Communication controller, communication control method and ue

Abstract

To reduce power consumption for communication.SOLUTION: A communication controller performs communication restrictions on a plurality of UEs, when at least one of the following is determined: the number of the plurality of user equipment (UE) connected to a base station is greater than a threshold value, the occurrence of congestion at the base station, or the occurrence of congestion in the area to which the base station belongs.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication control device, a communication control method, and a UE. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a processing device that outputs a signal including information for reducing congestion in an area where a wireless communication line independent of a mobile communication service provided by a communication carrier is provided, based on terminal number information indicating the number of mobile terminals having SIM cards and connected to a base station (for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, as background art, there are technologies described in Patent Documents 2 and 3. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-179921 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2017-516381 [Patent Document 3] JP 2005-176066 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a communication control device, a communication control method, and a UE that are capable of reducing power consumption related to communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An aspect of the present disclosure includes a communication control device including a control unit that executes communication restrictions on a plurality of user equipment (UE) when it is determined that the number of the plurality of UE connected to a base station is equal to or greater than a threshold, congestion has occurred at the base station, or traffic congestion has occurred in an area to which the base station belongs.

[0006] An aspect of the present disclosure includes a communication control method including a communication control device executing communication restrictions on a plurality of user equipment (UE) when determining that a number of the UEs connected to a base station is equal to or greater than a threshold, and at least one of congestion has occurred at the base station and traffic congestion has occurred in an area to which the base station belongs.

[0007] Furthermore, an aspect of the present disclosure includes a UE that is selected from a plurality of user equipment (UE) devices connected to a base station as a UE that will maintain a connection to the base station when it is determined that the number of multiple UE devices connected to the base station is equal to or greater than a threshold, and at least one of congestion at the base station and traffic congestion in an area to which the base station belongs has occurred, and the UE includes a control unit that receives information from the base station and transmits the information received from the base station to at least one UE device among the plurality of UE devices that has lost its connection to the base station due to communication restrictions, via direct communication between UEs.

[0008] Aspects of the present disclosure may further include an information processing system including the above-mentioned communication control device, a program for operating a computer as a communication control device, or a computer-readable storage medium on which the above-mentioned program is recorded. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce power consumption related to communication. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a communication control device, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a UE. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in the communication control device. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the UE. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a communication control device and a communication control method will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a cellular network 4 consisting of a core network 1 and a base station 2, a plurality of UEs (User Equipment) 10 connected to the base station 2, and an external network 5 connected to the core network 1.

[0012] 1 illustrates UEs 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d as examples of multiple UEs 10 that are in a connected state (connected) with the base station 2. It is assumed that the distance between the UEs 10c and 10d and the base station 2 is longer (farther from the base station 2) than the distance between the UEs 10a and 10b and the base station 2. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the UEs 10a to 10d, they will be referred to as UE 10.

[0013] UE 10 is a terminal of a user (subscriber) of a communication service using the cellular network 4. UE 10 is connected to a base station 2 and can communicate with a communication partner through the cellular network 4. UE 10a to 10d are mounted on vehicles 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, respectively. When there is no need to distinguish between vehicles 3a to 3d, they will be referred to as vehicle 3. However, it is not necessarily essential that UE 10 is mounted on vehicle 3. UE 10 may be installed in vehicle 3, may be attached in a detachable manner, or may simply be placed inside vehicle 3.

[0014] In the following description, the cellular network 4 is exemplified as a 5G network. The base station 2 is an access network (RAN: radio access network) of the core network 1. A 5G base station is called a gNB. The cellular network 4 may be a wireless LAN (including Wi-Fi). In this case, In this case, the base station 2 is an access point of a wireless LAN, and the core network 1 is a public network.

[0015] The core network 1 is called 5G Core (5GC). The core network 1 includes functions (entities, also called network nodes) related to the control plane and functions (entities) related to the user plane. The entities related to the control plane include the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Policy Control Function (PCF), Network Exposure Function (NEF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), and AU. SF (Authentication Server Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), and Includes NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function), etc.

[0016] The AMF is a device that accommodates the UE 10 in the 5GC (core network 1). The AMF accommodates the RAN (base station 2) and performs subscriber authentication control and UE 10 location (mobility) management. The UDM provides subscriber information, and acquires, registers, deletes, and changes the UE status. The SMF manages PDU (Protocol Data Unit) sessions and provides QoS (Quality of Service). The PCF controls the UPF to implement PDU Service control and policy control. A PDU session is a virtual communication path for data exchange between the UE and the DN (Data Network: external network 5), and is established between the UE and the UPF. The external network 5 (DN) is a data network (such as the Internet) outside the 5GC. The PCF performs QoS control, policy control, charging control, etc. under the control of the SMF. QoS control is communication control such as priority forwarding of packets. Policy control involves communication control such as QoS based on network or subscriber information, packet forwarding availability, and billing.

[0017] The 5GC includes a User Plane Function (UPF) as an entity (network node) related to the user plane. The UPF handles user packets (those sent and received by the UE 10). It performs routing and forwarding of user plane packets, packet inspection, and QoS processing.

[0018] When the cellular network 4 is an LTE (4G) network, the base station 2 is called an eNB. The core network 1 is called an EPC (Evolved Packet Core). The EPC is a control The entities (network nodes) related to the plane are the MME (Mobility Management Entity), SGW (Serving Gateway), PGW (Packet Data Network Gateway), HSS (Home Subscriber server), and PCRF (Policy and Charging Rule Function). , OCS (Online Charging System), and OFCS (Offline Charging System), etc. Includes.

[0019] The MME performs various controls such as subscriber management and terminal location management (mobility control). The SGW is a gateway that accommodates the base station 2. The PGW is a gateway that is connected to the external network 5. The HSS registers subscriber information and terminal location information. The HSS also authenticates users (UE). The PCRF sets network policies (network usage conditions, operational conditions (e.g. priority control), or charging rules, etc.). The OCS is an online charging system, and the OFCS is an offline charging system.

[0020] For example, the UE 10 may be a DCM (Data Communication Module), which is an example of an in-vehicle terminal mounted in a vehicle. Vehicle-related information is collected from the vehicle's The UE 10 can collect information related to the operation of the vehicle (data related to the vehicle's driving, such as location, vehicle speed, etc.). The UE 10 can also collect data related to the communication of the vehicle (vehicle-mounted terminal). Data (user data) transmitted from the UE 10 is sent via the cellular network 4 to a predetermined communication partner (for example, a server device connected to the external network 5).

[0021] The base station 2 and the core network 1 perform communication control such as registering the location of the UE 10, setting up a route for the UE 10 and a communication partner to send and receive data (packets), and managing quality of service (QoS). The base station 2 can be configured using at least one computer capable of wireless communication. The core network 1 can be configured by one computer or a collection (cloud) of two or more computers operating as the above-mentioned entities. The computer that constitutes the base station 2 and the core network 1 operates as a communication control device 20 that performs various controls related to the above-mentioned communications of the UE 10.

[0022] Fig. 2A is a diagram showing a configuration example of a communication control device 20 (a computer operating as the communication control device 20). Fig. 2B is a diagram showing a configuration example of a UE 10. In Fig. 2A, the communication control device 20 has, as an example, a processor 31, a storage device 32, a communication interface (communication IF) 33A, a wireless communication IF 33B, an input device 34, and a display 35, which are connected to each other via a bus 36.

[0023] The storage device 32 stores various programs and data. The processor 31 is an example of a control unit (controller) and is a CPU, a DSP, a GPU, or a combination of these. The processor 31 executes the programs stored in the storage device 32 and performs various processes such as calculations or processing using data stored in the storage device 32. By executing the programs, the communication control device 20 can perform various controls related to the communication of the UE 10. The communication IF 33A is a communication interface circuit for a wired network, and the wireless communication IF 33B is used for wireless communication with the UE 10 and the like. The input device 34 is a button, key, touch panel, etc. used for inputting and setting information. The display 35 is used for displaying information. Note that the wireless communication IF 33B is a component provided when the communication control device 20 is provided in the base station 2, and may not be present in the communication control device 20 that constitutes the core network 1.

[0024] 3B, UE 10, for example, includes a processor 131, a storage device 132, a wireless communication IF 133, an input device 134, and a display 135, which are connected to each other via a bus 136. Although these have different performance and types, they have similar functions to the processor 31, the storage device 32, the wireless communication IF 33B, the input device 34, and the display 35. The processor 131 is an example of a control unit (controller), and can perform various processes by executing a program stored in the storage device 132.

[0025] In the communication system shown in Fig. 1, a situation may occur in which multiple UEs 10 are connected to a base station 2 located (belonging) to an area where congestion is occurring due to traffic congestion of vehicles 3, etc. When many (multiple) UEs 10 are connected to the base station 2, congestion occurs at the base station 2, and power consumption related to communication increases as the load on the base station 2 and the core network 1 increases. In the embodiment, a process that can suppress (reduce) power consumption when multiple UEs 10 are connected to the base station 2 will be described.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the communication control device 20 included in the base station 2 or the core network 1. The processing shown in Fig. 3 is performed by the processor 31 of the communication control device 20 included in the base station 2. However, the processing shown in Fig. 3 may also be performed by the processor 31 of the communication control device 20 included in the core network 1.

[0027] In step S01, the processor 31 determines whether or not the number of UEs 10 in a connected state (connected) with the base station 2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If it is determined that the number of UEs 10 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the process proceeds to step S03, and if not, the process proceeds to step S02.

[0028] In step S02, the processor 31 judges whether traffic congestion occurs in the area (geographical region) in which the base station 2 exists (belongs) or whether congestion occurs in the base station 2. For example, the communication control device 20 included in the core network 1 monitors at least one of the presence or absence of traffic congestion in the area in which the base station 2 belongs and the congestion in the base station 2, and transmits information indicating the presence or absence of traffic congestion and congestion to the base station 2. The processor 31 of the base station 2 stores the information indicating the presence or absence of traffic congestion and congestion in the storage device 32. In step S02, the processor 31 refers to the information indicating the presence or absence of traffic congestion and congestion stored in the storage device 32 and judges whether traffic congestion or congestion occurs. If it is judged that traffic congestion or congestion occurs, the process proceeds to step S03, and if not, the process proceeds to step S06.

[0029] The determination in step S02 may be made regarding either traffic jam or congestion. The order of the determination in step S01 and the determination in step S02 may be reversed, or one of them may be omitted.

[0030] In steps S03, S04, and S05, the processor 31 performs control to narrow down communication for all of the connected UEs 10. In step S03, the processor 31 performs processing to narrow down the number of UEs 10 (vehicles 3) connected to the base station 2. For example, the processor 31 selects UEs 10 with which communication is possible based on the distances between the base station 2 and each of the UEs 10 stored in the storage device 32.

[0031] For example, the core network 1 manages location information of each UE 10 (stored in the storage device 32 or the like). The processor 31 of the base station 2 receives location information (e.g., location coordinates) of each of the multiple UEs 10 from the core network 1, and calculates the straight-line distance between each UE 10 and the base station 2 using the location coordinates of each UE 10 and the location coordinates of the base station 2. The processor 31 divides the distance into several levels based on its length, and determines the UE 10 corresponding to the longest level as the UE to be restricted from communication. If the number of remaining UEs 10 has not been narrowed down to a predetermined number, the processor 31 determines the UE 10 corresponding to the next longest level as the UE to be restricted from communication. The processor 31 can reduce the number of UEs 10 that maintain a connection state to a predetermined number or less by disconnecting the UE 10 that is the restriction target.

[0032] Alternatively, the processor 31 may select a predetermined number of UEs 10 to maintain a connected state in order of the distance from the base station 2. For example, among the UEs 10a to 10d shown in FIG. 1, the UEs 10a and 10b can maintain a connected state, and the UEs 10c and 10d, which are farther away from the base station 2 than the UEs 10a and 10b, can release (disconnect) their connected state. In this way, power consumption can be reduced by reducing the number of connected UEs 10. Since the power consumption required for optimal communication increases as the distance from the base station 2 increases, the amount of power consumption reduced can be increased by releasing the connected state of the UEs 10 determined to be far away.

[0033] Instead of the distance described above, information indicating communication quality may be used. For example, the processor 31 acquires information indicating communication quality related to each of the UEs 10. The processor 31 can select a UE 10 to maintain a connected state or a UE 10 to release the connected state based on the information indicating the communication quality. For example, SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) can be applied as the information indicating the communication quality. However, the information indicating the communication quality may be other than SNR. Since it is normal to increase transmission power in order to obtain a suitable communication quality, it is possible to increase the reduction amount of power consumption by releasing the connected state of a UE 10 with poor communication quality (low SNR). In addition, a UE 10 to be subject to communication restriction may be selected by combining a determination based on distance and a determination based on communication quality.

[0034] The process of step S04 can be executed in parallel with the process of step S03 or selectively with the process of step S03. In step S04, the processor 31 reduces the frequency of communication regarding a specific type of information (an example of the first information) for the UE 10 that maintains a connected state.

[0035] The specific type of information is, for example, information related to an ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) of the vehicle 10 equipped with the UE 10. In addition, the specific type of information may include information of low importance or urgency, information that is not sensitive to vehicle position information (information that is less related to the vehicle position), and information for which freshness is not important (e.g., weather information, service-related information, etc.). The specific type of information is not limited to the above examples.

[0036] For example, consider a case where a PDU session (first session) for transmitting and receiving a specific type of information and a PDU session (second session) for transmitting and receiving information other than the specific type of information are established between the UE 10 and the external network 5 (DN). In this case, the processor 31 performs bandwidth control (bandwidth restriction: reduction in communication speed or data transfer amount) for the first session. This makes it possible to reduce the frequency of communication (data transmission) related to the specific type of information. By reducing the frequency of communication related to the first session, the amount of processing related to communication is reduced, and power consumption is reduced.

[0037] The frequency of communication may be reduced by reducing the frequency of communication in the direction from the communication partner to the UE 10 via the cellular network 4 (downlink communication), or by reducing the frequency of communication in the direction from the UE 10 to the communication partner (uplink communication). In addition, the frequency of both downlink and uplink communication may be reduced. The processor 31 of the base station 2 selects a UE 10 as a target for communication restriction from among the multiple UEs 10. For the selected UE 10 (first UE), the frequency with which the first UE transmits information to the base station 2 is determined. The first UE may provide (transmit) an instruction or request to reduce the frequency of transmitting information to the cellular network 4. The first UE may comply with the instruction or request to reduce the frequency of transmitting information to the cellular network 4. This may reduce the power consumption of the cellular network 4 and the UE 10.

[0038] For example, vehicle 3 may send ADAS-related information (detecting the presence of vehicles around the vehicle) to vehicle 3. The frequency (rate) of transmitting the information (information of other vehicles and targets) to the cellular network 4 can be reduced. This is because, when the vehicles 3 are congested, the cellular network 4 can adequately grasp the situation in that area without acquiring data from all of the vehicles 3 caught in the traffic jam.

[0039] Also, the specific type of information may be non-real-time data. For example, assume that a PDU session for non-real-time data and a PDU session for real-time data are established between the UE 10 and the communication partner. In this case, the processor 31 performs a bandwidth restriction on the PDU session for non-real-time data in parallel with the process of step S04 or instead of the process of step S04. A communication restriction (frequency reduction) targeting such non-real-time data may be executed.

[0040] The frequency of communication can be reduced not only by limiting the bandwidth on a per-session basis, but also by queuing packets that flow through one session (holding transfer). For example, the following configuration can be adopted.

[0041] (Configuration Example 1) In the UE 10 or the communication partner, multiple transmission queues according to the type of information are provided, and the processor 31 lengthens the interval for reading from the transmission queue that stores a specific type of information (packet). In this case, the type of information can be identified using an identifier stored in the header of the packet (for example, a CoS (Class of Service) of a VLAN, a ToS (DSCP) field of an IP packet header, etc.).

[0042] (Configuration Example 2) In the UE 10 or the communication partner, a specific type of information is sent by periodically establishing a dedicated session (communication path) for transmitting the specific type of information. The processor 31 increases the frequency (interval) at which the dedicated session is established.

[0043] (Configuration Example 3) At a node (UPF, SGW, etc.) that relays a specific type of information, the specific type of information is identified from the identifier added to the header information, and the residence time of such packets is increased.

[0044] Furthermore, the frequency of communication may be reduced by reducing the frequency of allocation of radio resources (physical resource blocks (called RBs)) related to communication between the base station 2 and the UE 10 subject to the communication restriction.

[0045] Note that communication restrictions such as band restriction may be performed within a range in which the QoS set for the communication (session) between the UE 10 and the communication partner is maintained when no communication restriction is performed.

[0046] In step S05, the processor 31 transmits downlink information to the UE 10 selected in step S03 (i.e., the UEs 10a and 10b whose connected state is maintained). The processor 31 selects a UE 10 (e.g., the UE 10a) that will be a source (representative) of direct communication between UEs from among the UEs 10 (UEs 10a and 10b) whose connected state is maintained. Direct communication between UEs is wireless communication between UEs 10 that does not go through a base station 2, and includes V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) and V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication. The processor 31 may be a UE 10 that exists around the UE 10a and may be a UE 10 that is in step S0. The processor 31 transmits an instruction or request to one or more UEs 10 (e.g., UEs 10c and 10d) that have been disconnected from the base station 2 by the process of 3 to spread (transmit) the downlink information received from the base station 2. The instruction or request to spread may be transmitted at the same timing as the downlink information, or at a different timing. For example, the processor 31 may transmit an instruction or request by adding flag information to the downlink information to be sent to the representative UE 10, which means "spread (share) this information to surrounding vehicles by direct communication between UEs (vehicle-to-vehicle communication)". When the process of step S05 ends, the process returns to step S01.

[0047] In step S06, if communication narrowing (communication restriction) is currently being executed in steps S03 to S05, processor 31 performs a process of canceling the communication restriction, and returns the process to step S01.

[0048] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the UE 10. The processing shown in Fig. 4 is executed by, for example, the processor 131 of the UE 10a. In step S101, the processor 131 receives information transmitted from the base station 2.

[0049] In step S102, the processor 131 determines whether or not a spreading instruction or request is attached to the information received from the base station 2. If it is determined that a spreading instruction or request is attached, the process proceeds to step S103, and if not, the process of FIG.

[0050] In step S103, the processor 131 determines the surrounding UEs 10 to which the information is to be spread. For example, the processor 131 can use a Proximity Service (ProSe) Direct Discovery process to detect other UEs 10 (e.g., UEs 10c and 10d) in the vicinity of the UE 10 as the receiving UEs 10.

[0051] In step S104, the processor 131 of the UE 10a transmits the information to be transmitted by direct communication between UEs (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). For example, the procedure of V2X communication in broadcast mode via a PC5 reference point can be used as the direct communication between UEs.

[0052] The receiving UEs (UEs 10c and 10d) determine a destination Layer 2 ID for broadcast reception of information. The transmitting UE (UE 10a) determines a source Layer 2 ID and a destination Layer 2 ID. At this time, the UE 10a determines a source Layer 2 ID and a destination Layer 2 ID for broadcast reception of information. and 10d determine the determined destination Layer 2 ID. UE 10a transmits a broadcast message including V2X data (information to be transmitted) using the source Layer 2 ID and the destination Layer 2 ID. UEs 10c and 10d receive the V2X data in the broadcast message based on the destination Layer 2 ID in the broadcast message. In this way, UE 10a can spread the information received from base station 2 to UEs 10c and 10d that are disconnected from base station 2.

[0053] The communication control device 20 according to the embodiment includes a processor 31 (controller). The processor 31 executes communication restriction on the multiple UEs 10 when it is determined that the number of multiple UEs 10 connected to the base station 2 is equal to or greater than a threshold, and at least one of congestion at the base station 2 and traffic congestion in the area to which the base station 2 belongs occurs. The communication restriction makes it possible to reduce power consumption in the base station 2 and the like.

[0054] Furthermore, the communication control device 20 (the processor 31) can reduce the number of UEs connected to the base station 2 under communication restriction. The reduction in the number of UEs reduces the load related to communication, and can suppress power consumption.

[0055] In addition, the communication control device 20 (its processor 31) can determine the UE that will maintain a connection state with the base station 2 based on information indicating at least one of the distance and communication quality between the base station 2 and each of the multiple UEs 10 (such as SNR).

[0056] Furthermore, (the processor 31 of) the communication control device 20 can reduce the frequency of communication between the UE 10 subject to communication restriction and the base station 2. For example, the processor 31 can reduce the frequency of communication regarding the first information including information related to an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) of the vehicle 3 in which the UE 10 is mounted.

[0057] In addition, the communication control device 20 (the processor 31 thereof) performs a process for a first UE (for example, UE 10a) selected from among the multiple UEs 10 connected to the base station 2. The mobile station may provide (transmit) an instruction or request to the base station 2 to transmit information less frequently.

[0058] Furthermore, when communication restrictions are imposed on the UE 10, it is possible to configure the restriction to be imposed within a range in which the quality of service (QoS) defined for the UE 10 is maintained.

[0059] Furthermore, the communication control device 20 (the processor 31 thereof) can impose the communication restriction on non-real-time data.

[0060] Furthermore, the communication control device 20 (the processor 31) can send an instruction to at least one UE 10 (e.g., UE 10a) that maintains a connection state with the base station 2 to transmit information received from the base station 2 to a UE 10 (e.g., UEs 10c and 10d) whose connection state with the base station 2 has been released, by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The processor 31 (control unit) of the UE 10a that receives the instruction can transmit the information received from the base station 2 to the UEs 10c and 10d in accordance with the instruction. This enables the UE 10 whose connection with the base station 2 has been released (disconnected) to obtain the information.

[0061] The above-described embodiment and modified examples are merely examples, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0062] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Or, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0063] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, such as, for example, a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, or an optical card. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Core network, 2 Base station, 3 Vehicle, 4 Cellular network, 5 External network, 10 UE, 20 Communication control device, 31 Processor, 32 Storage device, 131 Processor, 132 Storage device

Claims

1. and a control unit that executes communication restriction on a plurality of user equipment (UE) devices when it is determined that the number of the plurality of UE devices connected to a base station is equal to or greater than a threshold, congestion has occurred in the base station, or traffic congestion has occurred in an area to which the base station belongs. Communications control device.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit reduces the number of UEs connected to the base station in the communication restriction.

3. The control unit determines a UE that maintains a connection state with the base station based on information indicating at least one of a distance between the base station and each of the plurality of UEs and a communication quality between the base station and each of the plurality of UEs. The communication control device according to claim 2.

4. The control unit reduces a frequency of communication between the UE subject to the communication restriction and the base station. The communication control device according to claim 1 .

5. The control unit reduces the frequency of the communication regarding first information selected from at least one of information related to an advanced driving assistance system of a vehicle equipped with a UE, information of low importance or urgency, information of low relevance to a position of a vehicle equipped with a UE, and information for which freshness is not considered important. The communication control device according to claim 4.

6. The control unit controls a first UE selected from the plurality of UEs to provides instructions or requests to reduce the frequency of transmitting information to the base station. The communication control device according to claim 4.

7. The communication restriction is performed to the extent that a quality of service (QoS) defined for the UE is maintained. The communication control device according to claim 1 .

8. The control unit performs the communication restriction on non-real-time data. The communication control device according to claim 1 .

9. The control unit sends an instruction or a request to at least one UE that maintains a connection state with the base station to transmit information received from the base station to a UE that has lost connection with the base station by direct communication between the UEs. The communication control device according to claim 3.

10. A communication control device executes communication restriction on a plurality of user equipment (UE) devices when it is determined that the number of the plurality of UE devices connected to a base station is equal to or greater than a threshold value, that congestion has occurred in the base station, or that traffic congestion has occurred in an area to which the base station belongs. A communication control method comprising the steps of:

11. The communication control device reduces the number of UEs connected to the base station under the communication restriction. The communication control method according to claim 10.

12. The communication control device determines a UE that maintains a connection state with the base station based on information indicating at least one of a distance between the base station and each of the plurality of UEs and a communication quality. The communication control method according to claim 11.

13. The communication control device reduces the frequency of communication between the UE subject to the communication restriction and the base station. The communication control method according to claim 10.

14. The communication control device reduces the frequency of the communication with respect to first information selected from at least one of information related to an advanced driving assistance system of a vehicle equipped with a UE, information of low importance or urgency, information of low relevance to a position of a vehicle equipped with a UE, and information for which freshness is not considered important. The communication control method according to claim 13.

15. The communication control device transmits the first providing an indication or request that the UE transmit information to the base station less frequently; The communication control method according to claim 13.

16. The communication restriction is performed to the extent that a quality of service (QoS) defined for the UE is maintained. The communication control method according to claim 13.

17. The communication control device performs the communication restriction on non-real-time data. The communication control method according to claim 10.

18. The communication control device transmits an instruction or a request to at least one UE that maintains a connection state with the base station to transmit information received from the base station to a UE that has lost connection with the base station by direct communication between the UEs. The communication control method according to claim 12.

19. A program for causing a computer to operate as the communication control device according to claim 1.

20. A UE selected from among a plurality of user equipment (UE) connected to a base station as a UE that maintains a connection state with the base station when it is determined that at least one of a number of UEs connected to the base station is equal to or greater than a threshold, congestion has occurred in the base station, and traffic congestion has occurred in an area to which the base station belongs, receiving information from the base station among the plurality of UEs; and transmitting the information received from the base station to at least one UE that has been released from a connection state with the base station due to a communication restriction by direct communication between the UEs; A UE including a control unit that executes the above.

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