station. The network selection switching section selects a wireless system, most suitable for selection conditions, of usable wireless systems obtained by the usable wireless system data obtaining section. 
     The conventional system requires investigating the location of an access point equipment in advance, which imposes a burden on the user. Also, the access point detection apparatus is unable to obtain data without detecting radio waves from a wireless LAN access point equipment and it is uncertain where the user can receive wireless LAN service. Accordingly, the user will waste a power supply of a terminal in order to search for the access point equipment. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication system which can acquire a data related to a service providing area in the vicinity of a current position of a user, and a base station, a wireless terminal and a data providing server in the wireless communication system. Also, another object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication system which can update a data related to a service providing area in real time, and a base station, a wireless terminal and a data providing server of the wireless communication system. 
     The wireless communication system includes a first network having a base station, a second network having a second base station, and a data providing server. The second base station extracts a first identification data to identify a base station by receiving a radio wave transmitted from the base station. The data providing server collects the first identification data and second identification data to identify the second base station from the second base station, and provides the second identification data for a wireless terminal which is connected to the first network. 
     According to the present invention, it is made possible to provide the wireless communication system which can acquire the data related to the service providing area in the vicinity of the user, and a base station, a wireless terminal and a data providing server in the wireless communication system. The present invention also provides the wireless communication system which can update the data related to the service providing area in real time, and a base station device, a wireless terminal and a data providing server in the wireless communication system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The aforementioned subject matters, effects and features of the present invention will become clearer from the descriptions of embodiments in conjunction with accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing a configuration of a base station in a cellular network; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing a configuration of an access point equipment in a wireless LAN network; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing a configuration of a position data server; 
         FIG. 5A  is a diagram showing data collected by the access point equipment; 
         FIG. 5B  is a diagram showing data collected by the access point equipment; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing data held by the position data server; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing an operation of the system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram showing the configuration of the system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing a configuration of the base station in the cellular network; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram showing a configuration of the terminal; 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram showing a configuration of the position data server; 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram showing a configuration of an MBMS server; 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram showing an operation of the system; and 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram explaining a position relation among the base station, the access point equipment and the terminal according to a third exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, a system of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The scope of the present invention, however, is not limited to the following exemplary embodiments. 
     First Exemplary Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  shows an entire configuration of the system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The system includes a cellular network  100 , a wireless LAN network  200 , a position data server  350  for managing service data therebetween, and a wireless terminal  310  connected with the cellular network  100  and the wireless LAN network  200 . 
     The cellular network  100  includes a backbone network  101  and many base stations  110  each connected with the backbone network  101  in order to provide wireless communication services for the wireless terminals  310 . The backbone network  101  may be realized by using a well-known configuration, and explanation thereof will be omitted. The wireless terminal  310  may also be a well-known mobile phone capable of performing data communication, and explanation thereof will be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the base station  110  includes a cellular terminal interface section  112 , a base station control section  114  and a cellular backbone network interface section  118 . The cellular terminal interface section  112  mainly plays a role of a layer  1  in wireless communication with the wireless terminal  310  which is present in a cell  190 . Accordingly, the cellular terminal interface section  112  performs basic wireless communication and also executes a process to deal with any error occurring at that time. The base station control section  114  controls and manages the entire base station  110 . For example, the base station control section  114  sets a connection line based on a telephone number sent from the wireless terminal  310  in voice communication, while transmitting/receiving packet data is received based on a specified IP address in IP connection. Here, the base station control section  114  transmits to the position data server  350 , an access point search request which is issued from the wireless terminal  310  and received via the cellular terminal interface section  112 . The cellular backbone network interface section  118  is used to allow connection with the backbone network  101  in the cellular network  100 . The cellular backbone network interface  118  performs basic data transmission/reception and executes a process to deal with an error occurring in the data transmission/reception. 
     The wireless LAN network  200  includes a backbone network  201  and many access point equipments  210  each connected to the backbone network  201  in order to provide wireless LAN connection service for a mobile personal computer, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and other devices. The backbone network  201  may be realized to have a well-known configuration, and explanation thereof will be omitted. 
     The access point equipment  210  is a hybrid access point equipment which can be connected to the cellular network as well and/or at least receive a network ID (i.e. PLMN-ID) notified by the base station  110  and a cell ID to identify the cell  190 , and includes a wireless LAN terminal interface section  211 , a cellular interface section  213 , a cell searching section  215 , an access point control section  217  and a wireless LAN backbone network interface section  219 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The wireless LAN terminal interface section  211  plays a role of the layer  1  to allow wireless LAN connection with a wireless terminal. Accordingly, the wireless LAN terminal interface section  211  performs basic data transmission/reception and executes a process to deal with the error occurring in the data transmission/reception. The cellular interface section  213  is used to receive radio waves transmitted from the base station  110  in the cellular network  100 . The cellular interface section  213  plays a role of the layer  1  in the cellular network  100  and may receive at least a part of downlink channels because it is only required to search neighbor base stations arranged in the cellular network  100 . 
     The cell searching section  215  searches the base stations in the periphery of the access point equipment  210  based on data received by the cellular interface section  213 . For example, a cell ID (i.e. identifier) and a PLMN-ID (Public Land Mobile Network-ID), which are included in a notification channel (i.e. BCCH) which is a channel used to notify control data from the base station to a mobile terminal, are extracted to specify the cell  190  (i.e. the base station  110 ) and a cellular network (i.e. provider)  100 . It should be noted that the channel to transmit the cell ID and PLMN-ID is not necessarily limited to the notification channel and may be an individual channel and a common channel. Also, it should be noted that extraction of the cell ID and the PLMN-ID has been described here by assuming a cellular network, especially a 3G cellular network, but any data may be used as long as it can be used to identify a base station (i.e. cell) in the network. 
     The access point control section  217  collects data of the cells  190  of the cellular network  100  specified by the cell searching section  215  and generates a neighbor cell search result report. For example, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the neighbor cell search result report is generated from the cell ID and the PLMN-ID, and a cell quality indicated with a reception level of radio waves at the time of reception, for every cell  190  specified through the cell search, and transmitted to the position data server  350  via the wireless LAN backbone network interface section  219 , together with data of the access point equipment  210  as shown in  FIG. 5B . These functions of the access point equipment  210  may be realized by a CPU executing a program which is installed from a recording medium (not shown). 
     The position data server  350  is connected to the cellular network and the wireless LAN network, and includes a wireless LAN network interface section  352 , an access point database section  354 , a server control section  356  and a cellular network interface section  358 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The wireless LAN network interface section  352  is connected to the wireless LAN backbone network  201  and acquires access point data from the neighbor cell search result report produced by the access point equipment  210 . There may be a plurality of wireless LAN providers from which data are acquired. The access point database section  354  holds the access point data acquired from the wireless LAN provider in association with a cell in the cellular network  100  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Accordingly, by specifying the cell ID and the PLMN-ID, it is possible to acquire the data of access point equipments of the wireless LAN network which are present in the cell. 
     The server control section  356  extracts the data of access point equipments corresponding to the cell acquired via the cellular backbone network  100  from the access point database section  354 , and provides the data for the wireless terminal  310  via the cellular backbone network  100 . At this time, the sever control section  356  preferably confirms whether the wireless terminal  310  issuing the inquiry can receive the service to provide the access point data. The cellular network interface section  358  is connected to the cellular backbone network  100  and data is transmitted to and received from the wireless terminal  310  via the cellular network interface section  358 . 
     Next, an operation of the system according to the first exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 7 . 
     Each of the base stations  110  in the cellular network  100  notifies a network identifier to the cell  190  by using a notification channel, and the network identifier includes a network ID (i.e. PLMN-ID) and a cell ID to identify the cell  190  (step S 102 ). Normally, the wireless terminal  310  communicates with the base station  110  based on the PLMN-ID and the cell ID. The access point equipment  210  in the wireless LAN network  200  receives a radio wave including the PLMN-ID and the cell ID by the cellular interface section  213 . 
     The access point equipment  210  receives entire radio waves of the cell  190  receivable at that time and extracts the PLMN-IDs and the cell IDs included in the radio waves. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 5A , a cell quality indicating a reception state of each detected cell is obtained for each of the cells, in addition to the PLMN-ID and the cell ID (step S 104 ). 
     After searching entire receivable radio waves in the cell, the access point equipment  210  notifies the search result to the position data server  350 . The data to be notified includes the cell data obtained as a result of the search by the access point equipment  210  as shown in  FIG. 5A , an ID of a wireless LAN network to which the access point equipment  210  belongs, an IP address and a MAC address as data of the access point equipment  210  itself as shown in  FIG. 5B  (step S 106 ). 
     The position data server  350  receives a report from each of the access point equipments  210  in the wireless LAN network  200  and produces neighborhood access point data based on the received data. The neighborhood access point data can be obtained by rearranging data of the access point equipments  210  for every cell as shown in  FIG. 6 . That is, the access point database section  354  stores data such as ID of the wireless LAN network to which the access point equipment  210  belongs, an IP address and a MAC address of the access point equipment  210 , a cell quality indicating a reception level at the time of reception, and search time in association with the cell ID and the PLMN-ID. Accordingly, by specifying a cell ID (or PLMN-ID), data of the access point equipment  210  which can receive the radio wave of the cell corresponding to the cell ID can be searched (step S 108 ). 
     When the neighborhood access point data is produced in the access point database section  354  of the position data server  350 , distribution service becomes available. A request for the neighborhood access point data is transmitted from the wireless terminal  310  in the cell  190  (step S 112 ). At this time, it is desirable that the base station  110  receives the radio wave including the request, and adds the cell ID to the request for the neighborhood access point data, to transmit to the position data server  350 . The wireless terminal  310  may transmit a receivable cell ID to the position data server  350 . The position data server  350  extracts the access point data associated with the cell ID of the cell  190  from the access point database section  354 . The position data server  350  transmits the neighborhood access point data to the wireless terminal  310  via the base station  110  (S 114 ). 
     The wireless terminal  310  presents the neighborhood access point data to a user of the wireless terminal  310  by using a display unit. The user moves to a place where the presented access point equipment  210  is present (step S 116 ), requests the access point equipment  210  to permit connection with the wireless LAN network (step S 118 ) to start data communication by a wireless LAN connection (step S 120 ). The wireless terminal  310  can perform wireless LAN connection, if having a function to realize connection with the wireless LAN network  200 , whereas a personal computer or another unit is connected to the wireless LAN, if not having the function. 
     As stated above, the access point equipment  210  to the wireless LAN network  200  extracts cell data (i.e. cell ID and PLMN-ID) included in the received radio wave and notifies the extracted cell data to the position data server  350 . The position data server  350  converts the data into the neighborhood access point data for each cell and provides the neighborhood access point data in response to the request from the wireless terminal  310 . Thus, the wireless terminal  310  can acquire the data of the access point equipments in the neighborhood. The access point equipment  210  collects the cell data periodically such that the position data server  350  can provide the latest data of the access point equipments  210 . 
     Although the IP address and MAC address of the access point equipment  210  are exemplified as the data of the access point equipment  210 , other data such as SSID, latitude/longitude data and a landmark in the neighborhood may be supplied. The latitude/longitude data can be displayed on a map. The landmark data indicating the location of the access point equipment can be used to search the access point equipment without a map. 
     There may be a plurality of providers providing communication service by the cellular network and a plurality of providers providing communication service by the wireless LAN network. In this case, the database should be configured to include data for identifying the provider in neighborhood access point data so that an end user can select the provider providing service. 
     Second Exemplary Embodiment 
       FIG. 8  shows an entire configuration of a system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cellular network  100  includes an MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service) server  150  to provide MBMS within the network, and a base station  140  corresponding to the MBMS. The wireless LAN network  200  includes a position data server  250  to collect data of the access point equipments  210 . The remaining configuration is the same as that of the first exemplary embodiment, but will be described again. 
     The cellular network  100  includes the backbone network  101 , many base stations  140  connected to the backbone network  101 , and the MBMS server  150  which provides the MBMS, to provide wireless communication service for the wireless terminal  310 . The backbone network  101  may be realized by a well-known configuration and explanation thereof will be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the base station  140  includes a cellular terminal interface section  142 , a base station control section  144 , an MBMS control section  146  and a cellular backbone network interface section  148 . The cellular terminal interface section  142  plays a role of the layer  1  mainly in wireless communication with the wireless terminal  310  which is present in the cell  190 . Accordingly, the cellular terminal interface section  142  performs basic wireless communication and executes a process of dealing with errors occurring at that time. The base station control section  144  controls and manages the entire base station  140 , and controls unicast communication service. For example, the base station control section  144  sets a connection line based on a telephone number transmitted by the wireless terminal  310  in case of voice communication, and transmits/receives packet data based on the IP address in case of IP data communication. 
     The MBMS control section  146  controls and manages MBMS communication service. For example, the MBMS control section  146  controls power by allocating an MBMS channel. The MBMS control section  146  holds the neighborhood access point data supplied from the MBMS server  150  to the terminal to supply the neighborhood access point data periodically by using a common channel. The cellular backbone network interface section  148  is used to permit connection with the backbone network  101  in the cellular network  100 . The cellular backbone network interface section  148  performs basic data transmission/reception and executes a process of dealing with errors occurring in the data transmission/reception. The MBMS control section  146  transmits/receives data to/from the MBMS server  150  via the backbone network interface section  148 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , the MBMS server  150  includes a position data server interface section  152 , a content database section  154 , an MBMS server control section  156  and a cellular backbone network interface section  158 . 
     The position data server interface section  152  is connected to the position data server  250  in the wireless LAN network  200 , and acquires the access point data such as a neighbor cell search result report collected by the position data server  250 . There may be a plurality of wireless LAN providers from which the data is acquired. 
     The content database section  154  holds data for MBMS as content. The peripheral access point data is used for one of the services in the MBMS. Here, the access point data acquired from the wireless LAN provider is held in relation to a cell in the cellular network  100 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Accordingly, by specifying a cell ID and a PLMN-ID, data of the access point equipment  210  of the wireless LAN network  200  which is present in the cell can be obtained. 
     The MBMS server control section  156  manages entire data regarding MBMS service. Here, the MBMS server control section  156  manages communication with a wireless terminal which subscribes neighborhood access point data providing service. The MBMS server control section  156  also extracts from the content database  154 , data of the access point equipment  210  which is present in a cell and managed by each of the base stations  140 , and distributes it to each of them. The cellular backbone network interface section  158  is connected to the cellular backbone network and communicates with other nodes in the cellular network. 
     The wireless LAN network  200  has the backbone network  201 , the number of the access point equipments  210  connected to the backbone network  201 , and the position data server  250  for holding data of each of the access point equipments  210  to provide wireless LAN connection service for a mobile personal computer and a PDA or other devices. The backbone network  201  may be realized by a well-known configuration and explanation thereof will be omitted. 
     The access point equipment  210  is a hybrid access point equipment which can be connected to the cellular network  100  and/or can receive a network ID (i.e. PLMN-ID) notified by the base station  110  and a cell ID to identify the cell  190  at least, and includes the wireless LAN terminal interface section  211 , the cellular interface section  213 , the cell searching section  215 , the access point control section  217  and the wireless LAN backbone network interface section  219 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The wireless LAN terminal interface section  211  plays a role of a layer  1  to permit wireless LAN connection with a wireless terminal. Accordingly, the wireless LAN terminal interface section  211  performs basic data transmission/reception and a process of dealing with errors occurring in the data transmission/reception. The radio wave transmitted from the wireless LAN terminal interface section  211  is used to provide service for a terminal in a spot  290 . 
     The cellular interface section  213  is used to receive the radio wave transmitted from the base station in the cellular network. The cellular interface section  213  plays a role of the layer  1  in the cellular network and may receive at least a part of downlink channels because it is sufficient to search base stations neighborly arranged in the cellular network. 
     The cell searching section  215  searches the base stations in the neighborhood of the access point equipment  210  based on data received by the cellular interface section  213 . For example, a cell ID (i.e. identifier) and a PLMN-ID (Public Land Mobile Network-ID), which are included in a notification channel (i.e. BCCH) as a channel to notify control data from the base station to the mobile terminal, are extracted to specify the cell  190  (i.e. base station  110 ) and a cellular network (i.e. provider). It should be noted that a channel to transmit the cell ID and the PLMN-ID is not necessarily limited to the notification channel and may be an individual channel or a common channel. Also, it should be noted that although it is described that the cell ID and the PLMN-ID are extracted by assuming a cellular network, especially 3G cellular network, any data may be used as long as it can be used to identify the base station in the network. 
     The access point control section  217  collects data of the cell  190  specified by the cell searching section  215  in the cellular network  100  and produces a neighbor cell search result report. For example, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the neighbor cell search result report is produced to include the cell ID and the PLMN-ID, and a cell quality shown by a reception level at the time of reception for every cell  190  which has been specified through the cell search, and transmitted the report together with data regarding the access point equipment  210  to the position data server  250  via the wireless LAN backbone network interface section  219 , as shown in  FIG. 5B . These functions of the access point equipment  210  may be realized by a program in a recording medium (not shown). 
     The position data server  250  as shown in  FIG. 11  includes an MBMS server interface section  252 , a position data database section  254 , a position data server control section  256  and a wireless LAN backbone network interface section  258 . 
     The MBMS server interface section  252  is connected to the MBMS server  150 , and transmits access point data such as the neighbor cell search result report collected in the wireless LAN network to the MBMS server  150 . It is preferable to be directly connected to the MBMS server by using an exclusive line or the like, but a method to transmit/receive data is not limited thereto. 
     The position data database section  254  holds neighbor cell search result collected from each of the access point equipments  210 . The data collected from each of the access point equipments  210  is stored in association with the cell ID and the PLMN-ID of the cell  190  in the cellular network  100  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Accordingly, even if there is a plurality of the cellular networks  100  corresponding to a plurality of providers, neighborhood access point data can be sent for each of the providers. 
     The position data server control section  256  collects neighbor cell search result from the entire access point equipments  210  in the wireless LAN network  200 . Since the cell ID and the PLMN-ID of a neighbor base station present in the cellular network  100  are extracted from the radio wave received by the access point equipment  210 , the collected data is stored for every cell corresponding to each of the access point equipments  210  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The position data server control section  256  converts the data into another data in accordance with the cell ID and the PLMN-ID as shown in  FIG. 6 , to store in the position data database  254 . 
     The wireless LAN backbone network interface section  258  is connected to the backbone network  201  and communicates with the access point equipment  210  in the network. 
     The wireless terminal  310  shown in  FIG. 10  includes a wireless LAN interface section  311 , a cellular transmitting/receiving section  313 , an MBMS receiving section  315 , a terminal control section  317  and an input/output section  319 , and can receive service provided from the cellular network and the wireless LAN network. 
     The wireless LAN interface section  311  plays a role of the layer  1  in the wireless LAN, and performs basic data transmission/reception and executes an error process. That is, the wireless LAN interface section  311  communicates with the access point equipment  210 . The cellular transmitting/receiving section  313  plays a role of the layer  1  in cellular communication, and performs the basic wireless transmission/reception and executes the error process. The cellular transmitting/receiving section  313  also receives the radio wave (or channel) for MBMS to be supplied from the cellular network  100 . 
     The MBMS receiving section  315  performs a process specific to MBMS such as requesting MBMS service to receive entire MBMS service subscribed by a user. The terminal control section  317  manages and controls the entire terminal. The terminal control section  317  also causes a display function or other functions in the input/output section  319  to show neighborhood access point data provided by the MBMS for a user who uses the terminal  310 . The input/output section  319  inputs/outputs data such as a key input and display of the neighborhood access point data. These functions in the terminal  310  may be realized by a program. 
     Next, an operation of the system according to the second exemplary embodiment will be described referring to  FIG. 13 . 
     Each of the base stations  140  in the cellular network  100  notifies to the cell  190 , a network identifier, which includes a network ID (i.e. PLMN-ID) and a cell ID to identify the cell  190 , by using a notification channel or other channels (step S 202 ). The wireless terminal  310  normally communicates with the base station  140  based on the PLMN-ID and the cell ID. The access point equipment  210  in the wireless LAN network  200  receives the radio wave including the notified PLMN-ID and cell ID by the cellular interface section  213 . 
     The access point equipment  210  receives the entire radio waves of the cells  190  receivable at that time and extracts the PLMN-ID and the cell ID included in the radio waves for each of the cells, as well as the cell quality indicating a reception state of each cell, as shown in  FIG. 5A  (step S 204 ). 
     After searching the entire receivable radio waves of cells, the access point equipment  210  reports the search result to the position data server  250 . The data of the report includes cell data obtained as a result of the search by the access point equipment  210  as shown in  FIG. 5A , in addition to ID of the wireless LAN network to which the access point equipment  210  belongs, an IP address and a MAC address or other addresses as data of the access point equipment  210  itself as shown in  FIG. 5B  (step S 206 ). 
     The position data server  250  receives the report from each of the access point equipments  210  in the wireless LAN network  200  and produces the neighborhood access point data based on the received data. The neighborhood access point data can be obtained by rearranging data of the access point equipments  210  for each cell as shown in  FIG. 6 . That is, the position data database section  254  stores in association with the cell ID and the PLMN-ID, data such as ID of the wireless LAN network to which the access point equipment  210  belongs, the IP address and the MAC address of the access point equipment  210 , cell quality shown by a reception level at the time of reception, and search time. Accordingly, it is made possible to search the data of the access point equipment  210  which can receive the radio wave of the cell for each of cellular network providers (step S 208 ). 
     The neighborhood access point data is provided for the MBMS servers  150  of cellular network providers, respectively (step S 212 ). Here, the neighborhood access point data is directly supplied from the position data server  250  to the MBMS server  150 , but any other methods may be applied. 
     The MBMS server  150  distributes the neighborhood access point data to the base station  140  in each of the cells  190  periodically or every time the neighborhood access point data is supplied (step S 214 ). The base station  140  holds the distributed neighborhood access point data. 
     The base station  140  uses a common channel to load the neighborhood access point data which is notified within the cell  190 . Here, the common channel is used to notify data but an individual channel may be used. This notification is preferably made periodically. The wireless terminal  310  receives the notified neighborhood access point data (step S 216 ). 
     The wireless terminal  310  receives the neighborhood access point data and presents the data to the user by using a display unit or another unit (step S 222 ). The user moves to a place in the vicinity of a communicable access point based on the presented neighborhood access point data. At this time, the user can investigate the details of communicable access point equipment via the cellular network  100 . If it is possible to obtain the detailed position of the access point equipment at this time, it is unnecessary to supply power to the wireless terminal  310  before reaching the position and power can be saved (step S 224 ). The wireless terminal  310  outputs a wireless LAN connection request to the access point equipment  210  (step S 226 ), and communication by the LAN connection is started upon authorization (step S 230 ). 
     Although the MBMS server  150  has been described as being separated from the base station  140 , functions of the MBMS server may be installed in the base station  140 . 
     Third Exemplary Embodiment 
     Next, a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to  FIG. 14 . Base stations  110  and  120  in a cellular network output radio waves to cover cells  191  and  192 , respectively. Access points  210  and  220  in a wireless LAN network also output radio waves to cover spots  291  and  292 , respectively. The ranges of the cells  191  and  192  are larger than those of the spots  291  and  292 . Accordingly, the access point equipments  210  and  220  in the wireless LAN network are included in the cell  191  in the cellular network. The access point equipment  210  is also included in the cell  192 . 
     The wireless terminal  310  is included in the cells  191  and  192  and can receive the radio waves from both of the base stations. This means that the wireless terminal  310  is supplied with data of the access point equipments which are present in a considerably large area. More specifically, even if neighborhood access point data is provided, the access point equipment nearest to the wireless terminal  310  is unknown. A distance from one end to the other end of a cell in the cellular network is several kilometers or longer depending on a situation, and it is not easy for a user to find the access point equipment when being unacquainted with the place. 
     Even in such a case, more appropriate data is supplied based on the provided neighborhood access point data in the wireless terminal  310  according to the third exemplary embodiment. The wireless terminal  310  has a same configuration as the wireless terminal  310  described in the second exemplary embodiment, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted, but there is a difference in how to deal with the neighborhood access point data. 
     More precisely, the wireless terminal  310  acquires neighborhood access point data notified by the base stations  110  and  120 . At this time, data of the access point equipment  210  can be obtained from both of the base stations  110  and  120 . The data on the access point equipment  220  is obtained only from the base station  110  and the neighborhood access point data notified by the base station  120  does not include the data of the access point equipment  220 . Since the wireless terminal  310  obtains data from the base stations  110  and  120 , it is estimated that the access point equipment  210  is under the same reception environment as the wireless terminal  310 . Accordingly, the wireless terminal  310  presents the data of the access point equipment  210  to the user. 
     More data acquired from the base stations makes it possible for the wireless terminal  310  to estimate an access point equipment under a more similar reception environment. Furthermore, an access point equipment closer to the wireless terminal  310  can be searched by referring to the cell quality included in the neighborhood access point data and specifying an access point equipment which receives the radio wave transmitted by a base station in the same manner as the terminal  310 . 
     In addition, if the position data of an access point equipment such as longitude/latitude and address is contained in the access point data, a position of the access point equipment can be shown on a map the wireless terminal  310 . By mounting a GPS (Global Positioning System) function on the wireless terminal  310 , the position of the wireless terminal  310  can be displayed to certainly navigate the user to a place with an access point equipment. 
     In a wireless terminal which can be connected to the cellular network  100  and the wireless LAN network  200 , a man-machine interface can be provided without imposing a burden on the user by operating each of functions in cooperation. Even if respective functions are mounted on another terminal, a man-machine interface can be provided with a less burden imposed on the user. Each of functions can also be connected temporarily. 
     As stated above, the present invention does not require preliminary investigation of the access point data. That is, the user can automatically obtain the data of the access point equipments  210  which is present in the vicinity, from the cellular network  100  wherever the user goes, and the preliminary investigation is unnecessary. Accordingly, even if the user changes a moving destination, the access point data can be obtained in the moving destination. Furthermore, even if the user has subscribed services provided from a plurality of wireless LAN providers, it is unnecessary to investigate the position data of access point equipments for each of the providers, and a burden imposed on the user is reduced. At this time, a searcher apparatus for detecting another access point equipment is not required and an economical burden imposed on the user can also be reduced. The user can further know a state of the access point equipment in real time. 
     Various modifications of the above exemplary embodiments can be easily realized by those who are skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments and shall be interpreted in a largest scope considered by claims and equivalents thereof.