Beam tracking system

Abstract

To allow beam tracking for a mobile communication device with high accuracy using an O-RAN.SOLUTION: A system constituted by an O-RAN (Open Radio Access network) includes a control device including an acquisition unit that acquires movement information including actually measured position information measured by a mobile communication device every first time via first wireless communication that can be connected in a wide area, an estimation unit that performs an estimation process to estimate an estimated position of the mobile communication device after a second time shorter than the first time has elapsed using the actually measured position information and road information, a determination unit that determines a beam radiation pattern according to the estimated position, and a control unit that controls to emit a beam in the determined beam radiation pattern after the second time has elapsed, and also includes a radiation device that emits a beam to the mobile communication device in accordance with the control of the control device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a beam tracking system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the introduction of O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) has led to the formation of an open communication system that makes it easy for various vendors to participate. In O-RAN, working groups are currently discussing the standardization of the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), which serves as an interface connecting third-party applications with the RAN.

[0003] However, in the working group discussions, the focus has been on initiatives using RAN information, which is not significantly different from the discussions on SON (Self-organizing Network). As a result, the functionality of RIC, xAPP (external application), has not been fully utilized.

[0004] Technologies related to O-RAN are disclosed, for example, in the following: [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] US11569398B1 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] O-RAN.WG1.OAD-R003-v10.00 [Non-patent document 2] O-RAN.WG2.Non-RT-RIC-ARCH-R003-v04.00 [Non-patent document 3] O-RAN.WG3.E2GAP-R003-v04.01 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] One O-RAN technology is a beam tracking system that allows vehicles to follow beams in V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communications. However, beam tracking systems have low accuracy in estimating the vehicle's future position when the road is curved or the vehicle's speed changes, making it difficult to accurately track the beam.

[0008] Therefore, one disclosure provides a beam tracking system that uses O-RAN and can perform beam tracking with high accuracy for a mobile communication device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The system is constructed using O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network), and includes an acquisition unit that acquires mobile information including measured position information measured by a mobile communication device every first hour via a first wireless communication that can be connected over a wide area, an estimation unit that performs an estimation process that uses the measured position information and road information to estimate an estimated position of the mobile communication device after a second time period that is shorter than the first time period has elapsed, a control device that has a determination unit that determines a beam radiation pattern according to the estimated position and a control unit that controls the device to radiate a beam in the determined beam radiation pattern after the second time period has elapsed, and a radiation device that radiates a beam to the mobile communication device in accordance with control by the control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] One disclosure uses O-RAN to enable highly accurate beam tracking for mobile communication devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beam tracking system 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the control device 300. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beam tracking system 10 configured using O-RAN. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an example of a sequence of a beam control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [First embodiment] A first embodiment will be described.

[0013] <Configuration example of beam tracking system 10> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a beam tracking system 10. The beam tracking system 10 is a system that emits a beam to a mobile communication device, such as an automobile, equipped with a wireless communication device. The beam tracking system 10 is used, for example, for automatic driving of automobiles, and emits a beam containing driving instructions (e.g., the vehicle's moving direction, speed, cooperative recognition information, etc.) and road information to the automobile. The automobile that receives the beam follows the instructions of the beam or determines driving instructions from the road information, and performs automatic driving. The beam is composed of, for example, millimeter waves.

[0014] The beam tracking system 10 includes, for example, a network constructed using O-RAN. The beam tracking system 10 includes an automobile 100, roadside units 200-1 and 200-2 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as roadside units 200), a control device 300, a base station device 400, and a network 500.

[0015] The automobile 100 is equipped with a wireless communication device, receives a beam emitted by the roadside device 200, and performs wireless communication with the base station device 400.

[0016] A plurality of roadside units 200 are installed at the edge of the road, and are devices that radiate beams toward the automobile 100.

[0017] The control device 300 is a device that controls the beam emitted by the roadside device 200, and is, for example, a computer or a server machine.

[0018] The base station device 400 is a communication device that supports wide-area communication such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), and is, for example, an eNodeB or a gNodeB.

[0019] The beam tracking system 10 emits a beam toward the destination of the automobile 100. The control device 300 acquires position information of the automobile 100 at regular intervals and estimates the position of the automobile at shorter intervals (shorter than the regular intervals). The automobile 100 is assumed to be wirelessly connected to the base station device 400 (C1) and to be in a state where communication is possible. The control device 300 acquires position information from the automobile 100 via the base station device 400.

[0020] 1, for example, it is assumed that at a certain time, automobile 100 moves from the position of automobile 100-a to the position of automobile 100-b. When automobile 100 is at the position of automobile 100-a, control device 300 controls roadside unit 200-1 to radiate beam B1 to the position of automobile 100-a.

[0021] The control device 300 estimates that the position where the automobile 100 will be at the next timing is the position of the automobile 100-b. The control device 300 switches the roadside unit 200 that emits the beam from the roadside unit 200-1 to the roadside unit 200-2, and controls the roadside unit 200-2 to emit the beam B2 to the position of the automobile 100-b.

[0022] This allows the automobile 100 to receive an appropriate beam at its destination.

[0023] <Configuration example of control device 300> 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 300. The control device 300 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 310, a storage 320, a memory 330, a first communication circuit 340, and a second communication circuit 341.

[0024] The storage 320 is an auxiliary storage device that stores programs and data, such as a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage 320 stores a beam control program 321 and road information 322.

[0025] The memory 330 is an area into which the programs stored in the storage 320 are loaded. The memory 330 may also be used as an area in which the programs store data.

[0026] The first communication circuit 340 is a device that is wirelessly connected to and performs wireless communication with the base station device 400. The control device 300 acquires vehicle information (movement information) including position information from the automobile 100 via the first communication circuit 340.

[0027] The second communication circuit 341 is a wireless communication device that receives a beam emitted from the roadside device 200. The control device 300 acquires the beam via the second communication circuit 341 and obtains information contained in the beam.

[0028] The CPU 310 is a processor that loads a program stored in the storage 320 into the memory 330, executes the loaded program, configures each unit, and realizes each process.

[0029] The CPU 310 executes the beam control program 321 to configure a control unit, a determination unit, an acquisition unit, and an estimation unit, and to perform beam control processing. The beam control processing is processing to receive vehicle information, repeatedly estimate the position of the automobile 100 a predetermined time after the current position information, and control the roadside unit 200 to emit a beam to the estimated position (in the direction of the position).

[0030] The CPU 310 constructs an acquisition unit and performs vehicle information acquisition processing by executing the vehicle information acquisition module 3211 included in the beam control program 321. The vehicle information acquisition processing is processing for acquiring (receiving) vehicle information from the automobile 100 via the base station device 400.

[0031] The CPU 310 constructs an estimation unit and performs vehicle position estimation processing by executing a vehicle position estimation module 3212 included in the beam control program 321. The vehicle position estimation processing is processing for estimating the position of the automobile 100 after a predetermined time from current position information (or the previously estimated position).

[0032] The CPU 310 executes the beam tracking control module 3213 included in the beam control program 321 to configure a control unit and a determination unit and perform beam tracking control processing. The beam tracking control processing is processing for controlling the roadside unit 200 so that the roadside unit 200 emits a beam at an appropriate timing relative to the estimated position (or the actual measured position of the position information).

[0033] The road information 322 is information about the road on which the automobile 100 is currently traveling. The road information includes, for example, information about the curvature and elevation of the road, and may also include information about the road surface condition and construction work. The road information 322 may be updated regularly or irregularly.

[0034] <Example of O-RAN application of beam tracking system 10> The following describes the application of O-RAN to the beam tracking system 10. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the beam tracking system 10 configured with O-RAN.

[0035] The beam tracking system 10 to which O-RAN is applied includes a vehicle 100, an O-RU 200, an O-DU 201, an O-CU 202, a near-real time RIC 300 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as RIC 300), a V2X Apps 401, and an O-eNB 400.

[0036] The vehicle 100 is a mobile communication device equipped with a wireless communication device, and corresponds to an automobile 100.

[0037] O-RU 200 is a wireless communication device that constitutes O-RAN, is a device that emits millimeter wave beams, and corresponds to roadside unit 200. In Fig. 3, there is one O-RU 200, but multiple O-RUs 200 may be connected to one O-DU 201.

[0038] The O-DU 201 is a radio control device that constitutes the O-RAN, and is a device that controls the subordinate O-RU 200 and emits beams. In Fig. 3, there is one O-DU 201, but multiple O-DUs 201 may be connected to one RIC 300.

[0039] The RIC 300 is a device that controls the beam emitted by the O-RU 200 and corresponds to the control device 300. The RIC 300 connects to the O-DU 201 via the E2 interface and performs beam control. The RIC 300 also connects to the V2X Apps 401 via the Y1 interface or A1 interface to acquire vehicle information or mapping information that maps vehicle information to road information.

[0040] The V2X Apps 401 is a group of applications or a second control device that controls V2X communication, and is, for example, a computer or server machine that stores applications. The V2X Apps 401 controls V2X communication. The V2X Apps 401 may be included in the RIC 300, for example. When the functions are divided between the RIC 300 and the V2X Apps 401, information such as road information and some of the functions of the control device 300 may be included in the V2X Apps 401. The V2X Apps 401 connects to the O-eNB 400 and acquires vehicle information.

[0041] The O-eNB 400 is a base station device that constitutes the O-RAN, and corresponds to the base station device 400. The O-eNB 400 performs wireless communication with the vehicle 100 and receives vehicle information.

[0042] The RIC300 has xApp31. xApp31 is an application or group of applications that perform beam control. In beam control, xApp31 instructs the beam unit 21 of the O-DU201 on the shape, direction, emission timing, etc. of the beam (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the emission pattern). The O-DU201 selects an appropriate O-RU200 (according to the emission direction and position) to emit a beam according to the instruction, and instructs the O-RU200 to emit the beam.

[0043] <Beam control processing sequence> 4 shows an example of a sequence of a beam control process. Vehicle 100 transmits a CAM (Cooperative Awareness Message) every 100 msec (milliseconds), for example (S100, S200). The CAM is a message that vehicle 100 periodically transmits and includes vehicle information. The vehicle information includes position information actually measured by the vehicle. The vehicle information may also include information regarding the vehicle's moving speed and moving direction.

[0044] When the V2X Apps 401 receives the CAM (S100), it performs mapping processing (S101). The mapping processing is a process of mapping the vehicle's position information to road information. By performing this processing, the V2X Apps 401 (or the RIC 300) can recognize where the Vehicle 100 is located on the road.

[0045] The V2X Apps 401 transmits a beam control instruction including mapping information and vehicle information to the RIC 300 (S102). Upon receiving the beam control instruction (S102), the RIC 300 performs beam tracking processing (S103).

[0046] The beam tracking process S103 is a process that is performed, for example, at predetermined time intervals, and is a process that radiates (causes radiation of) a beam that tracks the Vehicle 100 at predetermined time intervals. For example, when the RIC 300 receives vehicle information every 100 msec, the RIC 300 executes the beam tracking process S103 at intervals of 10 msec, which is shorter than 100 msec.

[0047] The RIC300 performs a position prediction process in the beam tracking process S103 (S104). The position prediction process S104 is a process for estimating the position of the Vehicle 100 after a predetermined time using the position information, movement speed, movement direction, and road information or mapping information included in the vehicle information. Note that the position prediction process S104 also estimates the movement direction and movement speed after the predetermined time in order to execute the next position prediction process S104. In the next position prediction process S104, the RIC300 estimates the position after a predetermined time from the time of the previous estimation using the previously predicted estimated position, estimated movement direction, and estimated movement speed. Furthermore, if the vehicle information does not include the movement speed or movement direction, the RIC300 may estimate the movement speed and movement direction from the difference between the previously acquired actual position information and the currently acquired actual position information.

[0048] In addition, in the first beam tracking process S103 upon receiving the beam control instruction, the RIC 300 may use the position information or mapping information included in the vehicle information as is without executing the position prediction process S104. That is, the RIC 300 may be able to estimate the position every 10 msec from 10 msec to 90 msec, during which the actual position cannot be acquired, for example, in the 100 mesc interval at which the CAM is transmitted.

[0049] Next, in the beam tracking process S103, the RIC 300 performs a beam radiation pattern determination process (S105). The RIC 300 determines the beam pattern according to the estimated position after a predetermined time (or the current measured position).

[0050] Next, the RIC 300 transmits a beam control instruction including the determined beam pattern, radiation timing, etc. to the O-DU 201 (S106).

[0051] When O-DU201 receives a beam control instruction (S106), it selects an O-RU200 according to the radiation direction, position, etc., and transmits a beam radiation instruction including the beam radiation pattern, etc. to the selected O-RU200 at an appropriate timing (e.g., the timing at which the beam is desired to be emitted) (S107).

[0052] Upon receiving the beam emission instruction (S107), O-RU 200 emits a beam of the instructed beam pattern toward vehicle 100 (S108).

[0053] When the RIC 300 completes the first beam tracking process S103, it executes the second beam tracking process S103. In the position prediction process S104 in the second and subsequent beam tracking processes S103, the previous estimated position is used instead of the position information included in the vehicle information to perform position estimation. The RIC 300 repeatedly executes the beam tracking process S103 (10 times) until the timing at which the next CAM is received (100 msec later), and repeats beam tracking of the Vehicle 100.

[0054] Then, when the next CAM is transmitted from the vehicle 100 (S200), the RIC 300 repeats the beam tracking process S103 again.

[0055] In this way, combining O-RAN with wide-area communications such as LTE enables beam tracking at intervals shorter than the CAM transmission interval. Furthermore, since CAM can periodically obtain location information, estimation is periodically repeated from the correct position, improving the accuracy of location estimation compared to repeated estimation.

[0056] In the beam tracking system 10, for example, in addition to the control performed by a device or APPs that control conventional V2X communication, the RIC 300 has a beam control function that targets even shorter periods. This allows beam tracking to be performed at intervals shorter than the intervals at which beams could be emitted according to the actual measured position in conventional V2X communication (for example, between CAM transmissions). Note that, although position estimation and beam tracking are performed in 10 msec increments in the above embodiment, the unit time may be changed depending on the communication speed and processing capacity of the constructed system.

[0057] [Other embodiments] The beam control process is not limited to the example sequence of Fig. 4. For example, when the RIC 300 acquires vehicle information, it may estimate a position every 10 msec up to 100 msec ahead, determine a beam radiation pattern according to each estimated position, and transfer the beam radiation pattern and / or estimated position information to the O-DU 201. In this case, the O-DU 201 controls the radiation of a beam toward the estimated position at each timing (every 10 msec) in accordance with the beam radiation pattern according to the timing.

[0058] Furthermore, for example, the V2X Apps 401 may obtain an estimated position every 10 msec from the RIC 300 and perform mapping processing. In this case, the V2X Apps 401 transmits the result of the mapping processing to the RIC 300. Upon receiving the result of the mapping processing, the RIC 300 performs position estimation at the next timing.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, beam control at the timing of CAM transmission may be performed by V2X Apps 401 using measured position information. In this case, RIC 300 performs position estimation and beam control during the period from one CAM transmission to the next CAM transmission. As a result, even if there is a system that controls beams based on measured position information, for example, by installing a beam control application in RIC 300, it is possible to perform beam control based on estimated positions at times when measured position information is not available. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10: Beam tracking system 21: Beam section 100: Automobiles 200: Roadside machine 300: Control device 310: CPU 320: Storage 321: Beam control program 3211: Vehicle information acquisition module 3212: Vehicle position estimation module 3213: Beam tracking control module 322: Road information 330: Memory 340: First communication circuit 341: Second communication circuit 400:Base station equipment 500: Network

Claims

1. A system built on O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network), an acquisition unit that acquires, at intervals of a first time, movement information including actual position information measured by the mobile communication device via a first wireless communication that can be connected over a wide area; an estimation unit that performs an estimation process to estimate an estimated location of the mobile communication device after a second time period that is shorter than the first time period has elapsed, using the measured position information and road information; a determination unit that determines a beam radiation pattern according to the estimated position; a control device having a control unit that controls the beam to be emitted in the determined beam emission pattern after the second time has elapsed; a radiation device that radiates a beam to the mobile communication device in response to control by the control device; Beam tracking system.

2. In the estimation process, the estimation unit uses the estimated position and the road information to estimate the position of the mobile communication device when the second time has elapsed, and repeats the estimation process until the first time has elapsed and the next measured position information is acquired. The beam tracking system of claim 1 .

3. the movement information includes information regarding a movement speed and a movement direction of the mobile communication device; the estimation unit uses the moving speed and the moving direction in the estimation process, and further estimates an estimated moving speed and an estimated moving direction of the mobile communication device after the second time has elapsed; In the repeated estimation process, the estimated moving speed and the estimated moving direction are used.

3. The beam tracking system of claim 2.

4. the control device is a Near-Real Time RIC with a beam control application; The radiation device is an O-DU, which controls the subordinate O-RU to radiate a beam. The beam tracking system of claim 1 .

5. Further, a second control device is provided, The second control device has the road information and is capable of controlling the beam at the first time interval. The beam tracking system of claim 1 .

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