Communication control device, communication control system, and communication control method

Abstract

To provide a communication control device capable of determining an optimal communication path in a short period of time in route search for wireless communication.SOLUTION: A communication control device 100 is a communication control device 100 for controlling a communication path composed of a plurality of communication terminals for performing communication on the basis of information of a communication frame. The communication control device 100 includes a terminal information acquisition part 111 for acquiring connection information of the communication terminals from a radio wave emulator for emulating an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals is set. Also, the communication control device 100 includes a communication path selection part 112 for selecting communication paths of the plurality of communication terminals on the basis of the connection information. Also, the communication control device 100 includes a communication frame transmission part for transmitting a communication frame including transmission source address information, transmission destination address information, and relay address information to a communication terminal of the next transmission destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, in wireless communication networks, a technology has been proposed that appropriately searches for and determines a communication path depending on the wireless environment, such as obstructions. Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless sensor network design system for optimizing the placement and routing of relay nodes even when there are obstructions or locations where placement of relay nodes is impossible. After starting processing, the wireless sensor network design system disclosed in Patent Document 1 optimizes the number and placement of nodes based on input data, and calculates and determines candidates for the number and placement of relay devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-25234 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the wireless sensor network design system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the optimal number and placement of relay devices are determined at the start of the system, and the communication route is determined in advance. In such a configuration in which the communication route is determined at the start of the system, it is difficult to respond to changes in the wireless environment. Furthermore, if a route search is performed for each communication, the route search takes time. In other words, a method is required for wireless communication route search that enables an optimal route search in a short time.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems inherent in the conventional techniques, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication control device capable of determining an optimal communication path in a short time in a route search for wireless communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A communication control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a communication control device that controls a communication path constituted by a plurality of communication terminals that communicate based on information in a communication frame, and includes a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires connection information of the communication terminals from a radio wave emulator that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals are set, a communication path selection unit that selects a communication path for the plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information, and a communication frame transmission unit that transmits a communication frame including source address information, destination address information, and relay address information to the next destination communication terminal on the communication path.

[0007] A communication control system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a communication control device, a plurality of communication terminals which communicate based on information in a communication frame, and a radio wave emulator which emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals are set, and is a communication control system which controls a communication path constituted by the plurality of communication terminals, wherein the communication control device has a terminal information acquisition unit which acquires connection information of the communication terminals from the radio wave emulator, a communication path selection unit which selects a communication path for the plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information, and a communication frame transmitting unit which transmits a communication frame including information on a source address, information on a destination address, and information on a relay address to the next destination communication terminal on the communication path, and the communication terminals communicate between the terminals based on the information on the source address, information on the destination address, and information on the relay address stored in the communication frame.

[0008] A communication control method according to an aspect of the present invention is a communication control method that is executed by a computer and controls a communication path consisting of a plurality of communication terminals that communicate based on information in a communication frame, and obtains connection information of the communication terminals from a radio wave emulator that emulates an environment in which a plurality of communication terminals are set, selects a communication path for the plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information, and transmits a communication frame including information regarding a source address, information regarding a destination address, and information regarding a relay address to the next destination communication terminal on the communication path. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a communication control device capable of determining an optimal communication path in a short time in a route search for wireless communication. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a communication control system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication control device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4A] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication frame applied to the communication control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4B] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication frame applied to the communication control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4C] 3 is a diagram showing an example of inter-terminal connection information applied to the communication control system according to the first embodiment; FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process of the communication control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the communication control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process of a communication control system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a communication control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 11A] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 11B] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 11C] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication control system according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication control system according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The communication control device 100 and the communication control system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios. In addition, in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0012] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication control system 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication control system 10 is configured to include a base station installed in a predetermined site A1 and equipped with a communication control device 100, a radio wave emulator 200 installed in a data center D1, and a plurality of communication terminals 300 installed in the predetermined site A1.

[0013] 1, the communication terminal 300 is a terminal that performs communication in a wireless communication network. In this embodiment, the communication terminal 300 performs communication using communication frames as shown in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B described later.

[0014] 1, the site A1 is provided with shields S1 to S3. The shields S1 to S3 are constituted by walls or the like that block communication between the communication terminals 300 and communication between the communication control device 100 and the communication terminals 300.

[0015] In the communication in the wireless communication network, if the optimal communication route is determined in advance at the start of communication, it is not possible to respond to changes in the wireless environment. Also, if a route search is performed for each communication, it takes time to perform the route search. In the communication control system 10 according to the present embodiment, a method for performing an optimal route search in a short time is provided by using a radio wave emulator 200 that simulates a real environment.

[0016] Specifically, the communication control system 10 according to this embodiment uses a radio wave emulator 200 that simulates the communication method and radio wave propagation characteristics of a wireless system on a large scale with high accuracy in a virtual space and evaluates them in real time. As a result, the communication control system 10 according to this embodiment enables low-power consumption and stable communication by selecting the optimal terminal arrangement and the optimal communication route.

[0017] Moreover, the radio wave emulator 200 makes it possible to simulate in real time the entire system, including the manner in which radio waves are transmitted, the usage environment, the actual status of the communication terminal 300, the status of the base station, the operation of applications, etc. In other words, the radio wave emulator 200 emulates an environment in which a base station and multiple communication terminals 300 are set.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, communication terminals 300 that communicate wirelessly are installed within site A1, and a base station (communication control device 100) that collects the data is also installed. The communication control device 100 installed in the base station is connected to a radio wave emulator 200. The radio wave emulator 200 records data on the status of structures within site A1, the installation status of terminals, and other environmental changes, and enables communication simulation in real time within the environment of the radio wave emulator in response to instructions from the base station.

[0019] Specifically, the radio wave emulator 200 enables communication simulation in real time based on data stored in a communication environment information DB 220 as shown in Fig. 1. Note that the communication environment information DB 220 may be provided inside the data center D1 and outside the radio wave emulator 200 as shown in Fig. 1. Also, the communication environment information DB 220 may be provided inside the radio wave emulator 200. The data stored in the communication environment information DB 220 may be terminal-to-terminal connection information shown in Fig. 4C described below.

[0020] Furthermore, the devices constituting the radio wave emulator 200 are installed in the same or a different building as the environment in which they are used, and the radio wave emulator 200 and the base station are connected by a high-speed communication line that is different from the line for communicating with the terminals in the building. For example, the radio wave emulator 200 and the base station are connected by a wire, enabling communication at a level of several tens of Gbps. Note that the connection between the radio wave emulator 200 and the base station is not limited to this configuration, and may be, for example, wireless communication.

[0021] In this embodiment, there are structures within site A1, and there are obstacles S1 to S3 that block wireless communication paths. Therefore, it is assumed that each of communication terminals 301 to 309 can communicate only via a specific path indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1. Furthermore, communication terminal 300 communicates based on information in a communication frame, which will be described later. Note that hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the communication terminals in a description, they will simply be referred to as "communication terminal 300."

[0022] (Configuration of communication control device 100) Next, the configuration of the communication control device 100 will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication control device 100 according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the communication control device 100 is configured by a general computer including a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an input / output IF 130 (Interface), and a communication IF 140. The communication control device 100 may be mounted as a function in, for example, a server. The control unit 110 and the storage unit 120 will be described in detail later.

[0023] The input / output IF 130 is a component (interface) for a user, such as an administrator, to exchange data with the communication control device 100. The input / output IF 130 includes, for example, an input unit and an output unit (not shown).

[0024] The input unit in the input / output IF 130 has an interface function for inputting various information by the user, and information is input from outside the communication control device 100. The user inputs information to the input unit through, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a trackball, a voice recognition device, or the like, connected to the communication control device 100. The input unit can also input information as a data input terminal for inputting data from an external storage device (not shown) or the like.

[0025] An output unit in the input / output IF 130 can display terminal information (described later) on a display device (not shown) connected to the communication control device 100. The display device is, for example, a display device, a projector device, or the like.

[0026] The communication IF 140 is an interface that enables communication between the communication control device 100, the radio wave emulator 200, and the communication terminal 300.

[0027] (Functional configuration of communication control device 100) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the communication control device 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 110 of the communication control device 100 includes a terminal information acquisition unit 111, a communication path selection unit 112, and a communication frame transmission unit 113 as functions.

[0028] Furthermore, the control unit 110, for example, operates an operating system to control the entire communication control device 100. Furthermore, the control unit 110 operates based on a program stored in the storage unit 120 to execute the above-mentioned functions. Note that the program is not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, and may be stored in, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like (not shown) in the communication control device 100.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 3, the storage unit 120 stores information included in a terminal information DB 121 (DB: Database) as data. The number of storage units 120 that store each of these data may be one or more. For example, a single storage unit 120 may be configured to store the data in separate areas. Alternatively, the data may be distributed and stored in a plurality of storage devices that are installed in physically separate locations.

[0030] The terminal information DB 121 contains terminal information of the communication terminal 300. For example, the terminal information may store a communication success rate, a communication speed, and an amount of delay between terminals as inter-terminal connection information.

[0031] Next, each function of the communication control device 100 will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing of the communication control system 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0032] In step S501 in FIG. 5, the terminal information acquisition unit 111 acquires terminal information of each communication terminal 300 from the radio wave emulator 200 and stores it in the terminal information DB 121. Specifically, the terminal information acquisition unit 111 transmits a communication frame shown in FIG. 4A to the radio wave emulator 200 to request inter-terminal connection information. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication frame applied to the communication control system 10 according to the first embodiment. The communication frame stores items such as "communication type," "source address," "destination address," "relay address," and "communication data." Note that the information stored in the "source address," "destination address," and "relay address" corresponds to source address information, destination address information, and relay address information, respectively.

[0033] There are three types of "communication type": emulator start (from base station to emulator), emulator result (from emulator to base station), and terminal communication (from base station to terminal, and between terminals). In other words, by determining the "communication type" of a communication frame, it is possible to identify at what stage of communication the communication frame belongs.

[0034] "Source address" indicates the address of the sender in communication. The source address is provided in each communication terminal 300, for example, and may be identification information for identifying each communication terminal. The sender may also be a base station. For example, when communicating from a base station to communication terminal 301, which is T1, an address indicating the base station is stored in "source address."

[0035] The "destination address" indicates the address of the source of communication. For example, when a base station communicates with communication terminal 301, which is T1, the address indicating communication terminal 301, T1, is stored in the "destination address".

[0036] The "relay address" stores information for identifying communication terminal 300 that is relayed when communication is performed from a source to a destination. This "relay address" stores information for identifying communication terminal 300 that is a relay in a communication path selected by communication path selection unit 112 described later. For example, when communication is performed from a base station to communication terminal 301 that is T1, and communication terminal 305 that is T5 and communication terminal 302 that is T2 are relayed, addresses for identifying communication terminal 305 and communication terminal 302 are stored in the "relay address".

[0037] The "communication data" stores communication data transmitted from the source communication terminal 300 to the destination communication terminal 300. Therefore, when the "communication type" of the communication frame is emulator start or emulator result, communication is performed with no actual communication data stored in the "communication data". Even if the "communication type" is terminal communication, before the communication frame is transmitted to the source communication terminal 300, no actual communication data is stored in the "communication data". Note that when the "communication type" is emulator start or emulator result, the "communication data" may store terminal-to-terminal connection information, which will be described later.

[0038] Note that the communication frame is not limited to the configuration in FIG. 4A, and may have a data configuration as shown in FIG. 4B, for example. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4B, "route information" is stored instead of "relay address". The route information indicates the "relay address" as a route. For example, in the case of communication from a base station to a communication terminal 301 which is T1, and relaying between a communication terminal 305 of T5 and a communication terminal 302 of T2, the "route information" stores information on the route including the communication terminal 305 and the communication terminal 302.

[0039] In the example shown in Fig. 4B, an item for storing "terminal-to-terminal connection information" is provided in the communication frame, and the terminal-to-terminal connection information is stored in the "terminal-to-terminal connection information" rather than in the "communication data" for communication. Note that the communication frames shown in Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B are not limited to this configuration, and may be configured, for example, such that the "terminal-to-terminal connection information" in Fig. 4B is added as an item to the communication frame in Fig. 4A.

[0040] In step S502 in Fig. 5, the radio wave emulator 200 reads out inter-terminal connection information from the communication environment information DB 220. The inter-terminal connection information stores, for example, the communication success rate between each communication terminal, as shown in Fig. 4C. Note that the information stored in the inter-terminal connection information is not limited to the communication success rate, and may be, for example, information related to the communication speed or the amount of delay.

[0041] The terminal-to-terminal communication information read by the radio wave emulator 200 in step S502 may be connection information between all communication terminals. Alternatively, the terminal-to-terminal communication information read by the radio wave emulator 200 in step S502 may be extracted connection information related to a route determined by a "source address" and a "destination address". For example, the terminal-to-terminal connection information shown in FIG. 4C shows connection information for a communication route in which the source is a base station and the destination is communication terminal 301, which is T1. That is, the communication routes shown include connection information required for the route from the base station to communication terminal 301, the route from the base station to communication terminal 305 and communication terminal 301, and the route from the base station to communication terminal 305, communication terminal 302, and communication terminal 301.

[0042] In step S503, the radio wave emulator 200 transmits the inter-terminal connection information. For example, the radio wave emulator 200 stores this inter-terminal connection information in "communication data" of a communication frame and transmits it to the communication control device 100. Also, in step S503, the terminal information acquisition unit 111 acquires inter-terminal connection information, which is connection information of the communication terminal 300, from the radio wave emulator 200. Note that the connection information may include a communication success rate, a communication speed, and / or an amount of delay between the multiple communication terminals 300.

[0043] In step S504, the communication path selection unit 112 selects an optimal communication path based on the inter-terminal connection information transmitted from the radio wave emulator 200. Specifically, the communication path selection unit 112 selects an optimal communication path depending on the communication success rate, communication speed, and / or delay amount of the inter-terminal connection information.

[0044] When the terminal-to-terminal connection information stores any one of the communication success rate, the communication speed, and the amount of delay, the communication path selection unit 112 selects the optimal communication path based on that information. When the terminal-to-terminal connection information stores multiple items of the communication success rate, the communication speed, and the amount of delay, the communication path selection unit 112 selects the optimal communication path according to the following priority order. (1) Select a route with a high communication success rate. (2) If the communication success rates are the same, or if the communication success rate does not exist in the terminal-to-terminal connection information, a route with a faster communication speed is selected. (3) If the communication success rates are the same and the communication speeds are the same, or if the communication success rate and communication speed are not present in the terminal-to-terminal connection information, a route with a smaller amount of delay is selected.

[0045] In step S505, the communication frame transmitting unit 113 transmits a communication frame to the communication terminal 300 that is to be the next destination, based on the communication path selected by the communication path selecting unit 112. That is, the communication frame transmitting unit 113 transmits a communication frame including source address information, destination address information, and relay address information to the communication terminal 300 that is the next destination on the communication path.

[0046] In step S506, based on the "destination address" and "relay address" stored in the communication frame, terminal-to-terminal communication is performed in each communication terminal 300. Thereafter, the processes from step S501 to step S506 are repeatedly performed.

[0047] (Outline of processing flow of communication control device 100) Next, the flow of processing in the communication control device 100 will be shown using the flowchart shown in Fig. 6. The series of operations of the communication control device 100 shown in the flowchart in Fig. 6 starts when the communication control device 100 is started, and ends when the operation is completed. The processing in the flowchart shown in Fig. 6 also ends when the power is turned off or an interrupt occurs to end the processing. In the following explanation of the flowchart, the same contents as those described in the above explanation of the communication control system 10 and the communication control device 100 will be omitted or simplified.

[0048] In step S601, the terminal information acquisition unit 111 acquires terminal information from the radio emulator 200 and stores it in the terminal information DB 121. This terminal information corresponds to inter-terminal connection information. Specifically, the terminal information acquisition unit 111 transmits a communication frame shown in FIG. 4A to the radio emulator 200 to request inter-terminal connection information. Also, in step S601, the terminal information acquisition unit 111 acquires inter-terminal connection information, which is connection information of the communication terminal 300, from the radio emulator 200. Note that the connection information may include a communication success rate, a communication speed, and / or an amount of delay between the multiple communication terminals 300. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S602.

[0049] In step S602, the communication path selection unit 112 selects an optimal communication path based on the terminal-to-terminal connection information transmitted from the radio wave emulator 200. Specifically, the communication path selection unit 112 selects an optimal communication path depending on the communication success rate, communication speed, and / or delay amount of the terminal-to-terminal connection information. Then, the process proceeds to step S603.

[0050] In step S603, the communication frame transmitting unit 113 transmits a communication frame to the communication terminal 300 that is to be the next destination, based on the communication path selected by the communication path selecting unit 112. That is, the communication frame transmitting unit 113 transmits a communication frame including source address information, destination address information, and relay address information to the communication terminal 300 that is the next destination on the communication path. The communication terminals 300 perform terminal-to-terminal communication at each communication terminal 300, based on the "destination address" and "relay address" stored in the communication frame. Then, the process proceeds to step S604.

[0051] In step S604, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the communication processing of each communication terminal 300 in the communication control system 10 has ended. For example, the control unit 110 may determine that the communication processing has ended by receiving a reception completion notification from the communication terminal 300 of the destination address. The control unit 110 may also determine the completion of the communication processing based on a predetermined communication schedule. Note that the determination processing of the communication processing in step S604 is not limited to these processes, and the end may be determined based on the end of the processing in the base station (power off control), etc.

[0052] In step S604, if the control unit 110 determines that the communication process has ended (step S604: YES), the process ends. On the other hand, in step S604, if the control unit 110 determines that the communication process has not ended (step S604: NO), the process returns to step S601, and the process from step S601 is repeatedly performed.

[0053] As described above, the communication control device 100 according to the first embodiment is a communication control device 100 that controls a communication path configured by a plurality of communication terminals 300 that communicate based on information of a communication frame. The communication control device 100 includes a terminal information acquisition unit 111 that acquires connection information of the communication terminals 300 from a radio wave emulator 200 that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals 300 are set. The communication control device 100 also includes a communication path selection unit 112 that selects a communication path for the plurality of communication terminals 300 based on the connection information. The communication control device 100 also includes a communication frame transmission unit 113 that transmits a communication frame including source address information, destination address information, and relay address information to the communication terminal 300 that is the next destination on the communication path.

[0054] As a result, the communication control device 100 can determine an optimal communication path in a short time in a route search for wireless communication by using the radio wave emulator 200 that simulates the actual environment of a wireless communication network.

[0055] Furthermore, the connection information in the communication control device 100 may include a communication success rate, a communication speed, and / or an amount of delay between the multiple communication terminals 300. This allows the communication control device 100 to determine a more optimal communication path in a route search for wireless communication by using information emulating detailed information about communication in a real environment.

[0056] Second embodiment As described above, one specific embodiment has been described, but the above-described embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the embodiments. For example, the above-described embodiment has been described as an example of a form in which a communication path is determined using data emulated by the radio wave emulator 200. Here, a configuration of a communication control device 100 according to a second embodiment in which the communication control device 100 feeds back the results of communication between the communication terminals 300 and uses the data emulated by the radio wave emulator 200, which differs from that of the first embodiment, will be described.

[0057] Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication control device 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the communication control device 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the communication control device 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a communication status acquisition unit 114 and a communication status transmission unit 115.

[0058] An example of the processing of the communication control system 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 8. Note that the processing from step S801 to step S806 is similar to the processing from step S501 to step S506 in the sequence diagram of Fig. 5, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0059] In step S807, the communication terminal 300 stores the result of the communication status. The communication terminal 300 includes, for example, a communication status DB, and stores the result of the communication status in the communication status DB.

[0060] In step S808, each communication terminal 300 transmits the result of the communication status to the communication control device 100, which is the base station. A communication terminal 300 that cannot transmit directly to the base station transmits the result of the communication status to the base station by relaying through another communication terminal 300. For example, when relaying through another communication terminal 300, the communication path is transmitted to the base station by tracing back in reverse the communication path implemented in the communication from the base station to the communication terminal 300.

[0061] Furthermore, in step S808, the communication status acquisition unit 114 acquires the result of the communication status transmitted from the communication terminal 300, and stores it in the terminal information DB 121.

[0062] In step S 809 , the communication status transmitting unit 115 transmits the result of the communication status transmitted from the communication terminal 300 to the radio wave emulator 200 .

[0063] In step S810, the radio wave emulator 200 updates the inter-terminal connection information stored in the communication environment information DB 220 based on the communication status result transmitted from the communication control device 100. Thereafter, the processes from step S801 to step S810 are repeatedly performed.

[0064] As a result, in the communication control system 10 according to the second embodiment, by using the results of the actual communication situation, the radio wave emulator 200 can perform emulation with higher accuracy.

[0065] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the communication control device 100 according to the second embodiment. In the flowchart shown in Fig. 9, processing of steps S901 to S903 and step S906 are similar to processing of steps S601 to S604 shown in Fig. 6, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here.

[0066] In step S904, the communication status acquisition unit 114 acquires the result of the communication status transmitted from the communication terminal 300, and stores it in the terminal information DB 121. After that, the process proceeds to step S905.

[0067] In step S905, the communication status transmitting unit 115 transmits the result of the communication status transmitted from the communication terminal 300 to the radio wave emulator 200. After that, the process proceeds to step S906.

[0068] As described above, the communication control device 100 according to the second embodiment may further include a communication status acquisition unit 114 that acquires a result of the communication status of communication performed in the communication terminal 300 from the communication terminal 300. The communication control device 100 may further include a communication status transmission unit 115 that transmits the result of the communication status to the radio wave emulator 200.

[0069] This allows the communication control device 100 to use the results of the actual communication situation, thereby enabling the radio wave emulator 200 to perform emulation with higher accuracy.

[0070] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present embodiments are not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments. The components described above include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be appropriately combined. Various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments.

[0071] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a communication control system 10 according to another embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the communication control system 10 may be configured such that a plurality of base stations are connected to a communication terminal 300 and a radio wave emulator 200. When a plurality of base stations exist, communication may be performed from a base station that is earlier in terms of a route, or a base station may be passed along the route. Furthermore, the communication control system 10 may be configured to adjust communication timing when a plurality of networks exist and interfere with each other.

[0072] In addition, in the communication control system 10 according to another embodiment, the communication terminal 300 may be a mobile object moving within a site. In another embodiment, the mobile object may be, for example, an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). In another embodiment, the radio wave emulator 200 of the communication control system 10 performs communication simulation in real time based on the status of structures within the site and the installation status of terminals, as well as route information and movement plans of the mobile object and data on other environmental changes.

[0073] Specifically, in another embodiment, route information of a moving object and movement route information corresponding to a movement plan are stored in the communication environment information DB 220. Furthermore, the terminal information acquisition unit 111 acquires moving object information including movement route information of the moving object from the radio wave emulator 200. Furthermore, the communication route selection unit 112 selects communication routes for a plurality of communication terminals 300 based on the connection information and the moving object information.

[0074] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing the configuration of a communication control system 10 according to another embodiment. The communication environment information DB 220 records the status of structures on the premises, the terminal installation status, route information and movement plans of mobile objects, and other data on environmental changes, and can perform real-time communication simulation in the environment of a radio wave emulator in response to an instruction from a base station.

[0075] In the example shown in FIG. 11A, there are communication paths of a base station (communication control device 100), a communication terminal 305 (T5), and a communication terminal 309 (T9), and communication paths of a base station, a communication terminal 305 (T5), a communication terminal 308 (T8), and a communication terminal 309 (T9). Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 11A, there are communication paths of a base station, a communication terminal 301 (T1), a communication terminal 304 (T4), and a communication terminal 309 (T9), etc. The radio wave emulator 200 transmits the results of the emulated communication to the communication control device 100 based on the environment change information and the route information of the mobile body that are set in advance in the communication environment information DB 220. In this specification, the communication terminal (T10) that is a mobile body shown in FIG. 11A to FIG. 11C, and FIG. 12 is represented by the communication terminals 310a to 310e according to its location.

[0076] FIG. 11B shows an example in which a mobile communication terminal 310b (T10) moves between a communication terminal 309 (T9) and a communication terminal 305 (T5) (above the communication terminal 309 in the figure) when communication between the communication terminals 300 is actually started. In this case, the radio wave emulator 200 obtains the communication status from the route information of the mobile communication terminal 310b, and emulates that the communication status of the route of the base station, the communication terminal 305, and the communication terminal 309 becomes worse due to the blocking of the mobile communication terminal 310b. Therefore, in the situation shown in FIG. 11B, the radio wave emulator 200 determines that the route of the base station, the communication terminal 301, the communication terminal 304, and the communication terminal 309 is appropriate. Therefore, the communication control device 100 executes communication on the route determined by the radio wave emulator 200.

[0077] 11C, the radio wave emulator 200 can select a route using the mobile communication terminal 310c (T10) as a relay from the route information of the mobile communication terminal 310c, the base station, the communication terminal 310c, and the communication terminal 309 as a candidate. Also, the radio wave emulator 200 emulates communication when each communication route is used based on the link state between the communication terminals 300. The base station determines the optimal communication route based on the emulation data received from the radio wave emulator 200 and performs data communication.

[0078] It is also desirable to install multiple base stations within a site and select a base station based on the communication destination, network communication traffic, and the location of the mobile unit. As shown in Figure 12, when multiple base stations are installed within a site, the base stations share communication data with each other and communicate from the appropriate base station based on the location of the communication terminal sending the data, the communication route, communication traffic, etc.

[0079] For example, in the example shown in Fig. 12, when a request for data transmission occurs to a mobile communication terminal 310d (T10), it is emulated that the optimal route for communication is from the base station located at the top of the figure via communication terminals 301 and 304. In this case, the base station performs data communication via that route.

[0080] In addition, when transmitting data to a mobile communication terminal 310e (T10) at a different timing, the communication environment information DB220 of the radio wave emulator 200 includes a movement plan of the mobile body, and it is confirmed that the mobile body is located at the location of the communication terminal 310e at a specified timing.

[0081] In this case, in addition to the route from the base station via the communication terminal 305 and the communication terminal 308 and the route via the communication terminal 305 and the communication terminal 309 shown in the upper part of Fig. 12, a route from the base station shown below directly to the communication terminal 310e (T10) is emulated. Based on the emulation data received from the radio wave emulator 200, the base station determines a communication route for communicating directly from the lower base station to the communication terminal 310e (T10), for example, and performs data communication.

[0082] As a result, in the communication control system 10 according to the other embodiment, it is possible to select and communicate via an optimal communication route obtained by the radio wave emulator 200, without performing a route search in advance in the actual environment. Also, it is possible to select an optimal communication route even in an environment where moving objects are mixed.

[0083] The moving object route within the site is not limited to the routes shown in Figures 11A to 11C and 12. For example, there may be a plurality of moving objects within a moving object route, or moving objects moving along different moving object routes may communicate with each other. Furthermore, the moving object is not limited to an AGV, and may be an object that moves autonomously or irregularly, such as an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) or a worker.

[0084] Furthermore, a computer program (communication control program) that causes a computer to execute the processing (communication control method) in the communication control device 100 described above, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, are included in the scope of this embodiment. Any type of computer-readable recording medium may be used. Furthermore, the computer program is not limited to one recorded on the recording medium described above, and may be one transmitted via a telecommunication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network such as the Internet, or the like.

[0085] The features of the communication control device 100, the communication control system 10, and the communication control method will be described below.

[0086] The communication control device 100 according to the first aspect is a communication control device 100 that controls a communication path configured by a plurality of communication terminals 300 that communicate based on information of a communication frame. The communication control device 100 includes a terminal information acquisition unit 111 that acquires connection information of the communication terminals 300 from a radio wave emulator 200 that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals 300 are set. The communication control device 100 also includes a communication path selection unit 112 that selects a communication path for the plurality of communication terminals 300 based on the connection information. The communication control device 100 also includes a communication frame transmission unit 113 that transmits a communication frame including source address information, destination address information, and relay address information to the communication terminal 300 that is the next destination on the communication path.

[0087] According to the above configuration, the communication control device 100 uses the radio wave emulator 200 that simulates the actual environment of a wireless communication network, making it possible to determine an optimal communication path in a short time in a wireless communication path search.

[0088] The connection information in the communication control device 100 according to the second embodiment may include a communication success rate, a communication speed, and / or an amount of delay between the multiple communication terminals 300.

[0089] According to the above configuration, the communication control device 100 can determine a more optimal communication path in a route search for wireless communication by using information emulating detailed information about communication in a real environment.

[0090] The communication control device 100 according to the third aspect may further include a communication status acquisition unit 114 that acquires a result of a communication status of communication performed in the communication terminal 300 from the communication terminal 300. The communication control device 100 may further include a communication status transmission unit 115 that transmits the result of the communication status to the radio wave emulator 200.

[0091] According to the above configuration, the communication control device 100 can use the results of the actual communication situation to enable the radio wave emulator 200 to perform emulation with higher accuracy.

[0092] The terminal information acquisition unit 111 of the communication control device 100 according to the fourth aspect may acquire mobile object information including moving path information of the mobile object from the radio wave emulator 200. Furthermore, the communication path selection unit 112 may select communication paths of a plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information and the mobile object information.

[0093] According to the above configuration, the communication control device 100 can select an optimal communication route even in an environment where moving objects are mixed.

[0094] A communication control system 10 according to a fifth embodiment is a communication control system 10 that controls a communication path configured by a plurality of communication terminals 300. The communication control system 10 includes a communication control device 100, a plurality of communication terminals 300 that communicate based on information of a communication frame, and a radio wave emulator 200 that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals 300 are set. The communication control device 100 includes a terminal information acquisition unit 111 that acquires connection information of the communication terminals 300 from the radio wave emulator 200. The communication control device 100 also includes a communication path selection unit 112 that selects a communication path for the plurality of communication terminals 300 based on the connection information. The communication control device 100 also includes a communication frame transmission unit 113 that transmits a communication frame including information on a source address, information on a destination address, and information on a relay address to a communication terminal that is the next destination on the communication path. The communication terminal 300 communicates between terminals based on information on a source address, information on a destination address, and information on a relay address stored in the communication frame.

[0095] According to the above configuration, the communication control system 10 uses the radio wave emulator 200 that simulates the actual environment of a wireless communication network, making it possible to determine an optimal communication path in a short time in a wireless communication path search.

[0096] A communication control method according to a sixth aspect is a communication control method executed by a computer, which controls a communication path configured by a plurality of communication terminals 300 that communicate based on information of a communication frame. The communication control method acquires connection information of the communication terminals 300 from a radio wave emulator 200 that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals 300 are set. The communication control method also selects a communication path for the plurality of communication terminals 300 based on the connection information. The communication control method also transmits a communication frame including information on a source address, information on a destination address, and information on a relay address to the communication terminal 300 that is the next destination on the communication path.

[0097] According to the above configuration, the communication control method makes it possible to determine an optimal communication path in a short time in a route search for wireless communication by using the radio wave emulator 200 that simulates the actual environment of a wireless communication network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 10. Communication Control System 100 Communication control device 110 Control section 111 Terminal information acquisition unit 112 Communication path selection unit 113 Communication frame transmitter 114 Communication status acquisition unit 115 Communication status transmission unit 120 Storage section 121 Terminal Information DB 130 Input / Output Interface 140 Communication Interface 200 Radio Emulator 220 Communication Environment Information DB 300, 301-309 Communication terminal

Claims

1. A communication control device that controls a communication path formed by a plurality of communication terminals that communicate based on information of a communication frame, a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires connection information of the communication terminals from a radio wave emulator that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals are set; a communication path selection unit that selects the communication paths of the plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information; a communication frame transmitting unit that transmits the communication frame, which includes source address information, destination address information, and relay address information, to the communication terminal that is the next destination on the communication path; A communication control device comprising:

2. The communication control device according to claim 1 , wherein the connection information includes a communication success rate, a communication speed, and / or an amount of delay between the plurality of communication terminals.

3. a communication status acquisition unit that acquires from the communication terminal a result of a communication status of communication performed in the communication terminal; a communication status transmission unit that transmits the result of the communication status to the radio wave emulator; The communication control device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. the terminal information acquisition unit acquires, from the radio wave emulator, moving object information including moving path information of the moving object; The communication control device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication path selection unit selects the communication paths for the plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information and the mobile unit information.

5. A communication control system comprising: a communication control device; a plurality of communication terminals that perform communication based on information of a communication frame; and a radio wave emulator that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals are set, the communication control system controlling a communication path formed by the plurality of communication terminals, The communication control device includes: a terminal information acquisition unit that acquires connection information of the communication terminal from the radio wave emulator; a communication path selection unit that selects the communication paths of the plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information; a communication frame transmitting unit that transmits the communication frame, which includes information on a source address, information on a destination address, and information on a relay address, to the communication terminal of a next destination on the communication path; The communication terminal includes: A communication control system that performs communication between terminals based on information about the source address, information about the destination address, and information about the relay address stored in the communication frame.

6. A communication control method executed by a computer, for controlling a communication path configured by a plurality of communication terminals that communicate based on information of a communication frame, comprising: acquiring connection information of the communication terminals from a radio wave emulator that emulates an environment in which the plurality of communication terminals are set; selecting the communication paths of the plurality of communication terminals based on the connection information; A communication control method, comprising: transmitting the communication frame, which includes information relating to a source address, information relating to a destination address, and information relating to a relay address, to the communication terminal of a next destination on the communication path.

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