Control apparatus, communication system, control method, and storage medium

Abstract

To provide a control device capable of performing dynamic operation according to a communication state.SOLUTION: The control device includes monitoring means and deployment control means. The monitoring means monitors a communication network composed of a plurality of communication devices and acquires a communication state which is a state of the communication network. The arrangement control means performs control so that at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server for storing the plurality of functional components in which functions made into software are made into components is arranged in at least one of the plurality of communication devices according to the communication state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a communication device in a communication system. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, software-implemented functions are modularized into multiple components. Furthermore, the communication system disclosed in Patent Document 1 realizes its functions by having multiple communication devices connected to a network execute each of the components. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 024307 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, software functional components are pre-installed in the communication device, making it difficult to dynamically operate the communication system in accordance with the communication situation.

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and is to provide a control device, a communication system, a control method, and a program that are capable of dynamic operation according to the communication situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control device according to the present disclosure includes a monitoring means for monitoring a communication network made up of a plurality of communication devices and acquiring a communication status, which is the state of the communication network, and a deployment control means for controlling, according to the communication status, the deployment of at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server that stores a plurality of functional components whose software-implemented functions are modularized, in at least one of the plurality of communication devices.

[0007] The communication system according to the present disclosure comprises a plurality of communication devices, a component server storing a plurality of functional components in which software-implemented functions have been modularized, and a control device, wherein the control device comprises a monitoring means for monitoring a communication network made up of the plurality of communication devices and acquiring a communication status which is the state of the communication network, and a deployment control means for controlling, according to the communication status, so that at least one of the plurality of functional components stored in the component server is deployed in at least one of the plurality of communication devices, and the communication devices operate the deployed functional component.

[0008] The control method disclosed herein monitors a communication network consisting of multiple communication devices, acquires a communication status, which is the state of the communication network, and, depending on the communication status, performs control so that at least one of multiple functional components stored in a component server that stores multiple functional components whose software-implemented functions are modularized is deployed in at least one of the multiple communication devices.

[0009] The program according to the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the steps of monitoring a communication network consisting of a plurality of communication devices, acquiring a communication status that is the state of the communication network, and controlling, according to the communication status, to deploy at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server that stores a plurality of functional components whose software-implemented functions have been modularized, to at least one of the plurality of communication devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a control device, a communication system, a control method, and a program that are capable of performing dynamic operation according to the communication situation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method executed by the control device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a parts server according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method executed by a control device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a case where a functional component is added to a communication device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a case where a functional component is deleted in a communication device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method executed in the control device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a specific example of a communication system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 illustrates a specific example of a communication system according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, in each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary. In addition, although the following description will be made using drawings, a drawing used in the description of a certain embodiment does not apply only to that embodiment. Each drawing may be applied to all embodiments.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control device 1 according to the present disclosure. The control device 1 has a monitoring unit 12 and a deployment control unit 14. The monitoring unit 12 functions as a monitoring means. The deployment control unit 14 functions as a deployment control means.

[0014] The control device 1 may be realized by a computer such as a server. The control device 1 may also be realized by, for example, cloud computing. The control device 1 may also be realized by, for example, multiple computers connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other. The components of the control device 1 may also be distributed and realized on multiple computers. In other words, the computer that realizes the monitoring unit 12 and the computer that realizes the deployment control unit 14 may be physically separate. The functions of each of the multiple components may also be realized by multiple computers.

[0015] 2 is a flowchart showing a control method executed by the control device 1 according to the present disclosure. The monitoring unit 12 monitors the communication network and acquires the communication status (step S12). Here, the communication network is made up of a plurality of communication devices. In the communication network, the plurality of communication devices are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. The communication network may be a mesh network. In other words, the plurality of communication devices may configure a communication network that is a mesh network by each of the plurality of communication devices being connected to one or more other communication devices.

[0016] A communication device may provide communication services to one or more terminal devices. The terminal device may include a user terminal and an access point. The terminal device may include fixed terminals such as fixed telephones and PCs (Personal Computers), and mobile terminals such as mobile phones and smartphones. The communication device may be, for example, an edge device or an edge server. In this case, the communication device and the communication network may be realized by MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing). The communication device may have the functions of a core network device (e.g., MME (Mobility Management Entity) etc.) that constitutes a core network, the functions of a router switch, and the functions of an access device (e.g., base station and termination device etc.).

[0017] In addition, in the present disclosure, a "communication state" refers to the state of a communication network. The communication state includes the state of the entire communication network and the state of each communication device. Specific examples of the communication state will be described later.

[0018] The deployment control unit 14 controls the deployment of the functional components stored in the component server to the communication devices according to the communication state (step S14). In the present disclosure, a "functional component" is a component obtained by modularizing a software-implemented function. A functional component may include a function that can be realized by hardware but is realized by software. A functional component may be a software function that has been containerized. In other words, a functional component may be a container. A functional component relates to a function that can be executed by each of multiple communication devices. Furthermore, the component server stores multiple functional components. The functional components may be stored in the component server in advance, for example, by a software developer or operator. Specific examples of functional components will be described later.

[0019] The deployment control unit 14 controls the deployment of at least one of the multiple functional components stored in the component server to at least one of the multiple communication devices according to the communication state. Note that "a functional component is deployed to a communication device" includes distributing the functional component to the communication device so that the function related to the functional component can be executed by the communication device. In other words, each of the multiple communication devices executes the function of the functional component deployed therein. In other words, each of the multiple communication devices operates the functional component deployed therein.

[0020] As described above, the control device 1 according to the present disclosure is configured to monitor a communication network and acquire a communication status. The control device 1 according to the present disclosure is also configured to perform control so that functional components stored in a component server are deployed to a communication device according to the communication status. This configuration enables the control device 1 according to the present disclosure to flexibly deploy functional components to a communication device according to the communication status of the communication network. Therefore, the control device 1 according to the present disclosure can perform dynamic operation according to the communication situation.

[0021] A communication system including the control device 1, multiple communication devices, and parts servers can also perform dynamic operation according to the communication situation. Also, a control method executed by the control device 1 can also perform dynamic operation according to the communication situation. Also, a program that executes the control method can also perform dynamic operation according to the communication situation.

[0022] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, in each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary. The system according to the second embodiment corresponds to the specific example of the first embodiment described above.

[0023] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication system 20 according to the present disclosure. The communication system 20 includes a communication network 30, a parts server 50, a plurality of terminal devices 60, and a control device 100. The communication network 30 also includes a plurality of communication devices 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, and so on. That is, the communication network 30 is configured by a plurality of communication devices 40. Note that the number of communication devices 40 configuring the communication network 30 is arbitrary.

[0024] The communication device 40, the parts server 50, the terminal device 60, and the control device 100 each have a function as a computer, for example. The control device 100 is communicably connected to the parts server 50 via a wired or wireless network. The control device 100 is communicably connected to the communication network 30. In other words, the control device 100 is communicably connected to each of the multiple communication devices 40 that make up the communication network 30 via a wired or wireless network. Each of the multiple terminal devices 60 is communicably connected to at least one of the multiple communication devices 40 via a wired or wireless network.

[0025] The terminal device 60 corresponds to the terminal device described in the first embodiment above. The terminal device 60 may be, for example, a user terminal. The terminal device 60 may also be, for example, an access point that provides a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The terminal device 60 may also be a fixed terminal such as a fixed telephone or a PC (Personal Computer). The terminal device 60 may also be a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a smartphone.

[0026] The communication network 30 corresponds to the communication network described in the first embodiment above. The communication device 40 corresponds to the communication device described in the first embodiment above. In the communication network 30, a plurality of communication devices 40 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication. The communication network 30 may be a mesh network. That is, the plurality of communication devices 40 may configure a mesh network by each of the plurality of communication devices 40 being connected to one or more other communication devices 40. For example, the communication device 40A may be connected to the communication devices 40B, 40C, and 40D. Furthermore, for example, the communication device 40B may be connected to the communication devices 40A and 40C.

[0027] The communication device 40 may be, for example, an edge device or an edge server. The communication device 40 provides a communication service to a terminal device 60 connected thereto according to the access type of the terminal device 60 (fixed communication, mobile communication, etc.). The communication device 40 provides a service related to fixed communication to the terminal device 60, which is a fixed terminal. For example, the communication device 40 may provide a wired network through wired communication to the terminal device 60, which is a fixed terminal. Fixed communication includes, for example, communication through a metal line or communication through an optical line. Furthermore, the communication device 40 provides a service related to mobile communication to the terminal device 60, which is a mobile terminal. For example, the communication device 40 may provide a wireless network through wireless communication to the terminal device 60, which is a mobile terminal. Mobile communication includes, for example, communication through 4G, 5G, or local 5G.

[0028] It should be noted here that the communication device 40 according to the present disclosure is not a dedicated device that can provide only a certain communication service. That is, the communication device 40 may be different from a dedicated device for fixed communication that can provide only fixed communication but not mobile communication. Also, the communication device 40 may be different from a dedicated device for mobile communication that can provide only mobile communication but not fixed communication. The communication device 40 according to the present disclosure may be a general-purpose device that can provide any communication service.

[0029] Furthermore, the communication device 40 may only have the minimum necessary functions when it starts operating. Then, in the operation stage, the communication device 40 becomes able to newly execute a required function by deploying (adding) the required function according to the communication situation. Specifically, by deploying a functional component stored in a component server 50 (described later), the communication device 40 becomes able to execute a function corresponding to the functional component. In other words, by deploying a functional component stored in the component server 50, the communication device 40 operates the deployed functional component.

[0030] The component server 50 corresponds to the component server described in the first embodiment. The component server 50 stores a plurality of functional components. Each of the functional components stored in the component server 50 is a component obtained by modularizing a software-implemented function. The functional component may include a function that can be implemented in hardware but is implemented in software. Furthermore, each of the functional components stored in the component server 50 relates to a function that can be executed by each of the plurality of communication devices 40. Therefore, the function of the functional component stored in the component server 50 can be commonly executed by each of the plurality of communication devices 40. In other words, when the functional component stored in the component server 50 is deployed in each of the plurality of communication devices 40, it can be operated by that communication device 40. In other words, it should be noted that the function of the functional component stored in the component server 50 is not executable only by a specific device. Furthermore, each of the plurality of functional components may relate to a single function that can be executed by each of the plurality of communication devices 40. Furthermore, the component server 50 may store functional components that can execute functions that can be executed not only by the communication device 40 but also by the control device 100.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a component server 50 according to the present disclosure. The component server 50 includes a functional component storage unit 50a, an instruction receiving unit 50b, and a functional component distribution unit 50c. The functional component storage unit 50a may be implemented, for example, by a storage device. The functional component storage unit 50a stores one or more common communication functional components 52, one or more fixed communication functional components 54, one or more mobile communication functional components 56, and one or more additional functional components 58. Note that the functional components illustrated in FIG. 4 are merely examples. Therefore, it should be noted that the functional components stored in the component server 50 are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0032] The common communication function components 52 are components related to functions common to a plurality of communication devices 40, which may need to be executed regardless of the communication service according to the access type provided by the communication device 40. The common communication function components 52 include components for executing, for example, a packet protocol termination function, a QoS (Quality of Service) function, or an encryption function. Note that the packet protocol termination function related to voice packets may be, for example, a function related to RTP (Realtime Transport Protocol) or RTCP (RTP Control Protocol), etc.

[0033] The fixed communication function component 54 is a component related to a function for providing fixed communication. The fixed communication function component 54 includes, for example, a component for executing a fixed system voice codec function or a voice echo canceller function. The fixed system voice codec function may be, for example, a function related to G.711 or the like.

[0034] The mobile communication function component 56 is a component related to a function for providing mobile communication. The mobile communication function component 56 includes, for example, a component for executing a mobile voice codec function. Note that the mobile voice codec function may be, for example, a function related to AMR-NB (Adaptive Multi-Rate-Narrowband) or the like.

[0035] The additional function component 58 is a component related to a function for providing an additional service. The additional function component 58 may be, for example, a component related to an MEC function. The additional function component 58 includes, for example, a component for executing a voice translation function, a voice transcription function, a voice authentication function, a face authentication function, a face recognition function, or an object recognition function. The additional function component 58 may also include a component for monitoring the communication network 30 in the control device 100.

[0036] The instruction receiving unit 50b receives a deployment instruction for deploying the functional components stored in the functional component storage unit 50a in the communication device 40. The deployment instruction may be received from the control device 100, which will be described later. The deployment instruction may include identification information of the functional components to be deployed in the communication device 40.

[0037] The functional component distribution unit 50c extracts the functional component indicated in the deployment instruction from the functional component storage unit 50a and transmits it to the control device 100. For example, if the deployment instruction indicates one of the fixed communication functional components 54, the functional component distribution unit 50c may transmit the fixed communication functional component 54 to the control device 100. Upon receiving the functional component from the component server 50, the control device 100 transmits the functional component to the communication device 40 in which the functional component should be deployed. Note that the functional component distribution unit 50c may transmit the functional component directly to the communication device 40 in which the functional component should be deployed. In this case, the deployment instruction may include identification information of the communication device 40 in which the functional component should be deployed and identification information of the functional component to be deployed in the communication device 40.

[0038] When the communication device 40 deploys a common communication function component 52 stored in the component server 50, the communication device 40 performs processing to enable execution of a function related to the common communication function component 52. This allows the communication device 40 to operate the common communication function component 52. Furthermore, when the communication device 40 deploys a fixed communication function component 54 stored in the component server 50, the communication device 40 performs processing to enable execution of a function related to the fixed communication function component 54. This allows the communication device 40 to operate the fixed communication function component 54. Furthermore, when the communication device 40 deploys a mobile communication function component 56 stored in the component server 50, the communication device 40 performs processing to enable execution of a function related to the mobile communication function component 56. This allows the communication device 40 to operate the mobile communication function component 56. Furthermore, when the communication device 40 deploys an additional function component 58 stored in the component server 50, the communication device 40 performs processing to enable execution of a function related to the additional function component 58. This allows the communication device 40 to operate the additional function component 58.

[0039] The control device 100 corresponds to the control device 1 shown in FIG. 1. The control device 100 may be, for example, a server. The control device 100 may be, for example, a session management server. The control device 100 may be, for example, a control node. The control device 100 may be, for example, a resource controller. The control device 100 may also be, for example, an information terminal such as a PC. The control device 100 may also be realized by, for example, cloud computing. The control device 100 may also be realized by, for example, multiple computers connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. Each component of the control device 100, which will be described later, may also be realized by multiple computers. The control device 100 controls the operation of each of the multiple communication devices 40 and the operation of the parts server 50.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a control device 100 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 100 includes, as its main hardware components, a control unit 102, a storage unit 104, a communication unit 106, and an interface unit 108 (IF; Interface). The control device 100 may also include a smart NIC 110 (S-NIC: Network Interface Card) and a GPU 112 (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 102, the storage unit 104, the communication unit 106, the interface unit 108, the smart NIC 110, and the GPU 112 are interconnected via a data bus or the like. The communication device 40, the parts server 50, and the terminal device 60 described above may also have the hardware configuration of the control device 100 illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0041] The control unit 102 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), for example. The control unit 102 functions as a calculation device that performs control processing, calculation processing, etc. The control unit 102 may have multiple processors.

[0042] The storage unit 104 is a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk. The storage unit 104 is, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM). The storage unit 104 has a function for storing control programs, calculation programs, etc. executed by the control unit 102. In other words, the storage unit 104, which is a memory or the like, stores one or more instructions. The storage unit 104 also has a function for temporarily storing processing data, etc. The storage unit 104 may include a database. The storage unit 104 may also have multiple memories.

[0043] The communication unit 106 performs processing necessary for the control device 100 to communicate with other devices via a network. The communication unit 106 may include a communication port, a router, a firewall, and the like.

[0044] The interface unit 108 (IF; Interface) is, for example, a user interface (UI). The interface unit 108 has an input device such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a mouse, and an output device such as a display or a speaker. The interface unit 108 may have a display device. The interface unit 108 may be configured such that the input device and the output device are integrated, such as a touch screen or a touch panel. The interface unit 108 accepts a data input operation by a user such as an operator or worker, and outputs information to the user. The interface unit 108 may display the above-mentioned communication status in response to a user operation. Furthermore, the interface unit 108 may display the type (identification information) of a functional component stored in the above-mentioned component server 50 in response to a user operation. Furthermore, the interface unit 108 may accept an operation by a user to select a functional component.

[0045] The smart NIC 110 may include the functions of the control unit 102, the storage unit 104, and the communication unit 106 described above. The GPU 112 may have better performance than the control unit 102. The GPU 112 may be included in the control unit 102. Note that the control device 100 does not necessarily have to include the smart NIC 110. Similarly, the control device 100 does not necessarily have to include the GPU 112.

[0046] 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a control device 100 according to the present disclosure. The control device 100 includes, as components, a functional component acquisition unit 120, a function implementation processing unit 122, a monitoring unit 130, a functional component determination unit 140, a deployment control unit 150, a resource determination unit 160, and a transfer control unit 170.

[0047] As described above, the control device 100 does not need to be configured as a single physical device. In this case, the above-described components may be realized by multiple physically separate devices.

[0048] The functional component acquisition unit 120 functions as a functional component acquisition means. The function realization processing unit 122 functions as a function realization processing means. The monitoring unit 130 functions as a monitoring means. The functional component determination unit 140 functions as a functional component determination means. The deployment control unit 150 functions as a deployment control means. The resource determination unit 160 functions as a resource determination means. The transfer control unit 170 functions as a transfer control means. Using these components, the control device 100 according to the present disclosure controls the deployment of functional components stored in the component server 50 to the communication device 40 according to the communication state.

[0049] Each of the above-described components can be realized, for example, by executing a program under the control of the control unit 102. More specifically, each component can be realized by the control unit 102 executing a program (instructions) stored in the storage unit 104. Alternatively, each component may be realized by recording a necessary program on an arbitrary non-volatile recording medium and installing it as needed. Each component may not necessarily be realized by software programs, but may also be realized by a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. Each component may also be realized by a user-programmable integrated circuit, such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or a microcomputer. In this case, a program consisting of each of the above-described components may be realized using this integrated circuit.

[0050] The functional component acquisition unit 120 acquires functional components from the component server 50. The functional component acquisition unit 120 may acquire functional components related to functions for realizing each constituent element of the control device 100 from the component server 50. For example, the functional component acquisition unit 120 acquires functional components by downloading the functional components from the component server 50. Alternatively, the functional component acquisition unit 120 may acquire functional components by adding on functional components from the component server 50. For example, the functional component acquisition unit 120 may acquire functional components (second functional components) related to functions for realizing the monitoring unit 130 from the component server 50. Note that the communication device 40 may also have substantially the same functions as the functional component acquisition unit 120.

[0051] The function realization processing unit 122 performs processing to make the functional components acquired from the component server 50 feasible. Specifically, the function realization processing unit 122 performs installation processing or setup processing on the functional components, which are software, to make the functional components feasible. This enables the control device 100 to realize the functions related to the functional components. In other words, the functional components are deployed in the control device 100. For example, the function realization processing unit 122 performs processing to make the functional components related to the function for realizing the monitoring unit 130 (second functional components) feasible. This causes the control device 100 to operate the functional components related to the monitoring unit 130, which will be described later, and the function of the monitoring unit 130 is realized.

[0052] The communication device 40 may also have substantially the same functions as the function realization processing unit 122. Therefore, the communication device 40 can realize the functions related to the functional components by performing an installation process or the like on the functional components delivered to the communication device 40 by downloading or the like. In other words, the communication device 40 can operate the functional components.

[0053] The monitoring unit 130 corresponds to the monitoring unit 12 shown in FIG. 1. The monitoring unit 130 monitors the communication network 30 and acquires the communication status. Therefore, the monitoring unit 130 can function as a communication status acquisition unit (communication status acquisition means). The monitoring unit 130 may monitor the communication network by operating a functional component (second functional component) related to the function for realizing the monitoring unit 130. This also applies to other components. With this configuration, one of the communication devices 40 that constitute the communication network 30 and are general-purpose devices can be used as the control device 100. Therefore, it is not necessary to previously deploy the control device 100 as a dedicated device.

[0054] Alternatively, the function of the monitoring unit 130 may be provided in advance in the control device 100. In other words, the control device 100 may be a dedicated device. In this case, the control device 100 may not have the above-mentioned functional component acquisition unit 120 and function realization processing unit 122. It should be noted that in the present disclosure, the communication device 40 has substantially the same functions as the above-mentioned functional component acquisition unit 120 and function realization processing unit 122.

[0055] The monitoring unit 130 monitors the communication network 30 and each of the multiple communication devices 40 to acquire various communication states. For example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, information on functional components installed in each communication device 40. For example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, various logs (e.g., access logs) of each communication device 40. For example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, the access type of the terminal device 60 that is accessing or attempting to access each communication device 40. For example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, the number of terminal devices 60 that are accessing or attempting to access each communication device 40. For example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, a request from a communication device 40. Note that the request from a communication device 40 may include, for example, information on functional components that need to be installed in the communication device 40. For example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, a connection request from a terminal device 60. The connection request may indicate, for example, that a wireless connection is desired but there is no communication device 40 nearby that can be connected wirelessly.

[0056] Furthermore, for example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, traffic information, which is information on traffic (communication traffic, etc.) occurring in the communication device 40. Note that the traffic information may indicate the type of traffic (wireless communication, wired communication, etc.) and the amount of data transmitted in the traffic. Furthermore, for example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, the resource usage status of each communication device 40. Note that the resource usage status may indicate the usage rate of a hardware device (CPU, memory, etc.) of the communication device 40, or may indicate the load status of a functional component. Furthermore, for example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, the communication load. Note that the communication load may be the ratio of usage to the maximum communication capacity. Furthermore, for example, the monitoring unit 130 may acquire, as the communication state, the communication quality of each communication device 40. The communication quality may include, for example, a bit error ratio (BER) or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0057] The functional component determination unit 140 uses the acquired communication status to determine the functional components that should be deployed for each of the multiple communication devices 40. Specifically, the functional component determination unit 140 uses the acquired communication status to determine the functional components that need to be deployed for each of the multiple communication devices 40. Furthermore, the functional component determination unit 140 uses the acquired communication status to determine the functional components that do not need to be deployed for each of the multiple communication devices 40.

[0058] The functional component determination unit 140 may determine functional components that need to be deployed in each communication device 40 in response to an operation by the operator. In this case, the functional component determination unit 140 may display the acquired communication status on the interface unit 108, which is a display, so that the operator can visually confirm it. Furthermore, when the operator performs an operation to select a functional component on the interface unit 108 for each communication device 40, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine functional components that need to be deployed in each communication device 40 by accepting the selection operation. For example, the functional component determination unit 140 may display a selection screen for functional components that need to be deployed on the interface unit 108 using a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Then, when the operator performs a selection operation for a functional component on the selection screen, the functional component determination unit 140 may accept the selection operation. In this way, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine functional components that need to be deployed. Furthermore, the functional component determination unit 140 may use a GUI to cause the interface unit 108 to display a selection screen for functional components that are already deployed in the communication device 40 but are not currently required. When the operator performs a selection operation for a functional component on the selection screen, the functional component determination unit 140 may accept the selection operation. In this way, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine functional components that do not need to be deployed.

[0059] Alternatively, the functional component determination unit 140 may automatically determine functional components that need to be deployed in each communication device 40, without requiring an operator's operation. In this case, if a communication state includes a request for a functional component from a communication device 40, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine that the communication device 40 needs to be deployed with that functional component. Furthermore, if the communication state includes a connection request, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine that a functional component corresponding to the access type of the terminal device 60 related to the connection request needs to be deployed in a communication device 40 near the terminal device 60. Note that the "communication device 40 near the terminal device 60" refers to a communication device 40 that is close enough to be able to transmit and receive radio waves to and from the terminal device 60. Furthermore, if there is no terminal device 60 accessing a certain communication device 40 using a certain access type, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine that the communication device 40 does not need to be deployed with a functional component related to that access type.

[0060] Furthermore, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine functional components that need to be deployed in each communication device 40 using a trained model trained by a machine learning algorithm based on the communication state. In this case, the trained model may be generated by learning to use data indicating the communication state as input and to output types of functional components that need to be deployed in the communication device 40. Furthermore, the functional component determination unit 140 may determine functional components that do not need to be deployed in each communication device 40 using a trained model trained by a machine learning algorithm based on the communication state. In this case, the trained model may be generated by learning to use data indicating the communication state as input and to output types of functional components that do not need to be deployed in the communication device 40.

[0061] The deployment control unit 150 corresponds to the deployment control unit 14 shown in Fig. 1. The deployment control unit 150 controls the deployment of functional components stored in the component server 50 to the communication devices 40 according to the communication state. In other words, the deployment control unit 150 controls the deployment of at least one of the multiple functional components stored in the component server 50 to at least one of the multiple communication devices 40 according to the communication state.

[0062] The deployment control unit 150 performs control so that functional components determined to need to be deployed are added to each of the multiple communication devices 40. Specifically, the deployment control unit 150 transmits a deployment instruction to the communication device 40 in which the functional component is to be deployed, indicating that the function of the functional component transmitted to the communication device 40 is to be realized. More specifically, the deployment control unit 150 transmits a deployment instruction to the communication device 40 in which the functional component is to be deployed, which is an instruction to install the function related to the transmitted functional component. As a result, the functional component stored in the component server 50 is deployed to the communication device 40, and the communication device 40 can operate the functional component.

[0063] For example, consider a case where it is determined that the mobile communication functional component 56 needs to be deployed in the communication device 40A. In this case, as a first example, the deployment control unit 150 may acquire the functional component to be deployed in the communication device 40 from the component server 50, and transmit the acquired functional component to the communication device 40. Specifically, the deployment control unit 150 may acquire the mobile communication functional component 56 from the component server 50. Then, the deployment control unit 150 may transmit (distribute) the acquired mobile communication functional component 56 to the communication device 40A together with a deployment instruction.

[0064] As a second example, the deployment control unit 150 may instruct the component server 50 to transmit a functional component to be deployed in the communication device 40 to the communication device 40. Specifically, the deployment control unit 150 may instruct the component server 50 to transmit (distribute) a mobile communication functional component 56 to the communication device 40A. Then, the deployment control unit 150 may transmit to the communication device 40A a deployment instruction indicating that the communication device 40A should install a function related to the mobile communication functional component 56 transmitted from the component server 50. The deployment control unit 150 may transmit this deployment instruction to the communication device 40A via the component server 50.

[0065] As a third example, the deployment control unit 150 may instruct the communication device 40 to acquire, for example, by downloading or adding in, a functional component to be deployed in the communication device 40 from the component server 50. Specifically, the deployment control unit 150 may transmit, to the communication device 40A, a deployment instruction to download a mobile communication functional component 56 from the component server 50 and install a function related to the mobile communication functional component 56.

[0066] Furthermore, the deployment control unit 150 controls the deletion of functional components determined to be unnecessary for deployment in each of the plurality of communication devices 40. Specifically, the deployment control unit 150 transmits a deletion instruction to the communication device 40, indicating that the unnecessary functional component is to be deleted. More specifically, the deployment control unit 150 transmits a deletion instruction to the communication device 40 from which the deployed functional component is to be deleted, instructing the communication device 40 to uninstall the function related to the functional component. For example, consider a case in which it is determined that the deployment of a mobile communication functional component 56 in communication device 40B is unnecessary. In this case, the deployment control unit 150 may transmit a deletion instruction to communication device 40B indicating that the mobile communication functional component 56 is to be uninstalled. With this configuration, functional components that are unnecessary for deployment in the communication device 40 are deleted, thereby reducing the load on the communication device 40.

[0067] The resource determination unit 160 determines, for each of the multiple communication devices 40, whether a shortage of resources used in communication for processed traffic is occurring, based on the communication state. The resource determination unit 160 may determine, for each of the multiple communication devices 40, whether a shortage of resources is occurring, based on the communication state indicating the resource usage status or the communication load. Here, the resources may include, for example, the hardware resources of the communication device 40. The resources may also include, for example, the CPU processing speed, memory capacity, storage capacity, network line transmission capacity, and communication bandwidth of the communication device 40. The resource determination unit 160 may determine that a shortage of resources is occurring for certain traffic when the resource usage rate of the communication device 40 for that traffic is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. The resource determination unit 160 may also determine that a shortage of resources is occurring for certain traffic when a communication delay is occurring in the communication device 40 for that traffic. For example, the resource determination unit 160 may determine that a shortage of resources is occurring for that traffic when the communication speed of the communication device 40 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, when the communication load for a certain traffic is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the resource determining unit 160 may determine that a shortage of resources for that traffic has occurred.

[0068] The transfer control unit 170 performs control based on the communication state so as to transfer at least a portion of traffic processed by a functional module installed in one of the plurality of communication devices 40 to another communication device 40 that is arranged near the communication device 40 and in which the functional module is installed. Note that "another communication device 40 arranged near a certain communication device 40" refers to a communication device 40 that is close enough to the certain communication device 40 that traffic can be transferred from the certain communication device 40 to the other communication device 40. For example, "another communication device 40 arranged near a certain communication device 40" may be a communication device 40 that is directly connected to the certain communication device 40. Furthermore, for example, "another communication device 40 arranged near a certain communication device 40" may be another communication device 40 that can communicate with a terminal device 60 that is communicating with the certain communication device 40.

[0069] Here, one of the multiple communication devices 40 is defined as a first communication device, and at least one communication device 40 located near the first communication device is defined as a second communication device. A functional component that processes traffic in the first communication device is defined as a first functional component, and the first functional component is deployed in the second communication device. In this case, the transfer control unit 170 performs control based on the communication state to transfer at least a portion of the traffic processed by the first functional component deployed in the first communication device to the second communication device.

[0070] Also, suppose that the resource determination unit 160 determines that a resource shortage occurs in the first communication device. In this case, the transfer control unit 170 performs control so that at least a portion of the traffic processed by the first communication device is transferred to the second communication device. For example, the transfer control unit 170 controls the first communication device so that at least a portion of the traffic processed by the first communication device is transferred (relayed) to the second communication device without being processed by the first communication device. Then, the transfer control unit 170 controls the second communication device so that at least a portion of the transferred traffic is processed. In this way, the transfer control unit 170 can share resources between the first communication device and the second communication device. Therefore, resource shortages can be suppressed. Furthermore, load imbalances in the communication network 30 can be reduced.

[0071] Note that, when the resource determination unit 160 determines that the second communication device does not have a resource shortage, the transfer control unit 170 may perform control to transfer at least a portion of the traffic processed by the first communication device to the second communication device. That is, the transfer control unit 170 may perform control to transfer at least a portion of the traffic processed by the first communication device, which has been determined to have a resource shortage, to the second communication device, which has been determined to have no resource shortage. This makes it possible to prevent traffic from being transferred to the second communication device when the second communication device has a resource shortage. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems (such as communication delays) in the second communication device from worsening due to a resource shortage.

[0072] For example, suppose that the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40A is processing wireless communication traffic. It is then determined that there is a shortage of resources related to the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40A. It is also assumed that a communication device 40B is located near the communication device 40A and that the mobile communication functional component 56 is installed in the communication device 40B. It is also assumed that there is no shortage of resources related to the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40B. In this case, the transfer control unit 170 performs control so as to transfer at least a portion of the wireless communication traffic processed by the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40A to the communication device 40B. The transfer control unit 170 then performs control so that the transferred wireless communication traffic is processed by the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40B. With this configuration, the control device 100 according to the present disclosure can reduce the shortage of resources when a shortage of resources occurs in the communication device 40.

[0073] Also, consider a case where the first functional component is not deployed in a second communication device near the first communication device. In this case, the deployment control unit 150 may perform control so that the first functional component is deployed in the second communication device. Then, the transfer control unit 170 may perform control so that at least a portion of traffic is transferred to the second communication device in which the first functional component is deployed.

[0074] For example, suppose that the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40A is processing wireless communication traffic. It is then determined that the resources related to the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40A are insufficient. It is also assumed that a communication device 40B is located near the communication device 40A, but the mobile communication functional component 56 is not installed in the communication device 40B. In this case, the deployment control unit 150 performs control so that the mobile communication functional component 56 is installed in the communication device 40B. The transfer control unit 170 then performs control so that at least a portion of the wireless communication traffic processed by the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40A is transferred to the communication device 40B. The transfer control unit 170 then performs control so that the transferred wireless communication traffic is processed by the mobile communication functional component 56 of the communication device 40B. With this configuration, the control device 100 according to the present disclosure can transfer at least a portion of the traffic to the second communication device, even if the second communication device is not equipped with a functional component that processes the traffic in the first communication device.

[0075] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method executed by the control device 100 according to the present disclosure. Fig. 7 shows a control method for deploying functional components in the communication device 40, executed by the control device 100. Note that when the components shown in Fig. 6 are realized by cloud computing or multiple computers, the process shown in Fig. 7 is executed by the control device 100 realized by cloud computing or multiple computers. Note that the process shown in Fig. 7 is merely an example. The same applies to other flowcharts.

[0076] The control device 100 acquires the communication status (step S102). Specifically, the monitoring unit 130 monitors the status of the communication network 30 as described above, and acquires the communication status. The control device 100 also determines the communication device 40 to be processed. Then, the control device 100 performs the processes of S112 to S124 for all communication devices 40 in the communication network 30.

[0077] The control device 100 determines functional components that require deployment (step S112). Specifically, the functional component determination unit 140 determines functional components that require deployment in the communication device 40 that is the processing target, based on the communication state, as described above. Then, the control device 100 performs control to add the functional components that require deployment to the communication device 40 (step S114). Specifically, the deployment control unit 150 performs control to add the functional components that are determined to require deployment in the processing of S112, as described above, to the communication device 40 that is the processing target.

[0078] The control device 100 determines functional components that do not need to be deployed (step S122). Specifically, the functional component determination unit 140 determines functional components that do not need to be deployed in the communication device 40 that is the processing target, based on the communication state, as described above. Then, the control device 100 performs control to delete the functional components that do not need to be deployed from the communication device 40 (step S124). Specifically, the deployment control unit 150 performs control to delete the functional components that are determined not to need to be deployed in the processing of S122, as described above, from the communication device 40 that is the processing target.

[0079] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a case where a functional component is added to a communication device 40 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 corresponds to the processes of S112 to S114 shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 shows an example in which a functional component is added to a communication device 40A. As indicated by arrow A1, a common communication functional component 52 and a fixed communication functional component 54 are deployed in the communication device 40A. Then, in the process of S112, the functional component determination unit 140 determines that a mobile communication functional component 56 needs to be deployed in the communication device 40A. Then, in the process of S114, the deployment control unit 150 performs control so that the mobile communication functional component 56 is added to the communication device 40A. As a result, the mobile communication functional component 56 is added to the communication device 40A, as indicated by arrow A2.

[0080] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a case where a functional component is deleted from a communication device 40 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 corresponds to the processing of S122 to S124 shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 shows an example in which a functional component is deleted from a communication device 40B. As indicated by arrow B1, the communication device 40B is equipped with a common communication function component 52, a fixed communication function component 54, and a mobile communication function component 56. Then, in the processing of S122, the functional component determination unit 140 determines that the fixed communication function component 54 does not need to be equipped in the communication device 40B. Then, in the processing of S124, the deployment control unit 150 performs control so that the fixed communication function component 54 is deleted from the communication device 40B. As a result, the fixed communication function component 54 is deleted from the communication device 40B as indicated by arrow B2.

[0081] Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a control method executed in the control device 100 according to the present disclosure. Fig. 10 shows a control method executed in the control device 100 regarding traffic forwarding in the communication device 40. The control device 100 acquires the communication status (step S132). Specifically, the monitoring unit 130 monitors the status of the communication network 30 and acquires the communication status, similar to the process of S102 described above.

[0082] The control device 100 determines a communication device that is experiencing a resource shortage (step S134). Specifically, as described above, the resource determination unit 160 determines whether or not a resource shortage has occurred for each communication device 40, and determines a communication device 40 (first communication device) that is experiencing a resource shortage. Note that if there is no communication device 40 that is experiencing a resource shortage, the subsequent processing may not be executed.

[0083] The control device 100 determines nearby communication devices that are not experiencing a resource shortage (step S136). Specifically, as described above, the resource determination unit 160 determines whether or not a resource shortage has occurred for each communication device 40. Then, the resource determination unit 160 determines a communication device 40 (second communication device) that is located near the communication device 40 that is experiencing a resource shortage and is not experiencing a resource shortage.

[0084] The control device 100 determines whether or not the necessary functional components are deployed in the nearby communication device (step S138). Specifically, the functional component determination unit 140 (or the deployment control unit 150) determines whether or not the functional components necessary for processing traffic being processed in the communication device 40 experiencing resource shortage are deployed in the nearby communication device 40. If the necessary functional components are deployed in the nearby communication device 40 (YES in S138), the processing of S140, which will be described later, is skipped.

[0085] On the other hand, if the necessary functional component is not deployed in the nearby communication device 40 (NO in S138), the control device 100 adds the functional component that needs to be deployed (step S140). Specifically, as described above, the deployment control unit 150 performs control so that the functional component required to process the traffic being processed in the communication device 40 experiencing resource shortage is deployed in the nearby communication device 40.

[0086] The control device 100 transfers the traffic to a nearby communication device 40 (step S150). Specifically, as described above, the transfer control unit 170 performs control to transfer at least a part of the traffic being processed in the communication device 40 experiencing resource shortage to the nearby communication device 40.

[0087] 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating specific examples of a communication system 20 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 11 illustrates a first specific example of a communication system 20 according to the present disclosure. A component server 50 stores a common communication function component 52, a fixed communication function component 54, a mobile communication function component 56, and an additional function component 58. A plurality of communication devices 40 constitute a communication network 30. As indicated by arrow A, a control device 100 monitors the communication network 30 and each communication device 40 and controls each communication device 40. As indicated by arrow B, the control device 100 controls the component server 50.

[0088] Furthermore, communication device 40A of the multiple communication devices 40 is accessed by terminal device 60A, which is a fixed terminal, and terminal device 60B, which is also a fixed terminal. Furthermore, communication device 40B of the multiple communication devices 40 is accessed by terminal device 60B, which is a fixed terminal, and terminal device 60C, which is a mobile terminal. The access type of terminal device 60A is metal access. The access type of terminal device 60B is optical access. The access type of terminal device 60C is wireless access.

[0089] Furthermore, under the control of the control device 100, the communication device 40A is provided with a common communication function component 52A, fixed communication function components 54A and 54B, and an additional function component 58A from the component server 50, as shown by arrow C1a. Here, the fixed communication function component 54A has a function of performing processing related to fixed communication via metal access for the terminal device 60A. The fixed communication function component 54B has a function of performing processing related to fixed communication via optical access for the terminal device 60B. This allows the communication device 40A to communicate with the terminal devices 60A and 60B.

[0090] Furthermore, under the control of the control device 100, the communication device 40B is provided with a common communication function component 52A, a fixed communication function component 54B, and mobile communication function components 56A and 56B from the component server 50, as indicated by arrow C1b. Here, the fixed communication function component 54B has a function of performing processing related to fixed communication via optical access for the terminal device 60B. The mobile communication function components 56A and 56B have a function of performing processing related to mobile communication via wireless access for the terminal device 60C. This allows the communication device 40B to communicate with the terminal devices 60B and 60C.

[0091] Furthermore, both communication device 40A and communication device 40B are equipped with fixed communication function component 54B having a function for optical access. Therefore, when traffic due to optical access increases in communication device 40A, at least a portion of that traffic is transferred to communication device 40B under the control of control device 100, as shown by arrow D1. Conversely, when traffic due to optical access increases in communication device 40B, at least a portion of that traffic is transferred to communication device 40A under the control of control device 100, as shown by arrow D1.

[0092] Fig. 12 shows a second specific example of a communication system 20 according to the present disclosure. A component server 50 stores functional components that can be deployed to a communication device 40 and a control device 100. The control device 100 is connected to the component server 50 and controls the component server 50. In Fig. 12, the functional components (software components) stored in the component server 50 and the functional components (software components) deployed from the component server 50 to the communication device 40 and the control device 100 are indicated by being surrounded by thick lines.

[0093] The control device 100 is pre-implemented with a container engine, a common packet processing function, and a GPU cooperation platform function as software. As described above, the control device 100 also includes a smart NIC 110 and a GPU 112 as hardware. The common packet processing function has the functions of a virtual router and a virtual switch. The GPU cooperation platform function has a function for cooperation with a GPU. The container engine manages and controls containers (componentized functions), which are functional components. The container engine also starts, adds, and deletes containers. The container engine may also implement the functions of the functional component acquisition unit 120 and the function implementation processing unit 122 described above. The common packet processing function and the smart NIC 110 cooperate with each other through offload cooperation. The GPU cooperation platform function and the GPU 112 cooperate with each other through offload cooperation. The configuration of the control device 100 is similar to that of the communication devices 40A, 40B, and 40C described below.

[0094] The control device 100 acquires and deploys functional components related to voice path control and functional components related to maintenance from the component server 50. The functional components related to voice path control may be common communication function components 52 stored in the component server 50. The functional components related to maintenance may be additional function components 58 stored in the component server 50. The functional components related to voice path control and functional components related to maintenance may be added to the control device 100 by a container engine and may operate in the control device 100. Furthermore, the functional components related to voice path control and functional components related to maintenance may be operated by the smart NIC 110 via a common packet processing function.

[0095] The communication device 40A is accessed by a terminal device 60A, which is a fixed terminal performing metal access, and a terminal device 60B, which is a fixed terminal performing optical access. Here, under the control of the control device 100, functional components related to fixed voice control, functional components related to fixed voice processing, and functional components related to voice AI translation stored in the component server 50 are deployed in the communication device 40A, as indicated by arrow C2a. This allows the communication device 40A to function as an edge server for the fixed communication aggregation model and the additional service model. The functional components related to fixed voice control and fixed voice processing may be fixed communication functional components 54. The functional component related to voice AI translation may be additional functional components 58. The functional component related to fixed voice control may be operated by a smart NIC via a common packet processing function. The functional components related to fixed voice processing and functional components related to voice AI translation may be operated by a GPU via a GPU cooperation platform function. The functional components related to fixed voice control and fixed voice processing have functions to perform processing related to fixed communications for the terminal devices 60A and 60B. Therefore, the communication device 40A can communicate with the terminal device 60A and the terminal device 60B.

[0096] The communication device 40B is accessed by a terminal device 60B, which is a fixed terminal, and a terminal device 60C, which is a mobile terminal. Here, under the control of the control device 100, functional components related to fixed voice control, mobile voice control, fixed voice processing, and mobile voice processing stored in the component server 50 are deployed in the communication device 40B, as indicated by arrow C2b. This allows the communication device 40B to function as an edge server in a mobile / fixed voice integration model. The functional components related to fixed voice control and fixed voice processing may be fixed communication functional components 54. The functional components related to mobile voice control and mobile voice processing may be mobile communication functional components 56. The functional components related to fixed voice control and mobile voice control may be operated by a smart NIC via a common packet processing function. The functional components related to fixed voice processing and mobile voice processing may be operated by a GPU via a GPU collaboration platform function. The functional components related to fixed voice control and fixed voice processing have the function of performing processing related to fixed communication of the terminal device 60B. The functional components related to mobile voice control and mobile voice processing have the function of performing processing related to mobile communication such as 4G / 5G of the terminal device 60C. Therefore, the communication device 40B can communicate with the terminal device 60B and the terminal device 60C.

[0097] Furthermore, both communication device 40A and communication device 40B are equipped with fixed communication function components 54 having a function for optical access. Therefore, when traffic due to optical access increases in communication device 40A, at least a portion of that traffic is transferred to communication device 40B as shown by arrow D2 under the control of control device 100. Conversely, when traffic due to optical access increases in communication device 40B, at least a portion of that traffic is transferred to communication device 40A as shown by arrow D2 under the control of control device 100.

[0098] The communication device 40C also functions as an edge server that performs cloud computing. Under the control of the control device 100, functional components related to voice control, functional components related to voice processing, and functional components related to AI services stored in the component server 50 are deployed in the communication device 40C, as indicated by arrow C2c. The functional components related to voice control and the functional components related to voice processing may be common communication functional components 52. The functional components related to AI services may be additional functional components 58. The functional components related to voice control may be operated by a smart NIC via a common packet processing function. The functional components related to voice processing and the functional components related to AI services may be operated by a GPU via a GPU cooperation platform function.

[0099] A communication device 40D is communicatively connected to the communication device 40C. Note that the communication device 40D does not have a smart NIC or GPU, but only has minimal resources such as a CPU and memory to function as a computer. Here, under the control of the control device 100, functional components related to fixed voice control stored in the component server 50 are deployed in the communication device 40D, as indicated by arrow C2d. This allows the communication device 40D to function as an edge server in a fixed-communication aggregation model. The functional component related to fixed voice control may be a fixed communication functional component 54. The functional component related to fixed voice control may be operated by, for example, a CPU via a common packet processing function. The functional component related to fixed voice control has a function for performing processing related to fixed communication of the terminal device 60A. Therefore, the communication device 40D can communicate with the terminal device 60A.

[0100] Voice control is a highly demanding process, so it is preferably executed by a hardware resource with higher performance than a CPU, such as a smart NIC. Similarly, voice processing is a highly demanding process, so it is preferably executed by a hardware resource with higher performance than a CPU, such as a GPU. Therefore, when voice control is required in fixed communication between communication device 40D and terminal device 60A, communication device 40C, which is a cloud server and has a smart NIC, executes the voice control. Similarly, when voice processing is required in fixed communication between communication device 40D and terminal device 60A, communication device 40C, which is a cloud server and has a GPU, executes the voice processing. In other words, communication device 40D does not execute processes that require high-performance hardware resources, such as a smart NIC and a GPU, but executes only processes that can be executed without using such high-performance hardware resources. In this way, by having the cloud server execute processes that require high-performance hardware resources, an edge server connected to terminal device 60 can communicate with terminal device 60 even if it does not have high-performance hardware resources.

[0101] In recent years, the communications infrastructure has seen an explosive increase in traffic due to faster communication lines and changing lifestyles, and this increase is expected to continue at an accelerating pace. The types of user devices are also increasing, including landlines, smartphones, personal computers (PCs), and tablet devices. Access types are also diversifying, from copper and optical fiber access for fixed-line communications to 4G / 5G and local 5G for mobile communications. Furthermore, cases of communication service unavailability due to natural disasters or large-scale communication outages have occurred. As a result, communications infrastructure is required to provide stable services in all locations, communication methods, and communication conditions, as well as to achieve even higher reliability. Furthermore, estimates suggest that power consumption will increase explosively due to increased communication traffic and larger networks. Furthermore, as power consumption increases, greenhouse gas emissions and energy supply issues have become societal issues. The decline in the working population is also predicted to have an impact on communications infrastructure.

[0102] To provide low-latency services, communication networks are increasingly being implemented using edge computing technologies such as MEC. However, when implementing a communication network using edge computing, the number of edge servers required becomes enormous, and it is therefore necessary to reduce the power consumption of the edge servers.

[0103] However, if an all-in-one edge server that includes all communication functions is adopted, there are limitations on the resources of each edge server, making it difficult to add or change functions. Therefore, it is difficult to realize an optimal device configuration based on the access type, required functions, and number of users that can be accommodated. Therefore, it is necessary to realize edge servers as dedicated devices for each access type. Thus, if edge servers are realized as dedicated devices, the number of edge server device types will increase, and coupled with the diversification of services, there is a possibility that power consumption across the entire network will increase.

[0104] Furthermore, the functions required for each edge server deployed at a site may differ depending on the actual operating conditions. Therefore, if an edge server is an all-in-one dedicated device, the edge server may include many functions that are not actually used. However, if an edge server is equipped with many unused functions, the size of the device increases compared to a non-dedicated device, which may result in increased power consumption. Furthermore, if the edge server is a dedicated device, it is difficult to handle situations such as the addition of new services, a sudden increase in users, and an increase in traffic, and the device also lacks flexibility. Therefore, if the edge server is a dedicated device, it is difficult to dynamically operate the communication network.

[0105] In contrast, the control device 100 according to the present disclosure is configured to perform control so that at least one of the plurality of functional components stored in the component server 50 is deployed in at least one of the plurality of communication devices 40 according to the communication status. This configuration makes it possible to deploy functional components capable of realizing functions required in each of the plurality of communication devices 40 during the operation phase. Therefore, it is possible to configure an optimal communication network 30 according to the communication status during the operation phase. Furthermore, when providing a new service, deploying a functional component corresponding to the service in the communication device 40 makes it possible to provide the service quickly. Therefore, the communication system 20 according to the present disclosure can flexibly operate the communication network 30 according to the communication status. Therefore, the communication system 20 according to the present disclosure can perform dynamic operation according to the communication status.

[0106] Furthermore, in the communication system 20 according to the present disclosure, necessary functional components can be added to the communication device 40 and unnecessary functional components can be deleted from the communication device 40 as needed during operation, thereby preventing the device size of the communication device 40 from increasing. This reduces the power consumption of the communication device 40. Note that the present disclosure requires a component server 50, which may increase the power consumption of the component server 50. However, since the number of communication devices 40 constituting the communication network 30 is enormous, the effect of reducing the power consumption of all communication devices 40 is considered to be far greater than the impact of the increase in power consumption due to the introduction of the component server 50. Therefore, the communication system 20 according to the present disclosure reduces the power consumption of the entire communication network.

[0107] Furthermore, the control device 100 according to the present disclosure is configured to control, based on the communication state, to transfer at least a portion of traffic processed by a first functional component installed in a first communication device to a second communication device in which the first functional component is installed. With this configuration, even if a resource shortage occurs in the first communication device, the resource can be shared with the second communication device. Therefore, the communication system 20 according to the present disclosure can flexibly operate the communication network 30 even in the event of a sudden resource shortage.

[0108] Furthermore, the communication system 20 according to the present disclosure also enables the rapid realization of new services. That is, the time required to develop functional components capable of providing new services is much shorter than the time required to develop equipment that provides the new services. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, functional components can be deployed to the communication equipment 40 deployed in the field during the operational phase, making it easy to introduce new services. In contrast, introducing equipment developed to provide new services requires the equipment to be installed in the field, which requires a great deal of time and human resources. Therefore, the communication system 20 according to the present disclosure makes it possible to easily introduce new services.

[0109] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, each process in the above-described flowchart may be implemented using a trained model trained by machine learning. Also, for example, the order of each process in the above-described flowchart may be changed as appropriate. Also, one or more processes in the above-described flowchart may be omitted. For example, in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the processes of S122 to S124 may be omitted. Also, in the flowchart of FIG. 10, the process of S136 may be omitted.

[0110] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0111] Each drawing is merely an example for describing one or more embodiments. Each drawing may relate not only to one particular embodiment, but also to one or more other embodiments. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings to create, for example, an embodiment not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing are necessary to describe an exemplary embodiment, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

[0112] The above-described program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), Blu-ray disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals. The program may also include a program product.

[0113] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) a monitoring means for monitoring a communication network configured with a plurality of communication devices and acquiring a communication status that is a status of the communication network; a deployment control means for controlling deployment of at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server storing a plurality of functional components each having a software-implemented function modularized therein in at least one of the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the communication state; A control device having: (Appendix 2) a functional component determining means for determining, using the communication status, the functional components that need to be provided for each of the plurality of communication devices; and the deployment control means performs control so that the functional components determined to need to be deployed are added to each of the plurality of communication devices. 10. The control device of claim 1. (Appendix 3) the functional component determination means further determines, using the communication status, the functional components that do not need to be provided for each of the plurality of communication devices; the deployment control means performs control so that the functional components determined to be unnecessary to be deployed in each of the plurality of communication devices are deleted. 3. The control device according to claim 2. (Appendix 4) a transfer control means for performing control based on the communication state so as to transfer at least a part of traffic processed by a first functional module installed in a first communication device among the plurality of communication devices to at least one second communication device that is arranged near the first communication device and in which the first functional module is installed; 2. The control device of claim 1, further comprising: (Appendix 5) a resource determination means for determining, based on the communication state, whether or not a shortage of resources used in communication with respect to traffic to be processed occurs for each of the plurality of communication devices; and the transfer control means performs control so as to transfer at least a part of traffic processed by the first communication device for which it has been determined that the resource shortage has occurred to the second communication device; 5. The control device according to claim 4. (Appendix 6) the transfer control means performs control so as to transfer at least a part of the traffic processed by the first communication device determined to be experiencing a resource shortage to the second communication device determined to be experiencing no resource shortage. 6. The control device according to claim 5. (Appendix 7) the deployment control means, when the first functional component is not deployed in a second communication device near the first communication device, performs control so that the first functional component is deployed in the second communication device; the transfer control means performs control to transfer at least a part of the traffic to a second communication device in which the first functional component is installed. 5. The control device according to claim 4. (Appendix 8) a functional component acquisition means for acquiring a second functional component related to a function for realizing the monitoring means from the component server; and the monitoring means monitors the state of the communication network by operating the acquired second functional component. 10. The control device of claim 1. (Appendix 9) a plurality of communication devices; a component server that stores a plurality of functional components whose software functions are modularized; a control device; and The control device a monitoring means for monitoring a communication network configured by a plurality of the communication devices and acquiring a communication status that is a status of the communication network; a deployment control means for controlling deployment of at least one of the plurality of functional components stored in the component server in at least one of the plurality of communication devices according to the communication state; and The communication device operates the deployed functional components. Communication system. (Appendix 10) The control device a functional component determining means for determining, using the communication status, the functional components that need to be provided for each of the plurality of communication devices; and the deployment control means performs control so that the functional components determined to need to be deployed are added to each of the plurality of communication devices. 10. The communication system of claim 9. (Appendix 11) the functional component determination means further determines, using the communication status, the functional components that do not need to be provided for each of the plurality of communication devices; the deployment control means performs control so that the functional components determined to be unnecessary to be deployed in each of the plurality of communication devices are deleted. 11. The communication system of claim 10. (Appendix 12) The control device a transfer control means for performing control based on the communication state so as to transfer at least a part of traffic processed by a first functional module installed in a first communication device among the plurality of communication devices to at least one second communication device that is arranged near the first communication device and in which the first functional module is installed; further comprising 10. The communication system of claim 9. (Appendix 13) The control device a resource determination means for determining, based on the communication state, whether or not a shortage of resources used in communication with respect to traffic to be processed occurs for each of the plurality of communication devices; and the transfer control means performs control so as to transfer at least a part of traffic processed by the first communication device for which it has been determined that the resource shortage has occurred to the second communication device; 13. The communication system of claim 12. (Appendix 14) the transfer control means performs control so as to transfer at least a part of the traffic processed by the first communication device determined to be experiencing a resource shortage to the second communication device determined to be experiencing no resource shortage. 14. The communication system of claim 13. (Appendix 15) the deployment control means, when the first functional component is not deployed in a second communication device near the first communication device, performs control so that the first functional component is deployed in the second communication device; the transfer control means performs control to transfer at least a part of the traffic to a second communication device in which the first functional component is installed. 13. The communication system of claim 12. (Appendix 16) The control device a functional component acquisition means for acquiring a second functional component related to a function for realizing the monitoring means from the component server; and the monitoring means monitors the state of the communication network by operating the acquired second functional component. 10. The communication system of claim 9. (Appendix 17) monitoring a communication network configured with a plurality of communication devices to acquire a communication status that is a status of the communication network; and performing control in accordance with the communication state so that at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server storing a plurality of functional components each having a software-implemented function modularized therein is deployed in at least one of the plurality of communication devices. Control method. (Appendix 18) a step of monitoring a communication network configured by a plurality of communication devices and acquiring a communication status that is a status of the communication network; a step of controlling, in accordance with the communication state, at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server storing a plurality of functional components each having a software-implemented function modularized therein, to be deployed in at least one of the plurality of communication devices; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

[0114] Some or all of the elements described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 8 that are dependent on Supplementary Note 1 may also be dependent on Supplementary Notes 17 and 18 in the same dependent relationship as Supplementary Notes 2 to 8. Some or all of the elements described in any Supplementary Note may be applied to various hardware, software, recording means for recording software, systems, and methods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1. Control device 12 Monitoring Department 14 Deployment Control Unit 20. Communication Systems 30 Communication Network 40 Communication equipment 50 Parts Server 50a Functional parts storage section 50b Instruction receiving unit 50c Functional Parts Distribution Department 52 Common communication function parts 54 Fixed communication functional parts 56 Mobile communication function parts 58 Additional functional parts 60 Terminal Equipment 100 control device 102 Control section 104 Storage section 106 Communications Department 108 Interface section 110 Smart NIC 112 GPU 120 Functional Part Acquisition Unit 122 Function realization processing unit 130 Monitoring Department 140 Functional part determination unit 150 Deployment Control Unit 160 Resource Determination Unit 170 Transfer control section

Claims

1. a monitoring means for monitoring a communication network configured with a plurality of communication devices and acquiring a communication status that is a status of the communication network; a deployment control means for controlling deployment of at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server storing a plurality of functional components each having a software-implemented function modularized therein in at least one of the plurality of communication devices in accordance with the communication state; A control device having:

2. a functional component determining means for determining, using the communication status, the functional components that need to be provided for each of the plurality of communication devices; and the deployment control means performs control so that the functional components determined to need to be deployed are added to each of the plurality of communication devices. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. the functional component determination means further determines, using the communication status, the functional components that do not need to be provided for each of the plurality of communication devices; the deployment control means performs control so that the functional components determined to be unnecessary to be deployed in each of the plurality of communication devices are deleted. The control device according to claim 2 .

4. a transfer control means for performing control based on the communication state so as to transfer at least a part of traffic processed by a first functional component installed in a first communication device among the plurality of communication devices to at least one second communication device that is arranged near the first communication device and in which the first functional component is installed; The control device of claim 1 further comprising:

5. a resource determination means for determining, based on the communication state, whether or not a shortage of resources used in communication with respect to traffic to be processed occurs for each of the plurality of communication devices; and the transfer control means performs control so as to transfer at least a part of traffic processed by the first communication device for which it has been determined that the resource shortage has occurred to the second communication device; The control device according to claim 4.

6. the transfer control means performs control so as to transfer at least a part of the traffic processed by the first communication device determined to be experiencing a resource shortage to the second communication device determined to be experiencing no resource shortage. The control device according to claim 5 .

7. the deployment control means, when the first functional component is not deployed in a second communication device near the first communication device, performs control so that the first functional component is deployed in the second communication device; the transfer control means performs control to transfer at least a part of the traffic to a second communication device in which the first functional component is installed; The control device according to claim 4.

8. a plurality of communication devices; a component server that stores a plurality of functional components whose software functions are modularized; a control device; and The control device a monitoring means for monitoring a communication network configured by a plurality of the communication devices and acquiring a communication status that is a status of the communication network; a deployment control means for controlling deployment of at least one of the plurality of functional components stored in the component server in at least one of the plurality of communication devices according to the communication state; and The communication device operates the deployed functional components. Communication system.

9. monitoring a communication network configured with a plurality of communication devices to acquire a communication status that is a status of the communication network; and performing control in accordance with the communication state so that at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server storing a plurality of functional components each having a software-implemented function modularized therein is deployed in at least one of the plurality of communication devices. Control method.

10. a step of monitoring a communication network configured with a plurality of communication devices and acquiring a communication status that is a status of the communication network; a step of controlling, in accordance with the communication state, to deploy at least one of a plurality of functional components stored in a component server that stores a plurality of functional components each having a software-implemented function modularized, in at least one of the plurality of communication devices; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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