Vehicle communication apparatus and method

Abstract

A vehicle communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a control unit for determining a vehicle driving mode and a vehicle state; and a communication module for selecting a network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state received from the control unit to perform communication wherein the communication module stores information about the network slice instance corresponding to at least one vehicle driving mode and vehicle state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle communication apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a vehicle communication apparatus and method for connecting to a network slice optimized according to a vehicle driving mode. Background Art

[0002] Network slicing technology is a technology for reducing network construction costs by providing various services with different characteristics by creating multiple logical networks configured with specific network functions on a single physical network instead of building multiple physical networks for each individual service to meet different performance requirements.

[0003] For wireless communication including conventional vehicle communication, most resource allocations and data paths are used in a static or semi-static manner. Therefore, there is a problem that resource allocations and parameters are not optimized for each individual vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical Problem

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a communication apparatus and method for connecting to a network slice optimized according to a vehicle driving mode.

[0006] Technical Solution

[0007] To solve the above technical problem, a vehicle communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a control unit configured to determine a vehicle driving mode and a vehicle state; and a communication module configured to select a network slice instance to perform communication based on the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state received from the control unit, wherein the communication module stores information about network slice instances corresponding to at least one vehicle driving mode and vehicle state.

[0008] When the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state change, the communication module may select a network slice instance for communication based on the changed vehicle driving mode and vehicle state.

[0009] The communication module requests the first base station to connect to a network slice instance corresponding to the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state, connects to the network slice instance after verifying access authentication, and thereafter, when at least one of the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state changes, requests the first base station to change the network slice instance and connects to the changed network slice instance.

[0010] The vehicle driving mode may include a first driving mode, a second driving mode, a third driving mode, and a fourth driving mode, the first driving mode being an autonomous driving state above a first level, the second driving mode being an autonomous driving state below the first level, the third driving mode being a remote driving state, and the fourth driving mode being a parking state.

[0011] The vehicle state can be determined based on the functions being executed in the vehicle.

[0012] The communication module stores the performance rankings of network slice instances, and when the network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode is different from the network slice instance according to the vehicle state, a network slice instance with a higher performance ranking can be selected.

[0013] To solve the above technical problems, the vehicle communication method according to this embodiment includes the following steps: determining the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state; selecting a network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state and requesting registration from the base station; confirming the access authentication between the vehicle and the base station; and connecting the vehicle and the network slice instance via communication.

[0014] The method may include the following steps: determining the changed vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state; selecting a network slice instance according to the changed vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state and requesting registration from the base station; and connecting the vehicle and the changed network slice instance via communication.

[0015] The vehicle driving mode includes a first driving mode, a second driving mode, a third driving mode, and a fourth driving mode. The first driving mode is an autonomous driving state above the first level, the second driving mode is an autonomous driving state below the first level, the third driving mode is a remote driving state, and the fourth driving mode is a parking state. Among them, the vehicle state can be determined based on the functions being executed in the vehicle.

[0016] The communication module stores the performance rankings of network slice instances, and when the network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode is different from the network slice instance according to the vehicle state, a network slice instance with a higher performance ranking can be selected.

[0017] Beneficial Effects

[0018] According to the embodiments of the present invention, a network slice set can be dynamically allocated according to the driving mode, autonomous driving mode, or vehicle state of the vehicle to provide optimized wireless communication according to the current vehicle state.

[0019] In addition, with the introduction of network virtualization technology, flexibility in the network structure between the vehicle and the base station can be provided, and a stable network connection with the vehicle can be maintained. Description of the Drawings

[0020] Figure 1 is a diagram for illustrating network slicing.

[0021] Figure 2 is a diagram for illustrating the communication method of an existing vehicle.

[0022] Figure 3It is a block diagram of a vehicle communication device according to this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 4 and Figure 5 It is a diagram for explaining the communication operation of the vehicle communication device according to this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 and Figure 7 It is a flowchart of a vehicle communication method according to this embodiment. Detailed implementation

[0025] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] However, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to some embodiments to be described, but can be implemented in various forms, and within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, one or more component elements can be selectively combined or replaced between embodiments.

[0027] In addition, unless clearly defined and described, the terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention can be interpreted as the meanings that those skilled in the art can generally understand, and the generally used terms (such as the terms defined in the dictionary) can be interpreted in consideration of the meaning of the context of the related technology.

[0028] In addition, the terms used in this specification are for describing embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0029] In this specification, unless specifically stated in the wording, the singular form may include the plural form, and when described as "at least one (or more than one) of A, B, and C", it may include one or more of all combinations that can be combined with A, B, and C.

[0030] In addition, when describing the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and these terms do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components.

[0031] Moreover, when a component is described as "connected", "coupled", or "interconnected" to another component, this component not only directly connects, couples, or interconnects to another component, but also may include a case where it is connected, coupled, or interconnected via another component between other components.

[0032] In addition, when described as being formed or provided "on (above)" or "under (below)" each component, "on (above)..." or "under (below)..." means not only including the case where two components are in direct contact, but also including the case where one or more other components are formed or provided between the two components. In addition, when expressed as "on (above)..." or "under (below)...", it can include not only the meaning of the upward direction relative to a component, but also the meaning of the downward direction relative to the one component.

[0033] Network slicing is a core 5G technology that operates by dividing the 5G network into multiple virtual networks, thus allowing the additional provision of services for special purposes without affecting the general Internet quality. To enable a single communication network to provide various services, 5G provides network slicing that allows a single physical network to operate like multiple networks.

[0034] Refer to Figure 1 , network slicing can logically provide multiple network slice sets to a base station, thus providing resource allocation and parameter sets, including the quality of service (QoS) customized for each of Vehicle A, Vehicle B, and Terminal A.

[0035] Network slicing has the advantage of being able to provide various services according to the delay time, data volume, transmission speed, etc., so as to provide communication services suitable for each service. Since the network is virtualized, network slicing has the advantage of being able to cope with software upgrades without having to replace all hardware devices to upgrade the communication network. In addition, even if a virtual line fails, it will not affect other virtual lines, and the quality of service can be distinguished. Through the virtualized network structure, an environment suitable for communication services can be created, thus reducing costs and improving operation efficiency.

[0036] Refer to Figure 2 , in existing vehicle communications, when a vehicle sends a predetermined registration request to a base station, the network slicing selects a network slice instance to be allocated to the user vehicle based on the network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) included in the registration request.

[0037] That is to say, when a vehicle requests registration from a base station, the network slice instance of the specified vehicle is designated, and when the base station sends a registration acceptance notice to the vehicle, the network slice instance to be connected is determined. Therefore, the vehicle communicates through the network slice instance in a static or semi-static manner.

[0038] That is to say, in existing vehicle communications, most resource allocations and data paths are used in a static or semi-static form, so resource allocations and parameters are not optimized for each individual vehicle. In addition, although the base station and the vehicle can manage multiple NSSAIs through multiple data network names (DNNs), there are problems of low efficiency due to resource efficiency or an increase in the number of DNNs that the base station must control and manage.

[0039] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a vehicle communication device according to the present embodiment, Figure 4 and Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the communication operation of the vehicle communication device according to the present embodiment.

[0040] For the convenience of the following explanations, the present embodiment uses the terms and names defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution (3GPP LTE) and 5G standards. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the terms and names and can be equivalently applied to systems conforming to other standards.

[0041] The vehicle communication device according to the present embodiment may include a control unit 12 and a communication module 11. The vehicle communication device may be connected to the network provided by the vehicle 10 and the base station 20.

[0042] The base station 20 is a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to the vehicle. The base station 20 has a coverage area defined as a certain geographical area based on the distance at which signals can be transmitted. The base station 20 may be referred to as an access point (AP), eNodeB (eNB), fifth generation node, wireless point, transmit / receive point (TRP), access network (AN), or other terms with equivalent technical meanings.

[0043] The base station 20 may provide different communication services by providing different network slices. The network slices may provide different services according to their characteristics. Each network slice may have different capacities and network environments that can be provided simultaneously. The capacity of the network slice may be, for example, the maximum number of terminals (subscribers) and the number of sessions.

[0044] The slice service type (SST) value indicating the type of network slice may be used according to the policies in the network managed by the telecommunications operator. The SST value may be pre-negotiated for interworking with other operators, such as roaming. In 3GPP, four standard values of SST are defined (eMBB = 1, URLLC = 2, MIoT = 3, V2X = 4).

[0045] Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) is an improved mobile broadband that prioritizes high data peak transmission speeds in hotspots with high user density and low mobility, and provides services with stable and uniform transmission quality without interrupting wide-area coverage with high mobility. Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) is an ultra-reliable and low-latency communication, which means communication with very high data transmission reliability and very short latency time. Massive Internet of Things (MIoT) is a large-scale machine-to-machine communication, referring to machine-to-machine communication that exchanges relatively low-capacity data at low speeds, and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) is vehicle-to-machine communication based on Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC).

[0046] Vehicle 10 is a device that performs communication with base station 20. Devices other than vehicle 10 can be referred to as terminals, which are devices used by users. Vehicle 10 can perform communication with base station 20 through a wireless channel. Hereinafter, the vehicle communication device is described as being applied to the communication device of vehicle 10, but is not limited thereto, and it is obvious that the vehicle communication device can be applied to the terminals used by users.

[0047] For example, a terminal is a device that performs Machine-Type Communication (MTC) and may not be carried by a user. The terminal may include at least one user portable device and may include at least one MTC. The terminal may be referred to as a mobile station, a subscriber station, a remote terminal, a wireless terminal, or a user equipment or other terms with equivalent technical meanings.

[0048] The control unit 12 can determine the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state.

[0049] The vehicle driving mode can be determined by the autonomous driving state. Based on the levels defined in the SAE J0316 standard, autonomous driving can have different autonomous driving functions. Level 0 does not support any autonomous driving functions. Level 1 supports the turning or deceleration function of the vehicle. Level 2 supports the turning and deceleration functions of the vehicle. Level 3 means that the car can recognize and respond to various unexpected situations and surrounding objects while driving, but when the car determines that the driver must intervene and drive in an inevitable situation. In addition, Level 4 means that all autonomous driving functions are supported in a specific environment (area, weather, etc.) and the driver does not need to intervene in any case. Level 5 means that the car supports all autonomous driving functions in all environments and does not need the driver to intervene in any case.

[0050] Based on the level of autonomous driving, communication with base stations, roadside base stations, and various sensors installed in the vehicle may be required. In addition, communication performance needs to be improved to achieve a certain level of autonomous driving. The vehicle driving mode can be divided into a first driving mode, a second driving mode, a third driving mode, and a fourth driving mode. The first driving mode is an autonomous driving state above the first level, the second driving mode is an autonomous driving state below the first level, the third driving mode is a remote driving state, and the fourth driving mode is a parking state. The remote driving state can represent a situation where the vehicle is driven by an operation outside the vehicle.

[0051] Here, the first level refers to the level of autonomous driving that requires technologies such as sensor sharing and can represent, for example, Level 4. The criteria for determining the autonomous driving level of the driving mode are not particularly limited to this, and can naturally vary in various ways.

[0052] The vehicle state can be determined based on the functions running in the vehicle. For example, the vehicle state can be determined based on the type of application running in the vehicle. The vehicle state can be divided into a situation where a high-level application that requires communication with various sensors is running and a situation where a low-level application with a general communication level is running. The user can set the priority of a specific application by presetting the specific application. When a high-priority application set by the user is running, communication performance at the same level as that of the high-level application may be required.

[0053] The communication module 11 can select a network slice instance and communicate based on the vehicle driving mode and vehicle state received from the control unit 12.

[0054] The communication module 11 can include a Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF). The communication module 11 can be configured to include an NSSF device. The communication module 11 can be a network entity that performs a network selection operation (e.g., an operation of selecting a network slice).

[0055] The communication module 11 can use Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) to select one or more network slice instances to communicate with the base station. When selecting a specific network slice instance, NSSAI can be used. NSSAI can include Slice / Service Type (SST).

[0056] The communication module 11 may store information about network slice instances corresponding to at least one vehicle driving mode and vehicle state. When the vehicle driving mode is divided into a first driving mode to a fourth driving mode, network slice instances corresponding to each driving mode may be stored. Different network slice instances may be stored for the first driving mode to the fourth driving mode. The first driving mode may be stored as a first network slice instance, the second driving mode may be stored as a second network slice instance, the third driving mode may be stored as a third network slice instance, and the fourth driving mode may be stored as a fourth network slice instance. For example, each of the first driving mode to the fourth driving mode may be stored corresponding to one of SST value 1 to SST value 4.

[0057] When a high-level application runs in the vehicle, a network slice instance with high communication performance may be stored, and when a low-level application runs in the vehicle, a network slice instance with normal communication performance may be stored. For example, among the first network slice to the fourth network slice, when the communication performance of the first network slice is the highest, followed by the second network slice, the third network slice, and the fourth network slice, the first network slice instance may be stored when the high-level application runs, and the third network slice instance may be stored when the low-level application runs.

[0058] For example, the first driving mode, which is a level 4 autonomous driving state that requires technologies such as sensor sharing, may be connected to an eMBB (SST value: 1) network. eMBB can support a large amount of sensor information required for autonomous driving in real time through high data transfer speeds. The third driving mode, which is a state of remotely controlling and driving the vehicle, may be connected to an ultra-low latency network such as URLLC (SST value: 2). When driving the vehicle using a cooperative intelligent transportation system (C-ITS) or an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), V2X (SST value: 4) may be appropriate. In addition, when it is determined that the fourth driving mode is a vehicle parking or stopped state by monitoring signals such as the vehicle accessory (ACC), low transmission speed services such as remote start or vehicle status query are required, rather than high data transfer speed or ultra-low latency. Therefore, it may be effective to increase the density of base stations that will use the network service to increase the number of vehicles for which the network service is available.

[0059] The communication module 11 stores the performance ranking of network slices, and when the network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode is different from the network slice instance according to the vehicle state, it may select the network slice instance with a higher performance ranking. For example, when the vehicle driving mode is the fourth driving mode and the vehicle state is that a high-level application is running, the communication module 11 may select the first network slice instance instead of the fourth network slice instance.

[0060] The communication module 11 selects a network slice to connect to and sends a registration request and the selected network slice instance to the base station 20 together. Thereafter, an access authentication process (authentication / request) is performed between the vehicle 10 and the base station 20, and the NSSAI and the registration acceptance of the base station 20 are determined (registration acceptance).

[0061] When the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state change, the communication module 11 may select a network slice instance according to the changed vehicle driving mode and vehicle state. When the base station remains unchanged and the vehicle driving mode and vehicle state change, the communication module 11 and the base station 20 may change the network slice through an NSSAI change request (modification) and an NSSAI change acceptance (modification acceptance) without performing an additional access authentication process.

[0062] Figure 6 and Figure 7 are flowcharts of the vehicle communication method according to the present embodiment. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The detailed description of each step of Figures 3 to 5 corresponds to the detailed description of the vehicle communication device of

[0063] Therefore, any repeated description will be omitted hereinafter.

[0064] In the vehicle communication method, the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state are determined in step S11, a network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state is selected in step S12, and a registration request is sent to the base station. In step S13, the access authentication between the vehicle and the base station is confirmed, and in step S14, the communication between the vehicle and the network slice instance is connected.

[0065] In addition, in step S15, the changed vehicle driving mode and vehicle state are determined. In step S16, a network slice according to the changed vehicle driving mode and vehicle state is selected, and a registration request is sent to the base station. And in step S17, communication is established between the vehicle and the changed network slice instance.

[0065] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices in which data readable by a computer system is stored.

[0066] Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device; in addition, the computer-readable recording medium is distributed on networked computer systems; and the computer-readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the present invention can be easily deduced by programmers in the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

[0067] Those skilled in the art related to this embodiment will be able to understand that this embodiment can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the basic features described above. Therefore, the disclosed method should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope of equivalence should be construed as being included in the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle communication device, comprising: A control unit configured to determine a vehicle driving mode and a vehicle state; And A communication module configured to select a network slice instance based on the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state received from the control unit to perform communication, Wherein the communication module stores information about network slice instances corresponding to at least one vehicle driving mode and vehicle state.

2. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein, When the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state change, the communication module selects a network slice instance according to the changed vehicle driving mode and vehicle state for communication.

3. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The communication module requests to connect to a network slice instance corresponding to the vehicle driving mode and vehicle state from a first base station, and after verifying access authentication, connects to the network slice instance, and Thereafter, when at least one of the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state changes, requests the first base station to change the network slice instance and connects to the changed network slice instance.

4. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle driving mode includes a first driving mode, a second driving mode, a third driving mode, and a fourth driving mode. The first driving mode is an autonomous driving state above a first level, the second driving mode is an autonomous driving state below the first level, the third driving mode is a remote driving state, and the fourth driving mode is a parking state.

5. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle state is determined based on the functions being executed in the vehicle.

6. The vehicle communication device according to claim 1, wherein, The communication module stores a performance ranking of the network slice instances, and when the network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode is different from the network slice instance according to the vehicle state, selects the network slice instance with a higher performance ranking.

7. A vehicle communication method, comprising the following steps: Determining a vehicle driving mode and a vehicle state; Selecting a network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode and the vehicle state and requesting registration from a base station; Confirming access authentication between the vehicle and the base station; And Connecting the vehicle and the network slice instance via communication.

8. The vehicle communication method according to claim 7, comprising the following steps: Determining a changed vehicle driving mode and a vehicle state; Selecting a network slice instance according to the changed vehicle driving mode and vehicle state and requesting registration from a base station; And Connecting the vehicle and the changed network slice instance via communication.

9. The vehicle communication method according to claim 7, wherein, The vehicle driving mode includes a first driving mode, a second driving mode, a third driving mode, and a fourth driving mode. The first driving mode is an autonomous driving state above a first level, the second driving mode is an autonomous driving state below the first level, the third driving mode is a remote driving state, and the fourth driving mode is a parking state, and Wherein the vehicle state is determined based on the functions being executed in the vehicle.

10. The vehicle communication method according to claim 7, wherein, The communication module stores a performance ranking of the network slice instances, and Wherein, when the network slice instance according to the vehicle driving mode is different from the network slice instance according to the vehicle state, selects the network slice instance with a higher performance ranking.

Images