Radio power feeding object device, MEC device, and system

Abstract

To provide a system in which the lower power consumption of wirelessly chargeable object devices can be attained, and authentication for the object devices can be executed.SOLUTION: A system comprises one or more wirelessly chargeable object devices, a base station, and an MEC device. Each object device includes an IC device storing unique identification information which can identify the object device, and transmits the unique identification information stored in the IC device to the MEC device via the base station. The MEC device stores plural unique identification information used for authentication for each of the plural wirelessly chargeable object devices, receives the unique identification information from the object devices via the base station, and executes authentication for the object devices based on the received unique identification information and the stored unique identification information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to authentication of a target device such as a terminal device capable of being wirelessly powered. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known a communication system in which communication is performed between a base station (communication relay device) and a terminal device using at least some of a plurality of radio resources set in a radio frame (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 164220 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Among terminal devices that communicate by connecting to communication relay devices such as base stations and wireless LAN access point devices in conventional communication systems are portable terminal devices that primarily use power supplied from an internal battery. These terminal devices require the cumbersome task of charging the internal battery when the remaining battery power is low. Furthermore, terminal devices that use power supplied from a wired power line rather than an internal battery are limited to use in locations where such a power line is available. Thus, a power supply infrastructure capable of supplying power to various terminal devices that communicate by connecting to communication relay devices such as base stations has not yet been established.

[0005] In particular, in fifth-generation and subsequent next-generation communication systems, a rapid increase in terminal devices (e.g., user devices, IoT devices, etc.) that communicate by connecting to communication relay devices such as base stations and wireless LAN access points is expected, and the development of communication infrastructure to handle the huge amount of traffic is underway. However, a power supply infrastructure capable of supplying power to the huge number of terminal devices that communicate as described above remains underdeveloped.

[0006] As one of the power supply infrastructures, a wireless power transmission system has been considered, which supplies power to a target device such as a terminal device via an electromagnetic wave beam having a directivity toward the target device. This wireless power transmission system has the problem of reducing the power consumption of the target device that can be wirelessly powered and of authenticating the target device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A system according to one aspect of the present invention is a system for wireless power supply. The system includes one or more target devices capable of wireless power supply, a base station capable of communicating with the target devices and wirelessly supplying power to the target devices, and an MEC device capable of communicating with the target devices via the base station. The target devices have an IC device storing unique identification information capable of identifying the target devices, and the unique identification information stored in the IC device is transmitted to the MEC device via the base station. The MEC device stores multiple unique identification information capable of identifying each of multiple target devices capable of wireless power supply, receives the unique identification information from the target devices via the base station, and authenticates the target devices based on the unique identification information received from the target devices and the stored unique identification information.

[0008] In the system, the MEC device may acquire, for the plurality of target devices, object-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device, and the unique identification information, and for a specific target device that has been successfully authenticated, generate power supply control information for forming a beam with the base station antenna to wirelessly supply power to the plurality of target devices based on the object-related information, and transmit the power supply control information to the base station. The base station may receive the power supply control information from the MEC device, form the beam based on the power supply control information, and transmit a transmission signal for wireless power transmission to the specific target device via the beam.

[0009] In the system, the target-related information may include at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information may include beam direction indication information that indicates the direction of the beam.

[0010] In the system, the specific target device that has been successfully authenticated may be a plurality of target devices, and the beam direction instruction information may include a priority heat map that can identify positions of the plurality of target devices and priorities of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices. Here, the MEC device may assign a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each of users of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information, and create the priority heat map based on position information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the plurality of users.

[0011] In the system, the target-related information may include information on a plurality of tokens issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each user of the plurality of target devices for using a power supply service, information on a remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices. Here, the MEC device may assign the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices.

[0012] The system may include a plurality of MEC devices, and each of the plurality of MEC devices may transfer and record usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station corresponding to the MEC device to the target device to a distributed ledger constructed in a blockchain network system or a server provided in a core network of a mobile communication network or an external network.

[0013] In the system, a blockchain network system may be constructed that includes multiple sets of the base station and the MEC device, and the multiple MEC devices are connected, and a distributed ledger may be constructed in the blockchain network system using the computer areas of the multiple MEC devices.

[0014] A target device capable of being wirelessly powered according to another aspect of the present invention comprises an IC device storing unique identification information capable of identifying the target device, and a means for transmitting the unique identification information stored in the IC device to an MEC device via a base station.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an MEC device is capable of communicating with one or more target devices capable of being wirelessly powered via a base station, and includes: means for storing a plurality of unique identification information for identifying each of the plurality of target devices capable of being wirelessly powered; means for receiving, from the target device via the base station, the unique identification information stored in an IC device of the target device; and means for authenticating the target device based on the unique identification information received from the target device and the stored unique identification information.

[0016] The MEC device may include a means for acquiring, for the plurality of target devices, target-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device, and the unique identification information; a means for generating, for a specific target device that has been successfully authenticated, power supply control information for forming a beam with the base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information; and a means for transmitting the power supply control information to the base station.

[0017] In the MEC device, the target-related information includes at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information may include beam direction indication information that indicates the direction of the beam.

[0018] In the MEC device, the specific target devices that have been successfully authenticated may be multiple target devices, the beam direction instruction information may include a priority heat map that can identify the positions of the multiple target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the multiple target devices, and the MEC device may include: a means for assigning a weight to each of the multiple specific target devices or each user of the multiple specific target devices based on the target-related information; and a means for creating the priority heat map based on position information of each of the multiple specific target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the multiple specific target devices or each of the multiple users.

[0019] In the MEC device, the target-related information includes information on a plurality of tokens for using a power supply service issued to each of the plurality of specific target devices or to each user of the plurality of specific target devices, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of specific target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of specific target devices, and the MEC device may be provided with a means for assigning the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of specific target devices.

[0020] The MEC device may be provided with a means for transferring and recording usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station corresponding to the MEC device to the plurality of target devices to a distributed ledger constructed in a blockchain network system or a server provided in a core network of a mobile communication network or an external network.

[0021] In the MEC device, the computer area of ​​the MEC device may be used to build a distributed ledger in a blockchain network system to which multiple MEC devices are connected.

[0022] The program used to generate the power supply control information (beam direction instruction information), assign the weights, and create the priority heat map may be a trained model created by machine learning. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of a target device to which power can be supplied wirelessly and to authenticate the target device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a schematic overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of various information transmitted and received in terminal authentication and base station antenna control in the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a procedure for terminal authentication and base station antenna control in the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the amplitude and phase of a signal supplied to each antenna element of a base station antenna in the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received between a blockchain network (BCN) system, an MEC device, and a target device (IoT terminal) in a method of terminal authentication, weight assignment, and priority heat map creation in a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of terminal authentication in the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of terminal authentication in the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of wireless power transmission to a target device (IoT terminal) via a blockchain network (BCN) system, an MEC device, and a base station in a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a blockchain network (BCN) system and a distributed ledger in a system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The system according to the embodiment described herein is a wireless power transmission system that can effectively supply power to each of multiple target devices (e.g., IoT terminals) through cooperation between a blockchain network (BCN) system or server, a base station of a mobile communication network that can communicate with target devices (e.g., IoT terminals, IoT tags), and an MEC device. The system of this embodiment can effectively supply power to each of the multiple target devices by directing a wireless power transmission beam (hereinafter also referred to as a "WPT beam") to each of the multiple target devices. Furthermore, the system of this embodiment can realize a power supply service that can supply power to multiple target devices in real time with low latency by using autonomous distributed control with the MEC device. Furthermore, the system of this embodiment can provide an autonomous distributed base station in which multiple base stations that can autonomously supply power to multiple target devices are distributed by using autonomous distributed control with the MEC device.

[0026] In particular, the system of the embodiment is configured such that the target device 30 is equipped with an IC device (authentication IC) 350 that stores unique identification information (unique ID) that can identify the target device 30 that is permitted to use the wireless power supply service, and the MEC device 20, which is an external device (external resource), authenticates the target device 30 based on the unique identification information (unique ID) received from the target device 30 via the base station 10, thereby reducing the power consumption of the target device 30 and also functioning as an authentication system that can authenticate the target device 30.

[0027] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the overall schematic configuration of a system according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of various information transmitted and received during terminal authentication and base station antenna control in the system. The system according to this embodiment includes a cellular base station 10 that forms a communication area (cell) 10A, and an MEC device 20. The system according to this embodiment may further include a target device 30 that can connect to the base station 10 and communicate wirelessly with the base station 10 when present in the communication area 10A.

[0028] 1, 2, and the example systems in the figures described below, six target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2) are present in communication area (cell) 10A of base station 10, but the number of target devices 30 may be one to five, or seven or more. When multiple target devices need to be distinguished from one another, they are assigned identification numbers such as target devices 30(1) to 30(3), and when describing a single target device or matters common to multiple target devices, the identification numbers are not assigned.

[0029] The base station 10 is, for example, a base station (e.g., eNodeB, gNodeB) that complies with the standard of a mobile communication system such as the fifth generation currently used in mobile communications or the standard of a mobile communication system of a later generation (e.g., B5G (Beyond 5G) or 6G). The base station 10 has a function of performing DL (downlink) and UL (uplink) communications with the target device 30, as well as a function as a WPT wireless power transmission device for the target device 30, and therefore is also referred to as a "WPT mobile communication base station" in the following description of the embodiment. The wireless medium for communication between the base station 10 and the target device 30 and for WPT from the base station 10 to the target device 30 is, for example, microwave or millimeter wave radio waves.

[0030] The base station 10 includes a base station antenna 110 that can be used for wireless power transmission (WPT). For example, the base station antenna 110 is a large-aperture (e.g., several tens of cm x several tens of cm) antenna (rectenna array) having multiple antenna elements arranged two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. When wireless power transmission (WPT) is performed, the transmission power of each of the multiple antenna elements of the base station antenna (array antenna) 110 is, for example, several hundreds of μW to several tens of mW.

[0031] The base station antenna 110 may be configured with a single antenna or multiple antennas. The base station antenna 110 may be shared for data transmission with the target device 30 and for wireless power transmission (WPT) to the target device 30, or may be configured with a communication antenna used for data transmission with the target device 30 and a WPT antenna used for wireless power transmission (WPT) to the target device 30 provided separately.

[0032] The base station antenna (array antenna) 110 may also be used as an antenna device for performing communication with a plurality of target devices 30 using microwave or millimeter wave radio waves in a massive MIMO (mMIMO) transmission system.

[0033] All or part of the communication area (cell) 10A of the base station 10 is a wireless power transmission area (hereinafter referred to as the "WPT area") that can supply power via a focused beam 10B formed by beamforming from the base station 10 toward the target device 30. When the radio waves for power supply transmitted from the base station 10 toward the target device 30 located about 10 m away are millimeter waves, the electric field in the WPT area is a near field, not a far field.

[0034] The base station 10 receives object-related information about the target device 30 from the target device 30 through UL communication with the target device 30, and transfers the information to the MEC device 20. When a plurality of target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2) are present in a communication area (cell) 10A as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base station 10 receives object-related information about each target device 30 from the target device 30 through UL communication with each of the plurality of target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2), and transfers the information to the MEC device 20.

[0035] The target-related information includes, for example, information including at least one of status information of the target device 30 and status information of the user who owns the target device 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "terminal / user status information"), and unique identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "unique ID" or "terminal-unique ID") that can identify the target device 30. The status information of the target device 30 includes information such as location information of the target device 30, information on the remaining capacity of the rechargeable battery (cell) of the target device 30, and the number of tokens issued to the target device 30. The status information of the user includes information such as the number of tokens issued to the user.

[0036] The token is a token for using the WPT power supply service issued to the target device 30 or to each user of the target device 30. The token can be used as a billing element (a billable object) for the usage fee for using the WPT power supply service. The token may be an NFT (non-fungible token), which is non-fungible digital data on a blockchain.

[0037] The authentication of the target device 30 is, for example, authentication (terminal authentication) that verifies whether the target device 30 that has received the unique ID is a terminal device that has been registered in advance in the MEC device 20 as a device that is permitted to receive wireless power. Alternatively, the authentication of the target device 30 may be authentication (user authentication, administrator authentication, or operator authentication) that verifies whether the target device 30 that has received the unique ID is a device that has been registered in advance in the MEC device 20 as a device corresponding to a user, administrator, or operator that is permitted to receive wireless power.

[0038] The unique ID can be read from an IC device (hereinafter also referred to as "authentication IC") mounted on the target device 30 and transmitted to the MEC device 20 via the base station 10 by UL communication of the target device 30. The unique ID is unique identification information that is pre-stored in each of multiple authentication ICs that can be mounted on the target device 30 and that differs for each authentication IC. By incorporating an authentication IC that stores a unique ID into the target device 30, the unique ID can be used as unique identification information that differs for each target device.

[0039] The base station 10 may acquire location information of the target device 30 by transmitting and receiving signals via short-range communication with the target device 30 located in the vicinity of the base station 10, measuring the direction of the target device 30 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10, and identifying the location of the target device 30. Examples of wireless communication methods for short-range communication include the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) communication method and a communication method using ultra-wideband (UWB) radio waves as a wireless medium. UWB is a communication technology using weak radio waves in a wide band (e.g., a bandwidth of several hundred megahertz centered on an arbitrary frequency in the several-GHz band) and is defined in IEEE802.15.4. Furthermore, methods such as the Angle of Arrival (AoA) detection method and the Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) method may be used to measure the direction of the target device 30 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10.

[0040] The position of the target device 30 may be identified by capturing an image of the periphery of the base station 10 using a single or multiple cameras (imaging means) installed in the base station 10 and analyzing the captured image. For example, the angle of the direction of the target device 30 (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the target device 30 may be estimated on the image captured by the base station 10, and the position of the target device 30 may be identified based on the estimation result.

[0041] The base station 10 may acquire the location information of the target device 30 via a fixed terminal device (e.g., an IoT terminal or an IoT device) that is installed at known location coordinates in the vicinity of the target device 30 and is capable of communicating with the base station 10. The fixed terminal device, for example, transmits and receives signals via short-range communication with the target device 30 located in the vicinity of the fixed terminal device, and determines the location of the target device 30 by measuring the direction of the target device 30 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10. The fixed terminal device transmits the location information of the target device 30 to the base station 10.

[0042] The fixed terminal device has a first communication function for wirelessly communicating with the base station 10 using a first wireless communication method for mobile communication, and a second communication function for wirelessly communicating with the target device 30 using a second wireless communication method. The second wireless communication method is a short-range communication method such as the BLE communication method or a communication method using UWB (ultra-wideband) radio waves as the wireless medium. An IoT terminal or IoT device serving as the fixed terminal device is, for example, a fixed sensor (e.g., a temperature and humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a motion sensor, etc.). The fixed terminal device may be, for example, a fixed access point device with a wireless connection (e.g., a wireless LAN connection) fixedly placed within the communication area (cell) 10A or an area nearby, or a terminal equipment (UE) such as a smartphone serving as a mobile station for mobile communication and functioning as a master device for the target device (slave) 30.

[0043] The position of the fixed terminal device may be identified by capturing an image of the periphery of the base station 10 using a single or multiple cameras (imaging means) installed in the base station 10 and analyzing the captured image. For example, the angle of the direction of the fixed terminal device (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the fixed terminal device may be estimated on the image captured by the base station 10, and the position of the fixed terminal device may be identified based on the estimation result.

[0044] The MEC device 20 is a server (hereinafter also referred to as "MEC") having MEC (an abbreviation for "multi-access edge computing" or "mobile edge computing") functions that allocates computer resources near the base station 10 and processes various services. The MEC device 20 is connected, for example, to a node in a core network 40 of a mobile communication network or to a node on a path between the core network 40 and the base station 10. In the example of FIG. 1, the MEC device 20 is connected to a UPF (User Plane Function) 401 located on the base station side of the core network 40. The UPF 401 is a node on the U-plane that forwards user data packets. The MEC device 20 may be provided in a single base station or in each of multiple base stations.

[0045] The MEC device 20 has a function of performing authentication and status management for target devices 30 that can receive wireless power from the base station 10 (that can be wirelessly powered). For example, the MEC device 20 has a function (means) of pre-storing multiple unique IDs used for authenticating multiple target devices 30 that can be wirelessly powered, receiving the unique IDs from the target devices 30 via the base station 10, and authenticating the target devices 30 based on the unique IDs received from the target devices 30 and the unique IDs pre-stored in the MEC device 20.

[0046] The MEC device 20 may have, for example, a function of virtually performing authentication and status management for the target device 30 to which wireless power can be transmitted (power can be supplied) from the base station 10 (for example, a function as a virtual terminal management machine).

[0047] The MEC device 20 also has a WPT control function for controlling WPT power supply by wireless power transmission from the base station 10 to a target device. The WPT control includes, for example, acquiring and processing target-related information (e.g., terminal / user status information) regarding the target device 30 that is a target of WPT power supply, selecting the target device 30 that is a target of WPT power supply, and determining the scheduling of WPT power supply.

[0048] 1 and 2, the MEC device 20 acquires object-related information including a unique ID and terminal / user status information for each of multiple target devices 30(1) to 30(3), 30(n) to 30(n+2) via the base station 10, and authenticates each target device based on the object-related information. The MEC device 20 also forms beams 10B(1) and 10B(n) with the base station antenna 110, autonomously generates power supply control information for wirelessly supplying power to multiple specific target devices 30(1) to 30(3), 30(n) to 30(n+2) that have been successfully authenticated, and transmits the power supply control information to the base station 10. The power supply control information includes, for example, beam direction instruction information (e.g., a priority heat map, described later) that indicates the direction of the beams 10B(1) and 10B(n).

[0049] The base station 10 receives power supply control information from the MEC device 20, performs WPT beamforming to form beams 10B(1), 10B(n) based on the power supply control information, and transmits transmission signals for wireless power transmission to the plurality of specific target devices 30(1) to 30(3), 30(n) to 30(n+2) via the beams 10B(1), 10B(n).

[0050] 1 and 2, based on the location information of multiple target devices 30, multiple groups G(1), G(n) are formed as user groups each including multiple target devices located close to each other, and the base station antenna 110 of the base station 10 is controlled to form a beam 10B for each group G. For example, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first group G(1) is formed to include multiple target devices 30(1), 30(2), and 30(3) located close to each other, and the base station 10 forms a first beam 10B(1) toward the area of ​​group G(1). Furthermore, an nth group G(n) is formed to include multiple target devices 30(n), 30(n+1), and 30(n+2) located close to each other, and the base station 10 forms an nth beam 10B(n) toward the area of ​​group G(n).

[0051] In addition, the systems of Figures 1 and 2 may be equipped with a blockchain network (BCN) system 50 to which multiple MEC devices 20 can be connected, and a distributed ledger may be constructed in the BCN system 50 using the computer areas of the multiple MEC devices 20.

[0052] Here, the distributed ledger is a distributed ledger configured so that multiple nodes constituting a blockchain network (BCN) maintain the same database. In particular, the distributed ledger constructed in the BCN system 50 is a distributed ledger in which the order of any transaction and its collection of blocks is determined according to a predetermined algorithm, and each MEC device, which is a node of the BCN, recognizes the transaction as correct. The distributed ledger of a BCN is tamper-resistant because the blocks are linked by hash and all transaction records remain intact.

[0053] Each of the multiple MEC devices 20 can transfer and record usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station 10 corresponding to the MEC device 20 to the multiple target devices 30 in a distributed ledger constructed in the BCN system 50. The usage history information includes, for example, as shown in Table 1, the username of each user, the number of tokens owned by each user, the location of the IoT terminal 30 owned by each user, and the identification number of the group to which the IoT terminal 30 owned by each user belongs. [Table 1]

[0054] The usage history information of wireless power supply may be transferred to and recorded in an external server provided in the core network 40 of the mobile communication network or an external network. The external server may be a server configured with a single computer device, or may be a cloud server configured with multiple computers that can communicate with each other via a network.

[0055] The target device 30 is, for example, a terminal device (hereinafter also referred to as "UE" (user equipment)) serving as a mobile station in a mobile communication system. The target device 30 may be a combination of a communication device (e.g., a mobile communication module) capable of wireless communication with the base station 10 and various devices such as sensors (e.g., an IoT device, an IoT tag, etc.).

[0056] The target device 30 may be equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver such as a GPS, and may identify the position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the target device (own device) 30 based on the reception results of the receiver.

[0057] The target device 30 may transmit and receive signals between the base station 10, whose location is known, using a short-range communication method such as the aforementioned BLE communication method or a communication method using UWB (ultra-wideband) radio waves as a wireless medium, and measure the direction of the base station 10 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10 to identify the location of the target device (its own device) 30.

[0058] The target device 30 may identify the location information of the target device (own device) 30 via a fixed terminal device (e.g., an IoT device) installed at known position coordinates in the vicinity of the target device 30. The target device 30, for example, transmits and receives signals via short-range communication with one or more fixed terminal devices located in the vicinity of the target device 30, and identifies the location of the target device (own device) 30 by measuring the direction of the fixed terminal devices and the distance between the target device 30 and the fixed terminal devices.

[0059] The fixed terminal device may be, for example, an IoT device such as a fixed sensor (e.g., a temperature and humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a human presence sensor, etc.), a fixed access point device, or a terminal device (UE) such as a smartphone as a mobile station for mobile communications that functions as a parent device for the target device (child device) 30.

[0060] The position of the target device 30 may be identified by capturing an image of the periphery of the target device 30 using a single or multiple cameras (imaging means) provided on the target device (own device) 30 and analyzing the captured image. For example, the angle of the direction of the base station 10 (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the base station 10 may be estimated on the image captured by the target device 30, and the position of the target device (own device) 30 may be identified based on the estimation result. Alternatively, the angle of the direction of the fixed terminal device (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the fixed terminal device may be estimated on the image captured by the target device 30, and the position of the target device (own device) 30 may be identified based on the estimation result.

[0061] In the following embodiment, a case will be described in which the target device 30 is an IoT device (hereinafter also referred to as an "IoT terminal") that is a terminal device that can connect to the Internet via a base station 10 (the same applies to Figures 6 to 8 described later).

[0062] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a procedure for terminal authentication and control of the base station antenna 110 in the system according to the embodiment. The control procedure S100 of the base station antenna 110 shown in FIG. 3 includes a unique ID and status information acquisition step S110, a weight assignment step S120, a priority heat map creation step S130, and a WPT beam control step S140.

[0063] In the unique ID and status information acquisition step S110, the WPT / mobile communication base station 10 divides the multiple IoT terminals 30 present in the target communication area 10A into multiple groups (user groups) G(1), G(m), and G(n), and acquires, for each group, the unique ID of the IoT terminal 30 and terminal / user status information including location information of the IoT terminal 30. The terminal / user status information includes information on the remaining battery capacity of the IoT terminal 30 and the number of tokens held by the user who owns the IoT terminal 30.

[0064] In the example of FIG. 3, the position information of each IoT terminal 30 is expressed as coordinates (x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x n ,y n ),(x m ,y m ) has been obtained.

[0065] The location information may be information on the latitude, longitude, and altitude of each IoT terminal 30 measured (detected) based on reception results received by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver such as GPS incorporated in each IoT terminal. The location information of each IoT terminal 30 may also be location information acquired using the aforementioned UWB or BLE short-range communication between the base station 10 and the IoT terminal 30. The location information of each IoT terminal 30 may also be acquired by image recognition based on an image of the surroundings including the base station 10, etc., captured by a camera (imaging means) incorporated in each IoT terminal 30.

[0066] The WPT mobile communication base station 10 receives terminal / user status information including the unique ID of each IoT terminal 30 and the location information of each IoT terminal 30 from each IoT terminal 30 via UL communication of mobile communication with each IoT terminal 30, and transfers the information to the MEC device 20.

[0067] Next, in a weight assignment step S120, the MEC device 20 authenticates each IoT terminal 30 based on the unique ID received from each IoT terminal 30, assigns a weight W to multiple specific IoT terminals 30 that have been successfully authenticated (IoT terminals 30 that have been pre-registered in the MEC device 20) according to their status information (such as remaining battery power and the number of tokens owned by the corresponding user), and creates a weight list L that indicates the correspondence between the location information of each IoT terminal 30 and the weight W. Here, the weight W is an index value that indicates the priority of WPT power supply to the IoT terminal 30, and the larger the value of the weight W, the higher the priority of WPT power supply to the corresponding IoT terminal 30.

[0068] Next, in a priority heat map creation step S130, the MEC device 20 creates (generates) a priority heat map M based on the location information and weight information W of each IoT terminal. The priority heat map M is map data that can identify the locations of multiple IoT terminals (target devices) 30 and the priorities of wireless power transfer for the multiple IoT terminals 30. For example, the priority heat map M is a two-dimensional map that shows the locations of the IoT terminals 30 in each of multiple groups G(1), G(m), and G(n) and the distribution of priorities of power transfer targets for which each base station 10 forms a WPT beam. In the example of the priority heat map M shown in the figure, the priority f(x, y) of the power transfer target at each position (x, y) is indicated by the level of density. The MEC device 20 transmits the created priority heat map M to the WPT / mobile communication base station 10.

[0069] Next, in the WPT beam control step S140, the WPT mobile communication base station 10 controls the direction of the WPT beams 10B(1), 10B(m) and 10B(n) by controlling the phase and amplitude of the base station antenna 110 based on the priority heat map M received from the MEC device.

[0070] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 in a system according to this embodiment. The base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 has N antenna elements 110E(1) to 110E(N) arranged in a predetermined direction and at predetermined intervals. In the WPT beam control step S140 described above, the amplitude and phase of the signal supplied to each of the antenna elements 110E(1) to 110E(N) of the base station antenna 110 are controlled.

[0071] The base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 is constructed using a phased array antenna or a distributed cooperative antenna. A phased array antenna is an antenna that steers beams in any direction by adjusting the amplitude and phase of signals input to each of the antenna elements 110E(1) to 110E(N). A distributed cooperative antenna is an antenna that generates a hot spot in any area by adjusting the amplitude and phase of signals input to each of the antenna elements 110E(1) to 110E(N).

[0072] 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of information transmitted and received between a blockchain network (BCN) system 50, an MEC device 20, and a target device (IoT device) 30 in a method for terminal authentication, weight assignment, and priority heat map creation in a system according to an embodiment. The weight assignment and priority heat map creation method of FIG. 5 includes a token assignment step S210, a user-specific list generation step S220, a unique ID and status information transfer step S230 including remaining battery level information, a wait list and priority heat map generation step S240, and a transaction history information transfer and recording step S250. In the example of FIG. 5, the user-specific list generation step S220, the unique ID and status information transfer step S230, and the wait list and priority heat map generation step S240 are executed by a virtual terminal management machine implemented in the MEC device 20.

[0073] In a token granting step S210, the blockchain network (BCN) system 50 issues a token (e.g., an NFT) to each of multiple users 1 to n and distributes it to each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n) via the UPF 401 of the core network 40. The token (e.g., an NFT) is distributed, for example, according to the contribution of the user, the IoT terminal, or both to the blockchain network (BCN) system.

[0074] Next, in a user-specific list generation step S220, the MEC device 20 generates a user-specific list for each of the multiple users 1 to n. For each user, the user-specific list records, for each of the multiple IoT terminals to which the user is permitted to receive wireless power, a terminal-specific ID as identification information of the IoT terminal, the number of tokens granted to the IoT terminal, and information on the remaining battery capacity [%] of the IoT terminal, as shown in Table 2, for example. The remaining battery capacity information is updated when status information is acquired in the next step S230. [Table 2]

[0075] Next, in a unique ID and status information transfer step S230, the MEC device 20 acquires the terminal unique ID and terminal / user status information stored in the authentication IC 350 of the IoT terminal 30 from each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), 30(n) present in the communication area (cell) 10A of the WPT / mobile communication base station 10. The terminal / user status information includes the token ownership status (e.g., number of tokens) of each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), 30(n), remaining battery capacity information and location information of each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), 30(n).

[0076] Next, in a wait list / priority heat map generation step S240, the MEC device 20 generates an intra-cell terminal list for specific IoT terminals 30 whose terminal-specific IDs are pre-registered in the user-specific list of each user among the multiple IoT terminals 30 present in the cell of the target communication area 10A. Then, the MEC device 20 calculates a weight W to be assigned to the IoT terminals 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n) of each terminal-specific ID in the intra-cell terminal list. For example, if the terminal-specific IDs of the IoT terminals 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n) in FIG. 5 are included in the intra-cell terminal list, the MEC device 20 calculates the weight W to be assigned to each IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n) using the following equation (1) based on the terminal / user status information acquired from each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n). Furthermore, the MEC device 20 generates a wait list L in which the position information of the IoT terminals 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n) of each user is associated with a weight W.

number

[0077] Here, Nt is the number of tokens distributed to the IoT terminal of the target user, and N0 is the total number of tokens distributed to all IoT terminals 30 present in the communication area (cell) 10A. Also, Br is the remaining battery power of the target IoT terminal 30, and B0 is the total remaining battery power of all IoT terminals 30 present in the communication area (cell) 10A. Also, C1 is a coefficient for tokens, C2 is a coefficient for the remaining battery power, and α is an adjustment value for the weight W.

[0078] The MEC device 20 generates a priority heat map based on the wait list L, and transmits a WPT beam direction instruction and a WPT power transmission instruction including the priority heat map to the WPT / mobile communication base station 10. The WPT / mobile communication base station 10 generates an antenna element phase amplitude list, which is a list of phases and amplitudes to be applied to each antenna element of the base station antenna 110, based on the priority heat map received from the MEC device 20, and irradiates WPT radio waves to supply power to each IoT terminal via multiple beams.

[0079] Next, in step S250 of transferring and recording usage history information (transaction history information), the MEC device 20 transfers and records the usage history information of the WPT power supply service as transaction history information in the distributed ledger of the blockchain network (BCN) system 50.

[0080] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of terminal authentication in a system according to an embodiment. In FIG. 6, a WPT / mobile communication base station (hereinafter referred to as a "base station" in this example) 10 includes a base station antenna 110 configured by separately providing a communication antenna 111 and a WPT antenna 112. Each of the communication antenna 111 and the WPT antenna 112 is, for example, an array antenna having a large number of antenna elements. Furthermore, a plurality of base station antennas 110 may be arranged corresponding to a plurality of sector cells.

[0081] The base station 10 further includes a wireless communication unit 120 that transmits data to and from an IoT terminal 30 as a target device via a communication antenna 111, and a WPT power transmission unit 130 that transmits energy to the IoT terminal 30 via a WPT antenna 112 via wireless power transmission (WPT). The wireless communication unit 120 includes, for example, a communication signal processing unit and a wireless processing unit. The communication signal processing unit processes signals such as various user data and control information transmitted and received between the base station 10 and the IoT terminal 30. The wireless processing unit transmits a transmission signal generated by the communication signal processing unit to the IoT terminal 30 from the communication antenna 111, and outputs a received signal received from the IoT terminal 30 via the communication antenna 111 to the communication signal processing unit.

[0082] During downlink communication with multiple IoT terminals 30, the wireless communication unit 120 may perform beamforming (BF) control to form individual beams for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group in a target area to which multiple IoT terminals 30 belong. The BF control may be performed by digital BF control in the frequency domain in the communication signal processing unit, or by analog BF control in the wireless processing unit.

[0083] In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 120 transfers the object-related information received from the IoT terminal 30, including the unique ID and remaining battery level information, to the MEC device 20.

[0084] The WPT power transmitter 130 generates an antenna element phase amplitude list, which is a list of phases and amplitudes to be applied to each antenna element of the WPT antenna 112, based on, for example, power supply control information received from the MEC device 20 (for example, a WPT beam direction instruction and a power transmission instruction including the above-mentioned priority heat map), and irradiates WPT radio waves to supply power to each IoT terminal 30 via multiple beams formed by the WPT antenna 112. Note that the antenna element phase amplitude list may be generated by the MEC device 20 and transmitted to the WPT power transmitter 130 of the base station 10.

[0085] When transmitting energy (WPT transmission) to multiple IoT terminals 30, the WPT power transmitter 130 may perform beamforming (BF) control to form individual beams for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group in a target area to which the multiple IoT terminals 30 belong, and may perform energy transmission (WPT transmission) for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group. The BF control may be digital BF control in the frequency domain or may be analog BF control.

[0086] 6, the IoT terminal 30 includes a terminal antenna 310 configured by separately providing a communication antenna 311 and a WPT antenna 312. The communication antenna 311 and the WPT antenna 312 are each, for example, an array antenna having a large number of antenna elements.

[0087] The IoT terminal 30 further includes a wireless communication unit 320 that transmits data to and from the base station 10 via a communication antenna 311, a WPT power receiving unit 330 that receives wireless power transmission (WPT), which is energy transmission from the base station 10 via a WPT antenna 312, a battery 340 that can be charged with the electric energy received by the WPT power receiving unit 330, and a control unit 360 that has an authentication IC 350. The battery 340 supplies power to each unit in the terminal, such as the control unit 360.

[0088] The wireless communication unit 320 transmits a transmission signal generated by the communication signal processing unit to the base station 10 from the communication antenna 311, and outputs a received signal received from the base station 10 via the communication antenna 311 to the communication signal processing unit.

[0089] In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 320 transmits to the base station 10 the object-related information including the unique ID read from the authentication IC 350 of the control unit 360 and the remaining battery capacity information measured by the control unit 360.

[0090] The WPT power receiving unit 330 receives WPT radio waves transmitted from the base station 10. The WPT power receiving unit 330 also has, for example, a rectifier, and outputs the power of the received signal, which is a WPT signal received from the base station 10, as received power for charging the battery. The battery 340 can be charged by the received power output from the WPT power receiving unit 330.

[0091] The control unit 360 controls each unit in the terminal according to the execution content of an application program (hereinafter also referred to as "WPT application") for using a wireless power transmission (WPT) service that is executed in the application execution processing unit (application execution environment). The control unit 360 may also control each unit in the terminal according to the execution content of an external WPT application that is executed in an external device.

[0092] The control unit 360 can perform control such that, for example, the output voltage of the battery 340 is measured and the remaining charge of the battery 340 is estimated based on the measurement result. The control unit 360 can also perform control such that a unique ID pre-written in the authentication IC 350 is read and output as terminal identification information for identifying the IoT terminal 30. The unique ID and remaining charge information of the battery output from the control unit 360 are transmitted to the base station 10 via the wireless communication unit 320 and the communication antenna 311.

[0093] The authentication IC 350 may have the functions of the control unit 360. The authentication IC 350 may have any form (for example, a chip, a module, a device, a card, etc.). The authentication IC 350 may be detachable from the main body of the IoT terminal 30.

[0094] 6, the control unit 360 having the authentication IC 350 has a function of assigning a unique ID to the IoT terminal 30 in which the authentication IC 350 is mounted, and a function of measuring the output voltage of the battery 340 of the IoT terminal 30. These functions enable the authentication IC 350 to add individual information unique to the IoT terminal 30 to communication data to the MEC device 20 via the base station 10 while recognizing the status of the power supply / remaining battery capacity.

[0095] 6, the MEC device 20 has a function of performing terminal authentication for each IoT terminal 30 based on the unique ID received from each of the multiple IoT terminals 30 in the cell of the target area via the base station 10, and generating the above-mentioned all-terminal-in-cell list for a specific IoT terminal 30 that has been successfully authenticated. Furthermore, the MEC device 20 has a function of transmitting to the base station 10 a WPT power transmission instruction to form a WPT beam and wirelessly supply power to a specific IoT terminal 30 located in the cell of the target area based on the all-terminal-in-cell list. Furthermore, the MEC device 20 has a function of referring to the BCN system 50 (or an external server) information about the IoT terminals 30 that use the WPT power supply service and information about the users.

[0096] Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of terminal authentication in the system according to the embodiment. In the example of Fig. 7, the base station 10 and the IoT terminal 30 each have a communication / WPT antenna (shared antenna), and data transmission and energy transmission (WPT) between the base station 10 and the IoT terminal 30 are performed using time division multiplexing (TDM). In Fig. 7, parts that are common to Fig. 6 are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0097] In Fig. 7, a WPT / mobile communication base station (hereinafter referred to as "base station" in this example) 10 is equipped with a communication / WPT antenna (hereinafter referred to as "base station antenna" in this example) 110, which is used as both a communication antenna and a WPT antenna, as a base station antenna. The base station antenna 110 is, for example, an array antenna having a large number of antenna elements. Furthermore, a plurality of base station antennas 110 may be arranged corresponding to a plurality of sector cells.

[0098] The base station 10 further includes a wireless communication and WPT power transmission unit 140. The wireless communication and WPT power transmission unit 140 transmits data to and from the IoT terminal 30 as a target device via the base station antenna 110, and also transmits energy to the IoT terminal 30 via the base station antenna 110 via wireless power transmission (WPT).

[0099] The wireless communication and WPT power transmission unit 140 includes a communication signal processing unit and a wireless processing unit. The communication signal processing unit processes signals such as various user data and control information transmitted and received between the IoT terminal 30. The wireless processing unit transmits a transmission signal generated by the communication signal processing unit from the base station antenna 110 to the IoT terminal 30, and outputs a received signal received from the IoT terminal 30 via the base station antenna 110 to the communication signal processing unit.

[0100] The communication signal processing unit of the wireless communication / WPT power transmission unit 140 generates a downlink transmission signal including a WPT dummy signal using unused wireless resources among multiple wireless resources during downlink communication with the IoT terminal 30. The downlink transmission signal including the WPT dummy signal can be generated by modulating it using any modulation method. For example, the WPT dummy signal may be a signal modulated using a symbol point with the largest amplitude among multiple symbol points of a digital modulation method. Furthermore, the generation of the transmission signal may include primary modulation such as QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) and secondary modulation such as OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing modulation). The process of including a WPT dummy signal using unused wireless resources in the transmission signal for downlink communication with the IoT terminal 30 may be performed autonomously by the base station 10, or may be performed based on a request or instruction from the IoT terminal 30 or a request or instruction from the management server.

[0101] In addition, the wireless processing unit of the wireless communication / WPT power transmission unit 140 transmits a downlink transmission signal including the WPT dummy signal generated by the communication signal processing unit to the IoT terminal 30 via the base station antenna 110.

[0102] During downlink communication with the IoT terminals 30, the base station 10 may perform beamforming (BF) control to form individual beams for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group in a target area to which multiple IoT terminals 30 belong, and may perform wireless power transmission for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group. The BF control for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group may be performed using digital BF control in the frequency domain or analog BF control.

[0103] In addition, in this embodiment, the wireless communication and WPT power transmission unit 140 transfers the object-related information including the unique ID and remaining battery level information received from the IoT terminal 30 to the MEC device 20.

[0104] The wireless communication and WPT power transmission unit 140 generates an antenna element phase and amplitude list, which is a list of phases and amplitudes to be applied to each antenna element of the base station antenna 110, based on, for example, power supply control information received from the MEC device 20 (for example, a WPT beam direction instruction and a power transmission instruction including the above-mentioned priority heat map), and irradiates WPT radio waves to supply power to each IoT terminal 30 via multiple beams formed by the base station antenna 110. Note that the antenna element phase and amplitude list may be generated by the MEC device 20 and transmitted to the wireless communication and WPT power transmission unit 140 of the base station 10.

[0105] When transmitting energy (WPT transmission) to multiple IoT terminals 30, the wireless communication and WPT power transmission unit 140 may perform beamforming (BF) control to form individual beams for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group in a target area to which multiple IoT terminals 30 belong, and perform energy transmission (WPT transmission) for each IoT terminal 30 or for each terminal group. The BF control may be digital BF control in the frequency domain or may be analog BF control.

[0106] 7, the IoT terminal 30 includes a communication / WPT antenna (hereinafter referred to as "terminal antenna" in this example) 310 that is used as both a communication antenna and a WPT antenna. The terminal antenna 310 is, for example, an array antenna having a large number of antenna elements.

[0107] The IoT terminal 30 further includes a wireless communication unit 320, a WPT power receiving unit 330, a battery 340, a control unit 360 having an authentication IC 350, and a switch 390. The switch 390 is provided between the terminal antenna 310 and the wireless communication unit 320, and switches (switches paths) between the receiving path to the wireless communication unit 320 and the receiving path to the WPT power receiving unit 330 in synchronization with the timing of data transmission from the transmitting base station 10 in time division multiplexing (TDM) and the timing of energy transmission (WPT).

[0108] 7, the control unit 360 having the authentication IC 350 has a function of assigning a unique ID to the IoT terminal 30 in which the authentication IC 350 is mounted, and a function of measuring the output voltage of the battery 340 of the IoT terminal 30. These functions enable the authentication IC 350 to add individual information unique to the IoT terminal 30 to communication data to the MEC device 20 via the base station 10 while recognizing the status of the power supply / remaining battery capacity.

[0109] 7, the MEC device 20 has a function of performing terminal authentication for each IoT terminal 30 based on the unique ID received from each of the multiple IoT terminals 30 in the cell of the target area via the base station 10, and generating the above-mentioned all-terminal-in-cell list for a specific IoT terminal 30 that has been successfully authenticated. Furthermore, the MEC device 20 has a function of transmitting to the base station 10 a WPT power transmission instruction to form a WPT beam and wirelessly supply power to a specific IoT terminal 30 located in the cell of the target area based on the all-terminal-in-cell list. Furthermore, the MEC device 20 has a function of referring to the BCN system 50 (or an external server) information about the IoT terminals 30 that use the WPT power supply service and information about the users.

[0110] 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of wireless power transmission to a target device (IoT device) 30 via a blockchain network (BCN) system 50, an MEC device 20, and a base station 10 in a system according to an embodiment. In the example of FIG. 8, the MEC device 20 transmits usage history information (transaction history information) to the BCN system 50, but the usage history information (transaction history information) may also be transmitted to the external server described above.

[0111] 8, first, before starting a WPT power supply service to a user's IoT terminal 30, the MEC device 20 transmits a ledger information request and an update request to the BCN system 50 together with the latest usage history information (transaction history information) held by the MEC device (own device) 20 (S301). The BCN system 50 then updates the distributed ledger based on the usage history information (transaction history information) received from the MEC device 20 (S302) and transmits the updated ledger information to the MEC device 20 (S303). The MEC device 20 stores the ledger information received from the BCN system 50 in the MEC device (own device) 20.

[0112] Next, a loop is executed to use the WPT power supply service for the user's IoT terminal 30. In this loop, first, the MEC device 20 acquires terminal / user status information, including unique IDs (terminal identification information) and remaining battery capacity information, for multiple IoT terminals 30 located within a target communication area via the WPT / mobile communication base station 10 (S304 to S310). The MEC device 20 refers to a ledger (the above-mentioned user-specific list for each user) stored in the MEC device (own device) 20, and updates the ledger (the user-specific list for each user) based on the terminal / user status information, including the unique IDs, acquired from each IoT terminal 30 (S311).

[0113] Here, if the unique ID (terminal identification information) received from the IoT terminal 30 is not in the ledger (No in S312), the MEC device 20 may send terminal / user status information including the unique ID, a ledger information request, and an update request to the BCN system 50, and the BCN system 50 may update the distributed ledger based on the information received from the MEC device 20 (S313).

[0114] Next, the MEC device 20 performs authentication processing based on the unique ID acquired from each IoT terminal 30, and for multiple specific IoT terminals 30 that have been successfully authenticated, calculates a weight W for each IoT terminal 30 based on terminal / user status information including remaining battery capacity information acquired from the IoT terminal 30 and assigns the weight W to each IoT terminal 30 (S314), and creates and generates a priority heat map M for the target communication area based on the weight W assigned to each IoT terminal 30 and the location information of each IoT terminal 30 (S315).The MEC device 20 transmits the generated priority heat map M, a WPT beam direction instruction, and a WPT power transmission instruction to the WPT-mobile communication base station 10 as power supply control information at a timing specified by a predetermined schedule (S316).

[0115] Next, the WPT mobile communication base station 10 generates an antenna element phase amplitude list, which is a list of phases and amplitudes to be applied to each antenna element of the base station antenna 110, based on the priority heat map M received from the MEC device 20 (S317). Based on the generated antenna element phase amplitude list, the MEC device 20 sets the phase and amplitude of the signal to be input to each antenna element of the base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 during WPT power supply (S318), and irradiates WPT radio waves to supply power to each IoT terminal via multiple beams (S319).

[0116] The antenna element phase amplitude list may be generated by the MEC device 20 and transmitted to the WPT-mobile communication base station 10 together with a WPT beam direction instruction and a WPT power transmission instruction. In this case, the MEC device 20 sets the phase and amplitude of the signal to be input to each antenna element of the base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 during WPT power supply, based on the antenna element phase amplitude list received from the MEC device 20.

[0117] The MEC device 20 transmits a WPT beam direction instruction and a power transmission instruction including an antenna element phase amplitude list to the WPT-mobile communication base station 10, and then transmits a ledger information request and an update request together with the latest usage history information (transaction history information) to the BCN system 50 (S320). The BCN system 50 updates the distributed ledger based on the usage history information (transaction history information) received from the MEC device 20 (S321), and transmits the updated ledger information to the MEC device 20 (S322). Meanwhile, each IoT terminal 30 irradiated with WPT radio waves updates the terminal / user status information stored in the IoT terminal 30 (S323).

[0118] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a blockchain network (BCN) system 50 and a distributed ledger 60 in a system according to an embodiment. In the example of FIG. 7, an inter-MEC distributed network is constructed in which multiple MEC devices 20 corresponding to multiple base stations 10 can communicate with each other via the BCN system 50. The distributed ledger 60 constructed in the BCN system 50 is managed using blockchain technology such as Proof of Work / Proof of Stake. The distributed ledger 60 records terminal / user status information, such as location information and remaining battery level of an IoT device owned by a user, and the number of tokens distributed to the user (or the IoT device owned by the user). The blockchain network (BCN) system 50 and the distributed ledger 60 are maintained using the computing space of each MEC device 20. Each MEC device 20 autonomously generates a WPT priority heat map based on the distributed ledger 60. For each of the multiple MEC devices 20, the WPT antenna of the base station 10 corresponding to the MEC device 20 is controlled based on the WPT priority heat map generated by the MEC device 20.

[0119] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to perform authentication and status management for the target device 30 by mounting the IC device (authentication IC) 350 storing unique identification information (unique ID) in the target device 30 and performing terminal authentication based on the terminal identification information (unique ID) read from the IC device (authentication IC) 350. Moreover, the device additionally mounted in the target device 30 to store the unique identification information (unique ID) used for terminal authentication is the IC device (authentication IC) 350 that can reduce power consumption. Furthermore, since the terminal authentication process, which uses a large amount of computational resources, can be performed by the MEC device 20 rather than by the target device 30, it is possible to reduce power consumption of the target device 30.

[0120] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a beam 10B directed toward the target device 30 is formed based on target-related information including the location information of the target device 30, and WPT radio waves are irradiated via the beam 10B to supply power to the target device 30, thereby effectively supplying power to each of multiple specific target devices 30 that have been successfully authenticated by the MEC device 20.

[0121] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the control of the base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 that forms a beam that irradiates WPT radio waves to supply power to the target device 30 and the control of power supply from the base station 10 to the target device 30 can be performed autonomously by the MEC device 20 corresponding to the base station 10 without going through the core network 40, so it is possible to realize a power supply service that can supply power to multiple specific target devices 30 that have been successfully authenticated by the MEC device 20 in real time with low latency.

[0122] According to this embodiment, an autonomous distributed base station 10 can be provided in which multiple base stations 10 are distributed and can autonomously supply power to multiple specific target devices 30 that have been successfully authenticated by each MEC device 20, using a blockchain network (BCN) system 50 in which a distributed ledger is constructed that can record usage history information of WPT power supply for each target device from multiple MEC devices 20.

[0123] Furthermore, the present invention can effectively supply power to each target device in a power supply infrastructure that supplies power to a large number of target devices, thereby contributing to the achievement of Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to "build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and promote industrial and technological innovation."

[0124] The processing steps and components of the blockchain network system, MEC device, base station, relay device, target device, IC device (authentication IC), communication system, authentication system, and wireless power transmission system described in this specification can be implemented by various means. For example, these steps and components may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0125] Regarding hardware implementation, means such as processing units used to realize the above steps and components in an entity (e.g., various wireless communication devices, base station devices (Node B, Node G), terminal devices, hard disk drive devices, or optical disk drive devices) may be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described in this specification, computers, or combinations thereof.

[0126] Furthermore, with regard to firmware and / or software implementations, the means, such as a processing unit, used to realize the above components may be implemented with a program (e.g., code, such as procedures, functions, modules, instructions, etc.) that performs the functions described herein. In general, any computer / processor-readable medium tangibly embodying firmware and / or software code may be used to implement the means, such as a processing unit, used to realize the above steps and components described herein. For example, the firmware and / or software code may be stored in a memory and executed by a computer or processor, such as in a controller. The memory may be implemented within the computer or processor or external to the processor. Furthermore, the firmware and / or software code may be stored in a computer- or processor-readable medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, floppy disk, compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), magnetic or optical data storage device, etc. The code may be executed by one or more computers or processors and may cause the computers or processors to perform certain aspects of the functionality described herein.

[0127] The medium may be a non-transitory recording medium. The program code may be in any format as long as it can be read and executed by a computer, processor, or other device or machine. For example, the program code may be in any of source code, object code, and binary code, or may be a mixture of two or more of these codes.

[0128] Moreover, the description of the embodiments disclosed herein is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 10:Base station 10A: Communication area 10B: Beam 20:MEC device 30: Target device (IoT terminal) 40: Core Network 50: Blockchain network system 110: Base station antenna (array antenna)

Claims

1. A system for wireless power supply, one or more target devices capable of being wirelessly powered; a base station capable of communicating with the target device and wirelessly supplying power to the target device; an MEC device capable of communicating with the target device via the base station; The target device is an IC device storing unique identification information that can identify the target device; transmitting the unique identification information stored in the IC device to the MEC device via the base station; The MEC device is storing a plurality of unique identification information pieces capable of identifying each of a plurality of target devices to which power can be wirelessly supplied; receiving the unique identification information from the target device via the base station; performing authentication of the target device based on the unique identification information received from the target device and the stored unique identification information; A system characterized by:

2. 10. The system of claim 1, The MEC device is acquiring, for the plurality of target devices, target-related information including at least one of information about the target devices and information about users of the target devices, and the unique identification information; generating power supply control information for forming a beam with the base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information for the specific target device that has been successfully authenticated; transmitting the power supply control information to the base station; The base station receiving the power supply control information from the MEC device; forming the beam based on the power supply control information, and transmitting a transmission signal for wireless power transmission to the specific target device via the beam; A system characterized by:

3. In the system of claim 2, the target-related information includes at least one of status information of each of the plurality of target devices and status information of each of the users of the plurality of target devices; The power supply control information includes beam direction instruction information that indicates a direction of the beam. A system characterized by:

4. In the system of claim 3, the specific target device that has been successfully authenticated is a plurality of target devices, the beam direction instruction information includes a priority heat map capable of identifying positions of the plurality of target devices and priorities of wireless power feeding to the plurality of target devices; The MEC device is assigning a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the users of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information; creating the priority heat map based on location information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on weights assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the plurality of users; A system characterized by:

5. In the system of claim 4, the target-related information includes information on a plurality of tokens issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each user of the plurality of target devices for use of a power supply service, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices; the MEC device assigns the weight based on information on the plurality of tokens and information on remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices; A system characterized by:

6. A target device that can be wirelessly powered, an IC device storing unique identification information capable of identifying the target device; means for transmitting the unique identification information stored in the IC device to an MEC device via a base station; A target device comprising:

7. An MEC device capable of communicating with one or more target devices capable of being wirelessly powered via a base station, a means for storing a plurality of unique identification information items capable of identifying each of a plurality of target devices capable of being wirelessly powered; means for receiving, from the target device via the base station, unique identification information stored in an IC device of the target device; means for authenticating the target device based on the unique identification information received from the target device and the stored unique identification information; An MEC device comprising:

8. The MEC apparatus of claim 7, means for acquiring, for the plurality of target devices, target-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device, and the unique identification information; a means for generating power supply control information for forming a beam with the base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information for the specific target device that has been successfully authenticated; means for transmitting the power supply control information to the base station; An MEC device comprising:

9. The MEC device of claim 8, the target-related information includes at least one of status information of each of the plurality of target devices and status information of each of the users of the plurality of target devices; The power supply control information includes beam direction instruction information that indicates a direction of the beam.

1. An MEC device characterized by:

10. The MEC device of claim 9, the specific target device that has been successfully authenticated is a plurality of target devices, the beam direction instruction information includes a priority heat map capable of identifying positions of the plurality of target devices and priorities of wireless power feeding to the plurality of target devices; The MEC device is a means for assigning a weight to each of the plurality of specific target devices or each of the users of the plurality of specific target devices based on the target-related information; means for creating the priority heat map based on location information of each of the plurality of specific target devices and information on weights assigned to each of the plurality of specific target devices or each of the plurality of users; 1. An MEC device characterized by:

11. The MEC device of claim 10, the target-related information includes information on a plurality of tokens for using a power supply service issued to each of the plurality of specific target devices or each of users of the plurality of specific target devices, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of specific target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of specific target devices; the MEC device includes means for assigning the weight based on information on the plurality of tokens and information on remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of specific target devices; 1. An MEC device characterized by:

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