Distribution server, distribution server control method, distribution server control program, distribution system, and communication device

Abstract

To efficiently perform FOTA in NB-IoT.SOLUTION: A distribution server which delivers update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a single base station comprises an acquisition unit and a distribution unit. The acquisition unit acquires communication quality information on communication quality of each communication device from a plurality of communication devices. The distribution unit distributes update software to the communication devices no more than the maximum number of devices preset for communication quality via one base station in a predetermined order based on communication quality for a plurality of communication devices.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a distribution server, a control method for a distribution server, a control program for a distribution server, a distribution system, and a communication device. [Background technology]

[0002] Non-IP Data Delivery (NIDD) is known as a communication standard for IoT (Internet of Things) devices, which allows data communication without assigning an IP (Internet Protocol) address to the IoT device. NIDD, a non-IP communication method that does not use the Internet Protocol, has the advantage of being able to reduce header information during data communication, reducing the power required for communication and extending the battery life of IoT devices.

[0003] Conventionally, a technology called FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) has been known for wireless communication devices, which updates the firmware (software program) of the device via wireless communication to fix defects or add functions. NIDD is a communication method that is optimal for NB-IoT (Narrow Band-IoT), one of the communication standards classified as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), which has been standardized as a wireless communication technology for IoT devices. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for performing FOTA on IoT devices that comply with NB-IoT. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-14183 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Compared to mobile phone and wireless LAN communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), NB-IoT is capable of long-distance communication with low power consumption, but it has a narrow communication bandwidth and low communication speed. Therefore, when data such as firmware update software, which is large compared to the data that IoT devices send and receive during normal operation, is distributed to a large number of IoT devices within a base station cell, processing delays occur and the probability of firmware update failure increases. While methods have been adopted to limit the number of IoT devices to which update software is distributed, even when the number of IoT devices is limited, there are still issues such as inconsistencies in the time it takes to complete firmware updates or update failures. This issue is more pronounced depending on the communication quality, with communication devices with good communication quality using more communication resources, while communication devices with poor communication quality take longer to receive the update software or experience update failures.

[0006] To address this issue, there was a need to efficiently implement FOTA in NB-IoT. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, a distribution server that distributes update software to multiple communication devices connected to a single base station includes an acquisition unit that acquires communication quality information regarding the communication quality of the multiple communication devices from the multiple communication devices, and a distribution unit that distributes update software to the multiple communication devices via a single base station in a predetermined order based on the communication quality, to communication devices up to a predetermined upper limit number set for the communication quality.

[0008] In a distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, when distribution of update software to one or more communication devices is completed, the distribution unit may wait to distribute the update software to the next communication device to which the update software will be distributed in a predetermined order until the number of communication devices to which the update software will be distributed via a single base station falls below a predetermined upper limit number for the communication quality of the communication device to which the update software will be distributed next.

[0009] In a distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, the acquisition unit acquires base station identification information identifying the base station to which the communication device is connected based on device identification information that identifies the communication device received from the communication device, and the distribution unit may extract multiple communication devices connected to one base station based on the base station identification information.

[0010] In a distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, the distribution unit distributes update software after ranking multiple communication devices in a predetermined order based on the highest communication quality, and the upper limit number may be set higher the higher the communication quality.

[0011] In a distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, the distribution unit may determine a predetermined upper limit number for a plurality of communication devices using an average value of communication quality over a predetermined period of time or the latest communication quality.

[0012] In the distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, communication between the communication device and one base station may be based on a communication method according to NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things).

[0013] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a control method for a distribution server that distributes update software to multiple communication devices connected to a single base station, and the distribution server executes the steps of acquiring communication quality information regarding the communication quality of the multiple communication devices from the multiple communication devices, and distributing update software to the multiple communication devices via a single base station in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information, to communication devices up to a predetermined upper limit number set for the communication quality.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, a control program of a distribution server that distributes update software to multiple communication devices connected to a single base station provides the distribution server with the following functions: acquiring communication quality information regarding the communication quality of the multiple communication devices from the multiple communication devices; and distributing update software to the multiple communication devices via a single base station in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information, up to a maximum number of communication devices preset for the communication quality.

[0015] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a distribution system including a plurality of communication devices connected to a single base station and a distribution server that distributes update software to the plurality of communication devices. The distribution server comprises an acquisition unit that acquires communication quality information regarding the communication quality of the communication devices from the plurality of communication devices, and a distribution unit that distributes update software to the plurality of communication devices via the single base station in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information, to communication devices up to a predetermined upper limit number set for the communication quality.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, a communication device connected to a base station and receiving update software from a distribution server comprises a transmitting unit that transmits communication quality information regarding the communication quality of the device to the distribution server, and an updating unit that receives the update software and updates the firmware of the device, and the distribution server distributes the update software via the base station to communication devices up to a predetermined upper limit number set for the communication quality in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a distribution system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a distribution server and a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an example of a sequence diagram between a communication device and a distribution server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an example of a data set used in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5(a) and (b) are examples of data sets used in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6(a) to 6(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining the process of distributing update software according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an example of a data set used in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention according to the present disclosure (also referred to as the present invention) will be described using the drawings. Note that the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings. For example, the numbers of distribution servers (information processing devices), management servers, database servers, base stations, and communication devices (IoT devices), data sets (tables), and sequence diagrams shown in the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0019] <System configuration> 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The distribution system 600 may be a system that distributes update software for updating firmware to the communication device 200.

[0020] The distribution system 600 may include a distribution server 100, a management server 101, a database server 400, base stations 300 (300A, 300B), multiple communication devices 200 (200Aa, 200Ab, ..., 200Ba, 200Bb, ...), and a mobile communication network 500. Here, the mobile communication network 500 may include a wireless access network through which the base stations 300 and the communication devices 200 exchange data, and a core network 50. Note that in FIG. 1 , the communication devices 200 connected to the base stations 300A and 300B are respectively given the same capital letters A and B, and when distinguishing between the communication devices, lowercase letters a, b, ... are used. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between them, they will be simply described as base stations 300 and communication devices 200.

[0021] The communication device 200 may be any of various IoT devices connected to the base stations 300 and existing (located within) the cell of each base station 300. Hereinafter, the communication device 200 will be described as an IoT device installed in a smart meter for gas (city gas, LP gas), water, electricity, etc., and transmitting meter reading data, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication device 200 may be an IoT sensor used to monitor infrastructure such as bridges and roads, a wearable device, etc.

[0022] Here, the communication device 200 will be described as an IoT device capable of data communication using NIDD. That is, the communication device 200 and the base station 300 may communicate using a communication method compliant with NB-IoT. As described above, NIDD reduces the power required for communication, extending the battery life of IoT devices, and can build a highly secure network with a low risk of malicious attacks targeting IoT devices. NB-IoT also has the advantage of being narrowband and low speed, resulting in low power consumption and enabling long battery life, as well as reduced operating costs.

[0023] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and communication device 200 may be a device that complies with a communication standard for IoT classified as LPWA, such as Category M, Category M1, LoRaWAN (registered trademark), Sigfox (registered trademark), etc.

[0024] Distribution server 100 may have a function to manage firmware versions of each communication device 200 connected to base station 300 and, as necessary, transmit update software for updating the firmware of each communication device 200 (a function for executing FOTA). Note that the provider of the update software may be different from the provider that distributes it. For example, the update software may be provided by the manufacturer of each communication device 200 and distributed to each communication device 200 via distribution server 100 by a communications carrier that manages base station 300.

[0025] The management server 101 may function as an IoT-PF (platform) that processes the meter readings of each smart meter transmitted from each communication device 200 and transfers the necessary data to the administrator of the smart meter. The management server 101 may remotely control the communication devices 200 via a mobile communication network 500, and may be connected to a centralized monitoring center (not shown) where an administrator is on standby. The management server 101 and the distribution server 100 may be provided as the same server, or their functions may be distributed among multiple servers. The management server 101 and the distribution server 100 may be any information processing device that can realize the functions described in each embodiment, and may include, for example, a server device, a computer (for example, but not limited to, a desktop, laptop, tablet, etc.), a communication platform, etc.

[0026] The core network 50 supports wireless communication using NB-IoT and may include nodes such as an MME (Mobility Management Entity), an S-GW (Serving Gateway), a P-GW (Packet Data Network Gateway), and an SCEF (Service Capability Exposure Function), all of which are not shown. The MME has functions such as location management and authentication management of the communication device 200, and session management between each node (i.e., management of communication bearers). The MME also has a function of sending paging to the base station 300 when calling the communication device 200. The S-GW functions as a gateway that routes and forwards user packets between the base station 300 and the core network 50. The P-GW functions as a gateway that assigns an IP (Internet Protocol) address to the communication device 200 that can be used in IP communication networks subsequent to the core network 50, and enables communication between the communication device 200 and networks external to the mobile communication network 500 using the IP address. In addition, the S-GW and P-GW may be integrated into a single node.

[0027] In NB-IoT, similar to LTE, the core network 50 is a system in which a control plane (CPlane: Control Plane) having a function of transmitting control signals and a user plane (UPlane: User Plane) having a function of transmitting data (user data) transmitted and received between the communication device 200 are separated. That is, the user data may be transferred via the user plane passing through the communication device 200, the S-GW, and the P-GW. Furthermore, the control signal may be transferred via the control plane passing through the communication device 200, the MME, the S-GW, the P-GW, and the distribution server 100. Note that in the case of a communication method using NIDD, various data transmitted from the communication device 200 may be transmitted and received via the control plane, the MME, and the SCEF. Furthermore, the core network 50 may further include an SCS (Service Capability Server) (not shown).

[0028] Furthermore, the distribution system 600 may further include a database server 400. As will be described in detail later, the database server 400 may store various data for associating each communication device 200 with each base station 300, communication quality information regarding the communication quality between each communication device 200 and each base station 300, and the upper limit number of devices that can be connected to the base station 300 when each communication device 200 is caused to execute FOTA. Note that while FIG. 1 illustrates the database server 400 separately from the distribution server 100, the present invention is not limited to this. Data stored in the database server 400 may be stored in, for example, the storage unit 170 of the distribution server 100. Furthermore, a separate database server 400 may exist for each type of data to be stored or for each entity that manages the database.

[0029] <Communication Device> 2 shows an example of a block diagram of a communication device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 200 may include a control unit 210, a communication unit 220, an input / output unit 230, and a storage unit 270. The control unit 210 and the communication unit 220 constituting the communication device 200 may be software or modules that perform processing by a processor executing a program stored in a memory. Alternatively, the control unit 210 and the communication unit 220 constituting the communication device 200 may be hardware such as a circuit or a chip.

[0030] The communication unit 220 may communicate with the base station 300 using a predetermined communication method, and may transmit and receive various data to and from the distribution server 100 and the management server 101 via the mobile communication network 500. The predetermined communication method may be NB-IoT, Category M, Category M1, or the like. Note that, as will be described in detail later, the communication unit 220 may function as a transmitter that transmits communication quality information regarding the communication quality of the device itself to the distribution server 100, and as a receiver that receives update software. Note that the communication device 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention is capable of transmitting and receiving data using the NIDD communication method, and will be described as transmitting and receiving data using the NIDD communication method.

[0031] The control unit 210 may be configured with, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or the like, and may execute a program stored in the storage unit 270 to perform processing for operating the communication device 200 in compliance with NB-IoT or NIDD. The control unit 210 may also execute various processing such as rebooting the device itself, connecting to the mobile communication network 500, and disconnecting from the mobile communication network 500. The control unit 210 may also transmit device identification information (e.g., a universally unique identifier (UUID) or an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) unique to the device itself (described later) via the communication unit 220, or download FOTA update software. The control unit 210 may also function as an update unit that updates the firmware of the device itself using the downloaded update software.

[0032] Furthermore, the control unit 210 may acquire communication quality information regarding the communication quality of its own device and transmit it to the management server 101 via the communication unit 220. The communication quality information may be, for example, RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality), RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio), etc., but is not limited to these. Note that the control unit 210 of the communication device 200 may measure the communication quality information based on the state of wireless communication, such as the reception strength of radio waves received by the communication unit 220. Furthermore, the control unit 210 may periodically transmit meter reading values ​​to the management server 101 via the communication unit 220.

[0033] The storage unit 270 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the communication device 200. The storage unit 270 may include, for example, a semiconductor memory (magnetic memory, flash memory, etc.). The storage unit 270 may also include a memory (RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc.) that provides a working area for the control unit 210. The storage unit 270 may also store device identification information 271 that is unique to the communication device 200.

[0034] The input / output unit 230 is an interface with an external device such as a sensor, and may include, for example, a U-bus interface, a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) interface, an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) interface, an I2C interface, etc. The communication device 200 may transmit data detected by a sensor connected via the input / output unit 230 to the management server 101, etc.

[0035] <Distribution server> Next, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the distribution server 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0036] (1) Hardware configuration of distribution server The distribution server 100 may include a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, an input / output unit 130, and a storage unit 170.

[0037] The storage unit 170 is typically realized by various recording media such as a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or flash memory, and may have the function of storing various programs and data required for the operation of the distribution server 100.

[0038] The control unit 110 is typically a processor and may be realized by a central processing unit (CPU), an MPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like. The control unit 110 may execute the functions and methods described in each embodiment by reading a program stored in the storage unit 170 and executing code or instructions included in the read program. The control unit 110 may implement each process disclosed in each embodiment by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (an integrated circuit (IC) chip, a large scale integration (LSI)), or a dedicated circuit. Furthermore, these circuits may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, and multiple processes described in each embodiment may be implemented by a single integrated circuit.

[0039] The communication unit 120 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination thereof, and transmits and receives various data to and from external devices. The communication may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and any communication protocol may be used as long as the communication between them is possible. For example, the distribution server 100 and the communication devices 200 may transmit and receive data using protocols for IoT established by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), such as LwM2M (Lightweight M2M), MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport), and CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol). The communication unit 120 may transmit and receive various data using a communication bearer established between the distribution server 100 and each communication device 200.

[0040] The input / output unit 130 may include an input device for inputting various operations to the distribution server 100, and an output device for outputting processing results processed by the distribution server 100. The input device includes, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, hardware keys such as a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, a camera (for inputting operations via images), and a microphone (for inputting operations via voice). The output device outputs processing results processed by the control unit 110, and includes, for example, a touch panel, a speaker, etc. The input device and the output device may be installed in a centralized monitoring center (not shown) to receive operations from a monitor (administrator) and output various information to the monitor.

[0041] (2) Functional configuration of the distribution server The distribution server 100 may include an acquisition unit 111, a setting unit 112, an ordering unit 113, and a distribution unit 114 as functions realized by the control unit 110. Note that among the functional units shown in FIG. 2, functional units that are not essential in the embodiments described below may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processes of each functional unit may be realized by machine learning or AI to the extent feasible.

[0042] <Distribution process of software updates> Hereinafter, the update software distribution process according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, along with an explanation of each functional unit of the distribution server 100. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram between the distribution server 100 and the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab. Although only two communication devices 200 are shown in FIG. 3, the distribution server 100 may transmit and receive data to and from communication devices 200 other than those shown. FIGS. 4 to 7 show various data tables used in the distribution process. Although the sequence diagram only shows the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab and the distribution server 100, the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab and the distribution server 100 may exchange data via the management server 101. The distribution server 100 may also acquire data from the database server 400 as necessary.

[0043] First, a description will be given using the sequence diagram of Fig. 3. The acquisition unit 111 may acquire, from the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab, device identification information for identifying the communication devices and communication quality information (steps S11 and S12). The device identification information for identifying the communication devices may be, for example, IMSI, IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identifier), UUID, etc., but is not limited to these. Furthermore, the communication quality information is communication quality information relating to the communication quality between the communication device 200 and the base station 300, and may be, for example, RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, SINR, etc., but is not limited to these. Note that, hereinafter, RSRP will be used as an example of the communication quality information.

[0044] The communication device 200 may transmit the device identification information and the communication quality information to the management server 101 at a predetermined opportunity. The predetermined opportunity may be when a predetermined process is executed in the communication device 200 or when a predetermined request transmitted from the management server 101 or the like is received. For example, the communication device 200 may transmit information about an abnormality to the management server 101 when the communication device 200 executes a process related to an abnormality that has occurred in the communication device 200. Specifically, for example, the communication device 200 may transmit information about the abnormality to the management server 101 when the communication device 200 detects an abnormality in the communication device 200 or when the communication device 200 disconnects from the base station 300 and restarts itself based on the occurrence of the abnormality. Furthermore, the communication device 200 may transmit information about the battery voltage drop to the management server 101 when the battery voltage of the communication device 200 drops. Furthermore, the communication device 200 may transmit a meter reading value of a smart meter to the management server 101 when a request from the management server 101 or a preset time is reached. When transmitting the above-mentioned information, the communication device 200 may include device identification information and communication quality information regarding the communication quality between the communication device 200 and the base station and transmit the information to the management server 101. The distribution server 100 may acquire the device identification information and the communication quality information from the management server 101.

[0045] The communication device 200 may use the LwM2M protocol to transmit and receive data to and from the management server 101 and the distribution server 100. LwM2M uses a format called a resource model for managing data. For example, the above-mentioned meter reading values ​​and communication quality information transmitted from the communication device 200 to the management server 101 may be stored in a predetermined resource in the communication device 200.

[0046] The acquisition unit 111 of the distribution server 100 may acquire, from the database server 400, base station identification information for identifying a base station to which the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab are connected, among the multiple base stations 300, based on the device identification information acquired from the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab (step S13). The base station identification information is not limited to this, but may be, for example, an E-UTRAN (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) that uniquely identifies a cell.

[0047] The database server 400 may store in advance information about the base station 300 to which each communication device 200 is connected. FIG. 4 shows an example of a base station information table stored in the database server 400, which is related to the base station 300 to which the communication device 200 is connected. The figure is merely an example, and the base station information is not limited to this, and the information included may be more or less than this. The base station information table TB10 may store, in association with each other, the device identification information of the communication device 200 and the base station identification information of the base station 300 to which the communication device 200 identified by the device identification information is connected. For ease of understanding, in FIG. 4, the device identification information is represented by the reference numerals (200Aa, 200Bd, etc.) of the communication devices in FIG. 1, and the base station identification information is represented by the reference numerals (300A, 300B, etc.) of the base stations.

[0048] When acquiring the device identification information from the communication device 200, the acquisition unit 111 of the distribution server 100 may refer to the base station information table TB10 of the database server 400 to acquire the base station identification information of the base station 300 to which the communication device 200 is connected. This makes it possible to determine the cell to which the communication device 200 is connected.

[0049] The acquiring unit 111 may accumulate the communication quality information for each base station 300 in the database server 400 (step S14). For example, the acquiring unit 111 may store an acquisition history of the communication quality information. FIG. 5(a) shows an example of a table TB20 storing the acquisition history of the communication quality information. The table TB20 may be a table storing, for each device identification information, communication quality information included in various information transmitted from each communication device 200 together with the acquisition date. Note that the stored information is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may include time information, or may not be created for each device identification information. Note that the acquiring unit 111 may calculate the average communication quality (average RSRP) between each base station 300 and the communication device 200 for a predetermined period based on the tables TB10 and TB20, and store it for each device identification information. The table TB21 in FIG. 5(b) is an example of a table storing the average communication quality (average RSRP) between each communication device 200 for each base station identification information. The period for calculating the average may be, but is not limited to, the most recent week, the most recent three days, etc.

[0050] The ordering unit 113 may order the multiple communication devices connected to one base station in a predetermined order based on communication quality (step S15). FIG. 6(a) shows an example of a table in which, for example, the multiple communication devices 200 connected to the base station 300A are ordered in a predetermined order based on communication quality. Table TB30 may be the table TB21 in FIG. 5(b) for the base station 300A, arranged in a predetermined order based on communication quality, for example, in descending order of communication quality. Note that table TB30 is shown for illustrative purposes only, and the order does not need to be determined as long as the order of delivery of update software, which will be described later, can be determined.

[0051] The distribution unit 114 may distribute update software to the multiple communication devices 200Aa, 200Ab via one base station 300A in a predetermined order based on communication quality, to communication devices up to a predetermined upper limit set for the communication quality. The setting unit 112 may set, for each base station 300, an upper limit number of communication devices 200 to which update software is to be distributed, according to the communication quality. Here, the upper limit number may refer to the upper limit number of communication devices 200 to which update software can be simultaneously distributed from the distribution server 100 via communication among the multiple communication devices 200. Note that the upper limit number may be set in advance by, for example, a telecommunications carrier.

[0052] Information regarding the upper limit number set for each base station 300 may be stored in the database server 400. Fig. 7 is an example of an upper limit number table that stores the upper limit number for each base station 300. In the example of the upper limit number table TB40 in Fig. 7, the upper limit number for the base station 300A may be "6 units" for communication devices 200 whose communication quality is RSRP of "-100 or higher", "4 units" for communication devices 200 whose RSRP is "-100 to -115", "2 units" for communication devices 200 whose RSRP is "-115 to -130", and "1 unit" for communication devices 200 whose RSRP is "-130 or lower". Note that the upper limit number may differ for each base station 300, for example, as in table TB40.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present invention, update software may be distributed to a number of communication devices 200 equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit set according to the communication quality of the communication device 200. This will be described with reference to FIG. 3, FIGS. 6(a)-(c), and FIG. 7. As described above, FIG. 6(a) is a table in which a plurality of communication devices 200 connected to the base station 300A are arranged in descending order of communication quality. Referring to table 40 in FIG. 7, the base station 300A may distribute update software to up to six communication devices 200 having an RSRP of −100 or greater. Therefore, the distribution unit 114 may distribute update software to a group 10 of six communication devices, including the communication device 200Aa having an RSRP of −100 or greater. The distribution of update software may be performed by transmitting a FOTA command to the communication device 200Aa indicating that FOTA is to be executed (step S16 in FIG. 3). The FOTA command may include information (URL) regarding the download destination of the update software, and the communication device 200Aa may connect to the download destination in response to the FOTA command, download the update software, and update the firmware (step S17).

[0054] Thereafter, when the firmware update is complete, communication device 200Aa may transmit a notification indicating that FOTA is complete to distribution server 100 (step S18). When distribution of update software to one of the communication devices in group 10 in FIG. 6(a) (in the example of FIG. 6, communication device 200Aa) is complete, the state transitions to FIG. 6(b), and distribution of update software may continue to communication devices 200 included in group 11. Furthermore, the next communication device to which update software should be distributed (hereinafter also referred to as the "next communication device") is communication device 200Ab (row 12). Here, when the distribution of the update software to one or more communication devices 200 (communication device 200Aa in the case of Figure 6) is completed, the distribution unit 114 may determine whether the number of communication devices to which the update software will be distributed via one base station 300A is less than or equal to the upper limit number previously set for the communication quality of the communication device 200 (communication device 200Ab in the case of Figure 6) to which the update software will be distributed next in the specified order (step S19).

[0055] 7, in the case of base station 300A, update software may be distributed to a maximum of "four" communication devices with RSRPs of "-100 to -115." However, in the state of FIG. 6(b), update software is being distributed to "five" communication devices 200 in group 11, so in step S19, it may be determined that this is the upper limit number or more (NO in step S19). Therefore, distribution unit 114 may wait for distribution of update software to the next communication device 200Ab in the predetermined order.

[0056] 6(c), it is assumed that the distribution of update software to two more communication devices 200 included in group 11 is completed. In this case, the condition that the upper limit number of communication devices to which update software is distributed to those with RSRPs of "-100 to -115" is "four" is satisfied, and therefore it may be determined in step S19 that the number is equal to or less than the upper limit number (YES in step S19). Then, the distribution unit 114 may distribute the update software to communication device 200Ab (step S20). Communication device 200Ab may download the update software and update its firmware (step S21). At this time, the distribution unit 114 distributes update software to group 13 consisting of four communication devices shown in FIG. 6(c).

[0057] In this way, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper limit of the number of communication devices to which update software is distributed may be set to vary depending on the communication quality, so that communication resources for distributing update software can be secured even for communication devices with poor communication quality, without communication resources being monopolized by communication devices with good communication quality.

[0058] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the software update may be distributed to a plurality of communication devices after ranking them in descending order of communication quality. The upper limit number set according to the communication quality may be set higher as the communication quality increases. Therefore, the distribution of the software update can be initiated for a larger number of communication devices, thereby realizing an efficient distribution system.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the delivery of the update software to the next communication device may be delayed until the number of communication devices to which the update software is being delivered falls below an upper limit set for the communication quality of the next communication device, thereby allowing communication resources to be allocated to the next communication device as well.

[0060] While the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would readily be able to make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each means, step, etc. may be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple means, steps, etc. may be combined or separated into one. Furthermore, the configurations described in the above embodiments may be appropriately combined. For example, each component described as being included in the distribution server 100 may be realized in a distributed manner across multiple servers. Furthermore, processing described as a function of the distribution server 100 may be performed by the communication device 200. Conversely, processing described as being performed by the communication device 200 may be performed by the distribution server 100.

[0061] For example, in the above description, the communication quality for determining the upper limit number is the average communication quality over a predetermined period. However, the communication quality for determining the upper limit number may be the most recent communication quality obtained. This allows for distribution of the software update based on the upper limit number that is in line with the communication quality immediately before the start of distribution of the software update.

[0062] For example, in the above description, the data tables are stored in the database server 400, but the various pieces of information may be stored in a storage unit of the distribution server 100 or the management server 101.

[0063] Each functional unit of the distribution server 100 or the communication device 200 may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed on an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)) or a dedicated circuit, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Furthermore, each functional unit may be realized by one or more integrated circuits, and the functions of multiple functional units may be realized by a single integrated circuit.

[0064] The programs of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium readable by an information processing device. The storage medium may store the programs in a "non-transitory tangible medium." The programs include, for example, software programs and information processing device programs. When the functional units of the distribution server 100 as an information processing device are realized by software, the distribution server 100 functions as the acquisition unit 111, the setting unit 112, the ordering unit 113, and the distribution unit 114 by the processor executing the programs loaded on the memory.

[0065] The storage medium may, where appropriate, include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific ICs (ASICs), etc.), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid state drives (SSDs), RAM drives, secure digital cards or drives, any other suitable storage media, or any suitable combination of two or more of these. The storage medium may, where appropriate, be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0066] Furthermore, the program of the present disclosure may be provided to the distribution server 100 via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) capable of transmitting the program.

[0067] Furthermore, each embodiment of the present disclosure may be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission. Note that the program of the present disclosure may be implemented using, for example, a scripting language such as JavaScript (registered trademark) or Python, or C, Go, Swift, Koltin, Java (registered trademark), or the like.

[0068] According to each aspect of the present disclosure described above, by providing technology related to the monitoring and maintenance of IoT devices for network technologies beyond 5G, it is possible to contribute to the achievement of Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to "build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation." [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 100 Distribution server (information processing device) 110 control section 111 Acquisition Department 112 Setting section 113 Ordering Part 114 Distribution Department 120 Communications Department 130 Input / output section 170 Storage section 101 Management Server 400 database servers 200 Communication devices (IoT devices) 210 Control Unit 220 Communications Department 230 Input / output section 270 Storage section 300 base stations 500 Mobile Communication Network 50 Core Network 600 Distribution System

Claims

1. A distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a single base station, an acquisition unit that acquires communication quality information related to communication quality of each of the communication devices from the plurality of communication devices; a distribution unit that distributes the update software to communication devices not exceeding a preset upper limit for the communication quality via the one base station in a predetermined order based on the communication quality; A distribution server comprising:

2. when the distribution of the update software to one or more communication devices is completed, the distribution unit waits for the distribution of the update software to the communication device to which the update software is to be distributed next in the predetermined order until the number of communication devices to which the update software is to be distributed via the one base station becomes equal to or less than an upper limit number preset for the communication quality of the communication device to which the update software is to be distributed next. The distribution server according to claim 1 .

3. The acquisition unit acquires base station identification information for identifying a base station to which the communication device is connected based on device identification information for identifying the communication device received from the communication device, and extracts the plurality of communication devices connected to the one base station based on the base station identification information. The distribution server according to claim 1 .

4. the distribution unit distributes the update software after ranking the plurality of communication devices in descending order of communication quality as the predetermined order, and the upper limit number is set to a higher number as the communication quality is higher. The distribution server according to claim 1 .

5. the distribution unit determines the preset upper limit number for the plurality of communication devices by using an average value of the communication quality over a predetermined period or the latest communication quality. The distribution server according to claim 1 .

6. The distribution server according to claim 1 , wherein communication between the communication device and the one base station is based on a communication method using Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT).

7. A method for controlling a distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a single base station, comprising the steps of: The distribution server acquiring communication quality information related to communication quality of each of the communication devices from the plurality of communication devices; distributing the update software to communication devices not exceeding a preset upper limit number for the communication quality in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information via the one base station; A method for controlling a distribution server.

8. A control program for a distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a single base station, comprising: On the distribution server, A function of acquiring communication quality information related to the communication quality of each of the communication devices from the plurality of communication devices; a function of distributing the update software to communication devices not exceeding a preset upper limit number for the communication quality in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information via the one base station; A control program for the distribution server that makes this possible.

9. A distribution system including a plurality of communication devices connected to one base station and a distribution server that distributes update software to the plurality of communication devices, The distribution server includes: an acquisition unit that acquires communication quality information related to communication quality of each of the communication devices from the plurality of communication devices; a distribution unit that distributes the update software to communication devices not exceeding a preset upper limit number for the communication quality in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information via the one base station; A distribution system comprising:

10. A communication device that is connected to a base station and receives update software from a distribution server, A transmission unit that transmits communication quality information regarding a communication quality of the own device to the distribution server; an update unit that receives the update software and updates the firmware of the device itself; Equipped with The distribution server distributes the update software via the one base station to communication devices that are equal to or less than a preset upper limit for the communication quality in a predetermined order based on the communication quality information.

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