Wireless communication systems, wireless communication methods, and programs

Abstract

Part of the processing of the wireless communication network is preferably outsourced. [Solution] The wireless communication system comprises a plurality of functional units distributed as part of a network function, a processing unit that executes a portion of the processing performed by the functional units, and a common control unit that acquires the processing load from the plurality of functional units and the processing unit, determines whether or not to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the acquired processing load, and instructs the processing unit to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the result of the determination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) Alliance has been considering specifications for opening up next-generation radio access networks (RANs) such as the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing the processing load of a CPU by outsourcing the processing load of the CPU to an accelerator (ACC) in order to cope with an increase in the processing load of the CPU in a virtualized base station.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, it is considered that the all-photonics network (APN) further promotes the increase in network capacity and reduction in latency. There is a need to outsource some of the O-RAN processing to a GPU board to suitably respond to fluctuations in demand.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method, and a program capable of suitably outsourcing a part of the processing of a wireless communication network.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (A1) One aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system comprising: a plurality of functional units distributed as part of a network function; a processing unit that executes a portion of the processing performed by the functional units; and a common control unit that acquires the processing load from the plurality of functional units and the processing unit, determines whether or not to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the acquired processing load, and instructs the processing unit to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the result of the determination. (A2) In another aspect of the present invention, in the wireless communication system described in (A1) above, the common control unit gives start and end instructions for outsourcing a part of the processing of the functional unit to the processing unit, and the processing unit executes a part of the processing of the functional unit from the time it receives the start instruction until it receives the end instruction. (A3) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the wireless communication system described in (A1) or (A2) above, the processing load obtained by the common control unit from the plurality of functional units and the processing unit includes at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate. (A4) In addition, in the wireless communication system described in (A3) above, the common control unit determines to outsource a part of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit when at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate obtained from the plurality of functional units is above a threshold. (A5) In addition, in the wireless communication system described in (A4) above, the common control unit determines to outsource a part of the processing of the functional unit to the processing unit if at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate obtained from the processing unit is smaller than a threshold. (A6) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in any of the wireless communication systems described in (A1) to (A5) above, the common control unit determines to outsource a part of the processing of the functional unit based on the current communication speed or delay of the communication network between the functional unit and the processing unit, and the guaranteed bandwidth or delay. (A7) In another aspect of the present invention, in any of the wireless communication systems described in (A1) to (A6) above, the common control unit selects a process from among the processes performed by the functional unit that is computationally intensive and does not require real-time processing, and determines to outsource it to the processing unit. (A8) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the wireless communication system described in (A7) above, the processes to be outsourced among the processes executed by the functional unit have predetermined priorities, and the common control unit makes a decision on outsourcing based on the predetermined priorities. (A9) In addition, in the wireless communication system described in (A7) or (A8) above, the common control unit selects intermittent processing that is performed with a period of 10 milliseconds or more and determines to outsource it to the processing unit. (A10) In another aspect of the present invention, in any of the wireless communication systems described in (A1) to (A9) above, the common control unit selects a process to outsource based on the resources required for the process executed by the functional unit and the processing load obtained from the processing unit, and determines to outsource it to the processing unit. (A11) Another aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication method using a plurality of functional units distributed as part of a network function, a processing unit that executes a part of the processing performed by the functional units, and a common control unit that commonly controls the plurality of functional units and the processing units, the wireless communication method comprising the steps of: obtaining the processing load from the plurality of functional units and the processing unit; determining whether or not to outsource a part of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the obtained processing load; and instructing the processing unit to outsource a part of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the result of the determination. (A12) Another aspect of the present invention is a program to be executed by a computer that controls a plurality of functional units distributed as part of a network function, a processing unit that performs a part of the processing performed by the functional units, and the computer that controls the plurality of functional units and the processing unit in common, the program to execute the following steps: obtain the processing load from the plurality of functional units and the processing unit, determine whether or not to outsource a part of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the obtained processing load, and instruct the computer to outsource a part of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the result of the determination. (B1) One aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system that includes an interface for notifying SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) of the processing load of hardware elements constituting O-Cloud from IMS (Infrastructure Management Services) or DMS (Deployment Management Services). (B2) Another aspect of the present invention is the wireless communication system described in (B1) above, wherein the SMO determines, based on the notified processing load, whether to outsource a portion of the processing of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud to an accelerator, and provides an interface for notifying the IMS or DMS of information based on the determination result of whether to outsource to the accelerator. (B3) Another aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system according to (B1) or (B2) described above, which is provided with an interface for notifying the SMO of the processing load of the entire network from the Orchestrator. (B4) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in any of the wireless communication systems described in (B1) to (B3) above, the information notified from the Orchestrator to the SMO includes at least one of the current communication speed and delay, and the guaranteed bandwidth and delay of the communication network between the functional unit and the processing unit. (B5) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in any of the wireless communication systems described in (B1) to (B4) above, the interface notified from the IMS or the DMS to the SMO includes at least one of the thread usage, memory usage, and storage usage of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud. (B6) In addition, in the wireless communication system described in (B2) above, the interface notified from the SMO to the IMS or the DMS includes either a start instruction or a stop instruction to outsource a portion of the processing of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud to an accelerator. (B7) In another aspect of the present invention, in any of the wireless communication systems described in (B1) to (B6) above, the SMO determines that it will outsource the P-MMSE (Partial-MMSE) processing of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud to an accelerator. (B8) Another aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication method in which, in an O-RAN specification wireless access network, the processing load of hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud is notified from IMS (Infrastructure Management Services) or DMS (Deployment Management Services) to SMO (Service Management and Orchestration). (B9) Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer used in an O-RAN specification wireless access network to execute a step of notifying the SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) of the processing load of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud from the IMS (Infrastructure Management Services) or DMS (Deployment Management Services). [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless communication system, a wireless communication method, and a program that can suitably outsource some of the processing of O-RAN. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the outline of a wireless communication system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating the sequence of steps in the wireless communication method according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a process outsourced by the wireless communication system according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a device included in the wireless communication system according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Embodiment] Preferred embodiments of a wireless communication system, wireless communication method, and program according to aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, and include various modifications and improvements. In other words, the components described below include those that are easily conceivable to those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same, and the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Also, in the following drawings, the scale and number of components in each structure may differ from the scale and number of components in the actual structure in order to make each structure easier to understand.

[0010] In the following description, for the sake of convenience of explanation, terms and names defined in standard specifications such as O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) and 3GPP (registered trademark) LTE (3rd Generation Partnership Project Long Term Evolution) may be used. However, the present embodiment is not limited by such terms and names and is applicable to systems based on other standards as well.

[0011] [Overview of Wireless Communication System 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment. The figure shows an overview of the wireless communication system 1. The wireless communication system 1 includes a common control unit 10, a functional unit 20, a processing unit 30, an access point 40, a user terminal device 50, and an orchestrator 60.

[0012] The common control unit 10 comprehensively controls a plurality of functional units 20 and the processing unit 30. Specifically, the role of the common control unit 10 in the O-RAN architecture may be a RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller). The RIC may include a "Non-RT RIC (Non-Real Time RAN Intelligent Controller)" (not shown) and a "Near-RT RIC (Near-Real Time RAN Intelligent Controller)" (not shown). It can also be said that the functions of the RIC are realized by the "Non-RT RIC" and the "Near-RT RIC".

[0013] A plurality of functional units 20 are provided in the wireless communication system 1. The plurality of functional units 20 are physically distributed as part of the functions of the wireless communication system 1. In the illustrated example, as an example of the functional unit 20, the functional unit 20-1 and the functional unit 20-2 are described. The role of the functional unit 20 in the O-RAN architecture may specifically be a CU (Central Unit) or a DU (Distributed Unit). The CU performs processes such as controlling subordinate DUs and RUs (Radio Units), connecting to the core network, encrypting packets, and performing radio resource management for UEs (User Equipment). The DU performs processes such as signal modulation and demodulation, and communication control of the MAC layer.

[0014] In the illustrated example, the functional unit 20 has the functions of the RLC (Radio Link Control) layer, the MAC (Media Access Control) layer, and the Hi-PHY (physical layer) layer. Hi-PHY executes P-MMSE (Partial-MMSE) in the O-RAN architecture. P-MMSE is an intermittent process performed in units of 10 msec, which has a large amount of computation and does not require real-time performance.

[0015] The processing unit 30 executes a part of the processes performed by the functional unit 20 based on the instructions of the common control unit 10. In the following description, there may be cases where it is described that at least a part of the processes performed by the functional unit 20 is outsourced to the processing unit 30. The processing unit 30 is generally called an accelerator or Acc, etc. The processing unit 30 can also be referred to as a shared computing platform. The processing unit 30 may be a hardware element or a software element. The processing unit 30 may be a distributed GPU. The distributed GPU can also be referred to as a GPU platform.

[0016] In the illustrated example, the processing unit 30 executes P-MMSE among the processes performed by the functional unit 20. Specifically, the processing unit 30 executes the P-MMSE performed by each of the functional unit 20-1 and the functional unit 20-2.

[0017] The access point 40 serves as a relay point for communication in the wireless communication system 1. The access points 40 are distributed and provide a wide-area wireless communication network. The access point 40 is a relay point for user terminal devices 50 to connect to the wireless communication network. The access point 40 may be abbreviated as AP (Access Point).

[0018] In the illustrated example, access points 40-1 to 40-9 are shown as an example of access point 40. Access points 40-1 to 40-6 are connected to functional unit 20-1, and access points 40-6 to 40-9 are connected to functional unit 20-2.

[0019] The user terminal device 50 broadly includes IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as smartphones, laptop computers, and other wearable devices. The user terminal device 50 is operated by the user and connected to the wireless communication network provided by the wireless communication system 1. Specifically, the figure shows user terminal devices 50-1 to 50-3 as examples of user terminal devices 50. User terminal device 50-1 is connected to access points 40-1 and 40-2, user terminal device 50-2 is connected to access points 40-3 to 40-5, and user terminal device 50-3 is connected to access points 40-6 to 40-8. Access point 40-9 is not connected to any of the user terminal devices 50 shown in the figure.

[0020] The orchestrator 60 manages the bandwidth and latency of the entire wireless communication network provided by the wireless communication system 1. The orchestrator 60 may sometimes be referred to as "Orchestrator". The orchestrator 60 acquires the network status shown in the figure. The acquired information is transmitted to the RIC included in the network, which is not shown. The orchestrator 60 also aggregates the network status of the entire wireless communication network, including configurations not shown, and provides the aggregated status to the common control unit 10.

[0021] [Processing related to outsourcing] The following describes the process for outsourcing at least a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20 to the processing unit 30, using the configuration described above.

[0022] First, the common control unit 10 acquires the processing load for each of the multiple functional units 20. This processing load includes at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate. The common control unit 10 also acquires the processing load for the processing unit 30. Although the figure shows one processing unit 30, if the wireless communication system 1 includes multiple processing units 30, the common control unit 10 may acquire the processing load for each of the multiple processing units 30. Similarly, this processing load includes at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate.

[0023] The common control unit 10 determines whether to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20 to the processing unit 30 based on the acquired processing load. This determination is made based on whether the processing unit 30 has available resources. Specifically, the common control unit 10 may determine to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20 to the processing unit 30 if at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate acquired from the processing unit 30 is smaller than a threshold. Here, the multiple processing units 30 according to this embodiment may be distributed accelerators (distributed acceleration). In this case, it is preferable for the common control unit 10 to determine whether to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20 based on the status of the communication network between the functional unit 20 and the processing unit 30. More specifically, it is preferable for the common control unit 10 to make a determination based on the current communication speed or delay between the functional unit 20 and the processing unit 30 and the guaranteed bandwidth or delay. The guaranteed bandwidth and delay may be predetermined.

[0024] The common control unit 10 may select which of the multiple processes performed by the functional unit 20 to outsource. Specifically, it is preferable for the common control unit 10 to outsource high-load processes. High-load processes may be processes performed by the functional unit 20 that require a large amount of computation and do not require real-time processing. In other words, the common control unit 10 may decide to outsource a part of the functional unit 20's processing if at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate obtained from each of the multiple functional units 20 is above a threshold (i.e., high-load processing).

[0025] Here, since delay requirements, bandwidth requirements, etc., differ depending on the function performed by the functional unit 20, it is preferable for the common control unit 10 to determine whether or not to outsource each process. Furthermore, depending on the processing status of the processing unit 30, it may not be possible to outsource high-load processing. In such cases, it is preferable to select and outsource processes that can be outsourced according to the processing status of the processing unit 30. The common control unit 10 may, for example, determine whether or not to outsource in order to maximize utilization efficiency, or in order to maximize power efficiency. The common control unit 10 may also determine whether or not to outsource based on other criteria.

[0026] Based on the result of determining whether or not to outsource (which may specify the functional unit 20, the processing unit 30, and the process to be outsourced), the common control unit 10 instructs the processing unit 30 to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20. This instruction includes an instruction to start the outsourcing and an instruction to end the outsourcing. The common control unit 10 can also issue start and end instructions for outsourcing a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20 to the processing unit 30.

[0027] Furthermore, after the common control unit 10 issues an instruction to start outsourcing, it is preferable that information communication takes place directly between the functional unit 20 and the processing unit 30, that is, without going through the common control unit 10. Direct information communication between the functional unit 20 and the processing unit 30 allows for more efficient information communication. After the common control unit 10 issues an instruction to end outsourcing, the direct information communication between the functional unit 20 and the processing unit 30 ends. The processing unit 30 may also execute a portion of the processing of the functional unit between the time it receives the start instruction and the time it receives the end instruction.

[0028] The common control unit 10 may also determine whether or not to outsource based on the status of the entire wireless communication network obtained from the orchestrator 60.

[0029] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing a series of steps in the wireless communication method according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, an example of processing when this embodiment is applied to an O-RAN specification wireless access network will be described with reference to the same figure. The figure shows IMS (Infrastructure Management Services), DMS (Deployment Management Services), CPU / Memory, and HW-Acc as components included in O-Cloud in the O-RAN architecture. CPU / Memory is an example of the functional unit 20 described above, and HW-Acc is an example of the processing unit 30 described above. Furthermore, SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) is a Non-RT RIC and is part of the functions included in the common control unit 10 described above. Orchestrator is an example of the orchestrator 60 described above.

[0030] (Step S1) The CPU / Memory processing load is notified to IMS.

[0031] (Step S2) The processing load of HW-Acc is notified to IMS.

[0032] (Step S3) The processing load of the HW-Acc is notified to the DMS.

[0033] (Step S4) The CPU / Memory processing load is notified to the DMS.

[0034] In this embodiment, the timing of steps S1 to S4 is not limited to the timing shown in the figure. Steps S1 to S4 may occur independently of each other. They may also occur periodically or in response to a predetermined trigger (for example, an inquiry from IMS or DMS).

[0035] Furthermore, the notifications in steps S1 to S4 may include a management ID or site ID to identify the hardware element that is the source of the notification. Other geographical information may also be used to identify the hardware element.

[0036] (Step S5) The IMS and DMS notify the SMO of the processing load of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud (in the illustrated example, CPU / Memory and HW-Account). Preferably, this processing load includes at least one of the thread usage, memory usage, and storage usage of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud. Preferably, the processing load included in this notification is information for each hardware element, and may include a management ID or site ID to identify the hardware element. In addition, other geographical information may be used to identify the hardware element.

[0037] Furthermore, the O2 interface specified in the O-RAN specification may be used as the specific interface for realizing step S5.

[0038] (Step S6) The Orchestrator notifies the SMO of the overall network processing load. This notification may specifically include bandwidth utilization, packet loss rate, delay, guaranteed delay, and bandwidth between distributed sites. The information obtained by the SMO from the Orchestrator will be information between management IDs of the computer resource HW, or IDs of DU / CU. For example, delay information between computing infrastructure HW-ID#1 and ID#2, and delay information between computing infrastructure HW-ID#1 and DU#1 can be cited.

[0039] Furthermore, as a specific interface to realize step S6, an interface defined in the O-RAN specification may be used, such as the NB int (North bound interface) interface which is the interface between the SMO and the higher-level Orchestrator, or the Y1 interface which is the interface with an external consumer.

[0040] Step S6 is optional, and information from the higher-level Orchestrator does not necessarily have to be considered.

[0041] (Step S7) Based on the processing load notified by at least one of IMS and DMS, SMO determines whether to outsource a portion of the processing of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud to HW-Acc (accelerator). The processing to be outsourced is preferably computationally intensive and does not require real-time processing, and specifically, it may be P-MMSE, etc.

[0042] In the decision process in step S7, for example, each function such as DU may have network delay and bandwidth requirements, and the decision may be made based on whether or not the network can be secured. Specific thresholds could be 100 μsec or less and 1 Gbps, for example. In addition, other factors such as the processing load of the hardware accelerometer may be considered in the decision process in step S7.

[0043] (Step S8) SMO notifies HW-Acc of the information based on the decision result of whether to outsource, which was determined in Step S7, to at least one of IMS or DMS.

[0044] Furthermore, the interface that SMO uses to notify IMS or DMS preferably includes either a start or end instruction to outsource a portion of the processing of the hardware elements constituting the O-Cloud to HW-Acc. Although not shown in the diagram, the processing of the targeted hardware elements is outsourced to HW-Acc.

[0045] Furthermore, the O2 interface specified in the O-RAN specification may be used as the specific interface for realizing step S8.

[0046] Figure 3 shows an example of processing that the wireless communication system according to this embodiment will outsource. Referring to this figure, an example of how to determine which of the processes performed by the functional unit 20 will be outsourced will be explained.

[0047] In the example shown in the figure, it is assumed that the priority order of the processes to be outsourced is predetermined. In this case, it is preferable for the common control unit 10 to make a decision on outsourcing based on the predetermined priority order. However, this embodiment is not limited to this example, and the process to be outsourced may be determined by other methods.

[0048] The diagram shows the processes performed by the functional unit 20 as Process 1, Process 2, and Process 3. Process 1 has a large computational cost, Process 2 has a medium computational cost, and Process 3 has a small computational cost. Furthermore, Process 1 has low real-time requirements, Process 2 has medium real-time requirements, and Process 3 has high real-time requirements. When such processes exist, the common control unit 10 sets a high priority for the processes that have a large computational cost and do not require real-time performance. Therefore, Process 1 has the highest priority, Process 2 has the second highest priority, and Process 3 has the third highest priority.

[0049] Furthermore, the outsourcing decision made by the common control unit 10 preferably involves an intermittent process rather than a continuous process. It is also preferable that the intermittent process has a long period (for example, a period of 10 milliseconds or more) so that real-time performance is not required. In other words, the common control unit 10 may select an intermittent process with a period of 10 milliseconds or more as the process to be outsourced.

[0050] Furthermore, the outsourcing decision made by the common control unit 10 may be determined based on the processing load of both the outsourcing source (i.e., the functional unit 20) and the outsourcing destination (i.e., the processing unit 30). In this case, the common control unit 10 selects the processing to be outsourced based on the resources required for the processing executed by the functional unit 20 and the processing load obtained from the processing unit 30, and determines whether to outsource it to the processing unit 30.

[0051] Furthermore, depending on the processing load of the outsourcing destination (i.e., processing unit 30), simple processes with low computational complexity may be outsourced, but processes with high computational complexity may not be. In such cases, the predetermined priority order shown in Figure 3 may be changed according to the processing load. For example, if process 1, which has priority 1, cannot be outsourced, but process 2, which has priority 2, can be outsourced, then outsourcing of process 2 may be prioritized.

[0052] [Internal structure] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a device included in the wireless communication system according to this embodiment. The common control unit 10, functional unit 20, processing unit 30, access point 40, user terminal device 50, or orchestrator 60 described above can be realized using a computer as shown in the figure. This computer consists of a central processing unit (processor) 901, RAM 902, input / output ports 903, input / output devices 904 and 905, etc., and a bus 906. The computer itself can be realized using existing technology. The central processing unit 901 executes instructions contained in a program read from the RAM 902, etc. The central processing unit 901 writes data to the RAM 902, reads data from the RAM 902, and performs arithmetic and logical operations according to each instruction. The RAM 902 stores data and programs. Each element included in the RAM 902 has an address and can be accessed using that address. RAM stands for "Random Access Memory". Input / output port 903 is a port for the central processing unit 901 to exchange data with external input / output devices. Input / output devices 904 and 905 are input / output devices. Input / output devices 904 and 905 exchange data with the central processing unit 901 via input / output port 903. Bus 906 is a common communication channel used within the computer. For example, the central processing unit 901 reads and writes data to RAM 902 via bus 906. Also, for example, the central processing unit 901 accesses input / output ports via bus 906. Furthermore, all or part of the functional units of the computer shown in the figure may be implemented using hardware such as ASICs, PLDs, or FPGAs. Furthermore, all or part of the functional units may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware.

[0053] [Summary of Embodiments] According to the embodiment described above, the wireless communication system 1 comprises a common control unit 10, a functional unit 20, and a processing unit 30. The functional unit 20 is distributed as part of the network function. The processing unit 30 executes a portion of the processing performed by the functional unit 20. The common control unit 10 acquires the processing load from the multiple functional units 20 and processing unit 30, determines whether or not to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20 to the processing unit 30 based on the acquired processing load, and instructs the processing unit 30 to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit 20 based on the result of the determination. In other words, according to this embodiment, the processing load of the functional unit 20 is reduced by performing processing using the resources of the processing unit 30.

[0054] Conventionally, the range of AP clusters that the user terminal device 50 could form, and the wireless quality, would change depending on the load on the functional unit 20. Specifically, under overload conditions, the range of AP clusters that the user terminal device 50 could form would narrow, and the wireless quality would deteriorate. By adopting the configuration described above, according to this embodiment, the processing load of the functional unit 20 can be distributed to the processing unit 30. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a portion of the processing of the wireless communication network can be suitably outsourced.

[0055] In this embodiment, the common control unit 10 aggregates the processing load and determines the source and destination of the outsourcing. By adopting this configuration, even if resources such as accelerators (i.e., the processing unit 30) are located in other enclosures or other locations, a portion of the processing of the wireless communication network can be suitably outsourced.

[0056] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment makes it possible to "provide a wireless communication system, wireless communication method, and program that can suitably outsource a portion of the processing of O-RAN," thereby contributing to Goal 9 of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and expand innovation."

[0057] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0058] Alternatively, computer programs for realizing the functions of each of the above-mentioned devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" here may include hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to writable non-volatile memory such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and flash memory, portable media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems.

[0059] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" also includes volatile memory (e.g., DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) within a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which retains the program for a certain period of time. In addition, the above program may be transmitted from the computer system that stores the program in a storage device, etc., to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Furthermore, the above program may be for the purpose of realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions. Moreover, it may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1... Wireless communication system, 10... Common control unit, 20... Functional unit, 30... Processing unit, 40... Access point, 50... User terminal device, 60... Orchestrator

Claims

1. Multiple functional units distributed as part of the network function, A processing unit that performs a part of the processing performed by the aforementioned functional unit, A common control unit that obtains the processing load from multiple functional units and processing units, determines whether or not to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the obtained processing load, and instructs the processing unit to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit based on the result of the determination, A wireless communication system equipped with [the necessary components].

2. The common control unit issues start and end instructions for outsourcing a portion of the processing of the functional unit to the processing unit. The processing unit executes a portion of the processing of the functional unit from the time it receives the start instruction until it receives the end instruction. The wireless communication system according to claim 1.

3. The processing load obtained by the common control unit from the multiple functional units and the processing units includes at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate. The wireless communication system according to claim 1.

4. The common control unit determines, if at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate obtained from the multiple functional units is above a threshold, to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional units to the processing unit. The wireless communication system according to claim 3.

5. The common control unit determines, if at least one of the thread usage rate, memory usage rate, and storage usage rate obtained from the processing unit is less than a threshold, to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit to the processing unit. The wireless communication system according to claim 4.

6. The common control unit determines whether to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit based on the current communication speed or delay of the communication network between the functional unit and the processing unit, and the guaranteed bandwidth or delay. The wireless communication system according to claim 1.

7. The common control unit selects from the processes executed by the functional unit that are computationally intensive and do not require real-time processing, and determines to outsource them to the processing unit. The wireless communication system according to claim 1.

8. Of the processes executed by the aforementioned functional unit, those that are subject to outsourcing have a predetermined priority order. The common control unit makes an outsourcing decision based on a predetermined priority order. The wireless communication system according to claim 7.

9. The common control unit selects intermittent processing that is performed with a period of 10 milliseconds or more and determines to outsource it to the processing unit. The wireless communication system according to claim 7.

10. The common control unit selects a process to outsource based on the resources required for the process executed by the functional unit and the processing load obtained from the processing unit, and determines whether to outsource it to the processing unit. The wireless communication system according to claim 1.

11. A wireless communication method using a plurality of functional units distributed as part of a network function, a processing unit that executes a portion of the processing performed by the functional units, and a common control unit that commonly controls the plurality of functional units and the processing unit, A process of obtaining the processing load from multiple functional units and the processing unit, determining whether or not to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit to the processing unit based on the obtained processing load, and instructing the processing unit to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit based on the result of the determination. A wireless communication method having

12. A program to be executed by a computer that controls the multiple functional units and the processing units in common, comprising: a plurality of functional units distributed as part of a network function; a processing unit that executes a portion of the processing performed by the functional units; A step of obtaining the processing load from multiple functional units and the processing unit, determining whether or not to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit to the processing unit based on the obtained processing load, and instructing the processing unit to outsource a portion of the processing of the functional unit based on the result of the determination. A program that executes the command.

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