Communication fee prediction device, communication device, communication system, and charging method

A communication device to be used by a user comprising:

• a communication unit that performs wireless communication;
• a positional information obtaining unit that obtains information of a current position;
• an operation unit that receives an instruction of an operation;
• a control unit that executes various processes;
• and an activation condition setting section that sets an activation condition of a communication application that performs communication using a network, wherein a notification of positional information obtained by the positional information obtaining unit and a communication fee inquiry when using the network are made through the communication unit, an inquiry of a communication fee being made as activation of the communication application is instructed through the operating unit, wherein the activation condition includes selectable entries of activating the communication application immediately, activating the communication application at set time, and activating the communication application when a communication fee is lower or equal to a threshold value of a communication fee, and wherein communication is performed using the network by the control unit that activates the communication application when the set activation condition is met, wherein the communication fee that is received by the inquiry is based on a combination in an appropriate distribution ratio of a network load state of a base station where the communication device is currently position registered and a network load state of another base station where another communication device, which is a communication partner of the communication device, is position registered.

A communication system comprising:

• a fee prediction server that predicts a communication fee from a prediction of a trend of network loads at a plurality of communication paths;
• and a data communication terminal that performs data communication by activating a communication application that performs communication using a network, wherein the data communication terminal sets an activation condition of the communication application and receives a communication fee at each of the plurality of communication paths that is predicted by the fee prediction server, wherein the activation condition includes activating the communication application immediately, activating the communication application at set time, and activating the communication application when a communication fee is lower or equal to a threshold value of a communication fee, and wherein the data communication terminal comprising a control unit that activates the communication application when determining that the communication fee meets the activation condition, wherein the predicted communication fee is based on a combination in an appropriate distribution ratio of a network load state of a base station where the data communication terminal is currently position registered and a network load state of another base station where a second data communication terminal, which is a communication partner of the data communication terminal, is position registered.