Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can ensure communication between terminals even when more people gather than usual. [Solution] The information processing device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires event information including at least the event start date and time when the event begins and the location where the event is held; an identification unit that identifies a base station whose location and cell communication range overlap; and a communication setting unit that, for the base station identified by the identification unit, changes the communication settings when the base station communicates with a terminal, from at least the event start date and time, the normal settings when there is no event, to communication settings according to the event specifications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program for performing communication settings in a base station.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the use of RIC (Radio access network Intelligent Controller) in communication between a base station and a terminal has been studied, and suppressing deterioration in the quality of communication services is also being considered as part of its use. Patent Document 1 requires a mobile terminal to measure the reception quality of a channel and increase or decrease the transmission power in a base station based on the measured reception quality, and discloses a mobile communication system in which the base station changes the transmission power of the channel with the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] An information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires event information including information on at least an event start date and time when an event starts and a venue where the event is held, a specification unit that specifies a base station where the communication range of a cell overlaps with the venue of the event, and a communication setting unit that changes the communication setting when the base station communicates with a terminal from at least the event start date and time from the normal setting when there is no event to the communication setting according to the specifications of the event for the base station specified by the specification unit.

[0005] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned information processing device, the identification unit may identify whether each of the multiple cells covered by the base station overlaps with the location where the event is being held, and the communication setting unit may change the communication settings for the cells identified by the identification unit to communication settings according to the specifications of the event.

[0006] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned information processing device, the communication setting unit may change the communication settings from a predetermined time before the event start date and time.

[0007] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned information processing device, the event information may include information on the event end date and time when the event ends, and the communication setting unit may return the communication settings of the base station identified by the identification unit to the normal settings after the event end date and time.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned information processing device, the change to communication settings according to the event specifications may be defined as prioritizing time-division multiplexing over frequency-division multiplexing in the communication method used for communication with the terminal.

[0009] Furthermore, the above-mentioned information processing device may further include a storage unit that stores cell range information indicating the range of a cell which is the communication range formed by a base station, in association with information that identifies the cell, and a selection unit that selects information indicating the range of the venue where an event included in the event information is held from map data, and the identification unit may identify the base station that forms the cell corresponding to the cell range information when the cell range information and the event range information overlap under predetermined conditions.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned information processing device, the identification unit may identify a base station that forms a cell corresponding to the cell range information in either case: (i) when the overlapping region, which is the region where the cell range information and the event range information overlap, overlaps with the event range information by a first threshold or more, and the overlapping region overlaps with the cell range information by a second threshold or more; or (ii) when the overlapping region overlaps with the cell range information by a third threshold or more.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned information processing device, an event may be defined as an event or gathering held irregularly or for a limited period that can cause changes in the flow of people, and in which the population around the event location during the event period increases significantly compared to the population outside the event period.

[0012] Furthermore, an information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition step in which a computer acquires event information including at least the event start date and time at which the event begins and the location at which the event is held; an identification step in which the location of the event and a base station whose communication range overlaps with that of a cell are performed; and a communication setting step in which, for the base station identified in the identification step, the communication settings used when the base station communicates with a terminal are changed from the normal settings when there is no event to communication settings according to the specifications of the event, starting at least from the event start date and time.

[0013] Furthermore, an information processing program according to one aspect of the present invention provides a computer with an acquisition function that acquires event information including at least the event start date and time when the event begins and the location where the event is held; an identification function that identifies a base station whose location and cell communication range overlap; and a communication setting function that, for the base station identified by the identification function, changes the communication settings when the base station communicates with a terminal, from at least the event start date and time to communication settings according to the event specifications, from the normal settings when there is no event. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the outline of the invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of a base station configuration. [Figure 4] (a) is a diagram showing an example of an event mesh. (b) is a diagram showing an example of a cell. (c) is a diagram showing an example of overlap between an event mesh and a cell. [Figure 5]This flowchart shows an example of the operation of an information processing device. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of base station operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The base station according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] <Overview> In communication systems using smartphones and mobile phones, when many users gather in one place at once, that is, when many mobile terminals gather, there is a possibility that some terminals will be unable to connect to the base station and therefore unable to communicate, due to the communication capacity of the base station. In this case, there is a problem that the terminals may not be able to communicate with the base station in the first place, and control as described in Patent Document 1 may not be possible. Therefore, the objective of this embodiment is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that control the base station so that it can communicate even when many users gather at the base station.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the processing of the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 shows an example configuration of a communication system including the information processing device 100, and shows the information processing device 100 and base stations 200a and 200b (hereinafter collectively referred to as base stations 200). Each base station 200 communicates with mobile terminals within the communication cells it covers (is responsible for) and relays communication between mobile terminals. In Figure 1, communication cells are schematically shown as circles, and their communication ranges and frequencies used may differ, and a single communication cell may use multiple frequencies. Also, the communication ranges of communication cells with different frequencies may overlap. Note that communication cells are not necessarily circular. A single base station may have one communication cell or multiple communication cells. In the example in Figure 1, base station 200a is responsible for cells a1, a2, and a3, and base station 200b is responsible for cells b1 and b2. Multiple base stations 200 (200a, 200b) are connected to the information processing device 100 in a communicable manner.

[0018] In such a communication system, the information processing device 100 acquires information in advance about some event in which many people gather in one place. The example in Figure 1 shows an example of receiving event information from terminal 300a. The event information is information related to the event and includes information on the event's location, start date and time, and end date and time. The event may be anything that can cause a change in the flow of people, and it may be anything that brings more people to a place than usual, that is, any event in which the population per unit area around the event location during the event period increases significantly compared to the population per unit area during normal times. A significant increase means that the population per unit area around the event location during the event period is more than a predetermined threshold or a predetermined percentage increase compared to the population per unit area during normal times. This predetermined threshold or percentage may be set to different values ​​depending on the event location. Examples of events include outdoor music festivals, specific exhibitions at art museums, fireworks displays, and various sporting events. An event can be an occasion or gathering that is held irregularly or regularly.

[0019] When the information processing device 100 receives event information, it identifies the location (range) of the event and the base station 200 responsible for communication at that location. That is, the information processing device 100 identifies the base station 200 whose communication cell overlaps with the event location. Then, at the time the event is held, the information processing device 100 instructs the base station 200 to change its communication settings from normal settings to event-specific settings in order to suppress a deterioration in the communication quality of mobile terminals of people gathered at the event location. The base station 200 receives the instruction from the information processing device 100 and changes its communication settings to event specifications at events where many people gather, that is, events where many mobile terminals gather in one place. The event-specific communication settings may be settings that can relay communications from more mobile terminals than normal settings.

[0020] Note that the information processing device 100 may be a CU (Central Unit) in 5G communication, and the base station 200 may be a DU (Distributed Unit) or a RU (Radio Unit) in 5G communication. Also, the base station 200 may be a base station that executes communication related to 4G communication. Further, the base station 200 may be a base station that executes communication based on a communication standard after 6G. The mobile terminal 300 is a portable terminal held by a user, and as an example, it may be a portable communication module such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a mobile phone, but is not limited thereto. Details will be described below.

[0021] <Configuration> <Configuration of the information processing device 100> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 is a computer system that instructs a base station 200 where the event holding location and the communication cell overlap to change to the communication setting of the event specification at the time of the event. The information processing device 100 may be realized by a PC, a server device, etc., but is not limited thereto. Also, the functions of the information processing device 100 may be realized by parallel processing by a plurality of computers.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a control unit 130, and a storage unit 140. Also, the information processing device 100 may include an input unit 120 and an output unit 150.

[0023] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface that has the function of communicating with external devices of the information processing device 100. The communication unit 110 has the function of communicating with external devices such as external terminals and base stations 200. The communication unit 110 receives signals from base stations 200 and transmits them to the control unit 130, and transmits signals to base stations 200 according to instructions from the control unit 130. For example, the communication unit 110 may receive information from an external terminal regarding the event location and the start and end dates and times of the event, and transmit this information to the control unit 130. Also, for example, the communication unit 110 may, according to instructions from the control unit 130, transmit information such as at least the start date and time of the event and the end date and time of the event to base stations 200 whose communication cells overlap with the event location, and transmit information regarding communication settings at the time of the event.

[0024] The input unit 120 has the function of receiving input from an operator of the information processing device 100 and transmitting the input content to the control unit 130. The input unit 120 may be implemented by an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel, and in the case of voice input, it may be implemented by a microphone. As an example, the input unit 120 may receive input information such as the location, start date and time, and end date and time of the event from an operator who has obtained event information and transmit it to the control unit 130. Alternatively, as an example, the input unit 120 may receive input information about the communication settings for the event from an operator and transmit it to the control unit 130.

[0025] The control unit 130 is a processor that has the function of controlling each part of the information processing device 100. The control unit 130 may be implemented as a single-core or multi-core processor. The control unit 130 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 140 and utilizes various data to realize the functions of the information processing device 100.

[0026] The control unit 130 identifies base stations 200 whose communication cells overlap with the event location, and instructs the identified base stations 200 to configure communication settings according to the event specifications during the event.

[0027] The control unit 130 includes, as functions implemented by the control unit 130, an acquisition unit 131, a specification unit 132, a communication setting unit 133, and a selection unit 134.

[0028] The acquisition unit 131 acquires event information transmitted from the terminal 300, etc., via the communication unit 110. The acquisition unit 131 extracts the event location from the event information and transmits it to the identification unit 132. The acquisition unit 131 also extracts the event start date and time and end date and time from the event information and transmits them to the communication setting unit 133.

[0029] The identification unit 132 identifies the communication cell and its base station that overlap with the event location transmitted from the acquisition unit 131, by referring to the mesh information 141 stored in the storage unit 140. The mesh information 141 can also be described as communication cell range information that indicates the communication range of the communication cell.

[0030] Here, the identification of communication cells by the identification unit 132 will be explained with reference to Figure 4.

[0031] Figure 4(a) is an illustrative diagram of the event location and represents information corresponding to the event range. The event location may be transmitted (input) to the information processing device 100 as information indicating the name of the location, or it may be transmitted (input) as information indicating the range of the location in terms of latitude and longitude. When information indicating the name of the event location is received, the range indicated by that location may be obtained from map information, etc., and that range may be identified as event location 401 as shown in Figure 4(a). Alternatively, when the location is specified by latitude and longitude, the information specifying the range shown in Figure 4(a) may be designated as event location 401. Hereafter, event location 401 may be referred to as EM (Event Mesh). Figure 4(a) shows an image of event scope information when "Park A" is designated as the event venue. However, the event scope information may be broader than the area specified by the designated name (for example, it may be an area that extends a predetermined distance or percentage away from the center of the event venue). In addition, the event scope information may include the route from the nearest public transportation station (such as a train station or bus stop) to the event venue. The reason why the number of users may increase compared to normal times is that it may include not only the event venue but also the route to it and the area surrounding the venue.

[0032] Furthermore, Figure 4(b) is an illustrative diagram of mesh information 141, showing an example of the range of communication cells around the location shown in Figure 4(a). As shown in Figure 4(b), communication cells such as cell A1, cell A2, and cell B1 exist near the event venue 401. Hereafter, the range of communication cells may be referred to as CM (Cell Mesh).

[0033] Figure 4(c) is an illustrative diagram showing the overlapping area 403 between the event location 401 and communication cell A1. Hereafter, the overlapping area 403 may be referred to as OM (Overlap Mesh).

[0034] The identification unit 132 prefers to identify communication cells in which as much of the communication cell's range as possible overlaps with the event location 401. This is because when the settings of a communication cell are changed to match the event specifications, the entire range of that communication cell is changed to those settings. If only a small portion overlaps, changing the communication cell to match the event specifications may actually decrease communication efficiency or quality.

[0035] Therefore, the identification unit 132 identifies a communication cell that satisfies either of the following two conditions, Condition 1 or Condition 2, and identifies the base station 200 responsible for that communication cell.

[0036] Condition 1: The overlap rate between the event location 401 and the overlapping range 403 is 5% or more (first threshold), and the overlap rate between the communication cell range and the overlapping range 403 is 1% or more (second threshold). In other words, OM / EM >= 0.05 and OM / CM >= 0.01.

[0037] Condition 2: The overlap rate between the communication cell range and the overlapping range 403 is 60% or more (third threshold). In other words, OM / CM >= 0.06.

[0038] Note that the percentages in Condition 1 and Condition 2 (first threshold, second threshold, and third threshold) are examples and can be changed as appropriate. That is, the first threshold, second threshold, and third threshold can each be set to arbitrary values ​​according to the characteristics of the base station 200 to be identified. The characteristics of the base station 200 to be identified may be determined by the content and location of the event. For example, if the communication transmission environment at the event location is poor and you want to identify only cells with high field strength, the communication range of those communication cells will be considered to be wide, so the second threshold may be set to be relatively high. Each threshold, or a part thereof, can be tuned so that base stations that satisfy the characteristics of such communication cells are extracted.

[0039] The identification unit 132 transmits information indicating the identified communication cell and information indicating the base station 200, namely the communication cell ID and base station ID, to the communication setting unit 133.

[0040] The communication setting unit 133 instructs the base station 200 having the communication cell identified by the identification unit 132 to change its communication settings to the event specifications from the event start date and time to the event end date and time transmitted from the acquisition unit 131, via the communication unit 110. The communication setting unit 133 determines the communication settings for the event by utilizing the functions of the RIC (Radio access network Intelligent Controller). For example, this can be done by using a learning model that has learned the relationship between the location where the event is held (whether it is in the metropolitan area or a rural area, information that can identify the communication environment around the event venue, etc.), the scale of the event (number of event participants), and the communication settings that have been set (or should be set) for the base station at that time. In other words, the communication settings can be determined by using a learning model that has learned training data in which the event location and event scale are causal variables and the communication settings are explanatory variables. The communication setting unit 133 then instructs the communication unit 110 to transmit to the base station 200 identified by the identification unit 132 information including the cell ID of the communication cell that the base station 200 is responsible for, the start date and time of the event, the end date and time of the event, and the communication settings information at the time of the event.

[0041] The selection unit 134 selects event range information from map data that indicates the range of event locations included in the event information. The selection unit 134 transmits the selected event range information (event locations 401) to the identification unit 132.

[0042] The storage unit 140 has the function of storing various programs and data necessary for the operation of the information processing device 100. The storage unit 140 can be implemented by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc., but is not limited to these. The storage unit 140 may store various programs and data necessary to realize the functions that the information processing device 100 should perform. The storage unit 140 may store programs, etc., for identifying base stations having communication cells that overlap with the event venue and for instructing the identified base stations to change their communication specifications to event specifications during the event. The storage unit 140 may also store mesh information 141 indicating the range of each communication cell of each base station 200. The mesh information 141 is information that associates a base station ID for identifying each base station 200, the cell ID of the communication cell of the base station 200, and information indicating the communication range of the communication cell.

[0043] The output unit 150 has the function of outputting specified information according to instructions from the control unit 130. For example, the output unit 150 may output character information or image information, in which case the output unit 150 is realized by a monitor provided with or connected to the information processing device 100. Alternatively, for example, the output unit 150 may output audio information, in which case the output unit 150 is realized by a speaker provided with or connected to the information processing device.

[0044] The above is an example of the configuration of the information processing device 100.

[0045] <Configuration of base station 200> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of base station 200. Base station 200 is a base station that functions as a relay base station for communication between ground terminals 300, and is a computer system that operates according to a predetermined program. Base station 200 may also construct a vRAN (virtual Radio Access Network) realized by a CPU and a GPU. In addition, in base station 200, the following communication unit 110 may be a Radio Unit (RU) in 5G communication. Also, the functions realized by the control unit 130 may be realized by a Distribution Unit (DU) or Central Unit (CU) in 5G communication, or may be realized by an RU. Furthermore, base station 200 may realize a Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC), or it may operate under the control of a Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, the base station 200 includes a communication unit 210, a control unit 230, and a storage unit 240. The base station 200 may also include an input unit 220 and an output unit 250.

[0047] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface that has the function of communicating with external devices of the base station 200. The communication unit 210 has the function of communicating with external devices such as the information processing device 100 and the terminal 300. The communication unit 210 receives signals from the terminal 300 and transmits them to the control unit 230, and transmits signals to the terminal 300 according to instructions from the control unit 230. The communication unit 210 also receives signals from the information processing device 100 and transmits them to the control unit 230, and transmits signals to the information processing device 100 according to instructions from the control unit 230. As an example, the communication unit 210 receives event information from the information processing device 100 and transmits it to the control unit 230.

[0048] The input unit 220 has the function of receiving input from the operator of the base station 200 and transmitting the input content to the control unit 230. The input unit 220 may be implemented by an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel, and in the case of voice input, it may be implemented by a microphone. As an example, the input unit 220 may receive information on the communication settings of the event specifications during an event and transmit it to the control unit 230.

[0049] The control unit 230 is a processor that has the function of controlling various parts of the base station 200. The control unit 230 may be implemented as a single-core or multi-core processor. The control unit 230 executes various programs stored in the memory unit 240 and utilizes various data to realize the functions of the base station 200.

[0050] The control unit 230 relays communication between terminals 300, just like a normal base station 200. The control unit 230 communicates with the mobile terminals 300 according to the communication settings specified by the information processing device 100. The base station 200 stores information on the maximum number of mobile terminals that can communicate (also called the maximum communication capacity) for each frequency band used for communication in the storage unit 240, and distributes the mobile terminals 300 connected to the base station 200 to each frequency band so as not to exceed the maximum number (maximum communication capacity) for each frequency band, and then executes communication. The control unit 230 is equipped with a setting unit 231 as a function that the control unit 230 is supposed to perform.

[0051] The setting unit 231 configures the communication settings in the communication cells with which the base station 200 communicates. The setting unit 231 may configure the communication settings in the communication cells according to instructions from the information processing device 100, or it may configure them according to predetermined rules (algorithms). When the setting unit 231 receives event information from the information processing device 100 via the communication unit 210, it changes the communication settings of the designated communication cells (communication cells that overlap with the event location) to event specifications at the event start date and time. Then, at the event end date and time, the setting unit 231 changes the communication settings of the designated communication cells back from event specifications to normal specifications. The setting unit 231 may also change the communication settings to event specifications from a predetermined time before the event start date and time (for example, one hour before, which is the time when people start gathering for the event, but it is not limited to one hour). Since the number of people actually increases before the event start date and time, changing the communication specifications from that time ensures communication for many users' terminals, so it is preferable to change the communication specifications from a predetermined time before the event start date and time. Furthermore, the setting unit 231 may revert the communication settings from event specifications to normal specifications after a predetermined time on the event's end date and time (for example, one hour, which is roughly the time when people have left the event venue, but it is not limited to one hour). People who have gathered for the event do not necessarily leave immediately at the event's end date and time; they may linger around the event venue to share their feelings with other event participants after the event has ended. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain communication for these users' terminals, and it is preferable to revert the communication settings to their original state after a predetermined time on the event's end date and time. In this case, reverting to normal specifications may mean returning the communication settings to the state they were in before they were changed to event specifications. Alternatively, instead of reverting the communication settings to normal specifications after the event ends, the setting unit 231 may change them to communication settings specified again by the information processing device 100, etc.

[0052] Changing the communication settings to event specifications may mean changing the communication settings so that the terminals of many people gathered at the event can communicate. Normally, in communication between the base station 200 and terminals 300, communication settings are made with a margin to prioritize communication quality and communication speed. On the other hand, when many people, i.e., many mobile terminals 300, gather at the event venue 401, it is necessary for each mobile terminal 300 to be able to communicate, but the communication performance of the base station 200 is constant. Therefore, changing the communication settings to event specifications may mean changing the settings to increase the number of connectable mobile terminals 300, even while reducing the communication quality or communication speed per mobile terminal 300 compared to normal, that is, changing the settings to increase the number of mobile terminals 300 that the base station 200 processes per unit of time.

[0053] As a specific example, changing the communication settings to match the event specifications may involve changing the proportion of communication frequency bands used in the target communication cell of the base station 200. For example, this could involve increasing the utilization rate of higher communication frequencies among the available communication frequencies with faster communication speeds. The communication frequencies available to the base station 200 are various, such as the 900MHz band, 1.5GHz band, 1.7GHz band, 2.1GHz band, and 2.5GHz band. The change may be made according to the proportion of communication bands that the mobile terminal 300 can handle. Alternatively, changing the communication settings to match the event specifications may involve changing the priority or degree of time-division multiplexing and frequency-division multiplexing. For example, time-division multiplexing may be prioritized, and when the number of terminals that can connect using time-division multiplexing reaches a predetermined upper limit, the communication method for the next terminal may be set to frequency-division multiplexing. Furthermore, in this case, the change to the communication settings for the event specification may involve separating the frequency band for performing time-division multiplexing from the frequency band for performing frequency-division multiplexing, and determining the priority order of the frequency bands used within each communication method if there are multiple frequency bands used within that method. In addition, the communication settings for the event specification may involve setting the ratio of each frequency band to be used by dividing the number of bandwidths used in each frequency band by the number of cells covered by the base station 200 in that frequency band, when the allocation of multiple communication frequencies is normally equal (or predetermined), by the ratio of the corresponding terminals.

[0054] The proportion of compatible terminals may be the proportion calculated based on the radio frequency that each terminal connecting to a particular carrier's network supports. That is, it may be a value based on the ratio of the total number of terminals that support communication at each radio frequency used in the carrier's network (i.e., terminals capable of communicating at that radio frequency) to the total number of terminals that can connect to the carrier. For example, if a carrier's network uses two types of radio frequencies, 900MHz and 1.5GHz, and all terminals that can connect to the network are capable of communication at 900MHz, and 50% of terminals that can connect to the network are capable of communication at 1.5GHz, then the proportion of compatible terminals may be 1 for 900MHz and 1 / 2 for 1.5GHz. The proportion of terminals connecting to each frequency band can be calculated as follows: If the proportion of terminals capable of communication in the first frequency band used by the carrier is p1, and the proportion of terminals capable of communication in the second frequency band is p2, then the proportion of terminals connecting to the first frequency band is p1 / (p1+p2). Furthermore, the proportion of terminals connected to the second frequency band can be calculated as p2 / (p1+p2).

[0055] If terminals are connected to the network without considering the allocation ratio, the number of terminals connected will be proportional to the proportion of terminals corresponding to each frequency band. For example, in the case described above, 2 / 3 of all terminals will be connected to 900MHz and the remaining 1 / 3 will be connected to 1.5GHz. In this case, terminals connected to 900MHz will have relatively less communication performance from the base station 200 they can use, while terminals connected to 1.5GHz will have relatively more communication performance from the base station 200 they can use. However, there are cases where it is desirable to ensure that all terminals that can connect to the network can equally utilize the communication performance of the base station 200 (i.e., considering the allocation ratio). In such cases, the allocation ratio for each frequency band may be determined by using the reciprocal of the proportion of terminals that can be connected to each frequency band. Specifically, for example, if the reciprocal of P1 is X1 and the reciprocal of P2 is X2, the allocation ratio for the first frequency band will be X1 / (X1+X2), and the allocation ratio for the second frequency band will be X2 / (X1+X2), thus calculating the allocation ratio for each frequency band. By using allocation ratios, the proportion of each frequency band used can be made equal.

[0056] For example, in the case described above, the proportion of each frequency band used could be such that 50% of all terminals could be accommodated on 900MHz and the remaining 50% on 1.5GHz.

[0057] The storage unit 240 has the function of storing various programs and data necessary for the operation of the base station 200. The storage unit 240 can be implemented using, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc., but is not limited to these. The storage unit 240 may store various programs and data necessary to realize the functions that the base station 200 should perform. The storage unit 240 may store programs that change the communication settings of communication cells according to instructions from the information processing device 100. The storage unit 240 may also store cell information 241 indicating the communication range of communication cells.

[0058] The output unit 250 has the function of outputting specified information according to instructions from the control unit 230. For example, the output unit 250 may output character information or image information, in which case the output unit 250 is implemented by a monitor provided in or connected to the base station 200. Alternatively, for example, the output unit 250 may output voice information, in which case the output unit 250 is implemented by a speaker provided in or connected to the information processing device.

[0059] The above is an example of the configuration of base station 200.

[0060] Since terminal 300 is similar to a typical information processing device with a configuration similar to that of a communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, a detailed explanation using a block diagram will be omitted.

[0061] <Operation> From here, the operation of the information processing device 100 and the base station 200 will be explained.

[0062] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device 100.

[0063] As shown in Figure 5, the communication unit 110 of the information processing device 100 receives event information from an external terminal 300, including information indicating the event location, the event start date and time, and the event end date and time. The communication unit 110 transmits the received event information to the control unit 130. The acquisition unit 131 of the control unit 130 acquires the event information transmitted from the communication unit 110 (step S501). The acquisition unit 131 extracts information indicating the event location from the acquired event information and transmits it to the identification unit 132. The acquisition unit 131 also extracts information indicating the event start date and time and the event end date and time from the acquired event information and transmits it to the communication setting unit 133.

[0064] When the identification unit 132 receives information about the event location, it refers to the mesh information 141 to identify the communication cell that overlaps with the event location and the base station 200 of that communication cell (step S502). The identification unit 132 then transmits the identified base station 200 and communication cell information to the communication setting unit 133.

[0065] When the communication setting unit 133 receives information about the base station 200 and its communication cell from the identification unit 132, and the start date and time and end date and time of the event from the acquisition unit 131, it determines the communication settings for the event specification, and via the communication unit 110, instructs the base station 200, as communicated by the identification unit 132, to change the communication settings of the specified communication cell to the event specification settings for the period from the start date and time to the end date and time of the event (step S503), and then terminates the process.

[0066] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of base station 200.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, the communication unit 210 of the base station 200 receives information indicating a communication cell, the start date and time of an event, the end date and time of an event, and information indicating communication settings from the information processing device 100, and transmits this information to the control unit 230 (step S601).

[0068] When the event start date and time arrives (YES in step S602), the setting unit 231 of the control unit 230 changes the communication settings of the specified communication cell to the event specifications (step S603). This enables the base station 200 to communicate with more mobile terminals 300 of users concentrated at the event venue.

[0069] When the event end date and time arrives (YES in step S604), the setting unit 231 of the control unit 230 returns the communication settings of the communication cell, which had been changed to event specifications, back to normal specifications (step S605). This enables the provision of high-quality communication services with the mobile terminals 300 belonging to that communication cell.

[0070] The above is an example of the operation of the information processing device 100 and base station 200 according to the embodiment.

[0071] <Summary> As described above, the information processing device 100 receives information in advance about events where many people will gather, and instructs the base station 200 at the location where the event will be held to change the base station's communication settings for communication with the mobile terminals 300 of the people gathering at the event to event specifications during the event. By changing the communication settings, for example, to have a higher proportion of time-division multiplexing than frequency-division multiplexing than normal, or to increase the proportion of frequency bands capable of high-speed communication among the multiple frequency bands used, it is possible to ensure communication with a larger number of terminals. Furthermore, after the event ends, by returning to the normal settings, it is possible to free up processing capacity by not having to process as many terminals as during the event, and to provide high-quality communication services to all connected terminals.

[0072] <Variation> It goes without saying that the information processing device 100 and base station 200 according to the above embodiment are not limited to the above embodiment and may be implemented by other methods. Various modifications will be described below.

[0073] (1) In the above embodiment, the identification unit 132 identified the communication cell of the event venue by the method described above, but the identification unit 132 may also identify a communication cell in which the event venue 401 and a portion of the communication range of the communication cell overlap.

[0074] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the information processing device 100 determines the communication settings for the event specification and instructs the base station 200 to do so. However, the base station 200 may determine the communication settings for the event specification instead of the information processing device 100. In that case, the base station 200 may determine the communication settings for the event specification using AI, similar to the information processing device 100.

[0075] (3) In the above embodiment, the base station 200 changes to the event-specific communication settings in accordance with the communication settings received from the information processing device 100 in accordance with the instructions from the information processing device 100 when an event occurs, but this is not limited to this. The event-specific communication settings may be predetermined and fixed and stored in the storage unit 240, and the base station 200 may read the communication setting information stored in the storage unit 240 and set the settings when an event occurs.

[0076] (4) In the above embodiment, the information processing device 100 is configured to perform event-specific communication settings for the base station 200 whose communication cell overlaps with the location of the event when an event is held. This is based on the expectation that more users than usual will gather at the event location. Therefore, if the information processing device 100 determines that the number of users expected to gather due to the event will not exceed a predetermined amount, or will not increase by a predetermined percentage, compared to the normal population of the event location, it may be configured not to instruct the base station 200 to change the communication settings to the event specifications as described above.

[0077] (5) A program for the information processing device 100 of the present disclosure to identify a base station 200 where the location of an event and a communication cell overlap, and to change its communication settings to the communication settings of the event specification, may be provided stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a “non-temporary tangible medium” capable of storing the program. The storage medium may include any suitable storage medium such as an HDD or SSD, or two or more suitable combinations thereof. The storage medium may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile. However, the storage medium is not limited to these examples and may be any device or medium capable of storing the program.

[0078] The information processing device 100 can realize the functions of the multiple functional units shown in each embodiment by, for example, reading a program stored on a storage medium and executing the read program. Furthermore, the program may be provided to the information processing device 100 via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves). The information processing device 100 can realize the functions of the multiple functional units shown in each embodiment by, for example, executing a program downloaded via the Internet or the like. This program may be executed by the information processing device 100 or the like.

[0079] This program can be implemented using, but is not limited to, scripting languages ​​such as ActionScript and JavaScript®, object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Objective-C, Java®, and Python®, and markup languages ​​such as HTML5.

[0080] At least a portion of the processing at the base station 200 may be implemented by cloud computing, which consists of one or more computers. Furthermore, each functional unit of the base station 200 may be implemented by one or more circuits that implement the functions shown in the above embodiment, or the functions of multiple functional units may be implemented by one circuit.

[0081] (6) The above embodiments and their variations may be combined as appropriate to the extent that they are in line with the purpose of changing the communication settings of the base station 200 during an event.

[0082] (7) According to each aspect of the present disclosure described above, it is possible to perform AI processing that enables highly reliable communication between base stations and terminals, and ultimately between terminals, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 100 Information Processing Devices 110 Communications Department 120 Input section 130 Control Unit 131 Acquisition Department 132 Specific part 133 Communication Settings Section 134 Selection Section 140 Storage section 150 Output section 200 base stations 210 Communications Department 220 Input section 230 Control Unit 231 Settings Section 240 Storage section 250 Output section 300, 300a, 300b, 300c, 300d, 300e Mobile Terminals

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires event information including at least the event start date and time and the venue where the event is held, A special unit identifies the location of the aforementioned event and the base station whose communication range overlaps with that of the cell, A communication setting unit that, for a base station identified by the identification unit, changes the communication settings when the base station communicates with a terminal, from the normal settings when there is no event to communication settings according to the specifications of the event, starting at least from the event start date and time. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The identifying unit identifies whether each of the multiple cells covered by the base station overlaps with the location where the event is held. The communication setting unit changes the communication settings for the cell identified by the identification unit to communication settings according to the specifications of the event. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The communication setting unit changes the communication settings from a predetermined time before the event start date and time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned event information includes information about the event end date and time when the event ends. The communication setting unit will revert the communication settings of the base station identified by the identification unit back to the normal settings after the event end date and time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The change to the communication settings according to the specifications of the aforementioned event is to prioritize time-division multiplexing over frequency-division multiplexing in the communication method used for communication with the terminal. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A storage unit that stores cell range information indicating the range of a cell which is the communication range formed by a base station, in association with information that identifies the cell, The system further includes a selection unit that selects event range information from map data, which indicates the range of locations where the event is held, as included in the event information. The identification unit identifies the base station that forms the cell corresponding to the cell range information when the cell range information and the event range information overlap under predetermined conditions. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The identifying unit identifies the base station that forms the cell corresponding to the cell range information in either case: (i) when the overlapping region, which is the region where the cell range information and the event range information overlap, overlaps with the event range information by a first threshold or more, and the overlapping region and the cell range information overlap by a second threshold or more; or (ii) when the overlapping region and the cell range information overlap by a third threshold or more. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned event is an event or gathering held irregularly or for a limited period that can cause changes in pedestrian traffic, and is one in which the population around the event location during the event period increases significantly compared to the population outside the event period. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Computers A step to obtain event information that includes at least the event start date and time and the venue where the event will be held, The process involves identifying the location of the event and identifying base stations whose communication ranges overlap with those of the cell, and A communication setting step for the base station identified in the aforementioned specific step, which changes the communication settings used when the base station communicates with a terminal, from the normal settings when there is no event to communication settings according to the specifications of the event, starting at least from the event start date and time. An information processing method that performs the following.

10. On the computer, A function to acquire event information that includes at least the event start date and time, and the location where the event will be held. A function to identify the location of the aforementioned event and the base station whose communication range overlaps with that of the cell, A communication setting function that, for a base station identified by the specified function, changes the communication settings when the base station communicates with a terminal, from the normal settings when there is no event to communication settings according to the specifications of the event, at least from the event start date and time. An information processing program that makes this possible.

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