Power control device, power control method, and program

Abstract

A power control device is provided, comprising: a prediction unit that predicts the traffic of a target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information of at least one of several surrounding base stations located around the target base station and terminal location information of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of the several surrounding base stations that constitute a wireless communication network; and a control unit that controls the power of the radio waves transmitted by the target base station based on the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit. The prediction unit may predict the future traffic of the target base station using a learning model generated by machine learning or the like.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power control apparatus, a power control method, and a program. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Literature 1 describes that "when CQI information reported from a mobile station is equal to or greater than a threshold, reducing transmission power for the mobile station can suppress transmission power consumption at a base station and reduce interference power to mobile stations in adjacent cells, thereby improving efficiency of a wireless communication system". [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-112935 [Summary of the Invention] [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0003] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a power control apparatus. The power control apparatus may include a prediction unit that predicts future traffic of a target base station based on at least one of traffic information of at least one of a plurality of neighboring base stations located around the target base station among the plurality of base stations constituting a wireless communication network and terminal position information of a mobile communication terminal located within a coverage area of at least one of the plurality of neighboring base stations. The power control apparatus may include a control unit that controls power of radio waves transmitted by the target base station based on the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit.

[0004] In the power control apparatus, the target base station and the neighboring base stations may be capable of transmitting radio waves in at least one frequency band. In the power control apparatus, the control unit may turn off radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station when the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

[0005] In any of the power control devices, the prediction unit predicts an off time at which the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time will be less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and the control unit may turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station at a time later than the off time.

[0006] In any of the power control devices, the control unit may change the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from the off state to the on state when the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above a predetermined threshold.

[0007] In any of the power control devices, the prediction unit predicts an ON time at which the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above a predetermined threshold, and the control unit may change the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from an OFF state to an ON state at a time prior to the ON time.

[0008] In any of the power control devices, the control unit may, after changing the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from the off state to the on state, turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band in accordance with the fact that the traffic has moved from one of the plurality of surrounding base stations to the target base station, and then actually moved from the target base station to one of the plurality of surrounding base stations.

[0009] In any of the power control devices, if the control unit has changed the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from the off state to the on state and then determined that the traffic did not move from any of the plurality of surrounding base stations to the target base station, it may turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band.

[0010] In any of the power control devices, the target base station may be capable of transmitting radio waves in a first frequency band and radio waves in a second frequency band having a larger data capacity than the first frequency band. In any of the power control devices, the control unit may turn off the radio waves in the second frequency band transmitted by the target base station if the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time predicted by the prediction unit is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

[0011] In any of the power control devices, the prediction unit may predict the traffic of a target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of the surrounding base stations and the current location information of the mobile communication terminals into a learning model that takes at least one of the current traffic information of the surrounding base stations and the current location information of the mobile communication terminals as input and outputs the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time. This learning model is trained using at least one of the time-series traffic information of the multiple base stations and the time-series location information of the mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​each of the multiple base stations.

[0012] In any of the power control devices, the target base station and the surrounding base stations may cover the same route section of land traffic. In any of the power control devices, the prediction unit may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of the surrounding base stations and the current location information of the mobile communication terminals into the learning model, which has been learned using route location information indicating the location of the land traffic route and base station location information indicating the locations of the multiple base stations.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a power control method is provided. The power control method may include a prediction step of predicting the traffic of a target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information of at least one of a plurality of peripheral base stations located around a target base station among a plurality of base stations constituting a wireless communication network and terminal location information of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of the plurality of peripheral base stations. The power control method may include a control step of controlling the power of radio waves transmitted by the target base station based on the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time predicted in the prediction step.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a program is provided for causing a computer to execute any of the power control methods.

[0015] It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention. Furthermore, subcombinations of these features may also constitute an invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] An example of System 80 is shown in general terms. [Figure 2] An example of System 80 is shown in general terms. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating traffic prediction by the power control device 800 and power control of the base station's radio waves. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating traffic prediction by the power control device 800 and power control of the base station's radio waves. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating traffic prediction by the power control device 800 and power control of the base station's radio waves. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating traffic prediction by the power control device 800 and power control of the base station's radio waves. [Figure 7] An example of System 80 is shown in general terms. [Figure 8] An example of the functional configuration of a power control apparatus 800 is schematically illustrated. [Figure 9] An example of the flow of processing performed by the system 80 is schematically illustrated. [Figure 10] An example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as the power control apparatus 800 is schematically illustrated. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the claimed invention. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution means of the invention.

[0018] In wireless communication such as mobile communication, if the base station continues to transmit radio waves even when no mobile communication terminal is present in the coverage area of the base station, unnecessary power consumption occurs, which leads to an increase in the operation cost of wireless communication services. Furthermore, emitting radio waves to an area where no mobile communication terminal is present causes a reduction in frequency utilization efficiency.

[0019] The power control apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a configuration that contributes to solving such a problem. For example, the power control apparatus suppresses the output of radio waves for wireless communication of the base station according to the usage status of the base station. For example, in cases where the inflow and outflow of traffic are simple, such as a base station covering a single-lane vehicle road or a base station covering a railway line, the power control apparatus detects traffic transitions of base stations around a target base station using AI (Artificial Intelligence) or the like, and performs power control on the target base station.

[0020] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a system 80. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the system 80 includes a power control apparatus 800, a base station 100, a base station 200, and a base station 300. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the base station 200 and the base station 300 are located around the base station 100. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, a case where the power control apparatus 800 controls power of the base station 100 will be described. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the base station 100 may be an example of a target base station, and the base station 200 and the base station 300 may be examples of neighboring base stations.

[0021] In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the base station 100, the base station 200, and the base station 300 constitute a wireless communication network 90. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the base station 100 forms a coverage area 10, the base station 200 forms a coverage area 20, and the base station 300 forms a coverage area 30. Each of the plurality of base stations may provide a wireless communication service to mobile communication terminals located within the respective coverage area. Each of the plurality of base stations may be capable of transmitting radio waves in at least one frequency band.

[0022] In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the power control apparatus 800, and the base station 100, the base station 200, and the base station 300 are communicatively connected via the wireless communication network 90. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the power control apparatus 800 is connected to the wireless communication network 90. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the power control apparatus 800 may be connected to at least any one of the base station 100, the base station 200, and the base station 300. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the power control apparatus 800 and the base station 100, the base station 200, and the base station 300 may be communicatively connected via any other communication line without going through the wireless communication network 90.

[0023] In the example shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 91 is located within the coverage area 20 of the base station 200. In the example shown in Figure 1, the mobile communication terminal 71 is located inside the vehicle 91. Multiple mobile communication terminals 71 may be located inside the vehicle 91. The mobile communication terminal 71 may be a smartphone, a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, etc. In the example shown in Figure 1, the mobile communication terminal 71 is a smartphone. The mobile communication terminal 71 may also be an in-vehicle device such as a navigation system for the vehicle 91, or various measuring devices and control devices related to autonomous driving. In this case, the vehicle 91 itself may be an autonomous driving vehicle, and the vehicle 91 may communicate wirelessly with the base station 200. In the example shown in Figure 1, traffic from the mobile communication terminal 71 is generated at the base station 200 when the mobile communication terminal 71 communicates wirelessly with the base station 200.

[0024] In the example shown in Figure 1, vehicle 91 is an automobile, but it is not limited to this. Vehicle 91 can be any type of vehicle used for land transport. For example, vehicle 91 is a railway car.

[0025] The power control device 800 predicts the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information from at least one of several surrounding base stations located around the target base station and terminal location information from mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of the said surrounding base stations. Based on the predicted traffic of the target base station at a future point in time, the power control device 800 controls the power of the radio waves transmitted by the target base station. This will be explained below with reference to the example shown in Figure 1.

[0026] In the example shown in Figure 1, the power control device 800 predicts the future traffic of base station 100 based on traffic information from at least one of base stations 200 and 300 located around base station 100, and terminal location information from at least one of mobile communication terminals located in at least one of coverage area 20 and coverage area 30. In the example shown in Figure 1, the power control device 800 controls the power of the radio waves transmitted by base station 100 based on the predicted traffic of base station 100 at a future point in time.

[0027] For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, the power control device 800 acquires at least one of the traffic information of the base station 200 and the terminal location information of the mobile communication terminal 71 located within the coverage area 20. For example, the power control device 800 acquires the traffic information of the base station 200 from the core network of the wireless communication network 90. ​​The power control device 800 may also acquire the traffic information of the base station 200 by communicating with the base station 200 via any other communication line, without going through the core network of the wireless communication network 90.

[0028] Traffic information may include, for example, information about wireless communication between a base station and a mobile communication terminal. For example, traffic information may include information about the amount of data transmitted and received, information about the type of communication such as voice calls and packet communication, information about the time of day when communication takes place, information identifying the base station and mobile communication terminal performing the communication, and information representing communication quality such as communication speed, delay, and packet loss. Traffic information may also be base station KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that can be obtained in a relatively short time. For example, traffic information may include information about handovers and information about cell reselection.

[0029] For example, the power control device 800 obtains terminal location information of a mobile communication terminal 71 located within the coverage area 20 from the core network of the wireless communication network 90. ​​Alternatively, the power control device 800 may obtain terminal location information of the mobile communication terminal 71 by communicating with the base station 200 via any other communication line, without going through the core network of the wireless communication network 90.

[0030] In this case, the core network and base station 200 of the wireless communication network 90 may acquire terminal location information of the mobile communication terminal 71 using existing terminal positioning technology. For example, the terminal positioning technology may be the mobile communication terminal positioning technology defined in 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project). For example, the terminal positioning technology may be the terminal positioning technology defined in TS (Technical Specification) 38.305. For example, terminal location information may be acquired by positioning using the GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna installed in the terminal. The terminal location information may be terminal trace data.

[0031] The power control device 800 may store the acquired traffic information and terminal location information.

[0032] In the example shown in Figure 1, the power control device 800 may predict future traffic for the base station 100 based on the stored traffic information. For example, the power control device 800 stores time-series information of past traffic, showing when, in what order, and at what time intervals various mobile communication terminals were located at multiple base stations, and how the handovers occurred.

[0033] For example, the power control device 800 derives regularities in traffic transitions between multiple base stations based on time-series information of past traffic, and uses these regularities to predict future traffic. This makes it possible to predict how much traffic will occur at base station 100 and how long after traffic has occurred at base station 200.

[0034] In the example shown in Figure 1, the power control device 800 may predict future traffic for the base station 100 based on the stored terminal location information of the mobile communication terminal 71. For example, the power control device 800 stores time-series information of past terminal locations, indicating where various mobile communication terminals were located within the respective coverage areas of multiple base stations, at what time of day, in what order, and at what speed and in what direction they moved.

[0035] For example, the terminal location information of the mobile communication terminal 71 may be data collected by an application installed on the mobile communication terminal 71. The terminal location information of the mobile communication terminal 71 may be big data that includes multiple data collected by an application installed on the mobile communication terminal 71.

[0036] For example, the power control device 800 derives a regularity in the order in which mobile communication terminals are located at multiple base stations and generate traffic, based on time-series information of past terminal locations, and uses this regularity to predict future traffic. This makes it possible to predict how much traffic will be generated at base station 100 and how long after it has elapsed since the mobile communication terminal 71 was located in the coverage area 20 of base station 200.

[0037] The selection of which of the multiple base stations constituting the wireless communication network will be the target base station does not need to be determined in advance by a human; it may be determined autonomously by the power control device 800. In this case, for example, the power control device 800 uses AI that has learned the regularity of traffic transitions and the regularity of mobile communication terminal position transitions by using time-series information of past traffic, including the history of when various mobile communication terminals handed over to multiple base stations, and time-series information of past terminal locations, including the history of where each mobile communication terminal was located within the coverage area of ​​the multiple base stations.

[0038] For example, the AI ​​learns that traffic occurs, increases, decreases, and disappears regularly under certain conditions such as specific regions, route sections, and time periods. The AI ​​may control the power of the radio waves transmitted by a base station so that its power consumption is minimized under the conditions such as regions, route sections, and time periods in which such regularity has been found. In this case, for example, the AI ​​autonomously selects the region, the land transport route, and the base station to be controlled, and autonomously controls the power of the base station. A human may decide in advance which of the multiple base stations constituting the wireless communication network will be the target base station.

[0039] As described above, the power control device 800 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information from multiple surrounding base stations located around the target base station, or it may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on terminal location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​multiple surrounding base stations.Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, only the former case will be described, and the latter case will not be described.However, those skilled in the art will understand that power control by the power control device 800 is possible even in the latter case, just as in the former case.

[0040] In this embodiment, the "on state" and "off state" of the base station may indicate that the "off state" uses less power for radio wave output than the "on state". For example, the "on state" may be a state in which radio waves are output to cover the entire coverage area of ​​the base station, and the "off state" may be a state in which radio waves are output but do not cover most of the base station's coverage area, a state in which radio waves are output but do not cover the base station's coverage area at all, or a state in which no radio waves are output. Alternatively, the "on state" may be a state in which radio waves are output to cover the entire coverage area of ​​the base station, and the "off state" may be a state in which radio waves are output to cover a part of the base station's coverage area. Note that the "on state" may include a state in which radio waves are output at a power level lower than that which is sufficient to cover the entire coverage area of ​​the base station.

[0041] If the starting state is defined as the base station 100 being ON, then, for example, the power control device 800 controls the power of at least one frequency band of radio waves transmitted by the base station 100 to be reduced when the predicted future traffic of the base station 100 is below a predetermined threshold. In this case, the power control device 800 may turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the base station 100. The threshold may be zero. The power control device 800 also turns off the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the base station 100 when the predicted future traffic of the base station 100 is zero. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the base station in accordance with the predicted amount of traffic generated by the base station.

[0042] The threshold may be the upper limit of the traffic that can be covered by the radio waves of a specific frequency band transmitted by the base station 100. For example, if the base station 100 can transmit radio waves of two frequencies, frequency A and frequency B, the threshold can be set to the upper limit of the traffic that can be covered by the radio waves of frequency A. This allows, for example, if the predicted future traffic can be covered by frequency A alone, the radio waves of frequency B can be turned off, reducing the power consumption of frequency B.

[0043] The power control device 800 may predict an off-time when the predicted traffic of the base station 100 falls below a predetermined threshold. The power control device 800 may control the power of the radio waves transmitted by the base station 100 in at least one frequency band to be reduced at a time after the off-time.

[0044] The power control device 800 may control the power of at least one frequency band of radio waves transmitted by the base station 100 to decrease when the predicted traffic of the base station 100 changes from a state exceeding a predetermined threshold to a state below that threshold.

[0045] The power control device 800 may predict an off-time at which the predicted traffic of the base station 100 changes from a state exceeding a predetermined threshold to a state below that threshold. The power control device 800 may control the power of the radio waves transmitted by the base station 100 in at least one frequency band to be reduced at a time after the off-time.

[0046] If the start state is defined as the base station 100 being in an off state, then, for example, the power control device 800 controls the power of at least one frequency band of radio waves transmitted by the base station 100 to increase when the predicted future traffic of the base station 100 exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this case, the power control device 800 may turn on the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the base station 100. The threshold may be zero. For example, the power control device 800 turns on the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the base station 100 when the predicted future traffic of the base station 100 is greater than zero. This allows the base station to prepare to provide wireless communication services in accordance with the predicted amount of traffic generated by the base station.

[0047] The power control device 800 may predict an ON time when the predicted traffic of the base station 100 exceeds a predetermined threshold. The power control device 800 may control the power of the radio waves transmitted by the base station 100 in at least one frequency band to increase at a time prior to the ON time.

[0048] The power control device 800 may control the power of at least one frequency band of radio waves transmitted by the base station 100 to increase when the predicted traffic of the base station 100 changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above that threshold.

[0049] The power control device 800 may predict the ON time when the predicted traffic of the base station 100 changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above that threshold. The power control device 800 may control the power of the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the base station 100 to increase at a time prior to the ON time. The power control device 800 may acquire location information of the mobile communication terminal 71 and predict the ON and OFF times based on the acquired location information. For example, the power control device 800 may acquire the mobile speed of the mobile communication terminal 71 from the time-series location information of the mobile communication terminal 71 and use the acquired mobile speed to predict the ON and OFF times.

[0050] Figure 2 schematically shows an example of system 80. In the example shown in Figure 2, route 98 passes through mountainous areas or other regions where there are no residents or the number of residents is limited. In the example shown in Figure 2, multiple base stations cover a single section 99 of route 98 and provide wireless communication services to mobile communication terminals 71, vehicles 91, etc., that are moving along this section. In the example shown in Figure 2, the power control device 800 and the wireless communication network 90 are omitted from the description.

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 2, base stations 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 are located along route 98. In the example shown in Figure 2, with base station 100 at the center, base station 200 is located next to base station 100, base station 300 is located next to base station 200, base station 400 is located on the opposite side of base station 100, and base station 500 is located next to base station 400. Base station 100 forms coverage area 10, base station 200 forms coverage area 20, base station 300 forms coverage area 30, base station 400 forms coverage area 40, and base station 500 forms coverage area 50, thereby covering a single-path section 99 of route 98.

[0052] In this case, at least one of base stations 100, 200, and 400 may be an example of a target base station. Among base stations 100, 200, and 400, a base station that is not a target base station may be an example of a surrounding base station. Base stations 300 and 500 may be examples of surrounding base stations.

[0053] In areas like the example shown in Figure 2, certain patterns can emerge in the inflow and outflow of traffic. In the example shown in Figure 2, since section 99 is a single-path section, there are two paths for traffic to hand over from outside section 99 to inside section 99. One is a path that enters section 99 from base station 500 and exits to base station 300, and the other is the reverse path, where traffic enters section 99 from base station 300 and exits to base station 500. Therefore, certain regularities can emerge in the traffic transitions between multiple base stations covering section 99.

[0054] For example, consider the case shown in Figure 2, where vehicle 91 moves from outside section 99 towards the inside of section 99, from the base station 300 side. For simplicity, here we will describe vehicle 91 as communicating wirelessly, including cases where a mobile communication terminal 71 located inside vehicle 91 communicates wirelessly.

[0055] In this case, since vehicle 91 moves along route 98, it can be expected that vehicle 91 will move in the following order: coverage area 30, coverage area 20, coverage area 10, coverage area 40, and coverage area 50. Consider the generation and disappearance of traffic caused by vehicle 91 as a result of this movement of vehicle 91.

[0056] First, when vehicle 91 hands over to base station 300, traffic is generated at base station 300. Next, as vehicle 91 hands over from base station 300 to base station 200, the traffic at base station 300 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 200. Next, as vehicle 91 hands over from base station 200 to base station 100, the traffic at base station 200 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 100. Next, as vehicle 91 hands over from base station 100 to base station 400, the traffic at base station 100 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 400. Finally, as vehicle 91 hands over from base station 400 to base station 500, the traffic at base station 400 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 500.

[0057] In the example shown in Figure 2, the same considerations can be applied to the case where vehicle 92 moves from outside section 99 to inside section 99, from the side of base station 500.

[0058] In this case, since vehicle 92 moves along route 98, it can be expected that vehicle 92 will move in the following order: coverage area 50, coverage area 40, coverage area 10, coverage area 20, and coverage area 30. Consider the generation and disappearance of traffic caused by vehicle 92 as a result of this movement of vehicle 92.

[0059] First, when vehicle 92 hands over to base station 500, traffic is generated at base station 500. Next, as vehicle 92 hands over from base station 500 to base station 400, the traffic at base station 500 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 400. Next, as vehicle 92 hands over from base station 400 to base station 100, the traffic at base station 400 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 100. Next, as vehicle 92 hands over from base station 100 to base station 200, the traffic at base station 100 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 200. Finally, as vehicle 92 hands over from base station 200 to base station 300, the traffic at base station 200 disappears and traffic is generated at base station 300.

[0060] In the case described above, for example, if the starting state is defined as a state in which no traffic occurs in section 99, the power control device 800 can predict the future traffic of base station 100 based on the traffic of base stations 300 and 500, which are base stations that cover both ends of the single-path section 99 of route 98.

[0061] For example, if there is no traffic at base stations 300 and 500, the power control device 800 predicts that no traffic will occur in the near future on the single-path section 99 between base stations 300 and 500. The power control device 800 may predict that the future traffic at base station 100 will be zero. In this case, for example, the power control device 800 turns off the radio waves of base station 100. The power control device 800 may further predict that the future traffic at base stations 200 and 400 will be zero. In this case, in addition to turning off the radio waves of base station 100, the power control device 800 may also turn off the radio waves of at least one of base stations 200 and 400. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of base stations in accordance with the predicted amount of traffic generated by each base station.

[0062] Next, consider the case where there is no traffic in section 99, and the power control device 800 turns off the radio waves of base stations 100, 200, and 400, which is the starting state.

[0063] In this case, if traffic occurs at at least one of base stations 300 and 500, the power control device 800 may predict that traffic will occur in the near future on the single-path section 99 between base stations 300 and 500. In this case, for example, the power control device 800 predicts that the future traffic of base stations 100, 200, and 400 will not be zero. In this case, for example, the power control device 800 may turn on the radio waves of base stations 100, 200, and 400. This allows the base stations to prepare to provide wireless communication services in accordance with the predicted amount of traffic generated at each base station.

[0064] In the example shown in Figure 2, route 98 is a road route, but it is not limited to this. Route 98 can be any type of land transport route. For example, route 98 is a railway route. In this case, the target base station and surrounding base stations included in the multiple base stations cover the same section of land transport route.

[0065] The following will further explain the power control by the power control device 800, using the example shown in Figure 2. Figures 3 to 6 are explanatory diagrams for explaining traffic prediction and base station radio wave power control by the power control device 800. In the example shown in Figures 3 to 6, the relationship between the positions of vehicles 91 and 92 in the example shown in Figure 2 and the power control state of the radio waves of base stations 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 is shown.

[0066] The examples shown in Figures 3 to 6 describe the case where the base station transmits radio waves in a single frequency band, but this is not the only case. The base station may transmit radio waves in multiple frequency bands, and the power control device 800 may perform the control described later for radio waves in at least one of the multiple frequency bands transmitted by the base station.

[0067] In the examples shown in Figures 3 to 6, we will describe the case where the power control device 800 keeps base stations 300 and 500, which are base stations covering both ends of a single-path section 99 of route 98, turned on. By keeping the base stations covering both ends of the single-path section 99 turned on, the power control device 800 can provide stable communication services to mobile communication terminals 71 and the like when moving from outside section 99 to inside section 99.

[0068] Stage A in Figure 3 represents a state where, among multiple base stations, base stations 500 and 300 are ON, the radio waves from all other base stations are OFF, and a vehicle 92 has moved from outside the single-lane section 99 into the coverage area 50 of base station 500. In Stage A, traffic is generated at base station 500, but no traffic is generated at the other base stations.

[0069] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 500 but not at base station 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 400, but not at base stations 100 and 200. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 400 from the off state to the on state while keeping the radio waves of base stations 100 and 200 in the off state.

[0070] This allows vehicle 92 to prepare for handover to base station 400 while suppressing power consumption of base stations 100 and 200.

[0071] In stage A of Figure 3, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base stations 400, 100, and 200 from the off state to the on state based on the above prediction. In this case, as shown in stage F, all of the base stations will be in the on state.

[0072] This simplifies the control of the radio wave state of multiple base stations by the power control device 800, while suppressing power consumption of multiple base stations as much as possible. For example, the coverage area 40 of base station 400, the coverage area 10 of base station 100, and the coverage area 20 of base station 200 may be relatively small, and the vehicle 92 may reach these coverage areas relatively quickly after leaving the coverage area 50 of base station 500. In such cases, as described above, the power control device 800 can control multiple base stations to be turned on together, enabling stable communication service to the vehicle 92 even when, for example, the vehicle's speed suddenly increases.

[0073] Stage B in Figure 3 represents the state after Stage A, where vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 40 of base station 400. In Stage B, traffic is generated at base station 400, but no traffic is generated at other base stations.

[0074] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 400, but not at base stations 500 and 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 100, but not at base station 200. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 100 from the off state to the on state while keeping the radio waves of base station 200 in the off state.

[0075] This allows vehicle 92 to prepare for handover to base station 100 while suppressing power consumption of base station 200.

[0076] Stage C in Figure 3 represents the state after Stage B, when vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 10 of base station 100. In Stage C, base station 100 is experiencing traffic, while other base stations are not.

[0077] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 100, but not at base stations 500 and 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 200, but not at base station 400. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 200 from the off state to the on state, while changing the radio waves of base station 400 from the on state to the off state.

[0078] This allows vehicle 92 to prepare for handover to base station 200 while suppressing power consumption of base station 400.

[0079] In addition to the above prediction, the power control device 800 may determine the actual traffic status of the base station 400 and, if it determines that there is no actual traffic at the base station 400, change the radio waves of the base station 400 from the ON state to the OFF state. For example, the power control device 800 may acquire KPIs representing the communication status of the base station 400 and determine the actual traffic of the base station 400 based on these KPIs. For example, the power control device 800 may determine the actual traffic of the base station 400 based on big data on human flow related to the communication status of the base station 400.

[0080] For example, if another vehicle different from vehicle 92 is traveling in a convoy behind vehicle 92, and vehicle 92 moves from the coverage area 40 of base station 400 to the coverage area 10 of base station 100, the other vehicle may stop within the coverage area 40 of base station 400. In this case, if the power of base station 400 is turned off based solely on prediction, it is possible that the provision of wireless communication services to coverage area 40 may be stopped even though the other vehicle remains within coverage area 40.

[0081] As described above, by determining the actual traffic status and confirming that no traffic is actually occurring before turning off the base station's radio waves, such situations can be prevented, providing a stable wireless communication service while suppressing power consumption due to unnecessary radio wave irradiation. Thus, when the power control device 800 changes the base station's radio waves from the ON state to the OFF state, it may determine the actual traffic status of the base station and change the base station's radio waves from the ON state to the OFF state if no traffic is actually occurring at the base station. This is not limited to this example, and the same may apply to other examples of this embodiment.

[0082] Stage D in Figure 3 represents the state after Stage C, where vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 20 of base station 200. In Stage D, base station 200 has traffic, while other base stations do not.

[0083] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 200, but not at base stations 500 and 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 300, but not at base stations 100 and 400. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio wave of base station 100 from the ON state to the OFF state while keeping the radio wave of base station 400 in the OFF state.

[0084] This reduces the power consumption of base station 100, which no longer needs to cover traffic after vehicle 92 has passed.

[0085] Stage E in Figure 3 represents the state after Stage D, when vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 30 of base station 300. In Stage E, traffic is generated at base station 300, but no traffic is generated at other base stations.

[0086] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 300 but not at base station 500, that in the near future, no traffic will occur at base stations 100 and 400.

[0087] The power control device 800 may make the above prediction based on time-series information of traffic generation at multiple base stations. For example, the power control device 800 may make the above prediction based on traffic information at least at any of the stages from stage A to stage D up to stage E. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 100 from the ON state to the OFF state while keeping the radio waves of base station 400 in the OFF state.

[0088] This reduces the power consumption of base station 100, which no longer needs to cover traffic after vehicle 92 has passed.

[0089] For example, consider the case where, after stage F in Figure 3, vehicle 92 moves from the coverage area 40 of base station 400 toward base station 300, and then moves out of section 99 from the base station 300 side. In this case, the radio waves from base station 100 to base station 500 are all turned on. Stage G in Figure 4 is, for example, the state after which another vehicle 92 enters section 99 from the base station 500 side.

[0090] Stage G in Figure 4 represents a state where the radio waves from base station 100 to base station 500 are all on, and a vehicle 92 has moved from outside the single-lane section 99 into the coverage area 50 of base station 500. In stage G, base station 500 is experiencing traffic, while the other base stations are not.

[0091] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 500 but not at base station 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 400, but not at base stations 100 and 200. Based on this prediction, the power control device 800 may keep the radio waves of base station 400 ON while turning off the radio waves of base stations 100 and 200.

[0092] This allows the vehicle 92 to prepare for a handover to base station 400 while suppressing power consumption of base stations 100 and 200. The power control device 800 does not turn off the radio waves of base station 300 in order to prepare for the possibility of other vehicles entering from the side of base station 300, which is on the opposite side of base station 500 in the straight road section 99.

[0093] Stage H in Figure 4 represents the state after Stage G, when vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 40 of base station 400. In Stage H, traffic is generated at base station 400, but no traffic is generated at other base stations.

[0094] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 400, but not at base stations 500 and 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 100, but not at base station 200. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 100 from the off state to the on state while keeping the radio waves of base station 200 in the off state.

[0095] This allows vehicle 92 to prepare for handover to base station 100 while suppressing power consumption of base station 200.

[0096] Stage I in Figure 4 represents the state after Stage H, when vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 10 of base station 100. In Stage I, base station 100 is experiencing traffic, while other base stations are not.

[0097] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 100, but not at base stations 500 and 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 200, but not at base station 400. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 200 from the off state to the on state, while changing the radio waves of base station 400 from the on state to the off state.

[0098] This allows vehicle 92 to prepare for handover to base station 100 while simultaneously reducing power consumption at base station 400, which no longer needs to cover traffic after vehicle 92 has passed.

[0099] In this case, the power control device 800 may determine whether the vehicle 92 has actually moved from the base station 100 to the base station 200. If the determination result is YES, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of the base station 400 from the ON state to the OFF state, and if the determination result is NO, it may keep the radio waves of the base station 400 in the ON state.

[0100] The power control device 800 enables more conservative power control of the base station's radio waves by turning off the radio waves of base station 400 not only based on prediction results, but also after vehicle 92 has actually moved to base station 200 located further ahead. For example, even if vehicle 92, for some reason, turns back on route 98 and returns to base station 400 before handing over to base station 200, the radio waves of base station 400 remain on, allowing wireless communication services to be provided to vehicle 91.

[0101] In this case, the power control device 800 may determine that vehicle 92 has actually moved from base station 100 to base station 200 by acquiring information indicating that vehicle 92 has handed over to base station 200. Alternatively, the power control device 800 may determine that vehicle 92 has actually moved from base station 100 to base station 200 by acquiring information indicating that vehicle 92 is no longer within range of base station 100.

[0102] The power control device 800 may determine that vehicle 92 has actually moved from base station 100 to base station 200 by acquiring KPIs representing the communication status of base station 100 and determining that vehicle 92 is not present at base station 100. The power control device 800 may also determine that vehicle 92 has actually moved from base station 100 to base station 200 by acquiring location information of vehicle 92 from pedestrian flow big data and determining that vehicle 92 has moved from the coverage area 10 of base station 100 to the coverage area 20 of base station 200.

[0103] As described above, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from the off state to the on state, and then, after the traffic moves from one of the multiple surrounding base stations to the target base station, it may turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band depending on whether the traffic has actually moved from the target base station to one of the multiple surrounding base stations. Here, the movement of traffic from one base station A to another base station B may indicate that the mobile communication terminal generating the traffic changes from being located at base station A to being located at the other base station B after a handover.

[0104] Stage J in Figure 4 represents the state after Stage I, when vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 20 of base station 200. In Stage J, traffic is generated at base station 200, but no traffic is generated at other base stations.

[0105] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 200, but not at base stations 500 and 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base station 300, but not at base stations 100 and 400. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio wave of base station 100 from the ON state to the OFF state while keeping the radio wave of base station 400 in the OFF state.

[0106] This reduces the power consumption of base station 100, which no longer needs to cover traffic after vehicle 92 has passed.

[0107] In this case as well, the power control device 800 may determine whether or not the vehicle 92 has actually moved from base station 200 to base station 300. If the determination result is YES, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 100 from the ON state to the OFF state, and if the determination result is NO, it may maintain the radio waves of base station 100 in the ON state.

[0108] The power control device 800 enables more conservative power control of the base station's radio waves by turning off the radio waves of base station 100 not only based on prediction results, but also after vehicle 92 has actually moved to base station 300 located further ahead. For example, even if vehicle 92, for some reason, turns back on route 98 and returns to base station 100 before handing over to base station 300, the radio waves of base station 100 remain on, allowing wireless communication services to be provided to vehicle 91.

[0109] Stage K in Figure 4 represents the state after Stage J, when vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 30 of base station 300. In Stage K, traffic is generated at base station 300, but no traffic is generated at other base stations.

[0110] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base station 300 but not at base station 500, that in the near future, no traffic will occur at base stations 100 and 400.

[0111] The power control device 800 may make the above prediction based on time-series information of traffic generation at multiple base stations. For example, the power control device 800 may make the above prediction based on traffic information for at least one of the stages from stage G to stage J leading up to stage K.

[0112] This allows the power control device 800 to determine that the traffic generated at base station 300 is caused by vehicle 92 and not by other vehicles entering from outside route 98, thus enabling more accurate traffic prediction. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 100 from the ON state to the OFF state while keeping the radio waves of base station 400 in the OFF state.

[0113] This reduces the power consumption of base station 200, which no longer needs to cover traffic after vehicle 92 has passed.

[0114] In this case as well, the power control device 800 may determine whether the vehicle 92 has actually moved outside the straight road section 99 from the base station 300. If the determination result is YES, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of the base station 200 from the ON state to the OFF state to the state shown in stage L. If the determination result is NO, the radio waves of the base station 200 may be kept in the ON state.

[0115] The power control device 800 enables more conservative power control of the base station's radio waves by turning off the base station's radio waves not only based on prediction results, but also after the vehicle 92 has actually moved outside the section 99 located further ahead. For example, even if the vehicle 92, for some reason, turns back on the route 98 and returns to the base station 200 before moving outside the section 99, the base station's radio waves remain on, allowing wireless communication services to be provided to the vehicle 91.

[0116] In the example shown in Figure 5, a modified version of steps I and J in Figure 4 will be described. Steps G and H in Figure 5 are the same as steps G and H in Figure 4. In the example shown in Figure 5, after step H, the process proceeds to step Ix.

[0117] Stage Ix in Figure 5 shows an example where, after Stage H in Figure 5, contrary to the prediction by the power control device 800, vehicle 92 does not move from the coverage area 40 of base station 400 to the coverage area 10 of base station 100, but instead turns back along route 98. In this case, if no action is taken, the power control device 800 will continue to wait for vehicle 92 to move while keeping base station 100 turned on, resulting in wasted power consumption of base station 100.

[0118] In this case, the power control device 800 may determine whether the vehicle 92 has actually moved from the base station 400 to the base station 100. If the determination result is NO, the power control device 800 may turn off the radio waves of the base station 100. Stage Jx in Figure 5 shows the state in which the power control device 800 has turned off the radio waves of the base station 100 based on the determination result in stage Ix. If the determination result in stage Ix is YES, the power control device 800 may perform control according to the steps from stage I onward in the example shown in Figure 4.

[0119] The power control device 800 performs the determination in stage Ix by determining, for example, whether or not traffic from vehicle 92 occurs at base station 100 within a predetermined waiting time after traffic from vehicle 92 occurs at base station 400. For example, if traffic from vehicle 92 does not occur at base station 100, the power control device 800 outputs a determination result of NO.

[0120] The power control device 800 may predict the time when vehicle 92 will leave base station 100 after handing over from base station 400 to base station 100 and then handing over to base station 200, and make the above determination based on the predicted time of departure. For example, the power control device 800 makes the determination in stage Ix by determining whether or not traffic from vehicle 92 occurred at base station 100 after the time of departure and before a predetermined waiting time has elapsed. For example, if no traffic from vehicle 92 occurred at base station 100 after the time of departure and before a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the power control device 800 outputs a determination result of NO.

[0121] The power control device 800 makes a determination in stage Ix, for example, by determining whether vehicle 92 will hand over back to base station 500 after handing over from base station 500 to base station 400. For example, if vehicle 92 hands over back to base station 500 after handing over from base station 500 to base station 400, the power control device 800 outputs a determination result of NO.

[0122] As described above, if the power control device 800 has changed the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from the off state to the on state and then determines that traffic has not moved from any of the surrounding base stations to the target base station, it may turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band.

[0123] Stage M in Figure 6 represents a state where, among multiple base stations, base stations 500 and 300 are ON, the radio waves of all other base stations are OFF, vehicle 92 has moved from outside the single-lane section 99 into the coverage area 50 of base station 500, and vehicle 91 has moved into the coverage area 30 of base station 300. Here, stage L in Figure 4 and stage M in Figure 6 do not mean consecutive stages. In stage M, traffic is generated at base stations 500 and 300, but no traffic is generated at the other base stations.

[0124] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic will occur at base stations 400 and 200, but not at base station 100, based on the fact that traffic is occurring at base stations 500 and 300. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base stations 400 and 200 from the off state to the on state, while keeping the radio waves of base station 100 in the off state.

[0125] This allows vehicle 92 to prepare for handover to base station 400, and vehicle 91 to prepare for handover to base station 200, while suppressing power consumption of base station 100.

[0126] Stage N in Figure 6 represents the state after Stage M, where vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 40 of base station 400, and vehicle 91 has actually moved into the coverage area 20 of base station 200. In Stage N, traffic is generated at base stations 400 and 200, but no traffic is generated at the remaining base stations.

[0127] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts that traffic will occur at base station 100 in the near future, based on the fact that traffic is occurring at base stations 400 and 200, but not at base stations 500 and 300. Based on this prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 100 from the off state to the on state.

[0128] This allows vehicles 92 and 91 to be prepared to hand over to base station 100.

[0129] Stage O in Figure 6 represents the state after Stage N, when vehicles 92 and 91 have actually moved into the coverage area 40 of base station 100. In Stage O, base station 100 receives traffic from vehicles 91 and 92, while no traffic is received by other base stations.

[0130] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic from vehicle 91 and vehicle 92 is occurring at base station 100, and that no traffic is occurring at base stations 500 and 300, that traffic will occur at base stations 400 and 200 in the near future. Based on the above prediction, the power control device 800 does not need to change the radio wave conditions of any of the base stations.

[0131] Stage P in Figure 6 represents the state after Stage O, where vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 20 of base station 200, and vehicle 91 has actually moved into the coverage area 40 of base station 400. In Stage P, traffic is generated at base stations 200 and 400, but no traffic is generated at the remaining base stations.

[0132] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base stations 200 and 400, but not at base stations 500 and 300, that in the near future, traffic will occur at base stations 300 and 500, but not at base station 100. Based on this prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base station 100 from the ON state to the OFF state.

[0133] This reduces the power consumption of base station 100, which no longer needs to cover traffic after vehicles 92 and 91 have passed.

[0134] Stage Q in Figure 6 represents the state after Stage P, where vehicle 92 has actually moved into the coverage area 30 of base station 300, and vehicle 91 has actually moved into the coverage area 50 of base station 500. In Stage P, traffic is generated at base stations 300 and 500, but no traffic is generated at the remaining base stations.

[0135] In this case, the power control device 800 predicts, for example, that traffic is occurring at base stations 300 and 500, but not at base stations 100, 200, and 400, and that in the near future, no traffic will occur at base stations 100, 200, and 400. Based on this prediction, the power control device 800 may change the radio waves of base stations 200 and 400 from the ON state to the OFF state while keeping the radio waves of base station 100 in the OFF state.

[0136] This reduces the power consumption of base stations 100, 200, and 400, which no longer need to cover traffic after vehicles 92 and 91 have passed.

[0137] Stage R in Figure 6 represents the state after Stage Q, where vehicles 92 and 91 have moved outside the single-lane section 99. As shown in Stage R, if no mobile communication terminals or the like are located in the single-lane section 99, the power control device 800 may turn on the radio waves of at least the base stations that cover both ends of the section 99, while turning off the radio waves of the remaining base stations.

[0138] This reduces power consumption for wireless communication and lowers the operating costs of wireless communication services.

[0139] Figure 7 schematically shows an example of system 80. In the example shown in Figure 7, route 98 passes through an area where people live, such as a residential area in the suburbs of a city. In the example shown in Figure 7, route 98 is a relatively large road with a high volume of traffic. For example, route 98 may be a main road. Route 98 may be a national highway. Route 98 may be a prefectural road. Route 98 does not have to be an expressway (highway).

[0140] In the example shown in Figure 7, during the daytime, vehicles travel almost continuously along Route 98. However, at night, groups of vehicles formed by many vehicles stopping at red lights travel at somewhat fixed intervals. Therefore, especially during late-night hours, the traffic formed by these vehicle groups may transition between multiple base stations with a certain regularity.

[0141] When vehicles are not in a group, the amount of traffic generated is considered to be relatively small. However, when vehicles are in a group, the amount of traffic generated becomes relatively large. In such cases, for example, if multiple groups of vehicles are simultaneously present at a single base station, the amount of traffic generated at that base station becomes large, and it may not be able to accommodate the traffic. To prepare for such situations, for example, a system may be used to superimpose the transmission of a capacity band radio wave capable of accommodating large amounts of traffic in addition to the coverage band radio wave. However, when there are no groups of vehicles present, the communication load on the base station is relatively small, so continuing to transmit a capacity band radio wave in such a state would result in wasted power on the base station.

[0142] In the example shown in Figure 7, base station 100 is capable of transmitting radio waves in the coverage band and the capacity band. The coverage band may be a relatively low-frequency band with a narrow bandwidth. The capacity band may be a band with a larger data capacity than the coverage band. For example, it may be a broadband band for TDD (Time Division Duplex) or a frequency band for 5G (5th generation). The coverage band may be an example of a first frequency band, and the capacity band may be an example of a second frequency band.

[0143] In the example shown in Figure 7, base stations 200 and 300 may also be capable of transmitting radio waves in the coverage band and the capacity band, similar to base station 100. In the example shown in Figure 7, for simplicity, only the coverage area 12 of the coverage band and the coverage area 14 of the capacity band are shown for base station 100.

[0144] In the example shown in Figure 7, base stations 100, 200, and 300 are located along route 98. In the example shown in Figure 7, base station 100 is in the center, base station 200 is located next to base station 100, and base station 300 is located next to base station 100 on the opposite side. The section 99 of route 98 is covered by base station 100 forming at least one of the coverage area 12 of the coverage band and the coverage area 14 of the capacity band, base station 200 forming the coverage area 20, and base station 300 forming the coverage area 30.

[0145] In the example shown in Figure 7, there are residents around route 98. Completely turning off the radio waves from base station 100 would be undesirable because it would prevent the provision of wireless communication services to the residents. Therefore, for example, the power control device 800 maintains the provision of wireless communication services to the residents using radio waves from at least one of the multiple frequency bands transmitted by the base station in question. Then, by controlling the power of the remaining frequency bands according to the traffic forecast results, the power consumption of the base station in question is reduced.

[0146] In the example shown in Figure 7, the power control device 800 acquires traffic information from at least one of base stations 200 and 300. Based on the acquired traffic information, the power control device 800 may predict future traffic for base station 100. In the example shown in Figure 7, groups of vehicles 93 and 94 are moving from outside section 99 to inside section 99. Consequently, base station 200 experiences traffic from group 93, and base station 300 experiences traffic from group 94.

[0147] The power control device 800 predicts that, in the near future, base station 100 will experience traffic equal to the sum of traffic from vehicle group 93 and vehicle group 94, based on traffic information from vehicle group 93 that reaches base station 200 and traffic information from vehicle group 94 that reaches base station 300. The power control device 800 may compare the predicted future traffic with a predetermined threshold. For example, in the example shown in Figure 7, the predetermined threshold is the upper limit of traffic that can be accommodated by the coverage area 12 of the coverage band.

[0148] The power control device 800 may control the power of the capacity band radio waves to be reduced if the predicted future traffic is below a predetermined threshold. In this case, the power control device 800 may turn off the capacity band radio waves. This allows, for example, the provision of wireless communication services to residents within the base station's coverage area to be maintained by the coverage band, while turning on the capacity band radio waves only when the predicted future traffic cannot be accommodated by the coverage band alone, and turning off the capacity band radio waves when the predicted future traffic can be accommodated by the coverage band alone. This reduces the power consumption of the base station.

[0149] When base station 100 starts with both coverage band and capacity band radio waves turned on, it is possible that a resident's mobile communication terminal is communicating in the capacity band. In such a case, the power control device 800 may maintain the capacity band radio waves turned on, regardless of future traffic at base station 100. This enables the provision of a stable wireless communication service to residents.

[0150] In such cases, the power control device 800 may, before turning off the capacity band radio waves, have the residents' mobile communication terminals hand over from the capacity band to the coverage band, and then turn off the capacity band after the handover is complete. This allows the capacity band radio waves to be turned off while reducing the impact on the wireless communication services provided to the residents.

[0151] Figure 8 schematically shows an example of the functional configuration of the power control device 800. In the example shown in Figure 8, the power control device 800 includes an acquisition unit 810, a storage unit 820, a prediction unit 830, and a control unit 840. It is not essential that the power control device 800 includes all of these. The power control device 800 may further include other parts not shown in Figure 8.

[0152] The acquisition unit 810 acquires various types of information. For example, the acquisition unit 810 acquires traffic information for each of the multiple base stations provided by the system 80. For example, the acquisition unit 810 acquires terminal location information for mobile communication terminals 71 located within the coverage area of ​​each of the multiple base stations provided by the system 80. The acquisition unit 810 may acquire terminal location information for mobile communication terminals 71 mounted on vehicles located within the coverage area of ​​each of the multiple base stations provided by the system 80. For example, the acquisition unit 810 acquires time-series information of past traffic, including the history of handovers between multiple base stations by various types of mobile communication terminals. For example, the acquisition unit 810 acquires time-series information of past terminal locations, including the history of where each of the coverage areas of multiple base stations was located by various types of mobile communication terminals. For example, the acquisition unit 810 acquires various types of learning data. The acquisition unit 810 may acquire various types of learning models. The acquisition unit 810 may acquire various types of learning data and learning models from devices outside the power control device 800.

[0153] The memory unit 820 stores various types of information. The memory unit 820 may store various types of information acquired by the acquisition unit 810. For example, the memory unit 820 stores various types of training data. For example, the memory unit 820 stores various types of training models. The memory unit 820 may store various types of training data and training models acquired by the acquisition unit 810.

[0154] The prediction unit 830 predicts the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information from at least one of a plurality of surrounding base stations located around the target base station and terminal location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of the plurality of surrounding base stations. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information from at least one of a plurality of surrounding base stations located around the target base station. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on terminal location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of a plurality of surrounding base stations located around the target base station. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information from at least one of a plurality of surrounding base stations located around the target base station and terminal location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of the plurality of surrounding base stations.

[0155] The prediction unit 830 may predict the off-time when the traffic of the target base station falls below a predetermined threshold. The prediction unit 830 may also predict the off-time when the predicted traffic of the target base station changes from a state exceeding a predetermined threshold to a state below that threshold.

[0156] The prediction unit 830 may predict the ON time when the traffic of the target base station exceeds a predetermined threshold. The prediction unit 830 may also predict the ON time when the traffic of the predicted base station 100 changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above that threshold.

[0157] The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time using a learning model. For example, the learning model used by the prediction unit 830 may be a learning model that has been trained using at least one of the time-series traffic information of multiple base stations and the time-series location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​each of the multiple base stations. The learning model may be a learning model that takes at least one of the current traffic information of surrounding base stations and the current location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the surrounding base stations as input and outputs the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of surrounding base stations and the current location information of mobile communication terminals into the learning model.

[0158] The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting information on the current traffic of surrounding base stations into the learning model. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting information on the current location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​surrounding base stations into the learning model. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting information on the current traffic of surrounding base stations and information on the current location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​surrounding base stations into the learning model.

[0159] The prediction unit 830 may predict the future location of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station. The prediction unit 830 may use a learning model to predict the future location of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station.

[0160] For example, the learning model used by the prediction unit 830 may be a learning model that has been trained using at least one of the time-series traffic information of multiple base stations and the time-series location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​each of the multiple base stations. The learning model may take at least one of the current traffic information of surrounding base stations and the current location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the surrounding base stations as input and output the location of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station at a future point in time. The prediction unit 830 may predict the location of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of surrounding base stations and the current location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the surrounding base stations into the learning model.

[0161] The prediction unit 830 may predict the future location of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station by inputting current traffic information of surrounding base stations into the learning model. The prediction unit 830 may predict the future location of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station by inputting current location information of a mobile communication terminal within the coverage area of ​​surrounding base stations into the learning model. The prediction unit 830 may predict the future location of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station by inputting current traffic information of surrounding base stations and current location information of a mobile communication terminal within the coverage area of ​​surrounding base stations into the learning model.

[0162] The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time and the location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station at a future point in time. The prediction unit 830 may use a learning model to predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time and the location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station at a future point in time.

[0163] For example, the learning model used by the prediction unit 830 may be a learning model that has been trained using at least one of the time-series traffic information of multiple base stations and the time-series location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​each of the multiple base stations. The learning model may take at least one of the current traffic information of surrounding base stations and the current location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the surrounding base stations as input, and output the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time and the location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station at a future point in time. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time and the location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of surrounding base stations and the current location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the surrounding base stations into the learning model.

[0164] The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time and the future location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station by inputting information on the current traffic of surrounding base stations into the learning model. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time and the future location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station by inputting information on the current location of mobile communication terminals within the coverage area of ​​surrounding base stations into the learning model. The prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time and the future location of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​the target base station by inputting information on the current traffic of surrounding base stations and information on the current location of mobile communication terminals within the coverage area of ​​surrounding base stations into the learning model.

[0165] The learning model may be a learning model that has been further trained using route location information indicating the location of land transportation routes and base station location information indicating the locations of multiple base stations. In this case, the prediction unit 830 may predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of surrounding base stations and the current location information of mobile communication terminals into the learning model. In this case, the prediction unit 830 may further predict the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the information indicating the locations of the target base station and surrounding base stations or the information indicating the locations of land transportation routes covered by the target base station into the learning model.

[0166] The prediction unit 830 may further predict the future location of a mobile communication terminal within the coverage area of ​​the target base station based on the terminal location information of the mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of the multiple surrounding base stations located around the target base station.

[0167] The learning model described above may be one acquired by the acquisition unit 810 from an external device and stored in the storage unit 820. The power control device 800 may generate the learning model. In this case, the power control device 800 may further include a learning model generation unit, and the learning model generated by the learning model generation unit may be stored in the storage unit 820.

[0168] The control unit 840 controls the power of the radio waves transmitted by the target base station based on the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830. For example, if the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830 is below a predetermined threshold, the control unit 840 may control the power of the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station to be reduced. In this case, the power control device 800 may turn off the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the base station 100.

[0169] The threshold may be zero. The control unit 840 may turn off at least one frequency band of radio waves transmitted by the target base station if the prediction unit 830 predicts that the target base station's future traffic is zero. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the base station in accordance with the prediction of the amount of traffic generated by the base station.

[0170] The control unit 840 may control the power of at least one frequency band of radio waves transmitted by the target base station to decrease when the traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830 changes from a state exceeding a predetermined threshold to a state below that threshold.

[0171] The control unit 840 may control the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station to be reduced at a time later than the off time predicted by the prediction unit 830. In this case, the control unit 840 may turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station.

[0172] The control unit 840 may control the power of the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station to increase if the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830 exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this case, the control unit 840 may turn on the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station.

[0173] The threshold may be zero. The control unit 840 may turn on radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the base station 100 if the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830 is greater than zero. This allows the base station to prepare to provide wireless communication services in accordance with the predicted amount of traffic generated by the base station.

[0174] The control unit 840 may control the power of the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from a low state to a high state when the traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830 changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above that threshold. In this case, the control unit 840 may turn the power of the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from an off state to an on state.

[0175] The control unit 840 may control the power of the radio waves in at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station to increase at a time earlier than the ON time predicted by the prediction unit 830.

[0176] The control unit 840 may change the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from the off state to the on state, and then, after the traffic moves from one of the multiple surrounding base stations to the target base station, turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band depending on whether the traffic actually moves from the target base station to one of the multiple surrounding base stations.

[0177] If the control unit 840 has changed the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from the off state to the on state and then determines that traffic has not moved from any of the surrounding base stations to the target base station, it may turn off the radio waves of at least one frequency band.

[0178] The control unit 840 may control the capacity band radio waves to reduce their power if the future traffic predicted by the prediction unit 830 is below a predetermined threshold. In this case, the power control device 800 may turn off the capacity band radio waves. This allows, for example, the provision of wireless communication services to residents within the base station's coverage area to be maintained by the coverage band, while turning on the capacity band radio waves only when the predicted future traffic cannot be accommodated by the coverage band alone, and turning off the capacity band radio waves when the predicted future traffic can be accommodated by the coverage band alone. This reduces the power consumption of the base station.

[0179] The control unit 840 may control the power of the radio waves transmitted by the target base station based on the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830 and the future location of the mobile communication terminal within the coverage area of ​​the target base station. For example, if the future location of the mobile communication terminal predicted by the prediction unit 830 is within a predetermined distance from the target base station within the coverage area of ​​the target base station, the control unit 840 controls the power of at least one frequency band of radio waves transmitted by the target base station to a range of radio wave power corresponding to the predetermined distance.

[0180] This allows the power of the radio waves to be reduced to a level that is sufficient to cover the area up to a relatively short distance from the target base station, rather than to cover the entire coverage area of ​​the target base station, for example. This reduces the power consumption of the target base station.

[0181] Some or all of the aforementioned processing by the acquisition unit 810, storage unit 820, prediction unit 830, and control unit 840 may be performed by the AI ​​provided in the power control device 800. For example, the AI ​​may cause the acquisition unit 810 to acquire time-series information of past traffic, including the history of when various mobile communication terminals handed over to multiple base stations, and time-series information of past terminal locations, including the history of where each of the multiple base stations' coverage areas was located, and store this information in the storage unit 820.

[0182] The AI ​​may learn, based on this information, regularities in traffic transitions and regularities in the transitions of mobile communication terminal locations. For example, the AI ​​may learn that traffic occurs, increases, decreases, and disappears regularly under certain conditions such as region, route section, and time of day. The AI ​​may control the power of the radio waves transmitted by a base station so as to minimize the power consumption of the base station in the region, route section, time of day, etc., where such regularities have been found.

[0183] In this case, for example, the AI ​​autonomously selects the area, the land transport routes, and the base stations to be controlled for base station power management, and then autonomously controls the power of the base stations. In this case, it is not necessarily required for the operator to specify various targets.

[0184] Figure 9 schematically shows an example of the processing flow by the power control device 800. In step 102 (steps may be abbreviated as S), the acquisition unit 810 acquires at least one of the traffic information of multiple base stations and the terminal location information of mobile communication terminals.

[0185] In S104, the storage unit 820 stores at least one of the traffic information of multiple base stations and the terminal location information of mobile communication terminals acquired by the acquisition unit 810 in S102.

[0186] In S106, the prediction unit 830 predicts the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time based on at least one of the traffic information of multiple base stations and terminal location information of mobile communication terminals stored in the storage unit 820 in S104, or at least one of the traffic information of at least one of the multiple surrounding base stations and terminal location information.

[0187] In S108, it is determined whether the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit 830 in S106 is below a predetermined threshold. This determination may be performed by the control unit 840. If the determination result is YES, the process proceeds to S110. If the determination result is NO, the process returns to S102, and the processing from S102 to S108 is repeated.

[0188] In S110, the control unit 840 turns off the radio waves of at least one frequency band of the target base station.

[0189] Figure 10 schematically shows an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as a power control device 800. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the apparatus according to this embodiment, or to cause the computer 1200 to execute operations associated with the apparatus according to this embodiment or such one or more "parts", and / or to cause the computer 1200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to this embodiment. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to execute specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0190] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive and a DVD-RAM drive, etc. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive, etc. The computer 1200 also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0191] The CPU 1212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 1230 and RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires the image data generated by the CPU 1212 and stores it in the frame buffer provided in RAM 1214 or within itself, so that the image data is displayed on the display device 1218.

[0192] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0193] The ROM 1230 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 1200, which are executed by the computer 1200 upon activation. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via USB ports, parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0194] The program is provided on a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable storage medium and installed on a storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 1200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0195] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 1214, storage device 1224, DVD-ROM, or IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area provided on the recording medium.

[0196] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), or an IC card into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may then write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

[0197] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 1212 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the specified condition for the attribute value of the first attribute, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0198] The program or software module described above may be stored on or near the computer 1200 in a computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0199] In this embodiment, blocks in the flowchart and block diagram may represent a stage in a process in which an operation is performed or a "part" of a device that has the role of performing an operation. A particular stage and "part" may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and programmable logic arrays (PLAs), which include logical AND, logical OR, exclusive OR, negated AND, negated OR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements.

[0200] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that can be executed by a suitable device, and as a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein will comprise a product that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0201] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0202] Computer-readable instructions may be provided locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet to a processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or another programmable data processing device, so that the processor or programmable circuit of the programmable data processing device, such as a computer, may execute the instructions to generate means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Here, the computer may be a PC (personal computer), a tablet computer, a smartphone, a workstation, a server computer, a general-purpose computer, or a special-purpose computer, and may also be a computer system in which multiple computers are connected. Such a computer system in which multiple computers are connected is also called a distributed computing system and is a computer in a broad sense. In a distributed computing system, multiple computers execute a program collectively by each computer executing a part of the program and passing data during program execution between computers as needed.

[0203] Examples of processors include computer processors, central processing units, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, and microcontrollers. A computer may have one or more processors. In a multiprocessor system with multiple processors, each processor executes a portion of the program, and the processors collectively execute the program by passing program execution data between them as needed. For example, in the execution of multitasks, each of the multiple processors may execute a portion of each task in small chunks by switching tasks at each time slice. In this case, which part of a program each processor executes changes dynamically. Which part of a program each of the multiple processors executes may also be statically determined by multiprocessor-aware programming.

[0204] The invention according to this embodiment makes it possible to realize a communication infrastructure that reduces power consumption and operating costs for wireless communication, for example. Furthermore, since it does not transmit unnecessary radio waves, it can reduce the possibility of interference with other communications. In addition, it can improve the frequency utilization efficiency of wireless communication. Accordingly, it can contribute to achieving at least one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 7 "Affordable and Clean Energy", Goal 9 "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure", and Goal 11 "Sustainable Cities and Communities".

[0205] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0206] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before" or "prior to," and that these can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," and "next," for convenience, this does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0207] 10 Coverage area, 12 Coverage band coverage area, 14 Capacity band coverage area, 20 Coverage area, 30 Coverage area, 40 Coverage area, 50 Coverage area, 71 Mobile communication terminal, 80 System, 90 Wireless communication network, 91 Vehicle, 92 Vehicle, 93 Group of vehicles, 94 Group of vehicles, 98 Route, 99 Section, 100 Base station, 200 Base station, 300 Base station, 400 Base station, 500 Base station, 800 Power control device, 810 Acquisition unit, 820 Memory unit, 830 Prediction unit, 840 Control unit, 1200 Computer, 1210 Host controller, 1212 CPU, 1214 RAM, 1216 Graphics controller, 1218 Display device, 1220 Input / Output controller, 1222 Communication interface, 1224 storage device, 1230 ROM, 1240 input / output chip

Claims

1. A prediction unit predicts the traffic of a target base station at a future point in time based on traffic information from at least one of several surrounding base stations located around the target base station and terminal location information from at least one of the coverage areas of several surrounding base stations that constitute a wireless communication network. Based on the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time predicted by the prediction unit, a control unit controls the power of the radio waves transmitted by the target base station. Equipped with, Power control device.

2. The aforementioned target base station and the aforementioned surrounding base stations are capable of transmitting radio waves in at least one frequency band. The power control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit turns off the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station when the traffic of the target base station at a future time predicted by the prediction unit is below a predetermined threshold.

3. The power control device according to claim 2, wherein the prediction unit predicts an off time at which the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time will be less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and the control unit turns off the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station at a time later than the off time.

4. The power control device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit changes the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from an off state to an on state when the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above a predetermined threshold.

5. The power control device according to claim 4, wherein the prediction unit predicts an ON time at which the future traffic of the target base station predicted by the prediction unit changes from a state below a predetermined threshold to a state above a predetermined threshold, and the control unit changes the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from an OFF state to an ON state at a time prior to the ON time.

6. The power control device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit changes the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from an off state to an on state, and then, after the traffic moves from one of the plurality of surrounding base stations to the target base station, turns off the radio waves of at least one frequency band in response to the traffic actually moving from the target base station to one of the plurality of surrounding base stations.

7. The power control device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit, after changing the radio waves of at least one frequency band transmitted by the target base station from an off state to an on state, determines that the traffic did not move from any of the plurality of surrounding base stations to the target base station, and then turns off the radio waves of at least one frequency band.

8. The aforementioned base station is capable of transmitting radio waves in a first frequency band and radio waves in a second frequency band with a larger data capacity than the first frequency band. The power control device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit turns off the radio waves of the second frequency band transmitted by the target base station when the traffic of the target base station at a future time predicted by the prediction unit is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

9. The power control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the prediction unit predicts the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of the surrounding base stations and the current location information of the mobile communication terminals into a learning model which is learned using at least one of the time-series traffic information of each of the plurality of base stations and the time-series location information of mobile communication terminals located within the coverage area of ​​each of the plurality of base stations, and which takes at least one of the current traffic information of the surrounding base stations and the current location information of the mobile communication terminals as input and outputs the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time.

10. The aforementioned target base station and the aforementioned surrounding base stations cover the same route section of land transportation, The power control device according to claim 9, wherein the prediction unit predicts the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time by inputting at least one of the current traffic information of the surrounding base stations and the current location information of the mobile communication terminal into the learning model, which has been learned using route location information indicating the location of the land transport route and base station location information indicating the locations of the plurality of base stations.

11. A prediction step in which the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time is predicted based on traffic information of at least one of several surrounding base stations located around the target base station and terminal location information of a mobile communication terminal located within the coverage area of ​​at least one of the several surrounding base stations that constitute the wireless communication network, A control step in which the power of the radio waves transmitted by the target base station is controlled based on the traffic of the target base station at a future point in time predicted in the prediction step, and Equipped with, Power control method.

12. A program for causing a computer to execute the power control method described in claim 11.

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