Wireless communication device and wireless communication system

Abstract

A wireless communication device and a wireless communication system are provided that can provide appropriate services according to the communication partner while suppressing introduction costs. [Solution] The wireless communication system 1 includes a wireless communication device 10 and multiple wireless devices 20. The wireless communication device 10 includes a phased array antenna 11 having a beamforming function, and a control unit 12 that controls the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna 11 and provides a service according to the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna 11. For example, the wireless communication device 10 is installed on a platform, and the wireless device 20 is installed on a train that enters the platform, and the wireless communication device 10 provides a service of displaying an image of the platform platform where the train is entering, on a monitor installed on the train that enters the platform platform.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication device and a wireless communication system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technology for supporting the operation of a rolling stock set by presenting an image of the platform to the driver of the rolling stock set. This technology uses a wireless communication system that transmits an image taken by a camera installed on the platform to the rolling stock set, receives the transmitted image, and outputs and displays it on a liquid crystal display device installed in the driver's seat of the rolling stock set. For details of such a wireless communication system, please refer to, for example, the following Patent Documents 1 and 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-40544 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2009-255782 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, due to timetable disruptions or maintenance, the relationship between track numbers and rolling stock formations entering the station is often forced to change. For this reason, in the above-mentioned wireless communication system, it is preferable that the identification settings for communication (e.g., center frequency and SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​during wireless communication) be set to be common to all rolling stock formations. Therefore, in conventional wireless communication systems, in order to provide appropriate images for rolling stock formations entering the platform track numbers, a separate detection system is required to detect rolling stock formations entering the platform track numbers, which poses a problem of high implementation costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a wireless communication device and a wireless communication system that can provide appropriate services according to the communication partner while keeping introduction costs down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a wireless communication device (10) according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a phased array antenna (11) having a beamforming function, and a control unit (12) that controls the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna and performs control to provide a service according to the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna.

[0007] A wireless communication device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a phased array antenna having a beamforming function and a control unit. The control unit controls the beam direction of the phased array antenna according to the position of a wireless device that is a communication partner, and performs control to provide a service according to the beam direction of the phased array antenna. This makes it possible to provide an appropriate service according to the communication partner while suppressing introduction costs.

[0008] Furthermore, a wireless communication device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication device according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising a beam table (BT) in which first information indicating the beam direction of the phased array antenna and second information regarding the service to be provided correspond to each other, and the control unit controls the beam direction of the phased array antenna using the beam table, and performs control to provide a service according to the controlled beam direction based on the second information corresponding to the first information indicating the controlled beam direction.

[0009] Furthermore, a wireless communication device according to a third aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication device according to the second aspect of the present invention, which is provided with a plurality of ports (P1, P2) for at least one of input and output of data according to the service provided, the second information being identification information for identifying the ports, and the control unit controls data input / output at the port identified by the identification information associated with the first information indicating the controlled beam direction to be transmitted / received in the direction of the controlled beam.

[0010] Further, a wireless communication device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication device according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, wherein the beam direction of the phased array antenna is a direction in which a main lobe of the radiation pattern of the phased array antenna appears.

[0011] Further, in a wireless communication device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in a wireless communication device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the control unit controls the beam direction of the phased array antenna so as to maximize the received power of a partner device with which wireless communication is performed.

[0012] A wireless communication system (1-3) according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a wireless communication device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, and a plurality of wireless devices (20) that perform wireless communication with the wireless communication device.

[0013] Furthermore, a wireless communication system according to a second aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system according to the first aspect of the present invention, in which the wireless communication device is installed at a platform (HM), and the wireless equipment is installed in a rolling stock (TR) entering the platform.

[0014] Further, in a wireless communication system according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the wireless communication system according to the second aspect of the present invention, the control unit of the wireless communication device controls the beam direction of the phased array antenna so as to enable wireless communication with the wireless equipment installed in the vehicle formation entering a different track of the platform.

[0015] Furthermore, a wireless communication system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the wireless communication system according to the second or third aspect of the present invention, in which the wireless communication device provides a service of transmitting, to a vehicle formation entering the platform, an image of the platform corresponding to the track number of the platform at which the vehicle formation is entering, and the wireless device receives the image transmitted from the wireless communication device and outputs it to a display device (40) installed on the vehicle formation for display. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an appropriate service according to the communication partner while suppressing the introduction cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a beam table used in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a beam formed in a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a wireless communication system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 10 is a timing chart illustrating an operation of the wireless communication system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a wireless communication system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, a wireless communication device and a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the wireless communication system 1 of this embodiment includes a wireless communication device 10 and multiple wireless devices 20, and is a system capable of point-to-multipoint communication between the wireless communication device 10 and the multiple wireless devices 20. Such a wireless communication system 1 can provide services according to the wireless devices 20 by wirelessly communicating between the wireless communication device 10 and the multiple wireless devices 20.

[0020] The wireless communication system 1 performs wireless communication using high-frequency signals such as microwaves, quasi-millimeter waves, and millimeter waves. The wireless communication system 1 performs wireless communication in accordance with the wireless communication standard IEEE802.11ad. The wireless communication device 10 corresponds to a base station device that manages connections, and corresponds to, for example, an AP (Access Point) and a PCP (PBSS Control Point) defined in the wireless communication standard IEEE802.11. The multiple wireless devices 20 correspond to wireless terminals that connect to the base station device, and corresponds to, for example, an STA (STAtion) defined in the wireless communication standard IEEE802.11. Note that, although two wireless devices 20a and 20b are shown as the multiple wireless devices 20 in FIG. 1, the number of wireless devices 20 is not limited to two. The number of wireless devices 20 may be three or more.

[0021] The wireless communication device 10 includes a phased array antenna 11 and a control unit 12, and provides a service according to the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11. The service provided by the wireless communication device 10 includes, for example, provision of voice, image, text, graphics, and other various data suitable for the wireless device 20. Note that the service provided by the wireless communication device 10 is not limited to providing the various data described above, and may be any service.

[0022] The phased array antenna 11 is an antenna that includes a plurality of antenna elements (not shown) and can freely change the beam pattern (antenna directivity). In other words, the phased array antenna 11 is an antenna that has a beamforming function. In the phased array antenna 11, the beamforming function is realized by adjusting at least one of the intensity and phase of a signal (transmitted signal) supplied to the plurality of antenna elements or a signal (received signal) supplied from the plurality of antenna elements.

[0023] In the phased array antenna 11, it is possible to form any beam pattern by adjusting the intensity and phase. In this embodiment, for ease of understanding, it is assumed that two beams BM shown in FIG. 1 are formed as the beam pattern of the phased array antenna 11. The direction of the formed beam BM is the direction in which the main lobe of the radiation pattern of the phased array antenna 11 appears. Of the two beams BM, one beam BM1 is directed toward the wireless device 20a, and the other beam BM2 is directed toward the wireless device 20b.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the angle of the beam BM emitted from the wireless communication device 10 to the right in the drawing is set to 0°. Then, angles turning right (clockwise) from this angle (0°) are set to positive, and angles turning left (counterclockwise) are set to negative. Therefore, the beam BM1 directed toward the wireless device 20a is represented by a negative angle, and the beam BM2 directed toward the wireless device 20b is represented by a positive angle.

[0025] The control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna 11, and also performs control to provide a service according to the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna 11. Here, the control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11 so as to maximize the received power of the wireless device 20 performing wireless communication. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM1 so as to maximize the received power of the wireless device 20a, and controls the direction of the beam BM2 so as to maximize the received power of the wireless device 20b.

[0026] After controlling the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11, the control unit 12 performs control to provide a service according to the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11. Specifically, the control unit 12 performs control using a beam table BT in which information indicating the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11 (first information) and information relating to the service to be provided (second information) are associated with each other.

[0027] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a beam table used in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the beam table BT is a table in which beam sectors (first information), beam directions (first information), and data (second information) are associated with each other.

[0028] The beam sector is information specifying a beam formed by the phased array antenna 11, and for example, an integer (number) in the range of 0 to 63 is stored. The beam direction is information indicating the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11, and for example, any angle in the range of -90° to +90° is stored. Note that since there is a one-to-one correspondence between the beam sector and the beam direction, once the beam sector is specified, the beam direction is specified.

[0029] The data is information indicating the data used depending on the service provided, for example, data A indicating that the data is used in service A, data B indicating that the data is used in service B, etc. are stored. In addition, if no service is provided, "none" is stored.

[0030] In the example shown in Fig. 2, when the beam sector is 10, -35° is stored as the beam direction, and when the beam sector is 25, -10° is stored as the beam direction. When the beam sector is 40, 10° is stored as the beam direction, and when the beam sector is 55, 35° is stored as the beam direction. Note that in the example shown in Fig. 2, when the beam sector is other than 10, 25, 40, and 55, the correspondence between the beam sector and the beam direction is omitted.

[0031] Also, in the example shown in Fig. 2, when the beam sector is 10 to 25 (when the beam direction is -35° to -10°), data A is stored as the data. When the beam sector is 40 to 55 (when the beam direction is 10° to 35°), data B is stored as the data. Note that in the example shown in Fig. 2, when the beam sector is 0 to 9, 26 to 39, or 56 to 63, "none" is stored as the data.

[0032] The control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11 using the beam table BT shown in Fig. 2. After controlling the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11, the control unit 12 performs control to provide a service according to the direction of the controlled beam BM based on data associated with a beam sector that specifies the direction of the beam BM.

[0033] For example, assume that the wireless device 20a is located at a position defined by an angle of -10° with respect to the wireless communication device 10, and the wireless device 20b is located at a position defined by an angle of 10° with respect to the wireless communication device 10. When the control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11 to a direction specified by the beam sector 25, the control unit 12 performs control to provide data A to the wireless device 20a located in that direction. When the control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11 to a direction specified by the beam sector 40, the control unit 12 performs control to provide data B to the wireless device 20b located in that direction.

[0034] The wireless device 20 is a device that performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 10. The wireless device 20 may be any device that is capable of wireless communication with the wireless communication device 10. The wireless device 20 includes an antenna and a control unit that controls wireless communication performed with the wireless communication device 10. The antenna included in the wireless device 20 may be any antenna such as a directional antenna or an omnidirectional antenna. Similarly to the wireless communication device 10, the wireless device 20 may also include a phased array antenna.

[0035] The wireless device 20 may be fixedly disposed or movably disposed. When the wireless device 20 is fixedly disposed, the direction of the beam BM formed by the phased array antenna 11 of the wireless communication device 10 does not change. On the other hand, when the wireless device 20 is movably disposed, the direction of the beam BM formed by the phased array antenna 11 of the wireless communication device 10 changes depending on the position of the wireless device 20.

[0036] Here, the wireless device 20 is preferably at least twice the half-width of the beam BM formed by the phased array antenna 11 provided in the wireless communication device 10 in terms of the angular direction relative to the wireless communication device 10. For example, it is desirable that the angle between the line passing through the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless device 20a and the line passing through the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless device 20b is at least twice the half-width of the beam BM. This is to suppress unintended data communication.

[0037] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a beam formed in the wireless communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the direction of the beam BM formed by the phased array antenna 11 is the direction in which the main lobe of the radiation pattern of the phased array antenna 11 appears. The half-width of the beam BM is the angle of the beam BM at the portion where the intensity of the beam BM drops by 3 dB from the maximum value of the main lobe.

[0038] Furthermore, when the wireless device 20 is arranged to be movable, it is preferable to set the movable range of the beam BM formed by the phased array antenna 11 of the wireless communication device 10 to the minimum according to the movable range of the wireless device 20. This is to prevent erroneous detection of the optimal transmission beam sector caused by multipath due to unintended reflection.

[0039] In the example shown in Fig. 2, the movable range of the beam BM is limited to a beam sector range of 10 to 25 (beam direction is -35° to -10°) and a beam sector range of 40 to 55 (beam direction is 10° to 35°). The movable range of the beam BM may be restricted by the beam sector or by other methods. For example, the movable range of the beam BM may be restricted by adjusting the amount of phase shift set in a phase shifter (not shown) provided corresponding to each of the multiple antenna elements provided in the phased array antenna 11 so that the beam BM is formed only in a specific direction.

[0040] In the above configuration, when the wireless communication device 10 is powered on, the control unit 12 first controls the phased array antenna 11 with reference to the beam table BT shown in Fig. 2 to sequentially change the direction of the beam BM. Then, the control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11 so that the reception power of the wireless device 20 performing wireless communication is maximized. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM1 so that the reception power of the wireless device 20a is maximized, and controls the direction of the beam BM2 so that the reception power of the wireless device 20b is maximized. For example, the control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM1 to a direction (-10°) where the beam sector is specified by 25, and controls the direction of the beam BM2 to a direction (10°) where the beam sector is specified by 40.

[0041] Next, the control unit 12 performs control to provide a service according to the direction of the controlled beam BM with reference to the beam table BT shown in Fig. 2. For example, the control unit 12 provides data A corresponding to the direction (-10°) specified by the beam sector 25 to the wireless device 20a located in that direction with reference to the beam table BT. The control unit 12 also provides data B corresponding to the direction (10°) specified by the beam sector 40 to the wireless device 20b located in that direction with reference to the beam table BT. In this manner, a service according to the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna 11 is provided.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 10 includes the phased array antenna 11 having a beamforming function, and the control unit 12. The control unit 12 controls the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11 according to the position of the wireless device 20 that is the communication partner, and performs control to provide a service according to the direction of the beam BM of the phased array antenna 11. This makes it possible to provide an appropriate service according to the communication partner while suppressing the introduction cost.

[0043] Second Embodiment Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a wireless communication system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The basic configuration of the wireless communication system 2 of this embodiment is similar to that of the wireless communication system 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in Fig. 4, the same components as those shown in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The wireless communication system 2 of this embodiment is applied to a monitoring system for monitoring platform HM of a station or the like.

[0044] 4, the wireless communication system 2 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of image transmission systems 30 and a plurality of monitors 40 (display devices), in addition to the wireless communication device 10 and a plurality of wireless devices 20. The wireless communication device 10 and the plurality of image transmission systems 30 are installed on a platform HM of a station, and the plurality of wireless devices 20 and the monitors 40 are installed in each of a plurality of electric trains TR (car formations).

[0045] The image transmission system 30 includes a group of cameras 31 and an image synthesizer 32, and images captured by the group of cameras 31 are synthesized by the image synthesizer 32 and transmitted to the wireless communication device 10. In the example shown in FIG. 4, an image transmission system 30a that captures an image of one track of the platform HM (hereinafter referred to as "track number 1") and an image transmission system 30b that captures an image of the other track of the platform HM (hereinafter referred to as "track number 2") are provided. Note that, although FIG. 4 shows two image transmission systems 30a and 30b as the multiple image transmission systems 30, the number of image transmission systems 30 is not limited to two. The number of image transmission systems 30 may be three or more.

[0046] The image transmission system 30a includes a camera group 31a and an image synthesis device 32a. The camera group 31a includes a plurality of cameras connected by a cable CB1. The cameras included in the camera group 31a are arranged along the platform HM (along the direction in which the train TR enters the platform) on the track side of the platform HM. In other words, the cameras included in the camera group 31a are arranged so as to capture images at different positions on the track side of the platform HM. The image synthesis device 32a synthesizes (encodes) images captured by the cameras included in the camera group 31a and transmitted by the cable CB1. The image synthesis device 32a is connected to a port P1 of the wireless communication device 10, and outputs the synthesized image to the wireless communication device 10.

[0047] The image transmission system 30b includes a camera group 31b and an image synthesis device 32b. The camera group 31b includes a plurality of cameras connected by a cable CB2. The cameras included in the camera group 31b are arranged along the platform HM (along the direction in which the train TR enters the platform) on the platform 2 side of the platform HM. In other words, the cameras included in the camera group 31b are arranged so as to capture images at different positions on the platform 2 side of the platform HM. The image synthesis device 32b synthesizes (encodes) images captured by the cameras included in the camera group 31b and transmitted by the cable CB2. The image synthesis device 32b is connected to a port P2 of the wireless communication device 10, and outputs the synthesized image to the wireless communication device 10.

[0048] The wireless communication device 10 controls the beam BM1 formed by the phased array antenna 11 so as to be directed toward the wireless device 20a provided on the train TR1 entering the first track (or the train TR1 departing from the first track). Then, the wireless communication device 10 provides a service of transmitting an image input to the port P1 toward the wireless device 20a located in the direction of the beam BM1.

[0049] In this manner, in this embodiment, the port P1 of the wireless communication device 10 is associated with the beam BM1 transmitted toward the wireless device 20a. That is, in this embodiment, information indicating that data A is data input from port P1 is stored in the beam table BT shown in Fig. 2. For example, identification information for identifying port P1 is stored as data A in the beam table BT shown in Fig. 2.

[0050] Moreover, the wireless communication device 10 controls the beam BM2 formed by the phased array antenna 11 so as to be directed toward the wireless device 20b provided on the train TR2 entering track 2 (or the train TR2 departing from track 2). Then, the wireless communication device 10 provides a service of transmitting an image input to the port P2 toward the wireless device 20b located in the direction of the beam BM2.

[0051] In this manner, in this embodiment, the port P2 of the wireless communication device 10 is associated with the beam BM2 transmitted toward the wireless device 20b. That is, in this embodiment, information indicating that the data B is data input from the port P2 is stored in the beam table BT shown in Fig. 2. For example, identification information for identifying the port P2 is stored as the data B in the beam table BT shown in Fig. 2.

[0052] The monitor 40 is equipped with a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, and decodes and displays an image received by the wireless device 20 and output from the wireless device 20. The monitor 40 is installed, for example, in the driver's seat of the train TR. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a monitor 40a is installed on the train TR1 entering the first track of the platform HM, and a monitor 40b is installed on the train TR2 entering the second track of the platform HM. Note that, although two monitors 40a and 40b are shown as the multiple monitors 40 in FIG. 4, the number of monitors 40 is not limited to two. The monitor 40 may be installed, for example, on all trains TR scheduled to enter the platform HM.

[0053] 5 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the wireless communication system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of simplicity, the operation will be explained by taking as an example the case where train TR1 enters platform HM at platform 1 and train TR2 enters platform HM at platform 2 at the same time.

[0054] The wireless communication device 10 transmits a beacon by broadcast at regular time intervals (step S11). When the train TR1 enters the first track of the platform HM and the train TR2 enters the second track of the platform HM, the beacon transmitted from the wireless communication device 10 is received by the wireless device 20a provided on the train TR1 and the wireless device 20b provided on the train TR2. When the wireless device 20a and the wireless device 20b receive the beacon, they confirm the SSID, etc., and then transmit an association request to the wireless communication device 10 (step S12).

[0055] When the wireless communication device 10 receives the association requests transmitted from the wireless device 20a and the wireless device 20b, the wireless communication device 10 transmits an ACK (ACKnowledgement) to each of the wireless device 20a and the wireless device 20b (step S13). This establishes an association between the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless device 20a and the wireless device 20b.

[0056] When the association is established, a transmission beam sector is searched between the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless devices 20a and 20b (step S14). For example, if the wireless devices 20a and 20b are also provided with phased array antennas, the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless devices 20a and 20b are in a quasi-omnidirectional state during reception and search for a transmission beam sector.

[0057] When the search for the transmission beam sector is completed, the optimum transmission / reception beam sector is searched for between the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless device 20a and wireless device 20b (step S15). Specifically, the receiving side is set to a beamforming mode, and a process of searching for the optimum beam sector (beam direction) for transmission and reception is performed.

[0058] The optimal beam sector is a beam sector that maximizes the received power on the wireless devices 20a and 20b side, and is a state in which the beam directions (directions in which the main lobe appears) of the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless devices 20a and 20b for transmission and reception face each other. When the optimal transmission and reception beam sector is searched, for example, as shown in Fig. 4, the beam BM1 is directed toward the wireless device 20a installed on the train TR1, and the beam BM2 is directed toward the wireless device 20b installed on the train TR2.

[0059] The position of the wireless device 20a changes according to the movement of the train TR1, and the position of the wireless device 20b changes according to the movement of the train TR2. Therefore, the search for the optimal transmitting / receiving beam sector continues at least until the trains TR1 and TR2 stop.

[0060] When the optimal transmission / reception beam sector is searched for, the wireless communication device 10 refers to the beam table BT and transmits data corresponding to the searched optimal beam sector as a data frame to each of the wireless devices 20a and 20b (step S16). Specifically, the wireless communication device 10 transmits an image input to a port P1 identified by identification information corresponding to the beam sector of the beam BM1 (an image output from the image transmission system 30a) toward the wireless device 20a located in the direction of the beam BM1. The wireless communication device 10 also transmits an image input to a port P2 identified by identification information corresponding to the beam sector of the beam BM2 (an image output from the image transmission system 30b) toward the wireless device 20b located in the direction of the beam BM2.

[0061] When the wireless devices 20a and 20b receive the data frame transmitted from the wireless communication device 10, they transmit an ACK (step S17). Then, the wireless devices 20a and 20b output the received image data to the monitors 40a and 40b, respectively (step S18). As a result, the images captured by the camera group 31a of the image transmission system 30a are displayed on the monitor 40a provided on the train TR1, and the images captured by the camera group 31b of the image transmission system 30b are displayed on the monitor 40b provided on the train TR2.

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 10 is installed on the platform HM, and the wireless devices 20a and 20b that perform wireless communication with the wireless communication device 10 are installed on the trains TR1 and TR2, respectively. The wireless communication device 10 controls the direction of the beam BM1 according to the position of the wireless device 20a, and transmits an image captured by the image transmission system 30a (an image of platform HM where the train TR1 enters) to the wireless device 20a, which then displays the image on the monitor 40a. The wireless communication device 10 also controls the direction of the beam BM2 according to the position of the wireless device 20b, and transmits an image captured by the image transmission system 30b (an image of platform HM where the train TR2 enters) to the wireless device 20b, which then displays the image on the monitor 40b.

[0063] In this manner, in this embodiment, an image of the platform platform number at which the train TR enters can be displayed on the monitor 40 provided on the train TR entering the platform number without providing a separate detection system for detecting the train entering the platform number at the platform HM. In other words, in this embodiment as well, it is possible to provide an appropriate service according to the communication partner while suppressing the introduction cost.

[0064] In this embodiment, at the position where the association request is transmitted as shown in Fig. 5, it is desirable that the angle between the straight line passing through the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless device 20a and the straight line passing through the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless device 20b is more than twice the half-width of the beam BM. This is to suppress unintended data communication. In addition, it is preferable that the movable range of the beams BM1 and BM2 formed by the phased array antenna 11 of the wireless communication device 10 is set to the minimum according to the movable range of the wireless device 20 installed on the train TR. This is to prevent erroneous detection of the optimal transmission beam sector caused by multipath due to unintended reflection.

[0065] In addition, as a means for detecting the position from which the association request is transmitted, speed information from the train TR during a stopping operation (slowing down), distance information to the stopping position, GPS (Global Positioning System) signals, etc. The wireless device 10 and the wireless equipment 20 start an association request when the wireless device 10 and the wireless equipment 20 detect the above-mentioned position using these signals.

[0066] Third Embodiment Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a wireless communication system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication system 3 of this embodiment is basically the same as the wireless communication system 2 of the second embodiment. Therefore, in Fig. 6, the same components as those shown in Fig. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The wireless communication system 3 of this embodiment realizes point-to-multipoint communication between the wireless communication device 10 and wireless devices 20a and 20b by using, for example, an L2 bridge and a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network).

[0067] 6, the image transmission systems 30a and 30b are connected to ports P1 and P2, respectively, of the wireless communication device 10 by, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark). Also, the monitors 40a and 40b are connected to the wireless devices 20a and 20b, respectively, by, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark).

[0068] The wireless communication device 10 includes tag processing units 13a and 13b and a wireless interface unit 14. The tag processing unit 13a is provided between a port P1 and the wireless interface unit 14, and performs tag processing on data (frames) exchanged between the port P1 and the wireless interface unit 14. The tag processing unit 13b is provided between a port P2 and the wireless interface unit 14, and performs tag processing on data (frames) exchanged between the port P2 and the wireless interface unit 14.

[0069] Specifically, the tag processing unit 13a performs a process of inserting a VLAN tag (identifier) ​​into a frame traveling from the port P1 to the wireless interface unit 14. The tag processing unit 13a also performs a process of removing a VLAN tag inserted into a frame traveling from the wireless interface unit 14 to the port P1. The tag processing unit 13b performs a process of inserting a VLAN tag into a frame traveling from the port P2 to the wireless interface unit 14. The tag processing unit 13b also performs a process of removing a VLAN tag inserted into a frame traveling from the wireless interface unit 14 to the port P2.

[0070] The VLAN tag processed by tag processing unit 13a (hereinafter referred to as the "first VLAN tag") is different from the VLAN tag processed by tag processing unit 13b (hereinafter referred to as the "second VLAN tag"). For example, the first VLAN tag is an identifier with a value of "1", and the second VLAN tag is an identifier with a value of "2". In this embodiment, the first VLAN tag is stored as data A and the second VLAN tag is stored as data B in the beam table BT shown in FIG. 2.

[0071] In this manner, in this embodiment, the beam sectors and the VLAN tags are associated in the beam table BT. Also, when the wireless communication device 10 and the wireless devices 20a and 20b associate with each other, the addresses of the communication partners are acquired. The addresses of the communication partners are MAC addresses (Media Access Control addresses). Therefore, in this embodiment, the beam sectors, the MAC addresses, and the VLAN tags are associated with each other.

[0072] Specifically, the beam sector of beam BM1 (see FIG. 4), the MAC address of the wireless interface unit 21a, and the first VLAN tag are associated with each other. Also, the beam sector of beam BM2 (see FIG. 4), the MAC address of the wireless interface unit 21b, and the second VLAN tag are associated with each other. In FIG. 6, the MAC address of the wireless interface unit 14 is indicated by A0, the MAC address of the wireless interface unit 21a is indicated by A1, and the MAC address of the wireless interface unit 21b is indicated by A2.

[0073] The wireless interface unit 14 performs transmission control of frames output from the tag processing units 13a and 13b by referring to the beam table BT and the correspondence between MAC addresses. Specifically, the wireless interface unit 14 refers to the beam sector to be transmitted to the wireless interface unit 21a specified by the MAC address. If the referred beam sector is a value within the range of 10 to 25 shown in FIG. 2, transmission control is performed so that the frame with the first VLAN tag inserted is transmitted to the wireless interface unit 21a specified by the MAC address. If the referred beam sector is a value within the range of 40 to 55 shown in FIG. 2, transmission control is performed so that the frame with the second VLAN tag inserted is transmitted to the wireless interface unit 21a specified by the MAC address.

[0074] Further, the wireless interface unit 14 refers to the beam sector to be transmitted to the wireless interface unit 22b specified by the MAC address. If the referred beam sector is a value within the range of 10 to 25 shown in Fig. 2, transmission control is performed so that the frame with the first VLAN tag inserted is transmitted to the wireless interface unit 21b specified by the MAC address. If the referred beam sector is a value within the range of 40 to 55 shown in Fig. 2, transmission control is performed so that the frame with the second VLAN tag inserted is transmitted to the wireless interface unit 21b specified by the MAC address. Note that in the wireless communication device 10, similarly to the second embodiment, the directions of the beams BM1 and BM2 are also separately controlled by referring to the beam table BT.

[0075] In this manner, similarly to the second embodiment, an image captured by the image transmission system 30a is transmitted to the wireless device 20a and displayed on the monitor 40a, and an image captured by the image transmission system 30b is transmitted to the wireless device 20b and displayed on the monitor 40b.

[0076] As described above, in this embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the wireless communication device 10 is installed on the platform HM, and the wireless devices 20a and 20b that perform wireless communication with the wireless communication device 10 are installed on the trains TR1 and TR2, respectively. The wireless communication device 10 controls the direction of the beam BM1 according to the position of the wireless device 20a, and transmits an image captured by the image transmission system 30a (an image of the first track of the platform HM where the train TR1 enters) to the wireless device 20a, which then displays the image on the monitor 40a. The wireless communication device 10 also controls the direction of the beam BM2 according to the position of the wireless device 20b, and transmits an image captured by the image transmission system 30b (an image of the second track of the platform HM where the train TR2 enters) to the wireless device 20b, which then displays the image on the monitor 40b.

[0077] In this manner, also in this embodiment, an image of the platform platform number at which the train TR enters can be displayed on the monitor 40 provided on the train TR entering the platform number without providing a separate detection system for detecting the train entering the platform number at the platform HM. In other words, also in this embodiment, it is possible to provide an appropriate service according to the communication partner while suppressing the introduction cost.

[0078] Although the wireless communication device and the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be freely modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, the service provided in the second and third embodiments is to display an image of the platform number of the platform HM into which the train TR enters on the monitor 40 provided on the train TR entering the platform number of the platform HM. However, on the contrary, a service may be provided in which an image of the train TR entering the platform number of the platform HM (for example, an image of the inside of the train TR) is displayed on the monitor provided on each platform number of the platform HM. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 to 3: wireless communication system, 10: wireless communication device, 11: phased array antenna, 12: control unit, 20: wireless equipment, 40: monitor, HM: platform, P1, P2: port, BT: beam table, TR: train

Claims

1. A wireless communication device compatible with multiple services, A phased array antenna having a beamforming function; a control unit that controls a beam direction of the phased array antenna and performs control to provide a service according to the beam direction of the phased array antenna searched by the control, among the plurality of services; A wireless communication device comprising:

2. a beam table in which first information indicating a beam direction of the phased array antenna and second information relating to a service to be provided are associated with each other; The control unit controls a beam direction of the phased array antenna using the beam table, and performs control to provide a service according to the controlled beam direction based on the second information associated with the first information indicating the controlled beam direction.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1.

3. The system includes a plurality of ports for inputting and / or outputting data according to the service to be provided, the second information is identification information for identifying the port, The control unit controls data input / output to / from the port identified by the identification information associated with the first information indicating a controlled beam direction so that the data is transmitted / received in the direction of the controlled beam.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 2.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the direction of the beam of the phased array antenna is a direction in which a main lobe of a radiation pattern of the phased array antenna appears.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a beam direction of the phased array antenna so as to maximize a receiving power of a counterpart device performing wireless communication.

6. A wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a plurality of wireless devices that wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication device; A wireless communication system comprising:

7. The wireless communication device is installed in a home, The wireless device is installed in a vehicle formation entering the platform.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 6.

8. 8. The wireless communication system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit of the wireless communication device controls a beam direction of the phased array antenna so as to enable wireless communication with the wireless equipment installed in the vehicle formation entering a different track of the platform.

9. the wireless communication device provides a service of transmitting, to a train formation entering the platform, an image of the platform corresponding to the track number of the platform into which the train formation is to enter; The wireless device receives the image transmitted from the wireless communication device and outputs it to a display device installed in the vehicle formation for display.

8. The wireless communication system according to claim 7.

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