Prioritizing the transmission of the latest data, aggregated to a size smaller than the maximum single-transmission limit.

Abstract

We provide a data collection and transmission device that enables the transmission of minimal data while considering the possibility of connection failures. [Solution] A data collection transmission device that transmits collected data over time to a base station providing a communication cell comprises: a latest data aggregation unit that aggregates the latest data collected during the most recent collection period into a size that can be transmitted in a single transmission; and a priority transmission unit that transmits the latest data aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit to the base station with the highest priority. The data collection transmission device further comprises: a priority transmission success / failure determination unit that determines the success or failure of the priority transmission in response to the base station's response to the priority transmission of the latest data by the priority transmission unit; and a normal transmission unit that transmits the untransmitted collected data to the base station multiple times if the priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines that the priority transmission was successful.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the priority transmission of the latest data aggregated to a size that can be transmitted at once.

Background Art

[0002] The information shown in this background art section is only for the purpose of deepening the understanding of the general background of the present disclosure, and it should not be construed as recognizing that this information is prior art known to those skilled in the art, nor should it be construed as suggesting any prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0003] The number, types, and uses of wireless communication devices (hereinafter also collectively referred to as communication devices), typified by smartphones and IoT (Internet of Things) devices, are constantly increasing, and the expansion and improvement of wireless communication standards are continuing. For example, the commercial service of the fifth-generation mobile communication system known as "5G" started in 2018, but the standard setting is still underway at 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project). In addition, efforts have also started towards the standard setting of "6G", the next-generation wireless communication standard following 5G, or the sixth-generation mobile communication system.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] One form of IoT device is a data collection and transmission device that transmits data collected over time to a 5G wireless communication system, etc. For data transmission to occur, a connection must be established between the data collection and transmission device (IoT device) and the base station of the 5G wireless communication system, etc., but connection failures can occur for various reasons.

[0006] This disclosure is made in light of these circumstances and provides a data collection and transmission device that enables minimal data transmission while considering the possibility of connection failures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A data collection transmission device in one aspect of the present disclosure is a data collection transmission device that transmits collected data over time to a base station providing a communication cell, comprising: a latest data aggregation unit that aggregates the latest data collected in the most recent collection period from the collected data to a size less than or equal to a single transmission size; and a priority transmission unit that transmits the latest data aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit to the base station with the highest priority.

[0008] According to this embodiment, considering the possibility of connection failures between the data collection transmission device and the base station, the latest data aggregated to a size less than or equal to the maximum transmittable size can be transmitted to the base station with the highest priority.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a wireless communication system. This wireless communication system includes a base station that provides a communication cell, and a data collection transmission device that transmits collected data collected over time to the base station, the data collection transmission device comprising: a latest data aggregation unit that aggregates the latest data collected in the most recent collection period from the collected data into a size that can be transmitted in a single transmission; and a priority transmission unit that transmits the latest data aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit to the base station with the highest priority.

[0010] Another aspect of this disclosure is a method for transmitting collected data. This method transmits collected data collected over time to a base station providing a communication cell, and includes aggregating the latest data collected during the most recent collection period from the collected data to a size less than or equal to a single transmission size, and transmitting the aggregated latest data to the base station with the highest priority.

[0011] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, as well as any representations thereof converted into methods, apparatus, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also included in this disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] Features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of this disclosure are shown below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same elements.

[0013] [Figure 1] A schematic overview of the wireless communication system is shown. [Figure 2] This is a schematic functional block diagram of a wireless communication system including a data collection and transmission device. [Figure 3] This shows an example of time-series data collection when the data collection unit is a soil sensor. [Figure 4] This diagram schematically shows the changes over time in soil sensor measurement data received by the server when the transmission path is restored after a prolonged period in which the data collection transmission unit was unable to transmit collected data. [Figure 5] This shows an embodiment of a device in which a data collection and transmission device may be implemented. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The following describes exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. While this disclosure provides figures and descriptions, it is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to limit embodiments to the exact forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in view of this disclosure and may be derived from the practice of the embodiments. Furthermore, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment or combined with another embodiment (or incorporated into one or more features of another embodiment or combined with one or more features of another embodiment). Also, the flowcharts and descriptions relating to operations presented below relate to at least one of the embodiments of this disclosure. However, it should be noted that it is possible to create other embodiments that do not exactly match the flowcharts and descriptions. Also, it should be understood that in other embodiments, one or more operations may be omitted (at least partially), one or more operations may be added, or one or more operations may be performed simultaneously.

[0015] It is clear that the systems, methods, or both described herein may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, or combinations of hardware and software. Furthermore, their implementation should not be limited by the specific control hardware or software code used to implement these systems, methods, or both. Therefore, this specification describes the operation and behavior of the systems, methods, or both without referring to specific software code. It should also be understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems, methods, or both based on the descriptions herein.

[0016] Even if a particular combination of features is described in the claims, disclosed herein, or both, such particular combination is not intended to limit the disclosure of embodiments. Furthermore, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically described in the claims, or not disclosed herein, or both. Also, even if a dependent claim is directly dependent on only one claim, the disclosure of embodiments may include combinations of that dependent claim and each of the claims described in the claims.

[0017] Elements, actions, or instructions used herein should not be construed as important or essential unless explicitly stated so. Furthermore, nouns not referred to as plural (where the articles "a" and "an" are used with nouns in English) are intended to include cases where the noun is one or more in number and can be used synonymously with "one or more." In addition, terms such as "have," "possess," "include," and "contain" used herein are intended to be open-ended terms, meaning they may have or contain other elements, etc. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" is intended to mean "at least partially based on" unless otherwise specified. In addition, expressions such as "[A] and [B]," "[A] and / or [B]," or "[A] or [B]" should be understood to include A only, B only, or both A and B.

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments for implementing the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail while referring to the drawings. In the description and / or drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent components, members, processes, etc., and redundant descriptions are omitted. The scales and shapes of the respective parts shown are set for convenience for simplification of the description, and are not to be construed restrictively unless otherwise specified. The embodiments are examples and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. All features presented in the embodiments and combinations thereof are not necessarily essential to the present disclosure.

[0019] The embodiments are presented, for convenience, as being decomposed into components for each function and / or function group for realizing it. However, one component in the embodiments may actually be realized by a combination of a plurality of components as separate entities, or a plurality of components in the embodiments may actually be realized by one component as an integral entity. Also, in the description of the wireless communication system in the present embodiment, terms in existing wireless communication standards such as 5G are used for convenience. This is not intended to limit the present disclosure to 5G or the like, and does not prevent the present disclosure from being applied when the same technology as the present disclosure is provided under different names in future wireless communication systems such as 6G.

[0020] FIG. 1 schematically shows an overview of a wireless communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wireless communication system 1 includes a 5G wireless communication system 11, a 4G wireless communication system 12, and a satellite communication system 13. The 5G wireless communication system 11 complies with the fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G) that uses NR (New Radio) or 5G NR (Fifth Generation New Radio) as a radio access technology (RAT) and uses 5GC (Fifth Generation Core) as a core network (CN). The 4G wireless communication system 12 complies with the fourth-generation mobile communication system (4G) that uses LTE (Long Term Evolution) or LTE-Advanced as a radio access technology and uses EPC (Evolved Packet Core) as a core network. The satellite communication system 13 is responsible for satellite communication via a communication satellite 131. Although not shown, the wireless communication system 1 may include a wireless communication system of a generation earlier than 4G, may include a wireless communication system of a generation later than 5G (such as 6G, etc.), or may include any wireless communication system not associated with a generation such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Further, the wireless communication system 1 may not include some or all of the 5G wireless communication system 11, the 4G wireless communication system 12, and the satellite communication system 13.

[0021] The 5G wireless communication system 11 includes a plurality of 5G base stations 111A, 111B, 111C (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 5G base stations 111) that are installed on the ground and can communicate with communication devices 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D (hereinafter also collectively referred to as communication devices 2), such as smartphones, which are also called user equipment (UE) or user terminals (UT), via 5G NR. The base station 111 in 5G is also called a gNodeB (gNB). The communication range or support range of each of the 5G base stations 111A, 111B, 111C is called a cell, and is shown as 112A, 112B, 112C (hereinafter also collectively referred to as 5G cells 112).

[0022] The size of the 5G cells 112 of each 5G base station 111 is arbitrary, but typically ranges from a few meters to tens of kilometers in radius. Although there is no established definition, cells with a radius of a few meters to 10 meters are sometimes called femtocells, cells with a radius of 10 meters to tens of meters are called picocells, cells with a radius of tens to hundreds of meters are called microcells, and cells with a radius exceeding hundreds of meters are sometimes called macrocells. 5G often uses high-frequency radio waves such as millimeter waves, and due to their high directivity, radio waves are blocked by obstacles, shortening the communication range. For this reason, 5G tends to use smaller cells more frequently than generations prior to 4G.

[0023] Communication device 2 can perform 5G communication if it is located inside at least one of the multiple 5G cells 112A, 112B, and 112C. In the illustrated example, communication device 2B located inside 5G cells 112A and 112B can communicate with either 5G base station 111A or 111B via 5G NR. Similarly, communication device 2C located inside 5G cell 112C can communicate with 5G base station 111C via 5G NR. Communication devices 2A and 2D are outside all 5G cells 112A, 112B, and 112C and are therefore unable to communicate via 5G NR. 5G NR communication between each communication device 2 and each 5G base station 111 is managed by the core network, 5GC. For example, 5GC handles data exchange with each 5G base station 111, data exchange with external networks such as EPC, satellite communication system 13, and the internet, and manages the movement of communication device 2.

[0024] The 4G wireless communication system 12 includes multiple 4G base stations 121 (only one is shown in Figure 1). These multiple 4G base stations 121 are installed on the ground and can communicate with the communication device 2 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. In 4G, base stations 121 are also called eNodeBs (eNBs). Similar to each 5G base station 111, the communication range or support range of each 4G base station 121 is also called a cell and is shown as 122.

[0025] Communication device 2 can perform 4G communication if it is inside the 4G cell 122. In the illustrated example, communication devices 2A and 2B, which are inside the 4G cell 122, can communicate with the 4G base station 121 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. Communication devices 2C and 2D are outside the 4G cell 122 and therefore cannot communicate via LTE or LTE-Advanced. 4G communication via LTE or LTE-Advanced between each communication device 2 and each 4G base station 121 is managed by the core network, the EPC. For example, the EPC handles data exchange with each 4G base station 121, data exchange with external networks such as 5GC, the satellite communication system 13, and the internet, and manages the movement of communication devices 2.

[0026] Focusing on each communication device 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, in the illustrated example, communication device 2A is capable of 4G communication with 4G base station 121, communication device 2B is capable of 5G communication with 5G base stations 111A and 111B and 4G communication with 4G base station 121, and communication device 2C is capable of 5G communication with 5G base station 111C. When there are multiple base stations (111A, 111B, 121) that can communicate, as in the case of communication device 2B, one base station deemed optimal in terms of communication quality, etc., is selected under the management of the core network 5GC and / or EPC to communicate with communication device 2B. Furthermore, since communication device 2D is not capable of communicating with any of the 5G base stations 111 and 4G base stations 121, it communicates using the satellite communication system 13 described next.

[0027] The satellite communication system 13 is a wireless communication system that uses a communication satellite 131, which is a low-Earth orbit satellite orbiting in space at an altitude of approximately 500 km to 700 km above the Earth's surface, as a non-terrestrial base station. Similar to the 5G base station 111 and the 4G base station 121, the communication range or support range of the communication satellite 131 is also called a cell and is illustrated as 132. In this way, the communication satellite 131 as a non-terrestrial base station provides a satellite communication cell 132 as a non-terrestrial communication cell to the ground. A terrestrial communication device 2 can perform satellite communication if it is inside the satellite communication cell 132. Similar to the 5G base station 111 in the 5G wireless communication system 11 and the 4G base station 121 in the 4G wireless communication system 12, the communication satellite 131 as a base station in the satellite communication system 13 can wirelessly communicate with the communication device 2 inside the satellite communication cell 132 directly or indirectly via an aircraft or the like. The radio access technology used by the communications satellite 131 for wireless communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communications cell 132 may be 5G NR, the same as that used by the 5G base station 111, LTE or LTE-Advanced, the same as that used by the 4G base station 121, or any other radio access technology available to the communication device 2. For this reason, the communication device 2 does not need to be equipped with any special functions or components for satellite communications.

[0028] The satellite communication system 13 includes a gateway 133, which is installed on the ground and serves as a ground station capable of communicating with the communication satellite 131. The gateway 133 is equipped with a satellite antenna for communicating with the communication satellite 131 and is connected to 5G base stations 111 and 4G base stations 121, which constitute the terrestrial network (TN), via their respective wireless access technologies, such as 5G NR, LTE, or other wired or wireless access technologies or interfaces. In this way, the gateway 133 connects the non-terrestrial network (NTN), which is composed of non-terrestrial base stations or the communication satellite 131 as a satellite base station, and the TN, which is composed of ground base stations 111 and 121, in an interoperable manner. When communication satellite 131 communicates with communication device 2 in satellite communication cell 132 via 5G NR, the 5GC connected via gateway 133 and 5G base station 111 (or 5G radio access network) in TN is used as the core network. When communication satellite 131 communicates with communication device 2 in satellite communication cell 132 via LTE or LTE-Advanced, the EPC connected via gateway 133 and 4G base station 121 (or 4G radio access network) in TN is used as the core network. In this way, appropriate coordination is achieved between different wireless communication systems such as 5G communication, 4G communication, and satellite communication via gateway 133.

[0029] Satellite communication via the communications satellite 131 is primarily used to cover areas where ground base stations such as 5G base stations 111 and 4G base stations 121 are not installed or are few in number. In the illustrated example, the communication device 2D, which is outside the communication cells of all ground base stations, communicates with the communications satellite 131. On the other hand, communication devices 2A, 2B, and 2C, which are in good communication with any of the ground base stations, are also able to communicate with the communications satellite 131 because they are inside the satellite communication cell 132. However, in principle, they communicate with the ground base stations rather than the communications satellite 131, which is acting as a satellite base station, thereby saving the limited communication resources (including power) of the communications satellite 131 for the communication devices 2D and others. The communications satellite 131 improves the communication quality with the communication devices 2D by directing the communication radio waves towards the communication devices 2D inside the satellite communication cell 132 using beamforming.

[0030] The size of the satellite communication cell 132 of the communication satellite 131 as a satellite base station can be arbitrarily set according to the number of beams emitted by the communication satellite 131. For example, by combining up to 2,800 beams, a satellite communication cell 132 with a diameter of approximately 24 km can be formed. As shown in the figure, the satellite communication cell 132 is typically larger than terrestrial communication cells such as 5G cells 112 and 4G cells 122, and may contain one or more 5G cells 112 and / or 4G cells 122 inside. In the above, the communication satellite 131 flying in low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 km to 700 km above the Earth's surface was given as an example of a flying non-terrestrial base station. However, communication satellites flying in higher Earth orbits such as geostationary orbit, or unmanned or manned aircraft or drones flying in the lower atmosphere such as the stratosphere at a lower altitude (e.g., approximately 20 km above the Earth's surface) may be used in addition to or instead of the communication satellite 131 as a non-terrestrial base station.

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic functional block diagram of a wireless communication system 1 including a data collection and transmission device 3 according to this embodiment. The data collection and transmission device 3 comprises a data collection unit 31, a data collection and holding unit 32, a latest data aggregation unit 33, a data collection and transmission unit 34, and a transmission success / failure determination unit 35. Some of these functional blocks can be omitted as long as the data collection and transmission device 3 or the wireless communication system 1 can achieve at least some of the operations and / or effects described below. These functional blocks may be realized through the cooperation of hardware resources such as the central processing unit, memory, input devices, output devices, and peripheral devices connected to the computer implemented in the data collection and transmission device 3, and software executed using them. Regardless of the type or location of the computer, each of the above functional blocks may be realized with the hardware resources of a single computer, or with a combination of hardware resources distributed across multiple computers.

[0032] For example, as will be described later, the data acquisition unit 31 may be composed of various sensors as hardware different from the other functional blocks 32-35, etc. Such a data acquisition unit 31 may be installed in a location separate from the hardware on which the other functional blocks 32-35, etc. are implemented. In this case, the data acquisition unit 31 is connected to the data acquisition data storage unit 32, etc. wirelessly or via wired communication (at least in one direction from the data acquisition unit 31 to the data acquisition data storage unit 32, etc.) in order to transmit the acquired or measured data to the data acquisition data storage unit 32, etc. Thus, the data acquisition transmission device 3 according to this embodiment may be composed of a combination of multiple hardware or devices configured to communicate with each other. Note that the data acquisition unit 31 and the other functional blocks 32-35, etc. may be implemented in the data acquisition transmission device 3 as a single piece of hardware.

[0033] The data collection transmission device 3 transmits the collected data over time to the base station providing the communication cell. In the example in Figure 2, the base stations to which the data collection transmission device 3 transmits the collected data are exemplified as a communication satellite 131 as a non-terrestrial base station and a 4G base station 121 as a terrestrial base station. Note that the satellite communication cell 132 as a non-terrestrial communication cell and the 4G cell 122 as a terrestrial communication cell, respectively, that they provide to the ground are not shown in the illustration. However, the base stations to which the data collection transmission device 3 transmits the collected data are not limited to the communication satellite 131 or the 4G base station 121, but may be any type of base station exemplified in Figure 1.

[0034] As will be clear from the following explanation, the data collection transmission device 3 in the example of Figure 2 only needs to be able to transmit or provide the collected data to the server SV through either the communication satellite 131 or the 4G base station 121. Thus, the data collection transmission device 3 may select any base station that is available to or capable of communication with it (which may also be any communication device 2 connected to it, as will be described later) and transmit or provide the collected data to the server SV through it.

[0035] The data acquisition unit 31 collects data (hereinafter also referred to as collected data or measured data) transmitted by the data acquisition transmission device 3 to base stations such as the communication satellite 131 or the 4G base station 121 over time. The data acquisition unit 31 may be composed of various sensors capable of measuring various data at its installation location (i.e., capable of acquiring measured data).

[0036] In this embodiment, the data acquisition unit 31 is comprised of a soil sensor that measures temperature and humidity over time, indicating the condition of agricultural soil at its installation site. In addition to or instead of such a soil sensor, the data acquisition unit 31 may also include sensors or devices that collect over time environmental, weather, and other conditional information useful for agriculture, such as brightness, sunlight amount, sunlight duration, rainfall, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, weather, crop growth status, and weed and pest occurrences at its installation site.

[0037] Furthermore, the data collection unit 31 may be configured to acquire arbitrary measurement data over time according to the installation purpose, not limited to agricultural support. For example, in the logistics field, the data collection unit 31 may be composed of various sensors that can measure various data over time, such as temperature, humidity, brightness, vibration, and position based on GPS (Global Positioning System), and are attached to transportation machinery such as trucks and ships that transport goods, or to the goods themselves. Moreover, the data collection unit 31 or the collected data transmission device 3 according to this embodiment can be used not only in agriculture and logistics, but also in any other application such as smart cities, environmental monitoring, and energy management.

[0038] The collected data holding unit 32 temporarily holds the collected data or measurement data collected over time by the data collection unit 31 before the collected data transmission unit 34 transmits it to a base station such as a communication satellite 131 or a 4G base station 121. The collected data holding unit 32 may be composed of a storage medium such as memory or storage with limited capacity. As will be described in detail later, the collected data holding unit 32 generally operates in a FIFO (First In, First Out) manner, and when new collected data is written to the collected data holding unit 32, which has virtually no free capacity, the oldest collected data is overwritten or erased in order.

[0039] The data acquisition unit 31, which functions as various sensors, and the data acquisition storage unit 32, which holds the measured data, may be implemented as different hardware. In this case, the data acquisition unit 31 and the data acquisition storage unit 32 (or the main body of the data acquisition transmission device 3) are connected wirelessly or via a wired connection so that data can be transmitted from the data acquisition unit 31 to the data acquisition storage unit 32. For example, the data acquisition unit 31 and the data acquisition storage unit 32 may be connected to communicate unidirectionally (from the data acquisition unit 31 to the data acquisition storage unit 32) or bidirectionally using a preferred low-power wireless communication method such as LoRa. With LoRa, for example, long-distance transmission of 2km to 15km is possible, so the data acquisition unit 31, which functions as a soil sensor, and the main body of the data acquisition transmission device 3, which includes the data acquisition storage unit 32, can be installed in different locations at a distance from each other.

[0040] The collected data, which is collected by the data collection unit 31 and at least temporarily held by the collected data holding unit 32, can be classified according to its collection period. As schematically shown in Figure 2, the collected data held by the collected data holding unit 32 includes the latest data collected in the most recent collection period (for convenience, denoted as N (a natural number)), past data collected in the previous collection period (for convenience, denoted as N-1), past data collected in the collection period before that (for convenience, denoted as N-2), and so on.

[0041] As mentioned above, the capacity of the data collection storage unit 32 is limited, so as a general rule, older collected data is overwritten or deleted in order. For example, if the data collection storage unit 32 can hold a maximum of M (natural number) collection periods of collected data, then collected data older than the latest collection period (NM) will be deleted sequentially. Specifically, when new latest data (collection period N+1) is stored in the data collection storage unit 32, the oldest past data (collection period N-M+1) is deleted at that time. Also, the latest data from the previous collection period (collection period N) becomes past data for the new latest data (collection period N+1).

[0042] The lengths of each of the M collection periods in which the collected data is stored in the collected data storage unit 32 may be equal or different. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the length of all M collection periods is uniformly 1 day (24 hours). In this case, the collected data storage unit 32 stores M days of collected data that are consecutive (and substantially non-overlapping).

[0043] Furthermore, the consecutive collection periods statically set as described above may have temporal overlaps.

[0044] Figure 3 shows an example of data collected over time when the data collection unit 31 is a soil sensor.

[0045] Figure 3A is a graph of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), which can constitute part of the collected data over time. This RSSI indicates the signal strength of the collected data received by the data collection unit 32 or the main body of the data collection transmission device 3 from the data collection unit 31, which acts as a soil sensor, via wireless communication such as LoRa. In the example in Figure 3A, the RSSI for eight days from July 25th to August 1st is shown.

[0046] Figure 3B is a graph of the voltage of the data collection and transmission device 3 (excluding the data collection unit 31), which can constitute part of the time-series collected data. This voltage is measured by a voltage sensor (not shown) mounted on the data collection and transmission device 3 (excluding the data collection unit 31), which functions as a separate data collection unit from the soil sensor 31. In the example in Figure 3B, similar to Figure 3A, the voltage for eight days from July 25th to August 1st is shown.

[0047] Figure 3C is a graph of measurement data from a soil sensor 31, which can constitute part of the time-series collected data. In this embodiment, the soil sensor 31 measures two types of data: soil temperature and humidity. The two graphs shown in Figure 3C show the changes in temperature and humidity over time, respectively. In the example of Figure 3C, similar to Figures 3A and 3B, temperature and humidity data for eight days from July 25th to August 1st are shown.

[0048] In Figure 2, the latest data aggregation unit 33 aggregates the latest data collected during the most recent collection period (N in the example in Figure 2, which is the most recent 1 day (24 hours)) from the collected data collected by the data collection unit 31 or held by the collected data holding unit 32 into priority transmission data PD that is less than or equal to the size that can be transmitted in a single transmission by the collected data transmission unit 34.

[0049] The maximum transmission size per transmission by the data collection transmission device 3 or the data collection transmission unit 34 may be expressed as 1 MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit). The size of 1 MTU is determined by the communication method (e.g., RAT) with the base station (in the example in Figure 2, the communication satellite 131 or the 4G base station 121) or communication device 2 to which the collected data is transmitted. For example, when the data collection transmission unit 34 transmits collected data to the communication satellite 131, the 4G base station 121, or the 5G base station 111 (not shown) via LTE, 1 MTU is approximately 1400 bytes. Furthermore, for example, 1 MTU when the data collection transmission unit 34 transmits collected data to the communication satellite 131 or the 5G base station 111 (not shown) via 5G NR, or when the data collection transmission unit 34 transmits collected data to the communication device 2 via Wi-Fi (registered trademark), may differ from 1 MTU in the case of LTE.

[0050] In this embodiment, the specific size (or numerical value) of 1 MTU is not important, but in the example of this embodiment where the length of each collection period is 1 day (24 hours), the size of the collected data (in the example of Figure 3, a collection of 24 hours' worth of RSSI, 24 hours' worth of voltage from the data transmission device 3, and 24 hours' worth of temperature and humidity measured by the soil sensor 31) collected during each collection period (i.e., each day) is much larger than 1 MTU. In the case of LTE transmission, 1 MTU is 1400 bytes, while the collected data for each collection period (i.e., each day) can amount to, for example, approximately 400 kilobytes.

[0051] In this way, if the data collection transmission unit 34 (more precisely, the normal transmission unit 342 described later) transmits the collected data for each collection period, which far exceeds 1 MTU, essentially as is (although it may be accompanied by data compression, etc.), it is necessary to divide the collected data into many packets of 1 MTU or less and transmit them multiple times. The latest data aggregation unit 33 aggregates the latest data (N), which amounts to approximately 400 kilobytes, into priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less (for example, 1400 bytes in the case of LTE communication) in order to enable priority transmission that is completed in a single pass by the priority transmission unit 341 described later, in addition to or instead of such multiple normal transmissions.

[0052] The manner and method of aggregation by the latest data aggregation unit 33 are arbitrary, as long as the latest data (N) can be aggregated or compressed into priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less. For example, the latest data aggregation unit 33 may aggregate the latest data collected in the latest collection period (N) into statistical values ​​covering the latest collection period (i.e., the most recent 1 day (24 hours)).

[0053] In the example shown in Figure 3, the latest data aggregation unit 33 may aggregate the time-series temperature and humidity measurement data (Figure 3C) from the soil sensor 31 over the most recent 24-hour period into arbitrary statistical values ​​such as maximum, minimum, mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, range, skewness, and kurtosis, which can be calculated based on the measurement data for that day. By aggregating a large amount of measurement data (for the most recent day) as exemplified in Figure 3C into a small number of statistical values, the latest data aggregation unit 33 can generate priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less.

[0054] However, the latest data aggregation unit 33 may aggregate the latest data (N) into priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less using a non-statistical method. For example, the latest data aggregation unit 33 may generate priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less by sampling a small number of measurement data from the time-series temperature and humidity measurement data (Figure 3C) over the most recent 24 hours by the soil sensor 31. In this case, the sampling period may be constant (e.g., 1 hour) or variable. If the sampling period is variable, it is preferable for the latest data aggregation unit 33 to autonomously increase the sampling period during periods of note in the measurement data, such as periods when the measurement data values ​​are large or small, periods when there are large changes in the measurement data, or periods when abnormalities are observed in the behavior of the measurement data. In addition to or instead of the above, the latest data aggregation unit 33 may also incorporate the most recent or recent instantaneous values ​​of the temperature and humidity measurement data from the soil sensor 31 into the priority transmission data PD.

[0055] As described above, in the aggregation of data into the priority transmission data PD by the latest data aggregation unit 33, it is preferable that measurement data from the data collection unit (soil sensor) 31 (Figure 3C), which is of high importance, is preferentially incorporated into the priority transmission data PD. On the other hand, collected data (hereinafter also referred to as device status data) that indicates the state and operating status of the data collection transmission device 3 itself, such as the RSSI shown in Figure 3A and the voltage of the data collection transmission device 3 shown in Figure 3B, may also be incorporated into the priority transmission data PD as long as the condition of being 1 MTU or less is met. Device status data may be aggregated into the priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less using statistical or non-statistical methods, similar to measurement data. Alternatively, since device status data (Figures 3A and 3B) is of lower importance than measurement data (Figure 3C), it may not be incorporated into the priority transmission data PD at all.

[0056] In either case, it is preferable to make the occupancy ratio of device status data in the priority transmission data PD ("size of device status data included in the priority transmission data PD" ÷ "size of measurement data included in the priority transmission data PD") smaller than the occupancy ratio of device status data in the latest data (N) before aggregation by the latest data aggregation unit 33 ("size of device status data included in the latest data" ÷ "size of measurement data included in the latest data").

[0057] In this embodiment, the latest data aggregation unit 33 generates the following as priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU (1400 bytes in the case of LTE transmission): the maximum and minimum values ​​(specifically, the maximum temperature, minimum temperature, maximum humidity, and minimum humidity values ​​for the most recent 24 hours) and the most recent or recent instantaneous values ​​for temperature and humidity measured by the soil sensor 31 shown in Figure 3C over the most recent 24 hours, as well as the most recent or recent instantaneous values ​​of the RSSI shown in Figure 3A and the voltage of the data collection transmission device 3 shown in Figure 3B (i.e., device status data).

[0058] The collected data transmission unit 34 includes a priority transmission unit 341 that transmits priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit 33 with the highest priority, and a normal transmission unit 342 that, after the priority transmission of priority transmission data PD by the priority transmission unit 341, sequentially transmits normal collected data for each collection period that is (far) larger than 1 MTU and not aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit 33 (however, the size may be reduced by data compression, etc.) by dividing it into a large number of packets. It is preferable that the priority transmission unit 341 and the normal transmission unit 342 (i.e., the entire collected data transmission unit 34) are configured as a single transmission unit or transmitter in terms of hardware.

[0059] In the example shown in Figure 2, the data collection transmission unit 34 transmits collected data (including priority transmission data PD) to base stations such as the communication satellite 131 and the 4G base station 121. This data collection transmission unit 34 may be directly connected to the communication satellite 131 (represented by a solid line) within a satellite communication cell 132 (not shown) provided by the communication satellite 131, and may transmit collected data directly to the communication satellite 131 using any RAT such as 5G NR or LTE. Alternatively, the data collection transmission unit 34 may be directly connected to the 4G base station 121 (represented by a solid line) within a 4G cell 122 (not shown) provided by the 4G base station 121, and may transmit collected data directly to the 4G base station 121 using any RAT such as LTE.

[0060] In the example shown in Figure 2, the data collection transmission unit 34 may indirectly transmit the collected data to the base station (communication satellite 131 or 4G base station 121) via a communication device 2 located within the communication cell (satellite communication cell 132 provided by communication satellite 131 or 4G cell 122 provided by 4G base station 121). In this case, the data collection transmission unit 34 transmits the collected data to the communication device 2, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer, using any wireless or wired communication protocol such as Wi-Fi (represented by a dotted line). The communication device 2 is then directly connected to the base station (communication satellite 131 or 4G base station 121) within the communication cell (satellite communication cell 132 or 4G cell 122) (represented by a dotted line), and transmits or transfers the collected data (received from the data collection transmission unit 34) directly to the base station using any RAT such as 5G NR or LTE.

[0061] The collected data received by the communication satellite 131 directly or indirectly from the collected data transmission unit 34 is transferred to the core network CN via a base station such as a gateway 133 or 5G base station 111 that can communicate with the communication satellite 131, or via a radio access network (RAN), as previously described with respect to Figure 1. Similarly, the collected data received by the 4G base station 121 directly or indirectly from the collected data transmission unit 34 is transferred to the core network CN, as previously described with respect to Figure 1.

[0062] The core network CN collects collected data (including device status data) such as measurement data and device status data collected by the data acquisition unit 31 or the data acquisition transmission device 3, and transfers the collected data, which has been transferred from the base station, etc., to a server SV that provides any service for monitoring, analysis, etc.

[0063] As described above, an acknowledgment (ACK) of the collected data transmitted from the collected data transmission unit 34 can be returned from any entity along its transmission path to the collected data transmission unit 34 or to the entity preceding that entity (on the collected data transmission unit 34 side). In the example in Figure 2, at least one of the entities through which the collected data from the collected data transmission unit 34 can pass or reach, such as the communication satellite 131, 4G base station 121, communication device 2, gateway 133, core network CN, server SV, etc., returns an acknowledgment of the collected data to the collected data transmission unit 34.

[0064] The transmission success / failure determination unit 35 determines the success or failure of a transmission based on the response from the base station (communication satellite 131 or 4G base station 121) or communication device 2 to the transmission of collected data (including priority transmission data PD) by the collected data transmission unit 34. Specifically, the transmission success / failure determination unit 35 determines that the transmission of collected data was successful if it receives confirmation of receipt from the base station (communication satellite 131 or 4G base station 121) or communication device 2 within a predetermined period after transmission, and determines that the transmission of collected data failed if it does not receive confirmation of receipt from the base station (communication satellite 131 or 4G base station 121) or communication device 2 within a predetermined period after transmission.

[0065] The collected data transmission unit 34 transmits priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less with the highest priority via the priority transmission unit 341. If the transmission success / failure determination unit 35 determines that the transmission was successful, the normal transmission unit 342 then sequentially transmits the normal collected data for each collection period, which (far) exceeds 1 MTU, by dividing it into many packets, starting with the newest collection period.

[0066] In other words, as schematically shown in Figure 2, the collected data transmission unit 34 sets the highest priority (1st priority) for priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit 33 when transmitting collected data, sets the next highest priority (2nd priority) for the latest data related to the latest collection period (N) (before aggregation by the latest data aggregation unit 33), sets the next highest priority (3rd priority) for the past data related to the previous collection period (N-1), and sets the next highest priority (4th priority) for the past data related to the previous collection period (N-2) (and so on, up to the collection period (N-M+1)).

[0067] In particular, the priority transmission unit 341 prioritizes the transmission of the latest data (priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less) aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit 33 to the base station (communication satellite 131 or 4G base station 121) or communication device 2 with the highest priority (first priority). The transmission success / failure determination unit 35, acting as a priority transmission success / failure determination unit, determines the success or failure of the priority transmission based on the response from the base station (communication satellite 131 or 4G base station 121) or communication device 2 to the priority transmission of the priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less by the priority transmission unit 341 (for example, whether or not a reception confirmation is received).

[0068] If the transmission success / failure determination unit 35 determines that priority transmission by the priority transmission unit 341 has been successful based on receiving confirmation of receipt from the base station or communication device 2, the normal transmission unit 342 transmits the untransmitted collected data (data not yet aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit 33) sequentially according to the above priority. In the example in Figure 2, the normal transmission unit 342 transmits the latest data for the latest collection period (N) (data before aggregation by the latest data aggregation unit 33), the past data for the previous collection period (N-1), and the past data for the previous collection period (N-2) in that order. As mentioned above, since the size of the collected data for each collection period exceeds 1 MTU, the normal transmission unit 342 divides the collected data for each collection period into multiple packets and transmits them to the base station, etc., in multiple batches.

[0069] On the other hand, if the transmission success / failure determination unit 35 determines that priority transmission by the priority transmission unit 341 has failed based on the fact that it has not received confirmation of receipt from the base station or communication device 2, etc., within a predetermined period, the priority transmission unit 341 and the normal transmission unit 342 will stop transmitting collected data (retransmitting failed priority transmission data PDs or transmitting uncollected collected data) for at least a predetermined period (or reduce the transmission frequency for at least a predetermined period). In this way, if priority transmission of priority transmission data PDs of 1 MTU or less fails, it is considered that data transmission from the collected data transmission unit 34 to the server SV is practically impossible. Therefore, it is preferable to temporarily stop transmitting collected data (including retransmitting priority transmission data PDs), which is likely to waste the limited power and other resources of the collected data transmission device 3, and wait for the connection in the transmission path to be restored.

[0070] It is also possible that the transmission success / failure determination unit 35 may determine that normal transmission by the normal transmission unit 342 has failed after priority transmission by the priority transmission unit 341 has been successful. For example, in satellite communication via the communication satellite 131, stable communication is not always possible as with ground base stations, and operation in a degraded state is also anticipated. In such cases, small-sized data such as priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less can be transmitted, while large-sized data such as collected data related to each collection period that has not been aggregated cannot be transmitted. Thus, if the transmission success / failure determination unit 35 determines that normal transmission by the normal transmission unit 342 has failed based on the fact that it has not received confirmation of receipt from the base station or communication device 2, etc., within a predetermined period, it is preferable that the normal transmission unit 342 suspends the transmission of subsequent collected data (retransmission of failed collected data or transmission of past data related to the previous collection period) for at least a predetermined period.

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, the ability to flexibly determine whether or not to transmit subsequent collected data depends on the success or failure of the priority transmission of priority transmission data PD and the normal transmission of unaggregated collected data. Furthermore, even if the normal transmission of unaggregated collected data fails, priority communication of priority transmission data PD with an MTU of 1 or less may still succeed. As mentioned above, since the priority transmission data PD aggregates statistical values ​​of highly important measurement data, if its wired communication is successful, at least the minimum information can be provided to the server SV. Then, after waiting for the transmission path to recover to a state where normal transmission of unaggregated collected data is possible, the raw (unaggregated) collected data that formed the basis of the transmitted statistical values ​​can be supplemented to the server SV.

[0072] Figure 4 schematically shows the changes over time in the measurement data (temperature and humidity) from the soil sensor 31 received by the server SV when the transmission path is restored after a period of inability to transmit collected data by the data collection transmission unit 34.

[0073] In Figure 4A, due to communication failures and connection problems that occurred on August 1st, the data collection transmission unit 34 was unable to transmit collected data for approximately 24 hours. During this period, the priority transmission unit 341 was also unable to prioritize the transmission of priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less, resulting in a complete loss of measurement data (indicated by a dotted line for convenience). This untransmitted or untransmittable collected data is held in the data collection holding unit 32 in Figure 2 until it becomes possible to transmit it.

[0074] Figure 4B shows an example where, for instance, the communication failure or connection problems that occurred in Figure 4A continued for approximately 24 hours, but only 1 MTU of collected data could be transmitted. In response, the collected data transmission unit 34, via the priority transmission unit 341, prioritizes the transmission of the highest priority priority data PD to the server SV. As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the instantaneous value, the maximum value over the last 24 hours, and the minimum value over the last 24 hours of measurement data (temperature and humidity) from the soil sensor 31 are included in the priority transmission data PD. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4B, the server SV receives the instantaneous value T of the temperature.ins , the maximum value T over the last 24 hours max , the minimum value T over the last 24 hours min Instantaneous humidity value M ins , the maximum value M over the last 24 hours max , the minimum value M over the last 24 hours min We receive a total of six measurement data points. These minimal measurement data partially fill in the gaps in the measurement data shown in Figure 4A and visualize the overall trend.

[0075] Following Figure 4B, the data collection transmission unit 34, via the normal transmission unit 342, normally transmits the latest data (before it is aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit 33) for the second-priority latest collection period (N) to the server SV. If this normal transmission is successful, the missing measurement data in Figure 4A is completely compensated for, as shown in Figure 3C.

[0076] According to the above embodiment, the status and capacity of the transmission path to the server SV can be confirmed by the priority transmission of priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less and subsequent normal transmission, and if transmission fails, subsequent unnecessary transmissions can be stopped at least temporarily. In particular, priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less has the function of delivering measurement data etc., which has been aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit 33, to the server SV, as well as the function of confirming whether the transmission path to the server SV is in a state where it can transmit data of the minimum size of 1 MTU. The priority transmission unit 341 or the collected data transmission unit 34 may send a confirmation message or test message (preferably also of 1 MTU or less) to confirm the status of the transmission path to the server SV prior to the priority transmission of priority transmission data PD of 1 MTU or less, and may transmit the priority transmission data PD after receiving confirmation of receipt of such message.

[0077] In Figure 2, priority transmission data PD transmitted by the data collection transmission unit 34 (and preferably with confirmation of receipt) and collected data for each collection period may, in principle, be deleted sequentially from oldest to newest, or they may be retained as backups for at least a certain period as long as there is available capacity in the data collection storage unit 32.

[0078] Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the device 300 in which the data collection and transmission device 3 may be implemented. As shown in Figure 5, the device 300 comprises a processor 310, a memory 320, a storage unit 330, an input unit 340, an output unit 350, a communication interface 360, and a bus 370.

[0079] As used herein, the processor 310 means any type of arithmetic circuit that may comprise hardware and software elements. The processor 310 may be implemented as a multicore processor, a single-core processor, a combination of one or more multicore processors, a combination of one or more single-core processors, or a combination of one or more multicore processors and one or more single-core processors, or as a distributed processing system, etc. Furthermore, the processor 310 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an advanced processing unit (APU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other types of processing units.

[0080] Memory 320 includes a non-temporary computer-readable medium. Memory 320 includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), other types of dynamic or static storage devices (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, or at least two of these), or at least two of these, for storing information, instructions, or both used by the processor 310. Memory 320 includes machine-readable instructions that the processor 310 can execute. When these machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor 310, they cause the processor 310 to perform one or more method steps of the embodiments described above.

[0081] The storage unit 330 stores information, software, or both related to the operation and use of the device 300. The storage unit 330 may include, for example, a hard disk (e.g., magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, solid-state disk, or at least two of these), a CD (compact disc), a DVD (digital versatile disc), a floppy disk, a cartridge, magnetic tape, other types of non-temporary computer-readable media, or at least two of these, along with a corresponding drive. The storage unit 330 may also constitute the collected data holding unit 32.

[0082] The input unit 340 is configured to receive information such as user input. The input unit 340 may include, but is not limited to, a touchscreen display, keyboard, keypad, mouse, buttons, switches, microphone, or at least two combinations thereof. Furthermore, or alternatively, the input unit 340 may include sensors for detecting information (e.g., GPS (global positioning system), accelerometer, gyroscope, actuator, or at least two combinations thereof). The input unit 340 may be the data acquisition unit 31 itself, or it may be an interface for acquiring data from the data acquisition unit 31.

[0083] The output unit 350 is configured to provide output information from the device 300. The output unit 350 may, but is not limited to, a display, a speaker, a command device for an external device, one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or a combination of at least two of these.

[0084] The communication interface 360 ​​is an interface that provides communication connectivity with other devices, such as external or internal devices. The connection via the communication interface 360 ​​may be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless connections, and may be a direct or indirect connection via a communication network existing between the device 300 and the other devices. In other words, the specifications of the communication interface 360 ​​are not limited. The communication interface 360 ​​may also constitute the data collection transmission unit 34.

[0085] Bus 370 interconnects the processor 310, memory 320, storage unit 330, input unit 340, output unit 350, and communication interface 360 ​​of device 300. Bus 370 may include wired or wireless interconnections.

[0086] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 5 are provided as an example. In practice, the device 300 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or components in different arrangements compared to the components shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, or alternatively, a set of components of the device 300 (e.g., one or more components) may perform one or more functions as described above, which are performed by other sets of components of the device 300. Furthermore, one or more method steps described in any embodiment may be performed using multiple devices 300 communicating with one another.

[0087] The present disclosure has been described above based on embodiments. Various modifications are possible for each component and each combination of processes in the exemplary embodiments, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such modifications are included in the scope of the present disclosure.

[0088] The configuration, operation, and function of each device and method described in the embodiments can be realized by hardware resources or software resources, or by the cooperation of hardware resources and software resources. Hardware resources include, for example, processors, ROMs, RAMs, and various integrated circuits. Software resources include, for example, operating systems and application programs.

[0089] This disclosure may be expressed as follows:

[0090] Item 1: A data collection transmission device that transmits collected data collected over time to a base station providing a communication cell, A latest data aggregation unit aggregates the latest data collected during the most recent collection period from the aforementioned collected data into a size that is less than or equal to the size that can be transmitted in a single transmission. A priority transmission unit transmits the latest data aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit to the base station with the highest priority, A data collection and transmission device equipped with the following features. Item 2: A priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines the success or failure of the priority transmission in response to the response from the base station to the priority transmission of the latest data by the priority transmission unit, If the priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines that the priority transmission was successful, the normal transmission unit transmits the untransmitted collected data to the base station multiple times. A data collection transmission device as described in item 1, comprising the following features. Item 3: The data collection transmission device according to item 2, wherein the normal transmission unit transmits the latest data, before it is aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit, to the base station multiple times when the priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines that the priority transmission has been successful. Item 4: The data collection transmission device according to item 3, wherein the normal transmission unit transmits the latest data to the base station multiple times before it is aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit, and then transmits past data collected in a previous collection period preceding the latest collection period to the base station multiple times. Item 5: The data collection transmission device according to any one of items 2 to 4, wherein the priority transmission unit and the normal transmission unit suspend the transmission of the collected data to the base station for at least a predetermined period of time if the priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines that the priority transmission has failed. Item 6: The latest data aggregation unit is a data collection transmission device according to any one of items 1 to 5, which aggregates the data collected during the latest collection period into statistical values ​​covering the latest collection period. Item 7: A data collection transmission device according to any one of items 1 to 6, which transmits the collected data directly to the base station within the communication cell. Item 8: A data collection transmission device according to any one of items 1 to 6, which indirectly transmits the collected data to the base station via a communication device located within the communication cell. Item 9: The base station is a non-ground base station in flight, and is a data collection transmission device according to any one of items 1 to 8 that provides the communication cell to the ground. Item 10: The aforementioned non-terrestrial base station is a communications satellite orbiting in space, which is a data collection transmission device as described in item 9. Item 11: The base station is a ground base station installed on the ground, and is a data collection transmission device according to any one of items 1 to 8 that provides the communication cell to the ground. Item 12: A base station that provides communication cells, A data collection transmission device that transmits collected data collected over time to the aforementioned base station, A latest data aggregation unit aggregates the latest data collected during the most recent collection period from the aforementioned collected data into a size that is less than or equal to the size that can be transmitted in a single transmission. A priority transmission unit transmits the latest data aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit to the base station with the highest priority, A data collection and transmission device equipped with, A wireless communication system equipped with [the necessary components]. Item 13: A method for transmitting collected data, which transmits collected data over time to a base station that provides a communication cell, Of the aforementioned collected data, the most recent data collected during the latest collection period will be aggregated to a size that is less than or equal to the size that can be transmitted in a single transmission. The aggregated latest data is to be transmitted to the base station with the highest priority, A method for sending collected data to perform this operation. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 1 Wireless communication system, 2 Communication device, 3 Data collection transmission device, 11 5G wireless communication system, 12 4G wireless communication system, 13 Satellite communication system, 31 Data collection unit, 32 Data collection storage unit, 33 Latest data aggregation unit, 34 Data collection transmission unit, 35 Transmission success / failure determination unit, 111 5G base station, 112 5G cell, 121 4G base station, 122 4G cell, 131 Communication satellite, 132 Satellite communication cell, 133 Gateway, 341 Priority transmission unit, 342 Normal transmission unit.

Claims

1. A data collection transmission device that transmits collected data collected over time to a base station providing a communication cell, A latest data aggregation unit aggregates the latest data collected during the most recent collection period from the aforementioned collected data into a size that is less than or equal to the size that can be transmitted in a single transmission. A priority transmission unit transmits the latest data aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit to the base station with the highest priority, A data collection and transmission device equipped with the following features.

2. A priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines the success or failure of the priority transmission in response to the response from the base station to the priority transmission of the latest data by the priority transmission unit, If the priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines that the priority transmission was successful, the normal transmission unit transmits the untransmitted collected data to the base station multiple times. The data collection transmission device according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The data collection transmission device according to claim 2, wherein the normal transmission unit transmits the latest data, before it is aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit, to the base station multiple times when the priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines that the priority transmission has been successful.

4. The data collection transmission device according to claim 3, wherein the normal transmission unit transmits the latest data to the base station multiple times before it is aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit, and then transmits to the base station multiple times past data collected in a past collection period one step prior to the latest collection period.

5. The data collection transmission device according to claim 2, wherein the priority transmission unit and the normal transmission unit suspend the transmission of the collected data to the base station for at least a predetermined period of time if the priority transmission success / failure determination unit determines that the priority transmission has failed.

6. The latest data aggregation unit aggregates the data collected during the latest collection period into statistical values ​​covering the latest collection period, as described in claim 1, for the collected data transmission device.

7. The data collection transmission device according to claim 1, which transmits the collected data directly to the base station within the communication cell.

8. The data collection transmission device according to claim 1, which indirectly transmits the collected data to the base station via a communication device located within the communication cell.

9. The data collection transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the base station is a non-ground base station in flight and provides the communication cell to the ground.

10. The data collection transmission device according to claim 9, wherein the non-terrestrial base station is a communications satellite orbiting in outer space.

11. The base station is a ground base station installed on the ground, and the data collection transmission device according to claim 1 provides the communication cell to the ground.

12. A base station that provides communication cells, A data collection transmission device that transmits collected data collected over time to the aforementioned base station, A latest data aggregation unit aggregates the latest data collected during the most recent collection period from the aforementioned collected data into a size that is less than or equal to the size that can be transmitted in a single transmission. A priority transmission unit transmits the latest data aggregated by the latest data aggregation unit to the base station with the highest priority, A data collection and transmission device equipped with, A wireless communication system equipped with [the necessary components].

13. A method for transmitting collected data, which transmits collected data over time to a base station that provides a communication cell, Of the aforementioned collected data, the most recent data collected during the latest collection period will be aggregated to a size that is less than or equal to the size that can be transmitted in a single transmission. The aggregated latest data is to be transmitted to the base station with the highest priority, A method for sending collected data to perform this operation.

Images