Wireless communication switching device, method for switching wireless communication, and computer program

Abstract

To improve network connectivity and stability in mobile communications. [Solution] The wireless communication switching device includes a switching unit that determines the wireless communication means to be used in the in-vehicle terminal and transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminal. The switching unit changes the timing of transmitting the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle in which the in-vehicle terminal is installed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for switching wireless communication.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, against the backdrop of successive communication failures by mobile network operators (MNOs), discussions on network connectivity and, by extension, high reliability have become active. Since large-scale communication failures by mobile network operators have a significant impact not only on personal use but also on social infrastructure, the construction of a communication system that enables multi-communication using multiple mobile network operators or allows switching to a mobile network operator in case of an emergency is desired. Although the business form of mobile communications has diversified with the emergence of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that provide mobile communication services by borrowing wireless communication equipment from mobile network operators, there is still no service that ensures network connectivity.

[0003] In addition, in recent years, research and development of Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G, which are next-generation mobile communications, have been actively carried out. It is said that by using such next-generation mobile communications, it may be possible to realize connected services that have not been achievable until now, such as remote driving systems and remote autonomous driving systems. Here, a remote driving system refers to a system in which a driver located remotely manually controls a vehicle based on video, position information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle. A remote autonomous driving system refers to a system in which a cloud or edge server performs autonomous driving based on video, position information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle. Hereinafter, services that control target devices such as vehicles or provide any information used in target devices via a network, such as remote driving systems and remote autonomous driving systems, are collectively referred to as "next-generation connected services". To realize such next-generation connected services, in addition to the network connectivity described above, network stability is required.

[0004] However, in next-generation connected services such as remote driving systems and remote autonomous driving systems, the terminals are mounted or embedded in the vehicle, and because the terminals are constantly moving, ensuring network connectivity and network stability becomes more difficult. "Network connectivity" refers to the ease of connecting to the network, i.e., reliability, and "high connectivity" means high reliability, i.e., resistance to failures. "Network stability" refers to the stability of communication quality within the network, and "high stability" means high communication quality.

[0005] In this regard, Patent Documents 1 to 5 disclose a vehicle wireless communication device configured to be able to use multiple wireless communication services with different APNs (Access Point Names), and to select these multiple wireless communication services according to conditions. Patent Document 1 discloses preferential allocation of wireless communication services with a large power headroom, which represents the remaining transmission power relative to a predetermined maximum transmission power. Patent Document 2 discloses switching between narrow-area communication and cellular communication depending on the movement state of the vehicle. Patent Document 3 discloses preferential allocation of wireless communication services with a large transmission power value to in-vehicle devices with a small delay tolerance. Patent Document 4 discloses preferential allocation of wireless communication services with a large received power measurement value to in-vehicle devices with a small delay tolerance. Patent Document 5 discloses preferential allocation of wireless communication services with a small delay characteristic setting value to in-vehicle devices with a small delay tolerance. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-062549 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-062548 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-046196 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-045246 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-039801 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, the vehicle wireless communication devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5 all select wireless communication services based only on information that the device itself can acquire, and therefore have the problem of not being able to select wireless communication services according to the communication status, communication quality, congestion status, etc., of the "entire network". Furthermore, in the vehicle wireless communication devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5, each device individually selects a wireless communication service that is convenient for that device, so it cannot be said that the optimal wireless communication service is allocated to the "entire network", and in some cases there is a risk of degrading network connectivity. In addition, in the vehicle wireless communication devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5 all frequently perform handover (switching of connection destination) as the vehicle moves, which may lead to a decrease in communication quality and a decrease in network connectivity and security.

[0008] This invention was made to solve at least some of the problems described above, and aims to improve network connectivity and stability in mobile communications. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve at least some of the above-mentioned problems and can be realized in the following forms.

[0010] (1) According to one embodiment of the present invention, a wireless communication switching device is provided. This wireless communication switching device includes a switching unit that determines a wireless communication means to be used in an in-vehicle terminal and transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminal, wherein the switching unit changes the timing of transmitting the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle terminal is installed.

[0011] In this configuration, the wireless communication switching device includes a switching unit that determines the wireless communication means to be used by the in-vehicle terminal and transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminal. Therefore, compared to the case where the in-vehicle terminal selects the network to connect to, it becomes possible to determine the wireless communication means according to the communication status, communication quality, congestion status, etc., of the "entire network" consisting of networks using multiple different wireless communication means. As a result, network connectivity can be improved (fault tolerance) and network stability can be improved (high quality). Furthermore, with this configuration, compared to the case where each in-vehicle terminal individually selects the network to connect to, it becomes possible to assign the optimal network as the "entire network" to each in-vehicle terminal (overall optimization). However, switching wireless communication means usually requires a series of control processes to establish communication, which takes a predetermined amount of time (usually several minutes), and wireless communication is unavailable during this switching. Therefore, when performing mission-critical services using in-vehicle terminals installed in vehicles (for example, next-generation connected services such as remote driving or remote autonomous driving), a prolonged communication interruption due to switching could prevent the service from continuing, potentially compromising safety. In this regard, with this configuration, the switching unit changes the timing of sending switching instructions to the in-vehicle terminal according to vehicle information about the vehicle in which the in-vehicle terminal is installed. As a result, the switching instructions can be sent at a timing that minimizes the impact even if a communication interruption occurs, depending on the vehicle information. Consequently, continuous service provision can be made possible without affecting the communication quality in the vehicle.

[0012] (2) In the wireless communication switching device of the above form, the switching unit may determine the mobile communications carrier to be used in the in-vehicle terminal and transmit the switching instruction to the determined mobile communications carrier's wireless access network to the in-vehicle terminal using mobile communications. In this configuration, the switching unit determines the mobile communications carrier to be used by the in-vehicle terminal performing mobile communications and transmits a switching instruction to the determined mobile communications carrier's wireless access network to the in-vehicle terminal. Therefore, compared to the case where the in-vehicle terminal (vehicle wireless communication device) selects the wireless access network to connect to, it becomes possible to determine the wireless access network according to the communication status, communication quality, congestion status, etc., of the "entire network" consisting of wireless access networks of multiple different mobile communications carriers. As a result, network connectivity can be improved (fault tolerance) and network stability can be improved (high quality). Furthermore, with this configuration, compared to the case where each in-vehicle terminal individually selects a wireless access network, it becomes possible to assign the optimal wireless access network for the "entire network" to each in-vehicle terminal (overall optimization).

[0013] (3) In the wireless communication switching device of the above form, the switching unit may transmit the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal at a timing in which it can be estimated from the vehicle information that the vehicle is stopped or that the vehicle does not require communication. Mission-critical services utilizing in-vehicle terminals (such as next-generation connected services like remote driving and remote autonomous driving) require constant control information while the vehicle is in motion, making it essential to maintain a state where communication is possible. In this regard, this configuration allows the switching unit to send switching instructions at times when communication interruptions in the in-vehicle terminal have little to no impact, such as when the vehicle is stopped or when communication is not required. Therefore, it is possible to provide continuous services without affecting the communication quality in the vehicle.

[0014] (4) In the wireless communication switching device of the above form, the vehicle information includes route information representing the driving route from the departure point to the destination, and the switching unit may determine the mobile communication carrier by evaluating the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier on the driving route using the route information. In this configuration, the switching unit uses route information to evaluate the communication quality of each mobile carrier along the driving route and determines the mobile carrier to use. Since the driving route includes the location of the in-vehicle terminal at a time in the future, this configuration allows for the determination of the mobile carrier while also considering future communication quality, thus enabling further fault tolerance, higher quality, and overall optimization of the network.

[0015] (5) In the above-described form of wireless communication switching device, the switching unit may divide the travel route into a plurality of sections and evaluate the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier for each section to determine the mobile communication carrier for each section. In this configuration, the switching unit divides the travel route into multiple sections and evaluates the communication quality of each mobile carrier for each section, thereby determining the mobile carrier for each section. Therefore, even for long-distance travel routes, the mobile carrier can be switched precisely for each section.

[0016] (6) In the wireless communication switching device of the above form, the switching unit may further transmit the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal at the timing corresponding to the end of each section. With this configuration, the switching unit sends switching instructions to the in-vehicle terminal at the timing of the break between each section, allowing for precise switching of mobile carriers for each section.

[0017] (7) In the wireless communication switching device of the above form, the switching unit may, when the section on the driving route derived from the current position of the vehicle is defined as the current section, re-evaluate the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier in the section beyond the current section at a point along the driving route, thereby re-determining the mobile communication carrier for the section beyond the current section. Communication quality for each mobile network operator changes moment by moment due to factors such as the amount of communication traffic on each mobile network operator's wireless access network. Furthermore, the mobile network operator recommended for use in an in-vehicle terminal changes moment by moment as the vehicle's current location moves. In this regard, with this configuration, the switching unit re-evaluates the communication quality for each mobile network operator in the section beyond the current section while driving, and then re-determines the mobile network operator for the section ahead. Therefore, the mobile network operator for the section ahead can be re-evaluated and re-determined in accordance with changes in communication quality and changes in the optimal operator.

[0018] (8) The wireless communication switching device of the above form may further include a data communication unit corresponding to each of the multiple mobile communication carriers that the wireless communication switching device can control, which realizes data transmission and reception via the wireless access network of each mobile communication carrier; a terminal information management unit that manages information of the multiple in-vehicle terminals for each of the mobile communication carriers to which each in-vehicle terminal is connected; and a vehicle information management unit that manages vehicle information for each of the in-vehicle terminals. According to this configuration, the wireless communication switching device comprises a data communication unit corresponding to a plurality of controllable mobile communication carriers, which enables data transmission and reception via the wireless access network of each mobile communication carrier, and an in-vehicle terminal information management unit that manages information of multiple in-vehicle terminals for each mobile communication carrier to which each in-vehicle terminal is connected. Therefore, in-vehicle terminals can transmit and receive data using the wireless access network of the mobile communication carrier to which they have been instructed to switch, via the wireless communication switching device, without having to connect to the carrier gateway (CPF, UPF) provided by each mobile communication carrier.

[0019] Note that the present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, a wireless communication switching device, an information processing device, a communication system including these devices, a method executed in an information processing device to realize the functions of these devices and systems, a computer program for realizing the functions of these devices and systems, a server device for distributing the computer program, a non-transitory storage medium storing the computer program, and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication system as an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a specific example of the communication system shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of switching control processing. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of switching processing. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the formulation of a switching plan in switching processing. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication system of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of switching processing of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the re-evaluation of communication quality in the switching processing of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication system of the third embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication system 1 as one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of the communication system 1 shown in Figure 1. The communication system 1 is used as a communication infrastructure for any service, for example, a next-generation connected service targeting vehicles. The communication system 1 can improve network connectivity and network stability with the wireless communication switching device 100 described later, and can provide continuous next-generation connected services without affecting the communication quality in vehicles.

[0022] Here, "network connectivity" refers to the ease of connecting to a network, i.e., reliability, and "high connectivity" means high reliability, i.e., resistance to failures. Furthermore, "network stability" refers to the stability of communication quality within the network, and "high stability" means high communication quality. In addition, "next-generation connected services" refer to services that control target devices such as vehicles via a network (for example, remote driving systems or remote autonomous driving systems), or services that provide some kind of information used by a target device (not limited to vehicles) via a network. In this embodiment, remote driving is used as an example of a next-generation connected service.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the communication system 1 comprises a wireless communication switching device 100, n wireless access networks 10a to 10n, and m terminals 20a to 20m. n and m are arbitrary natural numbers, and the number of wireless access networks and terminals can be changed arbitrarily. A wireless access network is also called a "RAN". Hereafter, when referring to a specific RAN from 10a to 10n, the suffix letter will be added, for example, "RAN10a", and when not referring to a specific RAN from 10a to 10n (for example, when describing properties common to RAN10a to 10n), it will simply be called "RAN10". Similarly, for terminals 20a to 20m, when referring to a specific terminal, the suffix letter will be added, for example, "Terminal 20a", and when not referring to a specific terminal (for example, when describing properties common to terminals 20a to 20m), it will simply be called "Terminal 20".

[0024] Wireless access networks 10a to 10n (RAN10a to 10n) are mobile communication networks owned by different mobile communication carriers. In other words, RAN10a to 10n are wireless access networks for each mobile communication carrier. For example, RAN10a is the mobile communication network provided by mobile communication carrier 1, RAN10b is the mobile communication network provided by mobile communication carrier 2, and RAN10n is the mobile communication network provided by mobile communication carrier N. That is, the difference in the last letter indicates a difference in mobile communication carriers. For example, "RAN10a" includes all the mobile communication networks provided by mobile communication carrier 1 for different areas (Kanto area, Tokai area, Kansai area, etc.) and mobile communication networks for different systems (4G, 5G, etc.). Hereafter, mobile communication carriers will also be simply referred to as "carriers".

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, RAN10 includes multiple routers R that are connected to each other in a communicative manner, and a base station 11. Although only two routers and one base station 11 are shown in Figure 1, in reality, RAN10a to 10n include any number of routers and base stations 11 corresponding to the communication area covered by each mobile network operator. As shown in Figure 2, RAN10 constitutes the wireless network layer.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2 (solid line), RAN10a to 10n are each connected to carrier gateways 12a to 12n for each mobile network operator via edge routers. Specifically, RAN10a is connected to carrier gateway 12a of mobile network operator 1. Similarly, RAN10b is connected to carrier gateway 12b of mobile network operator 2, and RAN10n is connected to carrier gateway 12 of mobile network operator N.

[0027] Carrier gateways 12a to 12n are network devices owned by different mobile communication operators. Carrier gateway 12 includes CPF 121 and UPF 122 and is connected to the Internet (INT). CPF 121 is a functional unit that functions as a C-plane (Control plane) that performs a series of control processes for establishing communication (establishing and disconnecting sessions). UPF 122 is a functional unit that functions as a U-plane (User plane) that performs user data transmission and reception processing (packet forwarding). Carrier gateway 12, together with the wireless communication switching device 100 described later, constitutes the core network layer.

[0028] In normal communication without using the wireless communication switching device 100 of the present invention, for example, terminal 20a can connect to the carrier gateway 12a via RAN 10a from base station 11a, and after control processing by CPF 121a, can connect to the Internet INT through data transmission and reception processing by UPF 122a. Similarly, when using RAN 10b, terminal 20a can connect to the carrier gateway 12b via RAN 10b from base station 11b, and after control processing by CPF 121b, can connect to the Internet INT through data transmission and reception processing by UPF 122b. Thus, each mobile communication carrier has its own carrier gateways 12a to 12n for each mobile communication carrier 1 to N. Note that in Figure 1, for ease of illustration, the carrier gateways 12a to 12n are omitted from the illustration.

[0029] Terminals 20a to 20m are "in-vehicle terminals" installed in the vehicles used by each user of communication system 1. Here, "installed in a vehicle" does not only mean that terminals 20a to 20m are devices fixed to the vehicle, such as navigation systems, but also includes cases where terminals 20a to 20m are portable devices, such as smartphones, and the user of the device is in the vehicle. In Figure 1, a smartphone is used as an example for terminal 20. However, terminal 20 is not limited to a smartphone; it may be a navigation system, a vehicle control system, a wearable device, a personal computer, a combination of these devices, or any other device. "Combination" means that one device (e.g., a smartphone) and another device (e.g., a navigation system or vehicle control system) work together to perform the functions of terminal 20. Furthermore, terminals 20a to 20m may each be used with a mix of different types of devices.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the terminal 20 comprises a wireless communication unit 21, a terminal information storage unit 22, a vehicle information storage unit 23, and a route information acquisition unit 24. The wireless communication unit 21 is a functional unit that connects to one of the RANs 10a to 10n to send and receive data, in other words, it performs wireless communication (mobile communication). In the example in Figure 1, for example, the wireless communication unit 21 of terminal 20a connects to RAN 10a from base station 11a, thereby performing mobile communication using RAN 10a. Furthermore, upon receiving a switching instruction, which will be described later, the wireless communication unit 21 switches its connection to another RAN 10 (RAN 10b in the illustrated example), as indicated by the white arrow, and performs mobile communication using the other RAN 10 (RAN 10b). The terminal information storage unit 22 is a functional unit that stores which RAN 10 the terminal 20 is connected to.

[0031] The vehicle information storage unit 23 stores "information about the application" being executed on terminal 20 and "vehicle information" about the vehicle on which terminal 20 is installed. This application can be any application that provides various services to the user of terminal 20. For example, the application could be a remote driving application or a remote autonomous driving application for providing the next-generation connected services mentioned above.

[0032] The route information acquisition unit 24 is a functional unit that acquires route information from a route search application installed in each terminal 20 (hereinafter also referred to as the "route search app") or from a route search server on the Internet INT. Here, "route information" refers to the driving route of the vehicle to which the terminal 20 is installed, and represents the driving route from the starting point to the destination. The starting point and destination for deriving the driving route may be specified by the user of the terminal 20, or they may be automatically set by the route search app or route search server based on past driving route history. The current location may also be used as the starting point.

[0033] The wireless communication switching device 100 is a device that switches the RANs 10a to 10n used by terminals 20a to 20m. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless communication switching device 100 comprises a switching unit 110, an external gateway 120, terminal information management units 130a to 130n corresponding to each mobile communication carrier, data communication units 140a to 140n corresponding to each mobile communication carrier, and a vehicle information management unit 150.

[0034] The switching unit 110 is a functional unit that determines the mobile communications carrier to be used by terminals 20a to 20m and transmits a switching instruction to the determined mobile communications carrier's wireless access network 10a to 10n (RAN 10a to 10n) to terminals 20a to 20m. Details will be described later. The external gateway 120 is connected to the data communication units 140a to 140n, respectively. The external gateway 120 is a functional unit that realizes data transmission and reception (routing) between the wireless communication switching device 100 and the Internet INT.

[0035] Terminal information management units 130a to 130n are functional units that manage information for terminals 20a to 20m for each mobile network operator 1 to N to which each terminal 20a to 20m is connected (in other words, for each individual RAN 10a to 10n). Specifically, terminal information management unit 130a manages information for terminal 20 connected to RAN 10a of mobile network operator 1. Similarly, terminal information management unit 130b manages information for terminal 20 connected to RAN 10b of mobile network operator 2, and terminal information management unit 130n manages information for terminal 20 connected to RAN 10n of mobile network operator N. Terminal information may include not only the terminal ID, which is the identifier of terminal 20, but also arbitrary information such as subscriber information for each terminal ID.

[0036] The data communication units 140a to 140n are functional units that realize data transmission and reception via the wireless access networks 10a to 10n (RAN10a to 10n) for each mobile communication carrier. The data communication units 140a to 140n are provided in accordance with the mobile communication carriers 1 to N that can be controlled by the wireless communication switching device 100. Specifically, the data communication unit 140a realizes data transmission and reception with terminals 20 connected to RAN10a via RAN10a. Similarly, the data communication unit 140b realizes data transmission and reception with terminals 20 connected to RAN10b via RAN10b, and the data communication unit 140n realizes data transmission and reception with terminals 20 connected to RAN10n via RAN10n.

[0037] The vehicle information management unit 150 collects and stores information from terminals 20a to 20m regarding the applications being run on each terminal 20a to 20m, as well as vehicle information regarding the vehicle on which each terminal 20a to 20m is installed (in other words, information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 23). If the information received from terminals 20a to 20m (information regarding applications, vehicle information) is encrypted, the vehicle information management unit 150 decrypts it before storing the information.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the wireless communication switching device 100 is configured to include master gateways 101 to 103, an edge server 104, and an edge router 105. Master gateways 101 to 103 each have the same functions as carrier gateways 12a to 12n. Specifically, master gateway 101 is connected to RAN 10a as shown in Figure 2 (dashed line) and has the same functions as carrier gateway 12a. Master gateway 102 is connected to RAN 10b and has the same functions as carrier gateway 12b. Master gateway 103 is connected to RAN 10n and has the same functions as carrier gateway 12n.

[0039] The CPF1 to N of master gateways 101 to 103 implement the functions of terminal information management units 130a to 130n as described in Figure 1, respectively. The UPF1 to N of master gateways 101 to 103 implement the functions of data communication units 140a to 140n as described in Figure 1, respectively. The edge server 104 implements the functions of the switching unit 110 and the vehicle information management unit 150 as described in Figure 1. The edge router 105 implements the functions of the external gateway 120 as described in Figure 1. The wireless communication switching device 100, together with the carrier gateways 12a to 12n of each mobile communication carrier, constitutes the core network layer (Figure 2). In other words, in communication using the wireless communication switching device 100, the terminal 20 uses the RANs 10a to 10n of each mobile communication carrier, while simultaneously being able to connect to the Internet INT via the wireless communication switching device 100 (specifically, the master gateways 101 to 103 of the wireless communication switching device 100) without going through the carrier gateways 12a to 12n of each mobile communication carrier.

[0040] Figure 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the switching control process. The switching control process is performed by the wireless communication switching device 100, and involves sending switching instructions for RAN 10a to 10n to terminals 20a to 20m at appropriate timings described later, causing terminals 20a to 20m to switch to the connected RAN 10a to 10n. The switching control process can be started at any arbitrary trigger. These arbitrary triggers can be arbitrarily determined, for example, when instructed by an administrator, periodically after a predetermined time has elapsed since the last execution of the switching control process, when a failure is detected in any of RAN 10a to 10n, or when the communication load of any of RAN 10a to 10n exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0041] In Figure 3, for illustrative purposes only, only terminal 20a is shown among terminals 20a to 20m, but the switching control process in Figure 3 can be executed for all terminals 20a to 20m. At the start of the process, terminal 20a is assumed to be connected to the Internet INT via the RAN 10a of the mobile communications carrier 1 by the data communication unit 140a (without using the carrier gateway 12a) (Figure 3: shown as an arrow "communication" pointing to the external gateway 120). Also, in Figure 3, for illustrative purposes only, the terminal information management units 130a to 130n and the data communication units 140a to 140n are shown together.

[0042] In step S10, the switching unit 110 obtains "communication-related information" from terminal information management units 130a to 130n, respectively. The communication-related information that the switching unit 110 obtains from the terminal information management unit 130 may include, for example, either of the following pieces of information a1 or a2. (a1) Information indicating the mobile carrier to which terminals 20a to 20m are connected: Specifically, the switching unit 110 obtains information from the terminal information management unit 130a about terminal 20 which is connected to mobile carrier 1 (RAN10a). The same applies to terminal information management units 130b to 130n. (a2) Information indicating the base station 11 to which terminals 20a to 20m are connected: Specifically, the switching unit 110 obtains information from the terminal information management unit 130a about the terminals 20 connected to the base station 11a owned by the mobile communications carrier 1 (RAN10a). The same applies to the terminal information management units 130b to 130n.

[0043] In step S11, the switching unit 110 obtains "application-related information" and "vehicle information" from the vehicle information management unit 150. The application-related information that the switching unit 110 obtains from the vehicle information management unit 150 in step S11 may include, for example, any of the following information b1 to b4. (b1) Terminal type of terminals 20a to 20m: For example, information indicating whether the terminal is a smartphone, a navigation device, a vehicle control device, a wearable device, a sensor with communication capabilities, or a combination of these. (b2) Information indicating the type of application running on terminals 20a to 20m: for example, application type = emergency, application type = autonomous driving (requiring highly reliable communication), application type = normal, etc. (b3) Movement speed of terminal 20a to 20m. (b4) Performance requirements from the application running on terminals 20a to 20m.

[0044] Furthermore, the vehicle information that the switching unit 110 acquires from the vehicle information management unit 150 in step S11 may include, for example, the following information c1 and information c2, and any of the following information c3 to c8. (c1) Route information: Information representing the driving route of a vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m, specifically representing the driving route from the departure point to the destination. (c2) Current location information: Information representing the current location of the vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m. Current location information is obtained, for example, by receiving radio waves transmitted from satellites that make up the GPS (Global Positioning System) and acquiring the latitude and longitude representing the current location of terminals 20a to 20m. (c3) Vehicle speed: Information representing the speed of the vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m. (c4) Shift position: Information representing the shift position (P, D, N, R) in a vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m. (c5) Side brake ON / OFF: Information indicating whether the side brake is ON or OFF in a vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m. (c6) Hazard lights ON / OFF: Information indicating whether the hazard lights are on (ON) or off (OFF) in vehicles equipped with terminals 20a to 20m. (c7) Engine ON / OFF: Information indicating whether the engine of the vehicle equipped with terminals 20a~20m is running (ON) or stopped (OFF). (c8) Vehicle door open / closed status: Information indicating whether the doors of the vehicle on which terminals 20a~20m are installed are open or closed.

[0045] In step S12, the switching unit 110 obtains "information related to communication" from the data communication units 140a to 140n, respectively. The information related to communication that the switching unit 110 obtains from the data communication unit 140 may include, for example, the following information a3. Information a3, together with the information a1 and a2 described above, is called information related to communication. (a3) Information indicating the amount of communication traffic for each terminal 20a to 20m: Specifically, the switching unit 110 obtains the amount of communication traffic for terminal 20 using mobile carrier 1 (RAN10a) from the data communication unit 140a. The same applies to data communication units 140b to 140n.

[0046] In step S100, the switching unit 110 executes a switching process. The switching process involves determining the mobile communications carrier to which terminals 20a to 20m should connect, and sending a switching instruction to terminals 20a to 20m at an appropriate time.

[0047] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the switching process procedure. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the formulation of a switching plan in the switching process. Figure 5(A) shows a switching plan when the travel route RT is divided into multiple sections, and Figure 5(B) shows a switching plan when the travel route RT is not divided into multiple sections. Note that the switching process shown in Figure 4 corresponds to the "switching process".

[0048] In step S102 of Figure 4, the switching unit 110 acquires route information c1 from the vehicle information. In step S104, the switching unit 110 formulates a switching plan. Specifically, the switching unit 110 first determines the following i and ii. (i) Determine whether it is desirable to divide the travel route RT represented by the route information c1 into multiple sections, or to treat it as a single section (not divided into multiple sections). (ii) Determine the candidate mobile network operators to be adopted for each section. The switching unit 110 can determine i and ii above using at least one of the criteria shown in A1 to A4 and B1 to B4 below (a combination of two or more criteria may also be used). Note that i above may be determined without using criteria A1 to A4 and B1 to B4. In this case, for example, the map may be divided into grids of several kilometers square in advance, and if the driving route RT fits within the same grid, it may be treated as a single section, and if the driving route RT spans between grids, sections may be set at the grid boundaries.

[0049] (A1) Using information a1 to a3 regarding communications, each terminal 20a to 20m determines the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile communications operators to be used, so as to equalize the load on each mobile communications operator 1 to N (RAN 10a to 10n) and each mobile communications operator 1 to N's base stations 11 (base stations 11a to 11n). This reduces the concentration of processing load on specific mobile communications operators or specific base stations 11, and ensures uniform communication quality across all mobile communications operators. (A2) Using the information a1 to a3 regarding communications, the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile network operators to be used are determined for each terminal 20a to 20m so as to minimize the cost (charge) of connecting to the mobile network operator. In this way, if a mobile network operator is a VMNO (Virtual Mobile Network Operator) that leases wireless communication equipment (RAN10) from other mobile network operators to provide services to users, and the cost of using the wireless communication equipment is charged on a pay-as-you-go basis, the VMNO's profitability can be improved without impairing the user experience of terminal 20. (A3) Using the communication information a1 to a3, the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used are determined for each terminal 20a to 20m, according to the amount of communication traffic and characteristics of each terminal 20a to 20m. For example, mobile carrier 1 is assigned to terminal 20 that performs high-capacity communication, and mobile carrier 2 is assigned to terminal 20 that performs many simultaneous connections. In this way, communication resources for each mobile carrier can be optimized compared to a case where terminals 20 for various purposes are mixed under one mobile carrier. (A4) Considering the information a1-a3 regarding communications and the priority of mobile carriers, the sections set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used are determined for each terminal 20a-20m so that more terminals 20 are allocated to mobile carriers with higher priority. The priority of mobile carriers can be determined, for example, according to the number of base stations 11 that each mobile carrier has. This is because a larger number of base stations 11 can be considered to indicate a wider communication area and better communication quality. This reduces the number of times mobile carriers are switched when terminals 20a-20m move.

[0050] (B1) Using information b1 regarding the application, the system determines the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used for terminals 20a to 20m, based on the terminal movement characteristics indicated by the terminal type. For example, if the terminal type is a smartphone, the movement speed is considered to be low, so a mobile carrier with many millimeter-wave base stations 11 in the vicinity is assigned. For example, if the terminal type is an in-vehicle device, the movement speed is considered to be high, so a mobile carrier capable of connecting over a wide area is assigned. In this way, the optimal mobile carrier can be assigned considering the characteristics of terminals 20a to 20m and mobile carriers 1 to N, thereby maximizing the user experience. (B2) Using the information b2 regarding the application, the terminals 20a to 20m determine the sections to be set on each driving route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used, according to the priority of the application derived from the application type. For example, if the application type is "emergency" or "autonomous driving (requiring highly reliable communication)", a mobile carrier reserved in advance for highly reliable communication is assigned, and if the application type is "normal", another mobile carrier is assigned. This ensures that the quality of communication for priority applications is improved. (B3) Using the application information b3, the system determines the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used for terminals 20a to 20m, based on the mobile speed of terminals 20a to 20m (whether they are moving, stationary, or, if moving, their travel speed). For example, stationary terminals are assigned a mobile carrier in multiple access mode, and moving terminals are assigned a mobile carrier in high reliability mode. This optimizes the communication resources for each mobile carrier compared to a situation where terminals with various uses are mixed under a single mobile carrier. (B4) Using the information b4 regarding the application, the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used are determined for each terminal 20a to 20m so as to satisfy the performance requirements from the application running on each terminal 20a to 20m. This maximizes the user experience.

[0051] In step S104 of Figure 4, the switching unit 110 selects one mobile carrier candidate from those determined in ii for each section determined in i above. Specifically, the switching unit 110 uses route information c1 from the vehicle information to calculate a communication quality score for each section for each mobile carrier candidate. The communication quality score can be obtained from a pre-prepared communication quality map (a map in which communication quality is assigned to each predetermined area). Here, "communication quality" refers to the quality of communication set based on criteria such as the number of handovers, radio wave strength map, placement of base stations 11, and availability of physical resource blocks (PRBs). The switching unit 110 selects the mobile carrier with the highest communication quality score for each section.

[0052] For example, in the example in Figure 5(A), in section 1 immediately after departing the driving route RT, mobile carrier 1 with the highest communication quality score is selected. Similarly, in section 2 following section 1, mobile carrier 3 with the highest communication quality score is selected, and in section 3 following section 2, mobile carrier 2 with the highest communication quality score is selected. The points marked with stars in Figure 5(A) correspond to the breaks between sections and are "switching points" where a switch occurs between one mobile carrier and another. On the other hand, in the example in Figure 5(B), the driving route RT is treated as a single section (not divided into multiple sections). Therefore, while driving the driving route RT (entire section), mobile carrier 1 with the highest communication quality score is selected. In the example in Figure 5(B), the boundary between before engine start and the start of driving the driving route RT is the switching point where a switch occurs between the mobile carrier already connected before engine start and another mobile carrier.

[0053] Let's return to Figure 4 and continue the explanation. In steps S106 to S114 of Figure 4, the switching unit 110 repeatedly acquires the current location information c2 from each terminal 20a to 20m, and processes based on the latest current location information c2. In step S106, the switching unit 110 determines whether terminal 20 has reached its destination on the driving route RT. This determination can be made by comparing the route information c1 of the vehicle information with the current location information c2. If the destination has been reached (step S106: YES), the switching unit 110 terminates the switching process and transitions the process to step S24 in Figure 3. If the destination has not been reached (step S106: NO), the switching unit 110 transitions the process to step S108.

[0054] In step S108, the switching unit 110 determines whether the terminal 20 has reached the next switching point (the point marked with a star in Figure 5). This determination can be made by comparing the switching plan formulated in step S104 with the current location information c2 of the vehicle information. In this step, taking into account the time required to execute the later steps, it may also be determined that the "switching point has been reached" when the vehicle has reached a predetermined distance before the switching point on the driving route RT. If the next switching point has not been reached (step S108: NO), the switching unit 110 transitions the process to step S106. If the next switching point has been reached (step S108: YES), the switching unit 110 transitions the process to step S110.

[0055] In step S110, the switching unit 110 determines whether or not to skip the switching at the next switching point. Specifically, the switching unit 110 uses the route information c1 of the vehicle information, the current location information c2, and the switching plan formulated in step S104 to determine whether to skip the switching if the next-next switching point is approaching on the driving route RT (the distance between the current location and the next-next switching point is within a predetermined distance). If it is determined that the switching will be skipped (step S110: YES), the switching unit 110 proceeds to step S106. If the switching will not be skipped (step S110: NO), the switching unit 110 proceeds to step S112.

[0056] In step S112, the switching unit 110 determines whether or not it is possible to switch mobile carriers for terminals 20a to 20m. Specifically, the switching unit 110 can determine whether or not it is possible to switch using at least one of the following criteria C1 to C7 (it may also combine two or more criteria). Criteria C1 to C7 are all for determining the timing when the vehicle on which terminals 20a to 20m is installed is "stationary".

[0057] (C1) If the speed is zero: If the vehicle speed determined by vehicle information c3 is zero (0), and one or more additional conditions determined by vehicle information c4 to c7 are met, it is determined that switching is possible. Additional conditions can be, for example, shift position = shift P, handbrake ON, hazard lights ON, or engine OFF. (C2) When waiting at a traffic light: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 coincides with the location of a traffic light or intersection, it is determined that switching is possible. In this standard, the accuracy of determining whether or not the vehicle is waiting at a traffic light may be improved by using a dynamic map created by vehicle-to-vehicle communication (a map showing the locations of nearby vehicles created by each nearby vehicle sharing its own location via vehicle-to-vehicle communication). In this standard, it is also possible to determine whether or not switching is possible by using traffic lights and signal information supplied from well-known road information services, taking into account the time it takes for the signal display to change from red to green based on the signal cycle. (C3) If parked: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 coincides with the parking location, it is determined that switching is possible. The parking location can be obtained from map information. (C4) In case of congestion: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 overlaps with the congestion area, it is determined that switching is possible. The congestion area can be obtained from road information services such as VICS (registered trademark). In this standard, the accuracy of determining whether or not there is congestion may be improved by using a dynamic map created by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In this standard, instead of road information services, it is also possible to determine whether or not there is congestion from image recognition of the surrounding scenery image (still image or video) acquired by terminal 20. (C5) When waiting at a level crossing: If the current position determined by vehicle information c2 coincides with the level crossing location, it is determined that switching is possible. The level crossing location can be obtained from map information. In this standard, the accuracy of determining whether or not to wait at a level crossing may be improved by using train timetable information to determine whether or not the level crossing is closed (whether or not a train is passing). (C6) When staying at a refueling / charging station: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 coincides with the location of a refueling / charging station, and vehicle information c7 determines that the engine is OFF, then switching is possible. The location of the refueling / charging station can be obtained from map information. (C7) When stopped at a bus stop: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 coincides with the location of the bus stop, and vehicle information c8 determines that the doors are open, then switching is possible. The location of the bus stop can be obtained from map information. This criterion applies when the vehicle is a bus.

[0058] In step S112 of Figure 4, if it is determined that switching is not possible (step S112: NO), the switching unit 110 transitions the process back to step S110 and repeats the process of determining whether switching is possible or not. If the switching unit 110 determines that switching is not possible, it may output a message to the terminal 20 prompting it to take action to put the vehicle into a switchable state (for example, parking). On the other hand, if it is determined that switching is possible (step S112: YES), the switching unit 110 transitions the process back to step S114.

[0059] In step S114, the switching unit 110 transmits a switching instruction to the mobile communication carrier's wireless access network 10 (RAN10) determined in step S104 to the terminals 20a to 20m. The switching instruction is transmitted from the switching unit 110 via the data communication units 140a to 140n and RAN10a to 10n corresponding to the mobile communication carrier used by each terminal 20a to 20m. The switching unit 110 continues the processing from steps S106 to S114 described above along the driving route RT derived from the vehicle information's route information c1 until it reaches the destination.

[0060] Returning to Figure 3, let's continue the explanation. In step S24 of Figure 3, terminal 20a, having received the switching instruction, disconnects communication (disconnects the session) with the RAN 10a of the mobile network operator 1 to which it is currently connected. In step S26, the terminal information management unit 130a updates the information and removes terminal 20a from the terminals 20 connected to it. Alternatively, instead of the explicit disconnection in step S24, step S26 may be executed after waiting for the session timeout.

[0061] In step S30, terminal 20a switches its connection destination to the mobile network operator instructed in step S100. For example, consider the case where terminal 20a receives an instruction to switch to mobile network operator 2 (RAN10b). In this case, terminal 20a performs authentication processing with terminal information management unit 130b (Figure 2: CPF2 of master gateway 102) and establishes a communication session. After successful authentication, in step S32, terminal information management unit 130b updates its information and adds terminal 20a to the terminals 20 connected to it. Subsequently, in step S34, terminal 20a connects to the Internet INT via RAN10b of mobile network operator 2 by data communication unit 140b (without using carrier gateway 12b) (Figure 3: arrow to external gateway 120). Similarly, the above-described disconnection and connection destination switching are performed for terminals 20a to 20m.

[0062] In addition, in communication system 1, one of the following vehicle information d1 to d3 may be used instead of, or together with, the vehicle information c3 to c8 described above. (d1) Driving Mode: Information representing the driving mode in a vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m. For example, driving modes may include automatic, manual, and remote. Automatic means control by ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), in which the onboard CPU automatically performs accelerator and brake operations according to values ​​detected from onboard sensors. Manual means that a human manually performs accelerator and brake operations. Remote means using next-generation connected services such as remote driving or remote autonomous driving. (d2) Camera images: Exterior images (still images or videos) acquired by the onboard camera of the vehicle on which terminals 20a to 20m are installed, or by the built-in camera of terminals 20a to 20m. (d3) Communication importance in the vehicle: The communication importance in the vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m. This communication importance may be specified by terminals 20a to 20m, or it may be set automatically according to other information (e.g., information about the application b2).

[0063] When using vehicle information d1 to d3, the switching unit 110 may use the following criteria D1 to D5 in place of, or in conjunction with, the above-mentioned criteria C1 to C7. Criteria D1 to D5 are all used to determine the timing at which a vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m can be estimated to be in a state where communication is not required.

[0064] (D1) In the case of a driving mode that does not require communication: If the driving mode determined by vehicle information d1 is automatic or manual, and no communication for driving is occurring, it is determined that switching is possible. (D2) When driving on a highway: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 is on a highway, turn on ADAS and drive the vehicle autonomously, or switch to manual driving and determine that switching is possible. The location of the highway can be obtained from map information. (D3) In case of congestion: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 overlaps with a congestion area, ADAS will be turned ON and the vehicle will be driven autonomously, or it will be switched to manual driving and it will be determined that a switch is possible. Congestion areas can be obtained from road information services such as VICS (registered trademark). (D4) When there are few surrounding vehicles: If the current location determined by vehicle information c2 does not overlap with a congestion area, or if vehicle information d2 determines that there are few surrounding vehicles, the ADAS is turned ON and the vehicle is driven autonomously, or the system is switched to manual driving and it is determined that the switch is possible. (D5) When the service importance is low: If the vehicle information d3 determines that the importance of the communication service is low, the user will be notified and it will be determined that switching is possible. In this standard, instead of notifying the user, it is also permissible to obtain permission from the user (ask the user for their judgment) before determining that switching is possible.

[0065] As described above, according to the communication system 1 of the first embodiment, the switching unit 110 of the wireless communication switching device 100 determines the mobile communication carriers 1 to N to be used by the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m that perform mobile communication, and transmits a switching instruction to the determined mobile communication carrier's wireless access network 10 (i.e., RAN 10) to the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m. Therefore, compared to the case where the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m (vehicle wireless communication devices) select one of the wireless access networks 10a to 10n to connect to, it becomes possible to determine the wireless access network 10 according to the communication status, communication quality, congestion status, etc., of the "entire network" consisting of wireless access networks 10a to 10n of multiple different mobile communication carriers 1 to N. As a result, network connectivity can be improved (fault tolerance) and network stability can be improved (high quality). Furthermore, according to the communication system 1 of the first embodiment, compared to the case where each in-vehicle terminal 20a to 20m individually selects a wireless access network 10, it becomes possible to assign the optimal wireless access network 10 as the "entire network" to each in-vehicle terminal 20a to 20m (overall optimization).

[0066] By the way, switching between mobile communication carriers 1 to N usually requires a series of control processes to establish communication, which takes a predetermined amount of time (usually several minutes), and mobile communication becomes impossible during this switching. Therefore, when mission-critical services (for example, next-generation connected services such as remote driving or remote autonomous driving) are being performed using in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m installed in the vehicle, the service may not be able to continue due to the long-term communication interruption caused by the switching, potentially compromising safety. In this regard, according to the wireless communication switching device 100 of the first embodiment, the switching unit 110 changes the timing of transmitting switching instructions to the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m according to vehicle information c1 to c8 related to the vehicle in which the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m are installed (Figure 4: Switching process). Therefore, according to the vehicle information c1 to c8, the switching instructions can be transmitted at a timing that has minimal impact even if a communication interruption occurs. As a result, it is possible to provide continuous service without affecting the communication quality in the vehicle.

[0067] In mission-critical services using in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m installed in a vehicle (for example, next-generation connected services such as remote driving and remote autonomous driving), control information is constantly required while the vehicle is in motion due to remote driving or remote autonomous driving, so maintaining a state where communication is possible is essential. In this regard, according to the wireless communication switching device 100 of the first embodiment, the switching unit 110 can send a switching instruction at a time when the vehicle is stopped (reference C1 to C7) or when communication is not required (reference D1 to D5), which is a time when the impact of a communication interruption in the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m is minimal or no impact at all. Therefore, it is possible to provide continuous service without affecting the communication quality in the vehicle.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the wireless communication switching device 100 of the first embodiment, the switching unit 110 uses route information c1 to evaluate the communication quality of each candidate mobile communication carrier on the driving route RT, thereby determining the mobile communication carrier. Since the driving route RT includes the positions of the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m at a time in the future, the wireless communication switching device 100 of the first embodiment can determine the mobile communication carrier while also considering future communication quality, thus enabling further fault tolerance, higher quality, and overall optimization of the network.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the wireless communication switching device 100 of the first embodiment, the switching unit 110 divides the travel route RT into multiple sections and evaluates the communication quality of each candidate mobile communication carrier for each section, thereby determining the mobile communication carrier for each section. Therefore, even for long-distance travel routes RT, the mobile communication carrier can be switched precisely for each section.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the wireless communication switching device 100 of the first embodiment, the switching unit 110 transmits switching instructions to the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m at the timing corresponding to the breaks in each section (Figure 5: switching points marked with a star), so that the mobile communication carrier can be switched precisely for each section.

[0071] Furthermore, according to the communication system 1 of the first embodiment, the wireless communication switching device 100 includes data communication units 140a to 140n, each corresponding to a controllable number of mobile communication carriers 1 to N, and which realize data transmission and reception via the wireless access networks 10a to 10n (i.e., RAN 10a to 10n) for each mobile communication carrier 1 to N. The wireless communication switching device 100 also includes terminal information management units 130a to 130n that manage information for a number of in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m for each mobile communication carrier to which each in-vehicle terminal 20a to 20m is connected. As a result, the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m can transmit and receive data using the wireless access network 10 of the mobile communication carrier to which they have been instructed to switch, via the wireless communication switching device 100, without having to connect to the carrier gateways 12a to 12n (CPF 121a to 121n, UPF 122a to 122n) provided by each mobile communication carrier 1 to N (Figure 2).

[0072] <Second Embodiment> Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication system 1A of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a configuration for re-evaluating the communication quality for each mobile communication carrier will be described. The wireless communication switching device 100A of the second embodiment includes a switching unit 110A in place of the switching unit 110 in the configuration described in the first embodiment. The switching unit 110A performs the switching process described below in place of the switching process described in Figure 4.

[0073] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the switching process procedure in the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the re-evaluation of communication quality in the switching process of the second embodiment. Figure 8(A) shows the evaluation results before driving the driving route RT. Figure 8(B) shows the re-evaluation results while driving section 1 of the driving route RT. Figures 8(A) and (B) also show a symbol PL (hereinafter also referred to as "current location PL") representing the current location of the vehicle equipped with the terminal 20.

[0074] In the switching process shown in Figure 7, step S120 is executed between step S106 and step S108, which is different from the first embodiment described in Figure 4. In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(A), steps S102 to S104 in Figure 7 are executed in advance to divide the travel route RT into one or more sections (three in the illustrated example), and the mobile communication carrier to be used in each section is determined.

[0075] Then, as shown in Figure 8(B), the vehicle equipped with terminal 20 begins to travel along the travel route RT. Subsequently, in step S120 of Figure 7, the switching unit 110A re-evaluates the communication quality. Specifically, the switching unit 110A determines "current section 1," which is the section on the travel route RT in which the vehicle is currently located. Current section 1 can be calculated using the route information c1 and current location information c2 of the vehicle information. Next, the switching unit 110A calculates the communication quality score for sections 2 and 3 beyond current section 1 on the travel route RT, for each candidate mobile communication carrier, and re-selects (re-determines) the mobile communication carrier with the highest communication quality score. The method for calculating the communication quality score is as described in the first embodiment. The communication quality score changes moment by moment due to the amount of communication traffic in RAN 10a to 10n for each mobile communication carrier. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the mobile carrier selected in sections 2 and 3 may differ between the initial evaluation shown in Figure 8(A) and the re-evaluation shown in Figure 8(B). The switching unit 110A transmits a switching instruction to the newly determined mobile carrier by executing steps S108 to S114.

[0076] Thus, the configuration of the wireless communication switching device 100A can be modified in various ways, and a configuration having a switching unit 110A that re-evaluates the communication quality for each mobile communication carrier on the travel route RT may be adopted. In the above example, the switching unit 110A performed a re-evaluation for all sections beyond the current section 1 (sections 2 and 3 in the example of Figure 8). However, the switching unit 110A may also perform a re-evaluation only for the X sections beyond the current section 1 (X is any natural number, for example, if X=1, then section S2, which is one section ahead). Doing so can reduce the processing load on the switching unit 110A.

[0077] In this second embodiment of the communication system 1A, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be achieved. The communication quality of each mobile carrier changes moment by moment due to factors such as the amount of communication traffic in the wireless access network of each mobile carrier. In addition, the mobile carrier recommended for use in the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m changes moment by moment as the vehicle's current position PL moves. In this regard, according to the wireless communication switching device 100A of the second embodiment, the switching unit 110A re-evaluates the communication quality of each mobile carrier in the section beyond the current section while in the middle of the driving route RT, and re-determines the mobile carrier for the section beyond. Therefore, the mobile carrier for the section beyond can be re-evaluated and re-determined in accordance with changes in communication quality and changes in the optimal carrier.

[0078] <Third Embodiment> Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication system 1B of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, a case is described in which the configuration described in the first embodiment is capable of supporting terminals 20aB to 20mB that can simultaneously connect to multiple mobile communication carriers. In the third embodiment, the wireless communication switching device 100B is equipped with a vehicle information management unit 150B instead of the vehicle information management unit 150, and a switching unit 110B instead of the switching unit 110, compared to the configuration described in the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the terminals 20aB to 20mB are equipped with a wireless communication unit 21x and a wireless communication unit 21y instead of the wireless communication unit 21, a terminal information storage unit 22x and a terminal information storage unit 22y instead of the terminal information storage unit 22, and a vehicle information storage unit 23B instead of the vehicle information storage unit 23, compared to the configuration described in the first embodiment. Note that in Figure 9, the terminals 20bB to 20mB are not shown for illustrative purposes.

[0079] The wireless communication unit 21x and the wireless communication unit 21y each have the same functions as the wireless communication unit 21 described in Figure 1. The terminal information storage unit 22x and the terminal information storage unit 22y each have the same functions as the terminal information storage unit 22 described in Figure 1. The wireless communication unit 21x and the terminal information storage unit 22x enable the terminal to communicate via the RAN10 (e.g., RAN10a) of any one mobile communication carrier. The wireless communication unit 21y and the terminal information storage unit 22y enable the terminal to communicate via the RAN10 (e.g., RAN10b) of another mobile communication carrier. Hereafter, the wireless communication unit 21x and the terminal information storage unit 22x will also be referred to as the "first communication unit," and the wireless communication unit 21y and the terminal information storage unit 22y will also be referred to as the "second communication unit." In this way, terminals 20aB to 20mB can communicate via the RAN10 of multiple mobile communication carriers by having multiple communication units (first communication unit, second communication unit).

[0080] Similar to the vehicle information storage unit 23, the vehicle information storage unit 23B stores information about applications running on terminals 20aB to 20mB, as well as vehicle information.

[0081] The vehicle information management unit 150B, like the vehicle information management unit 150, collects and stores information about applications running on terminals 20aB to 20mB, as well as vehicle information (in other words, information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 23B).

[0082] In step S104 of Figure 4, the switching unit 110B determines candidate mobile carriers to be used by the first communication unit and the second communication unit of terminals 20aB to 20mB, respectively, using at least one of the following criteria B5 and criterion B6, in addition to the criteria A1 to A4 and criteria B1 to B4 described in the first embodiment.

[0083] (B5) Using the application information b2, candidates for mobile carriers to be used by the first communication unit and the second communication unit of terminals 20aB to 20mB are determined according to the application priority derived from the application type. For example, if the application type is braking control (e.g., an autonomous driving application), highly reliable communication is required, so within a single terminal, mobile carriers are assigned to the first communication unit and the second communication unit, respectively. For example, mobile carrier 1 (RAN10a) is assigned to the first communication unit of a terminal (e.g., terminal 20aB), and mobile carrier 2 (RAN10b) is assigned to the second communication unit of the same terminal (e.g., terminal 20aB). On the other hand, if the application type is content playback (e.g., video viewing), a mobile carrier is assigned only to the first communication unit within a single terminal, and no mobile carrier is assigned to the second communication unit. In this way, the communication quality can be changed according to the application type, and the quality of priority communication can be reliably improved. (B6) Using information b3 regarding the application, candidate mobile carriers to be used by the first communication unit and the second communication unit of terminals 20aB to 20mB are determined based on the mobile speed of terminals 20aB to 20mB. For example, if the mobile speed is faster than a predetermined threshold, mobile carriers are assigned to the first communication unit and the second communication unit within a single terminal to suppress communication interruptions. For example, mobile carrier 1 (RAN10a) is assigned to the first communication unit of a terminal (e.g., terminal 20aB), and mobile carrier 2 (RAN10b) is assigned to the second communication unit of the same terminal (e.g., terminal 20aB). On the other hand, if the mobile speed is below a predetermined threshold, a mobile carrier is assigned only to the first communication unit within a single terminal, and no mobile carrier is assigned to the second communication unit. This optimizes communication resources.

[0084] In this third embodiment of the communication system 1B, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be achieved. Furthermore, according to the third embodiment of the communication system 1B, the switching unit 110B determines two or more mobile communication carriers to be used by one terminal 20aB and transmits a switching instruction to the terminal 20aB to the wireless access network 10 (RAN10) of the two or more determined mobile communication carriers. For this reason, the wireless communication switching device 100B can also support terminals 20aB to 20mB that can simultaneously connect to the wireless access networks 10a to 10n (RAN10a to 10n) of two or more mobile communication carriers 1 to N.

[0085] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the switching unit 110B may determine the candidates for multiple mobile carriers to be used in terminals 20aB to 20mB by using at least one of criteria B5 or criterion B6 instead of criteria A1 to A4 and criteria B1 to B4. In addition, in addition to criteria A1 to A4, the candidates for multiple mobile carriers to be used in terminals 20aB to 20mB may be determined by using at least one of criteria B5 or criterion B6 (without using criteria B1 to B4). Furthermore, in addition to criteria B1 to B4, the candidates for multiple mobile carriers to be used in terminals 20aB to 20mB may be determined by using at least one of criteria B5 or criterion B6 (without using criteria A1 to A4).

[0086] <Modified form of this embodiment> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit. For example, the following modifications are possible. In addition, in the above embodiments, some of the configurations implemented by hardware may be replaced with software, and conversely, some of the configurations implemented by software may be replaced with hardware.

[0087] [Example 1] The above embodiment shows an example of the configuration of communication systems 1, 1A to 1B. However, the configuration of communication system 1 is merely an example, and any configuration can be adopted. For example, mobile network operators 1 to N may include a mix of VMNOs (Virtual Mobile Network Operators) that lease wireless communication equipment (RAN10) from other mobile network operators to provide services to users, and MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) that own their own wireless communication equipment (RAN10).

[0088] [Differentiation 2] The above embodiment shows an example of the configuration of the wireless communication switching devices 100, 100A to 100B. However, the configuration of the wireless communication switching device 100 is merely an example, and any configuration can be adopted. For example, the terminal information management units 130a to 130n may be configured as a single functional unit rather than individual functional units. Similarly, the data communication units 140a to 140n may be configured as a single functional unit rather than individual functional units. Furthermore, for example, the wireless communication switching device 100 may have multiple switching units 110. In this case, the criteria A1 to A4, B1 to B6, C1 to C7, D1 to D5 adopted in one switching unit 110 may differ from the criteria A1 to A4, B1 to B6, C1 to C7, D1 to D5 adopted in other switching units 110.

[0089] For example, the switching unit 110 of the wireless communication switching device 100 may determine whether switching is possible or not by using the following vehicle information c9 and the following criterion C8 combination together with the above criteria C1 to C7 and D1 to D5, or instead of the above criteria C1 to C7 and D1 to D5. (Vehicle Information: c9) Communication methods other than mobile communication: Information indicating whether a vehicle equipped with terminals 20a to 20m can utilize alternative communication methods other than mobile communication (e.g., WiFi communication). (Criteria: C8) If an alternative communication means exists: If an alternative communication means is determined by vehicle information c9, the terminal 20 is instructed to communicate using the alternative communication means, and it is determined that switching is possible after communication is established using the alternative communication means.

[0090] For example, the switching unit 110 of the wireless communication switching device 100 may determine the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used for terminals 20aA to 20mA using only one of the criteria A1 to A4 that use information about communication (without using criteria B1 to B6 that use information about the application). Similarly, the switching unit 110 may determine the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used for terminals 20aA to 20mA using only one of the criteria B1 to B6 that use information about the application (without using criteria A1 to A4 that use information about communication). Furthermore, the switching unit 110 may determine the sections to be set on each travel route RT and the candidate mobile carriers to be used for terminals 20aA to 20mA without using both criteria A1 to A4 that use information about communication and criteria B1 to B6 that use information about the application. In this case, the determination of the sections and candidate mobile carriers may be made by the grid determination described above, by manual determination by a system administrator, or by AI-based determination.

[0091] For example, the wireless communication switching device 100 may be configured to determine the wireless communication means to be used by the terminal 20 (not mobile communication, in other words, not a mobile communication system managed by a communication carrier) instead of determining the mobile communication carrier used by the terminal 20, and to transmit a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the terminal 20. For example, in the case of WiFi, the terminal information management units 130a to 130n and the data communication units 140a to 140n are configured to have the same functions as a WiFi access point (AP), and the wireless communication unit 21 of the terminal 20 is configured to have the same functions as a WiFi communication terminal (communication device). Even in this case, the switching unit 110 changes the timing of transmitting the switching instruction to the terminal 20 according to the vehicle information. Even in this way, the switching unit 110 of the wireless communication switching device 100 determines the wireless communication means to be used by the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m and transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminals 20a to 20m. Therefore, compared to the case where each in-vehicle terminal 20a to 20m selects the network to connect to, it becomes possible to determine the wireless communication method according to the communication status, communication quality, congestion status, etc., of the "entire network" consisting of networks using multiple different wireless communication methods. As a result, network connectivity can be improved (fault tolerance) and network stability can be improved (high quality). Furthermore, with this configuration, compared to the case where each in-vehicle terminal 20a to 20m individually selects the network to connect to, it becomes possible to assign the optimal network to each in-vehicle terminal 20a to 20m as the "entire network" (overall optimization).

[0092] Figures 3, 4, and 7 illustrate an example of the switching control process and the switching process procedure. However, the procedure shown in Figures 3, 4, and 7 is merely an example, and the procedure can be modified in various ways. For example, the processing content in each step may be added, omitted, or changed, and the execution order of the steps (procedures) may be changed.

[0093] [Difference 3] The configurations of the communication systems 1, 1A to 1B and wireless communication switching devices 100, 100A to 100B in the above embodiment, and the configurations of the communication systems 1, 1A to 1B and wireless communication switching devices 100, 100A to 100B in the above modified examples 1 and 2, may be combined as appropriate.

[0094] The embodiments of this specification have been described above based on the embodiments and modifications described above. The embodiments described above are for the purpose of facilitating understanding of this specification and do not limit it. This specification may be modified and improved without departing from its spirit and the scope of the claims, and equivalents thereof are included in this specification. Furthermore, any technical features that are not described as essential in this specification may be deleted as appropriate.

[0095] The present invention can also be realized in the following forms. [Application Example 1] Wireless communication switching device, The vehicle includes a switching unit that determines the wireless communication means to be used in the vehicle terminal and transmits a switching instruction to the vehicle terminal using the determined wireless communication means. The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that changes the timing of transmitting the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle terminal is installed. [Application Example 2] A wireless communication switching device as described in Application Example 1, The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that determines the mobile communications carrier to be used in the in-vehicle terminal and transmits the switching instruction to the determined mobile communications carrier's wireless access network to the in-vehicle terminal using mobile communications. [Application Example 3] A wireless communication switching device as described in Application Example 1 or Application Example 2, The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that transmits the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal at a timing when it can be estimated from the vehicle information that the vehicle is stopped or that the vehicle does not require communication. [Application Example 4] A wireless communication switching device described in any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, The aforementioned vehicle information includes route information representing the driving route from the departure point to the destination. The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that determines the mobile communication carrier by evaluating the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier on the travel route using the route information. [Application Example 5] A wireless communication switching device described in any one of Application Examples 1 to 4, The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that divides the travel route into multiple sections and evaluates the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier for each section, thereby determining the mobile communication carrier for each section. [Application Example 6] A wireless communication switching device described in any one of Application Examples 1 to 5, The switching unit further includes a wireless communication switching device that transmits the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal at the timing corresponding to the end of each of the aforementioned sections. [Application Example 7] A wireless communication switching device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6, The aforementioned switching unit is When the section on the travel route derived from the current position of the vehicle is defined as the current section, A wireless communication switching device that, along the aforementioned travel route, re-evaluates the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier in the section beyond the current section, thereby re-determining the mobile communication carrier for the preceding section. [Application Example 8] A wireless communication switching device described in any one of Application Examples 1 to 7, further comprising: A data communication unit corresponding to each of the multiple mobile communication carriers controllable by the wireless communication switching device, comprising a data communication unit that realizes data transmission and reception via the wireless access network of each mobile communication carrier, A terminal information management unit manages information for multiple in-vehicle terminals for each mobile communication carrier to which each in-vehicle terminal is connected, A vehicle information management unit manages the aforementioned vehicle information for each of the aforementioned in-vehicle terminals, A wireless communication switching device equipped with the following features. [Application Example 9] A method for switching wireless communication, in which an information processing device The system includes a switching step which determines the wireless communication means to be used in the in-vehicle terminal and transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminal. The switching process involves changing the timing of transmitting the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle terminal is installed. [Application Example 10] A computer program, for use in an information processing device. A computer program that determines the wireless communication means to be used in an in-vehicle terminal and executes a switching function that transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminal, The switching function is a computer program that changes the timing of sending the switching instruction to the vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the vehicle terminal is installed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 1, 1A~1B…Communication System 10, 10a~10n… Wireless access networks 11,11a~11n…Base station 12, 12a~12n... Carrier Gateway 20, 20a~20m, 20aB~20mB... Terminal (in-vehicle terminal) 21,21x,21y…Wireless communication department 22, 22x, 22y… Terminal information storage section 23,23B... Vehicle Information Storage Section 24...Route information acquisition unit 100, 100A~100B… Wireless communication switching device 101, 102, 103… Master Gateway 104…Edge Server 105…Edge Router 110, 110A~110B... Switching section 120…External Gateway 130…Terminal Information Management Department 130a~130n...Terminal Information Management Department 140a~140n...Data communication section 150, 150B… Vehicle Information Management Department

Claims

1. Wireless communication switching device, The vehicle includes a switching unit that determines the wireless communication means to be used in the vehicle terminal and transmits a switching instruction to the vehicle terminal using the determined wireless communication means. The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that changes the timing of transmitting the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle terminal is installed.

2. A wireless communication switching device according to claim 1, The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that determines the mobile communications carrier to be used in the in-vehicle terminal and transmits the switching instruction to the determined mobile communications carrier's wireless access network to the in-vehicle terminal using mobile communications.

3. A wireless communication switching device according to claim 2, The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that transmits the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal at a timing when it can be estimated from the vehicle information that the vehicle is stopped or that the vehicle does not require communication.

4. A wireless communication switching device according to claim 3, The aforementioned vehicle information includes route information representing the driving route from the departure point to the destination. The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that determines the mobile communication carrier by evaluating the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier on the travel route using the route information.

5. A wireless communication switching device according to claim 4, The switching unit is a wireless communication switching device that divides the travel route into multiple sections and evaluates the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier for each section, thereby determining the mobile communication carrier for each section.

6. A wireless communication switching device according to claim 5, The switching unit further includes a wireless communication switching device that transmits the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal at the timing corresponding to the end of each of the aforementioned sections.

7. A wireless communication switching device according to claim 6, The aforementioned switching unit is When the section on the travel route derived from the current position of the vehicle is defined as the current section, A wireless communication switching device that, along the aforementioned travel route, re-evaluates the communication quality of each mobile communication carrier in the section beyond the current section, thereby re-determining the mobile communication carrier for the preceding section.

8. A wireless communication switching device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, further, A data communication unit corresponding to each of the multiple mobile communication carriers controllable by the wireless communication switching device, comprising a data communication unit that realizes data transmission and reception via the wireless access network of each mobile communication carrier, A terminal information management unit manages information for multiple in-vehicle terminals for each mobile communication carrier to which each in-vehicle terminal is connected, A vehicle information management unit manages the aforementioned vehicle information for each of the aforementioned in-vehicle terminals, A wireless communication switching device equipped with the following features.

9. A method for switching wireless communication, in which an information processing device The system includes a switching step which determines the wireless communication means to be used in the in-vehicle terminal and transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminal. The switching process involves changing the timing of transmitting the switching instruction to the in-vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the in-vehicle terminal is installed.

10. A computer program, for use in an information processing device. A computer program that determines the wireless communication means to be used in an in-vehicle terminal and executes a switching function that transmits a switching instruction to the network using the determined wireless communication means to the in-vehicle terminal, The switching function is a computer program that changes the timing of sending the switching instruction to the vehicle terminal according to vehicle information relating to the vehicle on which the vehicle terminal is installed.

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